Matthew 16:19

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tawhano

Northland Highwayman
Supporter
Mar 25, 2003
3,109
118
71
North Carolina
Visit site
✟48,938.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

What exactly were the keys of the kingdom and what were they able to bind and loose? Also was Jesus only talking to Peter at this point?
 

duster1az

Active Member
Jun 25, 2003
291
0
63
Southwest
Visit site
✟421.00
Faith
Christian
Tawhano said:
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

What exactly were the keys of the kingdom and what were they able to bind and loose? Also was Jesus only talking to Peter at this point?
I relate my understanding, which I'm sure others will disagree with.

In New Testament times, humanity was divided into three groups: Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritans (Matt. 10:5-6). Peter did indeed have a special role, as carrying the keys implied authority (Isa. 22:20-24) and the right to unlock the door. Therefore, the basic point would be that Jesus gives authority to Peter to open the door of the Church, or body of Christ, to all three segments of humanity. This helps explain Peter's role in the book of Acts and the sometimes delay of the baptism of the Spirit to believers.

In Acts 2, Peter opens the door for the Jews. In Acts 8, Philip preaches the gospel to the Samaritans, but it's not until Peter comes that they're baptized by the Spirit, and in Acts 9, even though Paul is chosen as the apostle to the Gentiles it's not until Peter visits the home of Cornelius that the baptism of the Spirit takes place. Whatever the meaning of "the keys of the kingdom," it must refer to the Church aspect of the overall kingdom program. The Church is the body of Christ (Col. 1:18), and the means of entering the body is through the Spirit's baptism (1 Cor. 12:13).

In Christ,
Tracey
 
Upvote 0

Serapha

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2003
5,133
28
✟6,704.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Tawhano said:
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

What exactly were the keys of the kingdom and what were they able to bind and loose? Also was Jesus only talking to Peter at this point?
Hi there!

:wave:

The Greek word for "key" in that passage is "kleis" which is used metamorphically in the New Testament (Vines, 341 and BLB, http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/words/2/1076215842-7423.html)

and is taken to be opening the door of faith or the presentation of the gospel.

Unfortunately, Matthew is believed to have been written in Aramaic, and the Greek translation may not hold true, but in reference would be better translated from the Old Syriac which is from the Aramaic. From that translation, the text is read, "To you I give the keys of the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven," or even from Ephraim (Aramiac church father) : "To you I give the keys of the doors"

There are other references in the Bible to "binding and loosing"... see Matthew 18:18 and John 20:23.


I hope this helps in your understanding.


~serapha~
 
Upvote 0

Tawhano

Northland Highwayman
Supporter
Mar 25, 2003
3,109
118
71
North Carolina
Visit site
✟48,938.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Thank you for your replies. I agree that the keys given opened the door to heaven but I can’t see how one man could be given sole authority to do so when Christ has opened that door already for all to receive individually to all who hear him knocking and open that door. Otherwise our salvation would hang on one man’s decision to open that door for us.

Take note that in Matthew 16:19 ‘I will give’ is translated from the Greek word didomi of which below I quote from Strongs:

didomi
A prolonged form of a primary verb (which is used as an alternate in most of the tenses); to give (used in a very wide application, properly or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection): - adventure, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver (up), give, grant, hinder, make, minister, number, offer, have power, put, receive, set, shew, smite (+ with the hand), strike (+ with the palm of the hand), suffer, take, utter, yield.

It appears to me that this verse could very well be saying that Jesus reveals to them the keys. See the phrase ‘shall show’ in Matthew 24:24, it is translated from the same word didomi. Reading through all the uses of didomi in the New Testament and looking over the theme of Matthew 16:13-20 makes me believe that Jesus didn’t give Peter or anyone else authority over anything but simple revealed to them the keys which will open the doors.

Notice that the conversation starts off with Jesus asking all the disciples a question of who they thought he was. At first they gave the opinion of others but Jesus asked again what did they think. Peter answered correctly and Jesus said that God revealed this to him. Did God only reveal this to Peter or did He not reveal this to all of the disciples? Seeing how Jesus called each man himself (nobody just showed up, Jesus called them) and they laid down what they were doing to follow him. I believe God did indeed reveal it to all of them.

Did Jesus build his church on one man?

Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];

No he did not. What do the apostles and the prophets have in common that they are considered to be the foundation in which Jesus builds on? Revelation. God revealed to the apostles as He did the prophets the true calling of Christ and it is this that is the keys which open the door to heaven.

