Member
I hear this all the time, but I don't understand what it means. "Whatever will be bound on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever is loosened on earth will be loosened in heaven." Can someone explain what this means?
Bound on earth, bound in heaven?
Moderator
Staff Member
Son of Man, Son of God
Matt.16.
13When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?"
14They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."
15He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"
16Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17-18Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
19"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."
20He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.
Does this make it clearer to understand dear sister?
God bless
:rainbow: :rose:
Matt.16.
13When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?"
14They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."
15He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"
16Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17-18Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
19"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."
20He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.
Does this make it clearer to understand dear sister?
God bless
:rainbow: :rose:
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Member
Thank you for your quick reply, but I still don't understand fully. I have read those scriptures many times, but my question is- a yes to what? a no to what? what can be bound on earth and heaven?
I guess I need an example.
I guess I need an example.
Moderator
Staff Member
I found this from gotquestions.org
Question: "What does the Bible mean by binding and loosing?"
Answer: The concept of "binding and loosing" is taught in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, "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." In this verse, Jesus is speaking directly to the Apostle Peter, and indirectly to the other apostles. Jesus' words meant that Peter would have the right to enter the kingdom himself, would have general authority therein symbolized by the possession of the keys, and preaching the gospel would be the means of opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers and shutting it against unbelievers. The book of Acts shows us this process at work. By his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40), Peter opened the door of the kingdom for the first time. The expressions "bind" and "loose" were common to Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare forbidden or to declare allowed.
Peter and the other disciples were to continue on earth the work of Christ in preaching the gospel and declaring God's will to men, and were armed with the same authority as He Himself possessed. In Matthew 18, there is also a definite reference to the binding and loosing of church discipline. The apostles do not usurp Christ's lordship and authority over individual believers and their eternal destiny, but they do exercise the authority to discipline and, if necessary, excommunicate disobedient church members.
Christ in heaven ratifies what is done in His name and in obedience to His Word on earth. In both Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, the syntax of the Greek text makes the meaning clear. What you bind on earth will already have been bound in Heaven. What you loose on earth will already have been loosed in Heaven. In other words, Jesus in heaven, looses the authority of His Word as it goes forth on earth for the fulfillment of its purpose.
God bless :rainbow: :rose:
Question: "What does the Bible mean by binding and loosing?"
Answer: The concept of "binding and loosing" is taught in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, "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." In this verse, Jesus is speaking directly to the Apostle Peter, and indirectly to the other apostles. Jesus' words meant that Peter would have the right to enter the kingdom himself, would have general authority therein symbolized by the possession of the keys, and preaching the gospel would be the means of opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers and shutting it against unbelievers. The book of Acts shows us this process at work. By his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40), Peter opened the door of the kingdom for the first time. The expressions "bind" and "loose" were common to Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare forbidden or to declare allowed.
Peter and the other disciples were to continue on earth the work of Christ in preaching the gospel and declaring God's will to men, and were armed with the same authority as He Himself possessed. In Matthew 18, there is also a definite reference to the binding and loosing of church discipline. The apostles do not usurp Christ's lordship and authority over individual believers and their eternal destiny, but they do exercise the authority to discipline and, if necessary, excommunicate disobedient church members.
Christ in heaven ratifies what is done in His name and in obedience to His Word on earth. In both Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, the syntax of the Greek text makes the meaning clear. What you bind on earth will already have been bound in Heaven. What you loose on earth will already have been loosed in Heaven. In other words, Jesus in heaven, looses the authority of His Word as it goes forth on earth for the fulfillment of its purpose.
God bless
:rainbow: :rose:
Member
Yes I already read that too lol
Maybe someone can give me an example... like what would you want to be bound in heaven and earth. We want demons bound on earth, but there are no demons in heaven so ???
Maybe someone can give me an example... like what would you want to be bound in heaven and earth. We want demons bound on earth, but there are no demons in heaven so ???
Member
I have taken various translations from different Bibles. Hope this helps.
Mat 16:19
(BBE) I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever is fixed by you on earth will be fixed in heaven: and whatever you make free on earth will be made free in heaven.
(Darby) And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatsoever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou mayest loose on the earth shall be loosed in the heavens.
(GW) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free."
(KJV) 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.
(KJV+) And2532 I will give1325 unto thee4671 the3588 keys2807 of the3588 kingdom932 of heaven:3772 and2532 whatsoever3739, 1437 thou shalt bind1210 on1909 earth1093 shall2071 be bound1210 in1722 heaven:3772 and2532 whatsoever3739, 1437 thou shalt loose3089 on1909 earth1093 shall be2071 loosed3089 in1722 heaven.3772
(YLT) 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.'
The Amplified Bible is more clear and gives us a more of an understanding to what this scripture means.
