The keys of the kingdom of heaven

[Heidi]

I am in need of some help in understanding Matt 18:18......

KJV Matt 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."

CLV   "Verily, I am saying to you, Whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you should be loosing on the earth shall be those loose in heaven."

My understand upon reading Ray's paper about "What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom?", is that we are the heavens in the kingdom of God, we are His kingdom.  The above verse says that whatsoever we bind on earth (would that mean our carnality?) shall be bound in the heavens (us).....therefor, having the keys to lock and unlock we are able to be overcomers and assist others.

Or what is the significance of having given the keys to Peter?

[judith collier]

Heidi, I've actually seen these verses work, my GIRLfriends and myself did a lot of binding and loosing in prayer and you wouldn't believe some of the results we got. I'm not saying this is right but we took authority over the bad and released the good. Situations actually were changed. Now was this coincidence or answer? I don't know for sure. Judy

[Heidi]

Hi there Judy thanks for replying to my post  .....I have also heard people applying the keys of the kingdom to their prayer life....binding this, that and the other or vice verse.   I do not believe that it was given to Peter to use as a tool for prayer, but something far more weightier and spiritual.  I want to understand the significance and application of having the keys.....do you and I have it.... or anyone else for that matter or is it something that will be given to us later in our walk with God?

[Dave in Tenn]

Heidi, just a little bit extra.  The ISV and Young's Literal translation agree more with the CLV.

"Verily, I am saying to you, Whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you should be loosing on the earth shall be those loose in heaven."

The KJV implies that the binding and loosing begins on earth.  The others say that what is bound or loosed on earth has already been bound or loosed in heaven.  Doesn't that match the model prayer, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it IS in heaven."  It's about, then, being in agreement with God, not (as you already understand) in changing God's mind.

As I said, just a bit extra.

[Beloved]

The major problem with these verses is how it has been perverted by Babylon, they would have you thinking that man has authority over things and that they can bind and loose the spirits and this view promotes the idea that man is not responsible for their sins but some external force is .......well...duh...they are wrong       

The title of this thread is the KEYS of the kingdom  There is a lot of meat in this topic...This topic of binding and loosing is only covered only in Matthew. The way I see it that this event in 16 is separate but related to the similar statement in Mat 18. I am going to address the first part.
 
Okay picture this here is the group standing in a very rocky part of Judea...this was a visual as well as auditory pun....when Jesus asks the group who they think He is...He then tells petros (peter the stone)  that on this Rock =Petro= The Faith of Jesus, He will build His assembly.

(Mat 16:18)  `And I also say to thee, that thou art a petros, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;
(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.'


Peter was given a "window moment " of discernment by the Father....none of them were indwelled yet with the Holy Spirit. Because of this Jesus presented him the honor of opening the kingdom. Here in 16 He gave him the "key"  By the way a gate key did not fit into your pocket..... it was huge.   

At any rate we understand that God is totally sovereign and He is in control of everything. Those bound or loosed are in that state because it suits the Father's purpose.

Peter was the first to see a great mystery and the power and glory of God. In ACTS 10 and 11  it tells how this went down.


(Act 10:9)  Now the next day, as these are traveling and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about [the] sixth hour [i.e. 12:00 noon].

(Act 10:10)  But he became very hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they [were] preparing [a meal], a trance fell on him,
(Act 10:11)  and he observes heaven [or, the sky] having been opened, and a certain object like a great sheet descending to him, having been tied at [the] four corners and being lowered on the ground,
(Act 10:12)  in which were all the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the reptiles and the birds of heaven [or, the air].

(Act 10:13)  And a voice came to him: "Having gotten up, Peter, slaughter and eat!"
(Act 10:14)  But Peter said, "Most certainly not, Lord! Because never did I eat any[thing] common [fig., ritually impure] or unclean [or, which defiles]."
(Act 10:15)  And a voice [came] again a second time to him: "What God [has] cleansed, by all means stop calling common [fig., ritually impure]!"
(Act 10:16)  Now this was done three times, and again the object was taken up into heaven.

(Act 10:17)  Now as Peter was thoroughly perplexed in himself what the vision which he saw might be [fig., mean], then look!, the men, the ones having been sent from Cornelius, having found by inquiry the house of Simon, stood at the gate.

(Act 10:34)  Then Peter having opened his mouth, said, "Truly, I comprehend that God is not One to accept faces [fig., to be prejudice],
(Act 10:35)  _but_ in every nation the one fearing Him and working righteousness is acceptable to Him.
(Act 10:36)  "The word which He sent to the sons [and daughters] of Israel, proclaiming the Gospel of peace through Jesus Christ-this One is Lord of all-
(Act 10:37)  [that word] _you*_ know, the word having taken place throughout the whole of Judea, having begun from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached-

(Act 10:40)  "This One God raised up on the third day and gave Him to become visible,
(Act 10:41)  not to all the people, _but_ to witnesses, the ones having been chosen beforehand by God, to us who ate together and drank together with Him after He rose from [the] dead.

(Act 10:42)  "And He gave strict orders to us to preach to the people and to solemnly testify that He is the One having been designated by God [to be] Judge of living [ones] and dead [ones].
(Act 10:44)  While Peter [was] still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all the ones hearing the word.
(Act 10:45)  And the believing ones from the circumcision were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

next chapter(Act 11:1)  Now the apostles and the brothers [and sisters], the ones being throughout Judea, heard that the Gentiles also [had] received the word of God.
(Act 11:2)  And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, the [ones] from [the] circumcision were taking issue with him,
(Act 11:3)  saying, "To men having foreskin [fig., who are uncircumcised] you went in and ate with them!"

