Matthew 16:19 - The Keys & The Kingdom: "Binding" & "Loosing"‏

Hello Friends!

Have you ever wondered as to what is meant in the Scriptures by the "Binding" and "Loosing" terminology found in the 16^th chapter of Matthew? If you were like me, your answer to this question is a resounding YES!

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven – Matthew 16:19

 Did Jesus have Satan and demons in mind when He uttered these words in Matthew 16:19? What did Jesus really mean? 

 To answer these questions, let’s take a closer look at this very controversial passage of Scripture from a contextual and Hebraic perspective…

 

Matthew 16:19 - The Keys, The Kingdom, "Binding" & "Loosing"

The fact of the matter is that from this very verse, an entire theology has arisen from within Christianity. It is this very verse that is often used – out of context – to justify the binding of Satan and his demonic minions. Christians will often use this verse as their sole authority to bind Satan and to cast out demons. Although this verse is definitely implying spiritual authority for all followers of Jesus Christ, it is to be interpreted in the context of “church” discipline. It is also interesting to note that only the first part of this sub-verse is used by these folks – but what about the second sub-part? Why wouldn’t we also want to “loose” Satan? If we bind him, would we also seek to “loose” him? Obviously these thoughts are preposterous!

 

When Jesus Christ was living on earth as documented in the New Testament Gospel accounts, He was primarily speaking to His brethren – fellow Jews. They had their own culture and it was very different from the Gentile Roman culture in which they lived. This phrase was not a new phrase but rather a very ancient phrase which can be found in the Jewish Talmud. Therefore, this phrase cannot be understood to mean the binding & loosing of Satan and demons. It was a common Jewish phrase that referred to a declaration of what was lawful or unlawful. A Rabbi would use it to forbid or permit an activity according to their interpretation of the law. This was a rabbinic way of establishing “halakah” or rules of conduct. The Jewish Encyclopedia states the following:

BINDING AND LOOSING (Hebrew, asar ve-hittir)… Rabbinical term for ‘forbidding and permitting’… “The power of binding and loosing as always claimed by the Pharisees. Under Queen Alexandra the Pharisees, says Josephus (Wars of the Jews 1:5:2), ‘became the administrators of all public affairs so as to be empowered to banish and readmit whom they pleased, as well as to loose and to bind’… The various schools had the power ‘to bind and to loose’; that is, to forbid and to permit (Talmud: Chagigah 3b); and they could also bind any day by declaring it a fast-day… Talmud: Ta’anit 12a… This power and authority, vested in the rabbinical body of each age of the Sanhedrin, received its ratification and final sanction from the celestial court of justice) – Sifra, Emor, 9; Talmud: Makkot 23b

 On the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, He informed the disciples – who were to go out and spread the Gospel and establish His church – that they have the authority to establish rules of conduct for the believing community based upon His teachings. He was speaking to Jewish men and the term was understood by them to mean just that. It was their culture and was part of their Jewish faith. Jewish rabbis “bound” the law when they determined that a commandment was applicable to a particular situation, and they “loosed” the law when they determined that a word of scripture – while eternally valid – was not applicable under certain specific circumstances.

For example, the Jewish use of their phrase in the Talmud, the application of binding & loosing is applied as such. The following scenario was raised regarding theft and guilt… One finds something that does not belong to them, but does not search for the rightful owner. Question: When is such a search required and how extensive must the search be? The Talmud states:

“If a fledgling bird is found within fifty cubits of a dovecote, it belongs to the owner of the dovecote. If it is found outside the limits of fifty cubits, it belongs to the person who finds it” – Bava Batra 23b

The “do not steal” command was bound – or declared theft – if the bird was found within proximity to its likely owner but loosed – or declared not a theft – if found at a distance from a likely owner. The view is taken that the law of “do not steal” is not done away with, rather is the interpretation of the law. It is exactly this Jewish phraseology that Jesus was using with His Jewish disciples in this passage of Matthew 16:19.

In our modern English language, we have phraseology that is part of our American culture but may not make sense in another culture. A person who is not a native to English, could be quite well spoken in English. In fact, their formal English may be meticulous, yet the nuances of the English language could escaped them. When in the United States, they would have to also learn the phraseology which is not part of the English formal language. For instance, when someone says to them “what’s up” they may immediately look upwards to the sky, not realizing that the term “what’s up” is actually meant as a greeting! Likewise, the term “the boy who cried wolf” would have no meaning to this person unless they knew the story of “the boy who cried wolf”…

 

We must understand Jesus Christ’s teachings from the Jewish perspective – for He was a Jew, lived with Jews, was raised by Jewish parents and trained Jewish disciples for three and a half years. Western culture was not part of His teachings. To understand His teachings from the perspective – and context – in which He taught sheds new light on difficult passages such as the one in question here:

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven – Matthew 16:19

As mentioned above, I also believe this passage in Matthew chapter 16 speaks to the obvious spiritual implications of authority given to all Christians to make righteous judgments based upon the proper contextual use of the Word of God through the process of church discipline. Jesus Himself eloquently shares His Wisdom later in Matthew chapter 18: 

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven – Matthew 18:15-18

It is imperative that we seek the whole counsel of God – in context – when seeking the answers to the questions such as those addressed above. This is where we must rely on the Holy Spirit to instruct and guide us in our understanding. In our prosperity-driven, hedonistic Western culture, we have misunderstood – and misappropriated – this very important subject matter based upon Matthew 16:19 – often within the professing Christian church itself…

Closing Prayer Thoughts:

Thank you Lord for making all things understandable. Thank you also Lord for Your promise to the Jewish people as well as your promises to us as Christians as we await You soon coming – the Rapture!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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