Matt 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.
In other words Jesus was telling Peter what was sinful and wrong and improper, is what we need to avoid. The Holy Spirit, will convict us of these things and will guide us to do the right and lawful things in God's eyes, so that we can have that true fellowship with Him.
God hates unlawfulness, since right at the beginning of Genesis, with the fall of man, we have been sinful, disobedient and gone and done what we want and not listened to God. Without the Holy Spirit, one cannot achieve this, one needs to be born again in Spirit, so that God can show us these things.
The choice is ours, follow God's law and declare it lawful or follow man's ways (unlawfullness) and loose out on eternity.
This scripture says it all.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
You are going to loose things, a lot of things in this world, to find your life.
Plus/Minus 80 years against a life time in eternity. I would rather suffer now, than to loose out on eternity. This world is temporary, but eternity is forever.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Mat 16:19
(BBE) I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever is fixed by you on earth will be fixed in heaven: and whatever you make free on earth will be made free in heaven.
(Darby) And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatsoever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou mayest loose on the earth shall be loosed in the heavens.
(GW) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free."
(KJV) 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.
(KJV+) And2532 I will give1325 unto thee4671 the3588 keys2807 of the3588 kingdom932 of heaven:3772 and2532 whatsoever3739, 1437 thou shalt bind1210 on1909 earth1093 shall2071 be bound1210 in1722 heaven:3772 and2532 whatsoever3739, 1437 thou shalt loose3089 on1909 earth1093 shall be2071 loosed3089 in1722 heaven.3772
(YLT) 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.'
The Amplified Bible is more clear and gives us a more of an understanding to what this scripture means.
Matt 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.
In other words Jesus was telling Peter what was sinful and wrong and improper, is what we need to avoid. The Holy Spirit, will convict us of these things and will guide us to do the right and lawful things in God's eyes, so that we can have that true fellowship with Him.
God hates unlawfulness, since right at the beginning of Genesis, with the fall of man, we have been sinful, disobedient and gone and done what we want and not listened to God. Without the Holy Spirit, one cannot achieve this, one needs to be born again in Spirit, so that God can show us these things.
The choice is ours, follow God's law and declare it lawful or follow man's ways (unlawfullness) and loose out on eternity.
This scripture says it all.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
You are going to loose things, a lot of things in this world, to find your life.
Plus/Minus 80 years against a life time in eternity. I would rather suffer now, than to loose out on eternity. This world is temporary, but eternity is forever.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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Member
Hi Trulyblezzed,
I don't know if this will help or not, but in Matthew 16:19, the Greek
definition for the word loose is:
luo - Strongs Exhaustive Concordance #3089
"a prim. verb; to "loosen" (lit. or fig.): - break (up), destroy,
dissolve, (un-) loose, melt, put off. Comp. 4486."
Isa. 61:1-3 (NKJV)
1 - "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed
Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to those who are bound;
2 - To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengence
of our God; to comfort all who mourn,
3 - To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
This passage is talking about what the ministry of Jesus would be
and His purpose for coming to earth. Jesus has called us to do the same thing, to bind up the works of the devil and loose the captives so they, through Jesus can become trees of righteousness for His glory. We do all of this through His power within us by the Holy Spirit.
I don't know if this will help or not, but in Matthew 16:19, the Greek
definition for the word loose is:
luo - Strongs Exhaustive Concordance #3089
"a prim. verb; to "loosen" (lit. or fig.): - break (up), destroy,
dissolve, (un-) loose, melt, put off. Comp. 4486."
Isa. 61:1-3 (NKJV)
1 - "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed
Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to those who are bound;
2 - To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengence
of our God; to comfort all who mourn,
3 - To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
This passage is talking about what the ministry of Jesus would be
and His purpose for coming to earth. Jesus has called us to do the same thing, to bind up the works of the devil and loose the captives so they, through Jesus can become trees of righteousness for His glory. We do all of this through His power within us by the Holy Spirit.
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Member
Trulyblessed
This definition for binding comes from the Bible encyclopedia. Loosing then is the oposite fo binding.
BIND; BOUND
(bind) (deo): There are a number of Hebrew words used to express this word in its various meanings, °alam (Gen 37:7), °acar (42:24), qashar (Deut 6:8). It sometimes means "to attach," "to fasten" (Ex 28:28; Deut 14:25). It was used also with reference to an agreement in a judicial sense (Num 30:2-3), or to make one a prisoner (Judg 16:10; Ps 149:8). It means also "to control" (Job 38:31).
