Binding and Loosing

Binding and loosing refers to the authority to forbid or permit something, or to declare what is accepted or rejected. In Jewish teaching of the first century, these words described a teacher's authority to declare an action forbidden or permitted. Christians have understood this authority in different ways. Some connect it to the forgiveness of sins, some to the authority of the church over its members, and some to a person's response to the good news about Jesus.

Jesus spoke about binding and loosing on two different occasions. After Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah (God's chosen king), Jesus said to him: “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). Later, Jesus spoke about binding and loosing again, this time to all the disciples (18:18).

Only Matthew's Gospel includes these specific words about binding and loosing. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus said something similar to the disciples after the resurrection: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld” (John 20:23). It is difficult to understand exactly what kind of authority Jesus gave and how far it reached.

“Bind” and “loose” translate two Greek words. The Greek words come from Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. In the time of Jesus, Jewish teachers used these words in two ways:

Teaching Authority: Teachers of God's law would say an action was "bound" when they forbid it, or "loosed" when they allowed it. Jesus mentioned this teaching role when he said: “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So practice and observe everything they tell you.” Matthew 23:2–3. Among the greatest Jewish rabbis, Shammai “bound” many actions that the more liberal teacher Hillel “loosed.”

Legal Decisions: People also used these words when making decisions about punishment or freedom. To "bind" meant to judge someone guilty, while to "loose" meant to declare them innocent.

Both sets of meanings have been used to interpret the two texts in Matthew.

The precise meaning of the words in Matthew must be understood based on their use in specific situations and based on the general New Testament understanding of the authority of the apostles. In Matthew 16:19, Peter’s authority to bind and loose is connected with his receiving “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

In the Gospels, the “kingdom of heaven” or "kingdom of God" is where God rules. It is the “community” of people whom he rules as Lord. As a symbol, Peter was given the keys to that kingdom, that “building.” The people of God are described as his building (1 Corinthians 3:9, 16–17; Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Peter 2:4–5). The keys symbolize the authority given to Peter as the one who confessed Jesus as Lord (Matthew 16:16). Peter represents all those disciples who speak the same confession.

According to Matthew 23:13, the scribes were understood as guardians of the kingdom because the knowledge of God had been given to them (Luke 11:52). But they failed in this duty and kept people from entering God's kingdom. Therefore, their task was given to Peter, who spoke for the 12 disciples. These disciples represented God's new people (see Matthew 21:43).

Christians have understood Peter’s task and authority in different ways.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, the “power of the keys” means the authority to admit people into the church or exclude them from it. The authority to bind and loose also means the authority of the apostles to forgive sins or refuse forgiveness. It also includes the authority to make binding decisions about Christian faith and practice.

Roman Catholic teaching says that this authority belongs to the apostles and to their successors. “Apostolic succession” means the passing of church authority from the apostles to later church leaders. This authority belongs in a special way to Peter and his successors, the bishops of Rome. Because these church leaders are understood to represent Christ, their decisions about Christian faith and practice are believed to receive God’s approval. This is the meaning of the words “shall be bound … [or] loosed in heaven.”

The Reformation tradition rejects this Roman Catholic understanding of the apostles’ authority to bind and loose. It gives two reasons:

Jesus said nothing about successors to Peter or the other disciples. Therefore, the Reformation tradition argues that apostolic succession is not based on the New Testament. Instead, it developed later in church history.

The role and authority of the first apostles were unique and could not be repeated. Jesus Christ lived on earth at a specific time and place. He chose a specific group of eyewitnesses. They passed on his message, and the community of God’s people was built on their witness.

According to this view, the authority to bind and loose is not like the authority of teachers of the law, who decided what people were allowed or forbidden to do. It is also not the authority to allow or refuse entrance into the kingdom of heaven, which is the sphere of God’s rule.

Jesus called his disciples to be messengers of the good news (Matthew 10:7; 24:14). A person’s response to that good news (the gospel), binds or looses. It leads either to forgiveness or to continued slavery to sin. It either sets people free or brings judgment on them (Matthew 10:14; Romans 10:14–17; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15–16).

See also Keys of the Kingdom.