The "Keys" And "Binding And Loosing"
III. THE "KEYS" AND "BINDING AND LOOSING" The same guarantee of God backing up His Word from Heaven, is in Christ's words to Peter in 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."
Vine's An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words has this to say in reference to the Word "bind":
"The Lord’s Words to the Apostle Peter in Matthew 16:19 as to binding, and to all the disciples in 18:18 signify, in the former case, that the apostle, by his ministry of the Word of life, would keep unbelievers outside the kingdom of God; and admit those who believed." The "keys" spoken of in Matthew 16:19 were first used by Peter on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts, Chapter 2. Nowhere did Peter or the Eleven ever even HINT that they could or would forgive anyone's sins! The whole chapter is a testimony concerning Christ, the Resurrection and His forgiveness. Here are Peter's Words in Acts 2:21… “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
They were saved because of the Word of God that Peter preached. They were then baptized as a public testimony of their faith. Notice Peter's Words in Acts 2:41,
"Then they that gladly received his Word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Peter used the "keys" (symbolic of God's Word) again in Acts 10:1-48. God sent Peter to the Gentile named Cornelius, to show the Jews that the Gentiles could be saved also. Read Chapter 10 and nowhere do you find Peter EVER claiming the power to forgive anyone's sins. Peter directed the lost to Christ, and Him alone! Here are Peter's words in Acts 10:43,
"To him ( Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through his (Christ’s) name whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM (Christ) SHALL RECEIVE REMMISSION OF SINS."
Unlike Peter, some clergy, through pride, love to claim this power for themselves and love to mediate between God and man. In doing so they outright deny and resist God' s Word. 1 Timothy blatantly declares in 1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God, and ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, the man CHRIST JESUS.” When God's servants preach His Word on earth, it will divide—those who believe it are saved and—those who do not are lost! God's Word is so powerful it will divide as a sharp, two-edged sword.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12).
Isaiah 55:11 declares that His Word will not return unto Him void and empty.
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11).
Those in Matthew 16:10 that are bound on earth are those who have believed the WORD and are saved. They have the promises of the Omniscient and Omnipotent God, that in Heaven, He will make good the promises that He gave on earth. The same goes for those who reject God's Word (John 3:36). Even though many do not believe in Christ, the Word of God, or Hell; it will not alter God’s faithfulness to his WORD when he pronounces their final sentence in Matthew 25:41, " ...Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
Then they will realize that—not in all the New Testament, nor in Peter's two epistles—was there the vestige, either claimed or exercised, of Peter forgiving anyone's sin! Who will you believe? Man or God? Romans 3:4 makes it perfectly clear concerning God's Word, "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar..."