Figurative: In a figurative sense, to bind heavy and burdensome (extra) so-called religious duties on men (Matt 23:4). This figurative use of the word in Matt 16:19 and 18:18 has given special interest to it. Necessarily certain powers for administration must be conferred on this company of men to carry out the purpose of Christ. That this power was not conferred on Peter alone is evident from the fact that in Matt 18:18 it is conferred on all the apostles. The use of the word in the New Testament is to declare a thing to be binding or obligatory (John 20:23). In this sense this authority is used by some denominations in the service in preparation for the Lord's Supper, in which after the confession of sin by the people the ministers say, "I declare to you who have sincerely repented of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ the entire forgiveness of your sins." This statement is followed by the further declaration that if any have not so repented God will not forgive them, but will retain them and call them to account. The claim of the church of Rome that these statements of Our Lord confer on the priests and bishops, or primarily on the pope, the power to retain or forgive sins, is without historical validity and does violence to the Scriptures. See AUTHORITY ; FORGIVENESS ; PETER .
JACOB W. KAPP
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
From a practical standpoint, Christ was telling His apostles that there were going to be issues in the church that they, the apostles, would have to address. What parts of the old Levitical Law were to be maintained (bound) and what ones were to be done away with (loosed from). He was telling them that they were to decide and whatever they did decide would be instantly bound in heaven as they bound it on earth, and when they loosed the people from a requirement that requirement would be instantly loosed in heaven as well.
Please notice in reading Matthew 15, 16, 17 and 18; there are no conditions on this promise. It is an instantaneous authority with instantaneous response from heaven.
As disciples of Christ, these promises come to us. When we pray in intercession, or on behalf of others, we can bind their minds to the mind of Christ to strengthen their understanding of biblical principles. Or we can bind their wills to the will of God so they may know the will of God in their life.
We can pray that someone be loosed from an adiction or from some other bad habit.
For a better understanding of how this promise and authority can and should be used consult Lberty Savaard's book on "Tearing down your Strongholds"
and pray the Holy Spirit will enlighten you with understanding of these scriptures.
God Bless
This definition for binding comes from the Bible encyclopedia. Loosing then is the oposite fo binding.
BIND; BOUND
(bind) (deo): There are a number of Hebrew words used to express this word in its various meanings, °alam (Gen 37:7), °acar (42:24), qashar (Deut 6:8). It sometimes means "to attach," "to fasten" (Ex 28:28; Deut 14:25). It was used also with reference to an agreement in a judicial sense (Num 30:2-3), or to make one a prisoner (Judg 16:10; Ps 149:8). It means also "to control" (Job 38:31).
Figurative: In a figurative sense, to bind heavy and burdensome (extra) so-called religious duties on men (Matt 23:4). This figurative use of the word in Matt 16:19 and 18:18 has given special interest to it. Necessarily certain powers for administration must be conferred on this company of men to carry out the purpose of Christ. That this power was not conferred on Peter alone is evident from the fact that in Matt 18:18 it is conferred on all the apostles. The use of the word in the New Testament is to declare a thing to be binding or obligatory (John 20:23). In this sense this authority is used by some denominations in the service in preparation for the Lord's Supper, in which after the confession of sin by the people the ministers say, "I declare to you who have sincerely repented of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ the entire forgiveness of your sins." This statement is followed by the further declaration that if any have not so repented God will not forgive them, but will retain them and call them to account. The claim of the church of Rome that these statements of Our Lord confer on the priests and bishops, or primarily on the pope, the power to retain or forgive sins, is without historical validity and does violence to the Scriptures. See AUTHORITY ; FORGIVENESS ; PETER .
JACOB W. KAPP
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
From a practical standpoint, Christ was telling His apostles that there were going to be issues in the church that they, the apostles, would have to address. What parts of the old Levitical Law were to be maintained (bound) and what ones were to be done away with (loosed from). He was telling them that they were to decide and whatever they did decide would be instantly bound in heaven as they bound it on earth, and when they loosed the people from a requirement that requirement would be instantly loosed in heaven as well.
Please notice in reading Matthew 15, 16, 17 and 18; there are no conditions on this promise. It is an instantaneous authority with instantaneous response from heaven.
As disciples of Christ, these promises come to us. When we pray in intercession, or on behalf of others, we can bind their minds to the mind of Christ to strengthen their understanding of biblical principles. Or we can bind their wills to the will of God so they may know the will of God in their life.
We can pray that someone be loosed from an adiction or from some other bad habit.
For a better understanding of how this promise and authority can and should be used consult Lberty Savaard's book on "Tearing down your Strongholds"
and pray the Holy Spirit will enlighten you with understanding of these scriptures.
God Bless
Member
We do not have the power to bind or rebuke demons. Jude verse 9 says, "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said 'The Lord rebuke you!'"
If an archangel doesn't have that authority, how can we claim to have it?
