Binding and Loosing
In Matthew 16 Peter was given the keys of the Kingdom, a staggering authority. He was told by Jesus, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”[1] Little has been less understood.
This conferral by Jesus does not refer to the exercise of earthly/worldly power; it is not a cart Blanche to order local, national or international affairs by misguided proclamations. Were it to be so, the gates of Hades would prevail against it. It is a power that unlocks the kingdom of heaven to people, and in so doing builds the church.
The power to loose or bind is to remit people’s sins or to hold people’s sins against them. This is the greatest use of power given the church because it deals with a matter of prime importance - the forgiveness of sins.[2]
Matthew 18.15-20 clarifies and expands Matthew 16. If someone sins against a fellow believer, the aggrieved is to approach the offender and confront them (call them to account). If this fails, they are to take witnesses. If this fails, they are to make the matter public by taking it to the church body. If this fails, they are to be ejected from the church – by which their sins are bound to them. They have failed in the process of being loosed from their sin by not listening and asking forgiveness. Although the desired effect of dis-fellowshipping someone is their redemption,[3] in the short term this has massive implications for the one being ejected, which unless they are loosed (by repentance and restoration – remembering that the kingdom is only ever entered by repentance[4]) sets their redemptive future in doubt.
It is in this context that Matthew speaks of agreement between two or three believers – exercising in prayer the power of binding and loosing people from their sins - which Jesus promised would be done for them, by his Father in heaven.
When the Lord breathed on the disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” he immediately added, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, there are retained.”[5] God forgives what the church, in his name, forgives; the church forgives in God’s name, by his conferred authority. What a sobering power. It is evidenced by Stephen not holding his executors in debt but forgiving them – loosing them. Paul was in that crowd.[6]
The apostle Paul held one man’s sins against him because of his opposition to the gospel - Alexander the coppersmith - “The Lord will pay him back for his deeds.”[7] This is the power of God’s church – to forgive, to loose, or to bind, not forgive. This is the authority Peter, on behalf of the church, was given. This is the power that incarnates in church life and practise the point of the cross – forgiveness of sins. This is the power of loosing and binding.
Why then is it seldom used? What have we missed?
1. For one we don’t take sin very seriously, nor the unity of the church, which is maintained by forbearance and forgiveness. The apparent ease with which we gloss over the commandments of Jesus is proof enough of our lax view of sin.
2. The daily practise of the Lord’s prayer reminds us of sin, temptation and evil, but we don’t pray it daily, so we aren’t reminded.
3. Hell has fallen out of popularity, as hell does face us with the thought of judgment for sin/s. But if there is no hell, no eternal separation from God, then sin is less problematic – except that it is.
4. We teach people they need to forgive others so that they will feel better. True, they will – but that is hardly the reason. The reason is to loose people from their sin, asking God to forgive them (otherwise how are they to be forgiven). What is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven; we forgive so that they may be forgiven. This is the purpose of the keys – a solemn and powerful bestowal.
5. Our meetings don’t allow for handing people over the Satan very well. It is a tad awkward telling guests we are now binding a person’s sins to them, effectively making them fair game for Satan, by forbidding them access to the saving community of God’s people. You can get ejected from a football game and everyone gets it – but not from church. That is seen as discriminatory, harsh, judgmental etc, but it is in the game book.
6. We are shy of the power of admitting and confessing, because of misuse or abuse of this authority by the church. But this hesitancy is counter-productive, and it hinders the work of the gospel.
By misunderstanding and misapplying the biblical intent of binding and loosing we fail to effectively act in Jesus’s name, forgiving people. God forgives people, in large measure, by God’s church realising its spiritually conferred authority of binding and loosing.
[1] Matthew 16.16-18 NRSV
[2] See 1 Corinthians 15.3-4
[3] See 1 Corinthians 5.5
[4] See Matthew 3.1-2 (John), 4.17 (Jesus)
[5] John 20.23 NRSV
[6] See Acts 7
[7] 2 Timothy 4.14 NRSV