Ephesians 3:3-5 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

All of the above makes sense to me until I get to the part of the binding. I can not think what the apostles were given in this authority to bind and loose. Our salvation cannot depend on men that much I am sure. Reading Matthew 18:15-18 makes me think it is sins against man that men can forgive. In other words if someone sins against me and I forgive them then it is forgiven them in Heaven. This, however, doesn’t fit with the whole notion of the doors to heaven being opened.

Any Comments?

Scripture Reference for above discussion:

Matthew 16
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
 
Upvote 0

Tawhano

Northland Highwayman
Supporter
Mar 25, 2003
3,109
118
71
North Carolina
Visit site
✟48,938.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
pmarquette said:
keys to the kingdom ....

like a password and e-mail address ; like a platinum visa ;
what we need , when we need it ... access to the kingdom ...
Thank you for your reply. The question is, who holds those keys? Are these keys authority over heaven, keys to open the door or a revelation that opens the door? What is it that is being bound or loosen?

The two points in Matthew 16:19 are joined together with an ‘and’. Whoever has the keys also has the power to bind and loosen. This is what I am trying to discover.
 
Upvote 0

Tawhano

Northland Highwayman
Supporter
Mar 25, 2003
3,109
118
71
North Carolina
Visit site
✟48,938.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
The two other verses Serapha mentioned above are these:

Matthew 18
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

John 20:23
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Verse 18 in Matthew 18 seems to be connected to the point being made in verses 15-17 about forgiveness of sins committed against people. The verse in John seems to be plunked in the middle of two separate thoughts. Perhaps Matthew 18:18 is the same. Either way neither make sense to me. Jesus’ blood has washed us of our sins. No man on earth has the power to forgive sins that will prevent you from passing through the door of heaven.

I’m wondering if the following verse is the answer to my question:

Matthew 6:14-15
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Could the binding and loosening be this? If a person wrongs you and they repent God will forgive them, if you do not forgive them then God will not forgive your sins. If your sins are not forgiven then you cannot pass through the door. I thinking out loud here. Any comments on this?

Where are all the bible scholars? ;)
 
Upvote 0

kimber1

mean people suck
Feb 25, 2003
13,092
810
53
Va.
Visit site
✟38,363.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
In Relationship
Politics
US-Democrat
i'm no Bible scholar for sure ;) but Peter was given the keys, yes, and the apostles, along with himself the power to loose and bind, meaning to forgive or retain the sins of man. this is where Catholics get their meaning behind how the priest has the power (given him through the Holy Spirit) to absolve us of our sins during confession. hope this doesn't confuse you further. if you posted this in OBOB i'm sure you'd get it answered better than i've been able to :)
 
Upvote 0

Serapha

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2003
5,133
28
✟6,704.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Tawhano said:
I’m wondering if the following verse is the answer to my question:

Matthew 6:14-15
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Could the binding and loosening be this? If a person wrongs you and they repent God will forgive them, if you do not forgive them then God will not forgive your sins. If your sins are not forgiven then you cannot pass through the door. I thinking out loud here. Any comments on this?
Hi there!

:wave:

If you can define the difference between tresspasses and sins you might have your answer to your question, particularly when you have used the two words interchangeably, while in the Greek, they are different words. So many translations use the words interchangeably when, in fact, there is a difference in "intent" on the two words.


Where are all the bible scholars? ;)


I am not in to "one-upmanship". Feel free to rule the roost.


~serapha~
 
Upvote 0

Crazy Liz

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2003
17,059
1,106
California
✟23,305.00
Faith
Christian
Tawhano said:
All of the above makes sense to me until I get to the part of the binding. I can not think what the apostles were given in this authority to bind and loose. Our salvation cannot depend on men that much I am sure. Reading Matthew 18:15-18 makes me think it is sins against man that men can forgive. In other words if someone sins against me and I forgive them then it is forgiven them in Heaven. This, however, doesn’t fit with the whole notion of the doors to heaven being opened.

Any Comments?

Scripture Reference for above discussion:

Matthew 16
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

A couple of people have suggested reading Matthew 16 in light of Matthew 18, where "binding and loosing" is explained in more detail. I think Matthew 16-20 makes up a section that should be read as a whole. Once it is certain the disciples believe Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus begins to prepare them for his suffering and death, and to take over leadership of the church. The main point of Matthew 16-20 is how they should lead the church. Now, in chapter 18, it is clear that the power of "binding and loosing" is given to the church as a whole.