(Act 11:4)  But Peter having begun, began explaining to them [everything] in consecutive order saying,
(Act 11:12)  "Then the Spirit said to me to go with them doubting nothing [fig., without hesitation]. Now these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man.
(Act 11:15)  "Now when I began to be speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as [He] also [did] on us in [the] beginning.
(Act 11:16)  "Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John indeed baptized in [or, with] water, but _you*_ will be baptized in [or, with] the Holy Spirit.' [Acts 1:5]

(Act 11:17)  "Since then God gave the same free gift to them as also to us, having believed on [or, trusted in] the Lord Jesus Christ, now who was _I_ [to be] able to forbid God?"
(Act 11:18)  So having heard these [things], they were silent, and they began glorifying God, saying, "In that case, God also gave to the Gentiles repentance to life!"

Now for some binding
(Act 5:1)  But a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property,
(Act 5:2)  and kept back [part] of the proceeds for himself, his wife also having become aware of [it], and having brought a certain part, he placed [it] at the feet of the apostles.
(Act 5:3)  But Peter said, "Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart [for] you to lie to the Holy Spirit and [for] you to keep back [part] of the price of the proceeds of the piece of property for yourself?
(Act 5:4)  "While it [was] remaining [unsold], was it not remaining yours, and having been sold, was it not in your authority? Why [is it] that you put this thing in your heart? You did not lie to people _but_ to God!"
(Act 5:5)  Then Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, expired. And great fear came to be on all the ones hearing these [things].

In both of these stories, we are shown that God is in control....the apostles were given extremely strong measures of discernment. You can find other times this binding and loosing happens...the sorcerer , the cripple at the gate.  They had no new testament and had to learn these things in their lives. They became participants in God's plans. At first there were signs and wonders and later with the Holy Spirit they lived on the total reliance of God without a need of the physical signs.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

As believer we can participate, whenever someone repents and their eyes and ears have been open they are loosed and we can rejoice but those that do not repent they are bound we know that they are being bound for a purpose.  It is the the same thing with prayer in any situation, we are in agreement ....the kingdom will be done...on earth as it is in heaven.  We accept it more now because we understand that all will bring glory to God in the end. 

The verses in 18 are to all believers but are more complex and tie in with concept of witnesses. Perhaps someone can comment on these or I can add some ideas later

beloved

[judith collier]

When I mentioned the binding and loosning my friends and I did in prayer, well, we never thought we were in control.  Matt. 18:18 begins by saying VERILY I say unto you WHAT(not person)SOEVER yee shall bind on earth----- Then verse Matt.18 19 says AGAIN(repeat) that if 2 of you agree----. In some situations where our prayers were answered perhaps we just came into agreement with God. Judy

[Beloved]

Judy I am sorry that you misunderstood my comments I was not directing any comment towards you. 

I was referring to the the "deliverance groups " and spiritual warfare armies  who every other word out of their mouth is how satan does this and that.

They believe that since Christ is in them , that they have the authority to bind satan in everything. They do not believe what the scriptures really say and they follow these false teachers that promote these vain and self promoting delusions of grandeur.

beloved

[judith collier]

I'm a little touchy, aren't I. I am still on the defensive here somewhat, it is hard for me to accept all of this but --no buts! I do know some of my old friends in the evangelical movement were more afraid of Satan than they were in trusting God, they were always getting the devil out of me because I would buck some of their beliefs. One time someone was praying over me and I felt I just had to go and the one girl said, "well, if you don't have time for God then he doesn't have time for you" They refer to their own mind sometimes and think that's what God is telling them. I figured if God wanted me to stay He would have not let me move. Judy

[Heidi]

Beloved...so by saying "As believer we can participate, when someone repents and their eyes and ears have been open they are loosed and we can rejoice but those that do not repent they are bound we know that they are for a purpose.  It is the the same thing with prayer in any situation, we are in agreement ....the kingdom will be done...on earth as it is in heaven"......the keys then are being witnesses to the loosening of someone being spiritually Blind and vice verse.....we need to witness in order for the keys to work?  As God leads.

[Beloved]

Peter was given the key...but the kingdom is within us all now

Look at this verse, these 70 persons were went out, this was before the pentecost

(Luk 10:17)  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subjected to us in Your name."
(Luk 10:18)  But He said to them, "I was watching Satan having fallen like lightning out of heaven.
(Luk 10:19)  "Listen! I give to you* the authority to be treading on serpents and scorpions and on all the power of the enemy, and nothing by any means shall injure you*.
(Luk 10:20)  [b]"Nevertheless, stop rejoicing in this, that the spirits are subjected to you*, but be rejoicing that your* names were written in the heavens."[/b]

We do not "make the key work"...God was and is the one...Peter was the first to walk through...at pentecost the one who denied Him three times.....spoke up bodly as the representavive and presented the Gospel to the city.  Peter and the others were shown the principals of the Kingdom and were inspired to write them down for those who would follow.

Since then,  those whose eyes are open walk the same path. Those that have eyes and ears to hear are enabled to participate, the gates have been opened and His plan is revealed, His Word is true...it is the spirit within witnesses this to us.

In a way "the key" is the authority to speak the truly good news, not in the sence of winning souls...we know that they are blind and deaf...but rather to speak to anyone that God leads to you. those sent are those whom He has decided to open their hearts....that is why we study and show ourselves approved.   He will provide the words we shall say.

beloved

[judith collier]

Beloved, that was beautiful. Judy

[Heidi]

Thank you both Beloved and Falconn003 for your replies.....I now see the bigger picture. 

It is God who operates all in all.....whether I have the keys or not, it is God that leads, decides and executes that which has been predestined and planned.....I need to humbly continue to study His Word. 

Rodger.....you correctly pointed out to me that no scripture is of its own interpretation.  If we focus to much on one thing...trying to analyse and digest on our own steam, we loose sight of the bigger picture!