Peter & apostles were given the keys to open the door of salvation. The Gospel is the proverbial keys that unlock the door into the kingdom of heaven. You can see this in Acts chapters 2 and 10 where Jews and Gentiles are loosed from their sin into the kingdom of heaven by receiving the Gospel presented by Peter.
Peter and the Apostles were NOT given the power to forgive sins, but to proclaim the terms of forgiveness; Only Christ forgives sin. When one rejects the Gospel here on earth he will be bound and not allowed into the kingdom of heaven just as the weeds are bound up and burned in Matt 13:30 or the guest not wearing wedding clothes who the king had bound hand and foot and thrown out in Matt22:13.
Probably one of the best examples is in Matt 10:11-15 where Jesus tells his disciples if any one will not listen to their words; shake the dust from your feet, it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than them.
There is no evidence for priestly absolution in the New Testament.
Let me see if I understand what you are saying? Are you saying that Peter and The Apostles were given the Authority to deny Heaven to anyone that did not receive The Gospel? Is that what
��what you bind on earth is bound in Heaven�) means?
Where does the ��loose on earth is loosen in Heaven�� come in to play? Are you saying that Peter and The Apostles had the Authority to �loosen� sin? Your whole premise seems a stretch. There has to be a better answer to this question. For instance when you say:
�Peter & apostles were given the keys to open the door of salvation. The Gospel is the proverbial keys that unlock the door into the kingdom of heaven.� (your words)
Are you implying that Peter and The Apostles were �Co-Mediators� with Christ in God�s Plan of Salvation?
I agree that The Gospel is essential and a �key� in getting through The Gates of Heaven. It is a �tool�, but ultimately it is Christ that gets you into Heaven.
I also agree that no man can forgive you your sins and that there is nothing in Scripture that says differently.
Chuck�where in Acts 2 or Acts 10 does it say anything about �Loosening or Binding�?
Also in Matt 13:30 it says:
�Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and
�tie�
them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.�
(NIV)
I would think that the author would have used the word �Bound� if they meant for it to be Bound�instead of just �tied�. These two words have very different meanings.
Again, I believe that Jesus meant something more than what you�ve presented here�although I see that you have given this much thought and you have presented it quite eloquently.
Whatever has been loosed upon the earth,has been do so because it has already been loosed in the Heavens.
Mat 16:19 and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.'
This is from the King James;
This Scripture in the context is talking about Ex-communicating someone.
Notice the process:
Tell him between yourselves.
Take witnesses.
Go before the Assembly.
Yeshua presides over the whole matter.
Mat 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.
Mat 18:16 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.
Mat 18:17 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.
Mat 18:18 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.
Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Agape' and Charis:St.George
ps:
This binding and lossing is not about health and wealth as so many have been told,and do believe.
In the past you have repeatedly ask me to do my "research". Although I HAVE done my research; I have never responded to this statement in order to stay on topic. But please allow me to gently respond now; not by words but by proof who is the one researching here. :
( You stated that in Matt 13:30 the weeds were "tied" and the author clearly used a different word other than "bind" as in Matt 13:30 and Matt 22:13. )
If you go to the Strongs Concordance you will see they are the exact same word in Greek, (deo). The NIV used "tie" while the NASB used "bind". Here are all the scriptures where this author (Matt) uses the EXACT same word:
Matt 12:29, / 13:30, / 16:19, / 18:18, / 22:13,
OTHER POINTS:
*No I am NOT saying Peter and the.Apostles had the authority to deny heaven to anyone. It simply means when the Gospel is preached here on earth and a person accepts or rejects it, that decision is also respected in heaven.
* Co-mediators ? I suppose that would depend on what kind of meaning you pour into that word." For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim 2:5)
The Gospel is not a "tool" , the Gospel the Good News about Christ , The Gospel=Christ. The word 'keys' is a analogy of the power this Good News has.Deafr
Did the Apostles have the. "Authority" to loosen sin.? No, only Jesus. They had the authority and power to preach the truth of the Gospel that loosens sin. Again refer to Acts chapters 2 & 10.
You are absolutely correct. It can been translated as " has already been loosed in heaven" but I thought this might be a can of worms to deep for this forum.
This is what just came while I was in the shower about the co-mediator statement : Is Jesus and the apostles co-mediators in the plan of salvation?.......Absolutely not!
Jesus mediated the new covenant, the apostles declare the new covenant.