"Keys" may have more than one level of meaning. As someone mentioned above, Jesus first said this in response to Peter's statement that, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Such a confession of faith has always been the "key" to entry into the Church.

One of the current problems facing the church is that of divorce and remarriage, which is a problem that is also mentioned in this section of Matthew (in ch. 19). Because I'm involved in marriage and family ministries, I have studied this section in great detail. When I put it in context within Matthew 16-20, Jesus' teaching in ch. 19 made sense to me. The problem of divorce and remarriage can't be resolved by simply asking, as the Pharisees did, "When is it OK?" It must be treated (as Jesus explains to the disciples in 19:10-12) on a case-by-case basis. This is where the power of the church to "bind and loose" (I would say, even from marriage vows) comes into play. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7, seems to be giving the church some instructions and guidelines about how to exercise this power in areas of marriage and sexuality.

I realize the part about marriage and divorce seems to be a little off-topic, but in this case, I think the way "binding and loosing" is applied to a specific type of case sheds a lot of light on what is meant by "binding and loosing" in general. Since "binding and loosing" is the function of a key, and this phrase is used in two different contexts within this section of scripture, I think we should let the different parts of this section (chapters 16-20) help explain each other before moving on to other speculations.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Tawhano

Northland Highwayman
Supporter
Mar 25, 2003
3,109
118
71
North Carolina
Visit site
✟48,938.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
serapha said:
I am not in to "one-upmanship". Feel free to rule the roost.
I’m not sure what you mean by this? I hope you haven’t misunderstood my intentions here. I’m not even looking for debate, just looking for answers and sharing ideas. My comment about the bible scholars was an attempt to ‘encourage’ the many people on this forum who are very intelligible about bible history and languages to join in. We have many people who participate on these forums that, in my opinion, have a very in-depth knowledge that I think could shed some more light on this subject.
 
Upvote 0

pmarquette

Well-Known Member
Nov 17, 2003
1,045
34
72
Auburn , IL.
Visit site
✟8,938.00
Faith
Protestant
Tawhano said:
Thank you for your reply. The question is, who holds those keys? Are these keys authority over heaven, keys to open the door or a revelation that opens the door? What is it that is being bound or loosen?

The two points in Matthew 16:19 are joined together with an ‘and’. Whoever has the keys also has the power to bind and loosen. This is what I am trying to discover.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. which He ( Jesus ) gave to the church
as is written in Ephesians 4.11,12 called some to teach the rest to go and do ..... ministry , elders , deaconate , laity .. all part of " the body ; the church "

Act 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; [namely], Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren
Romans 10,14-17 called , gifted , send to do a work ; to proclaim , to reveal , to instruct with the Word of God

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.
He has given a portion to both significant and insignificant portions of the body , each has a task and the grace / authority / key to do so ...
1 Cor. 12

Eph 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,
Jesus the head , church the body , we as part of the church , part of Jesus , part of authority to go and do some thing for and with the church -- James 2 faith and works .... Matthew 25.32-42 corporal works of mercy


Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, spirtual armor of God , Eph 6.10-17 , power to defend ourselves with the power of the name and the blood - Revelations 12.11 ; to speak to the mountains in our life - Mk 11.23-3 , 1 John 5.14 ; to do what is our part , that the whole might function properly ...

The answer you are looking for .... Peter and Keys ... ministry , magesterium , etc. don't hold up....
Jesus said " whosoever " not peter , not fathers , not ministers ... whosoever speaks to this mountain , sycamore tree be ye removed ....
whosoever picks up his cross and follows me ; whosoever asks , seeks , knocks ; whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord ....

ok .... ?:confused:
 
Upvote 0

Tawhano

Northland Highwayman
Supporter
Mar 25, 2003
3,109
118
71
North Carolina
Visit site
✟48,938.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Pmarquette,

I have been wanting to reply to your post above but I can’t seem to make heads or tails of what it is you are saying. Very seldom do I get a chance to discuss things with people who actually use scriptures to back up what they are saying and I hate to let this opportunity pass me by.

I think I understand you to be saying that Peter doesn’t hold the keys alone and if this is the case I concur wholeheartedly. In fact it is what I have been saying all along. But then you say this:

The answer you are looking for .... Peter and Keys ... ministry , magesterium , etc. don't hold up....
Are you thinking I believe that Peter is the sole holder of the keys? I assure you I do not believe for a moment he is the head honcho of the Church (see post#4).

What I am trying to understand is what is it that is being bound and loosen?
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.