Jesus told Peter it was upon "this rock" He would build His Church! What was that rock? It wasn"t the "flesh and blood" Peter, because "flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 15:50). It was the revelation of the Father now within Peter that was the rock. All revelation from Heaven is "rock" because it is very truth " the truth of all truth! The gates of hell have no way of winning against that which comes from Heaven! It is a spiritual enlightenment that comes to us from above that causes us to know Jesus and the truth of what Christianity is all about. It is all about knowing the keys of that Kingdom and discovering how to use them!
Listen to this " this is Jesus speaking: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19, NIV).
WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE KEYS?
Some of those keys are to enable us to minister effectively into the lives of people so that they (and their circumstances) can come into line with the will of God.
The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to do according to their names, i.e. wisdom, knowledge, faith, the gifts of healing, the working of miracles
(Greek is "dunamis" meaning "power and ability to do
anything"), prophecy, discerning of spirits (good and bad),
many kinds of tongues (spiritual languages that enable us to
talk "spirit to Spirit" with God), and the interpretation of
those tongues.
The true five-fold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11-16 are keys to releasing the body of Christ to mature in the things of God.
The apostle and prophet ministries, especially, carry the "key of knowledge" (Luke 11:49-52).
THE COMMAND IS TO ALL BELIEVERS!
Some may argue that what Jesus said in Matthew 16 was just to Peter (the Roman Catholic Church even claims it as their God-given foundation in Peter!). Was that revelation just for Peter, or for all believers on Jesus? Let"s turn to Matthew 18:18-19. Here Jesus is addressing all His disciples:
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them" (NIV).
The Good News Bible puts it this way: "And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
It is interesting that Matthew 18 gives us this authority to bind and loose in the midst of Jesus" teaching of our need to forgive those who oppose, criticize, hurt, trespass and make false accusations against us. Forgiveness frees us to be available to the Holy Spirit and the revelation of Jesus that He brings. Not much revelation flows into an unforgiving heart! We cannot afford to let others rob us of our receiving revelation from Heaven and in using the keys of that Kingdom!
We are called to be ambassadors of Christ. An "ambassador" is one who has already been "given power and authority to speak and act on behalf of" the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. We do that here on earth! Ambassadors have to know how to use the keys of the Kingdom they represent, to know when to bind and/or to loose, to know when to open and/or to shut. That is what determines how successful he is in representing the King of the Kingdom of Heaven!
The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven have been given to us by Jesus " through revelation " for us to be workers together with God to do the above things. They can be applied in so many different ways. We just need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and co-operate with the "commands" from Heaven. In the spirit realm we Holy Spirit-filled Christians here on earth are connected to God in Heaven!:angel:
19And 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.
Therein lies the rub...there are so many different translations.
What if Jesus was speaking as the Rabbis spoke back then? When the Rabbis "loosen" a law one did not have to abide by it and when they "bound" the Law...it was to be obeyed by all.
In other words what ever you and Peter make as a Law it will be so In Heaven. Is this possible? Did Peter have this type of Authority as Vicar of His Church...an Authority given to him by Christ?
An Authority and Power that died with The Apostles but was passed on from Peter to Peter's Successor? Was Peter the First in a Dynasty?
Steve, I love you man, but your killing me here!:goofball:w
*You said "Therein lies the rub ; there are so many translations"
No Steve there is no rub......
!!!that is why I sent you back to the Greek with a Strongs Concordance!!!
* Steve you said; "What if Jesus was speaking as the Rabbis spoke back then" First let me say I have a problem basing doctrine on "What if". But I'll go along .....Ok, What if Jesus was speaking as Rabbi back in His day giving the Apostles the power to loosen or bind a law. So what does this mean? Let scripture interpret scripture.
Example of the Gospel 'loosening from law'
STEVE YOU WILL LIKE THIS ONE THE BEST! : Romans 7:6 "But now, by dying to what once. bound us, we have been released from the law so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" STEVE YOU SEE THE WORD BOUND? IT IS THE EXACT SAME WORD (deo) (#1210) AS IN YOUR VERSE; MATT 16:19 AND THE ONES I GAVE EARLIER.
Example of of being bound by the law; Gal 3:10 and 3:23.
To sum things up ; Jesus gave the Apostles the power to bind and loose from the law through the Gospel. Steve I could fill this page with scripture supporting this and my original post. You ask for scripture yet give none yourself.
Perhaps show can show me in scripture where the words "Vicar, Successor and Dynasty" occur?