SLE
If an archangel doesn't have that authority, how can we claim to have it?
SLE
Member
Amen SpiritLedEd!
I agree with you.
I agree with you.
Member
Hi SLE and Deaconbob,
I think your posts are directed at something I said in the above quote.
Notice in that quote I did not say to bind the devil, but his "works" in the
lives of people. You cannot build a doctrine around one verse.
SLE you quoted the verse below.
Jude verse 9 says, "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said 'The Lord rebuke you!'"
However, when you study authority, demons, angels, warfare (Eph. 6),
wrestle, resist, submit, John 14 and the Holy Spirit's power in our lives the Lord teaches about the authority He gives us. Jesus came to teach us how to live the victorious life through His spirit. He also said in John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."
Anything, that was not abolished in the Word after a time is still
in operation today by His Spirit in us and the authority of Jesus Christ. In
the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were for the cleansing of sin. However, that was abolished in the New Testament when Jesus became the sacrifice for sin and animal sacrifices were no longer needed.
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Moderator
Staff Member
I can find no scripture that says what you have quoted sister. What is shown below does not mention binding the works of the devil either.
Isaiah 61
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
God bless
:rainbow: :rose:Member
I found this summary on Binding and Loosing on the Christian Worldview Network web site. I hope this helps all of us understand The "Keys to the Kingdom" and binding and loosing a bit better.
When the second part of this paper is published I will post it also.
Binding And Loosing part 1
By Bob DeWaay
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 NASB U)
“I bind you, Satan!” is uttered in thousands of prayers every day in America. Many books have been written based on the idea that Christians can verbally “bind Satan” and thus “loose” people from his nefarious activities. But in the process, the true Biblical doctrine of binding and loosing is obscured. It might surprise many to find out that “binding and loosing” are about declaring the terms of entrance into the kingdom, and about determining what is or is not binding on Christians after they have been added to the church.
Those who teach and practice “binding and loosing” as verbal warfare against evil have several Biblical passages that they claim support the practice. The two most prominent ones are found in the book of Matthew: Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 12:28, 29. Matthew 16:19 states, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” By combining that thought with the Matthew 12 passage, which speaks of binding the “strong man,” they draw the conclusion that we have the authority to bind Satan, thus making his “goods” exposed for plundering. According to many followers of this theory, the “goods” are money, political power, people, etc. The church supposedly, therefore, has the opportunity to take world power away from Satan and deliver it to ourselves. In part 2 of this series of articles I will deal with the Matthew 12 passage. In this article we will examine Matthew 16:19 and the New Testament teaching about binding and loosing.
What did Jesus mean by the terms “bind” and “loose” as used in Matthew 16:19? These words were commonly used by Jewish rabbis. New Testament scholars agree that “binding and loosing,” when used in this way, retain the basic meaning that they had in the Jewish culture of the first century.
For example, the Theological Dictionary of The New Testament states under the entries for “deo_ and luo_” (the Greek words for binding and loosing used in Matthew 16:19 and elsewhere), “Jesus does not give to Peter and the other disciples any power to enchant or to free by magic. The customary meaning of the Rabbinic expressions is equally incontestable, namely, to declare forbidden or permitted, and thus to impose or remove an obligation, by a doctrinal decision.” TDNT draws the conclusion that this is the meaning of the words as used in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18.
A. T. Robertson also comments on Matthew 16:19,
To “bind” in rabbinical language is to forbid, to “loose” is to permit. Peter would be like a rabbi who passes on many points. Rabbis of the school of Hillel “loosed” many things that the school of Schammai “bound.” The teaching of Jesus is the standard for Peter and for all preachers of Christ. Note the future perfect indicative..., a state of completion. All this assumes, of course, that Peter's use of the keys will be in accord with the teaching and mind of Christ. [ii]
Dr. Robertson's comment about the use of the future perfect tense is important. If we were to translate the passage very literally, it would read “...whatever you loose on earth shall having been loosed in heaven.” The 1995 update version of the NASB (cited above) reflects this tense which the earlier version of the NASB did not. The tense of the verbs shows that the disciples were not unilaterally to decide a matter, thus binding “heaven” to their decision. It means that their decision, as Dr. Robertson suggests, will be in line with what already was God's mind on the issue.
This means that the apostles were Jesus’ authoritative spokesmen and that their decisions would be binding. Jesus spoke God’s authoritative words and authorized His apostles to speak those words to the church. We can see this idea in the book of Hebrews:
For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Hebrews 2:2-4)
We can see how Peter and the others understood Jesus' teaching on binding and loosing by examining their actions as recorded in the Book of Acts. Acts 15 records a dispute that arose about the behavior of Gentiles who were recently becoming part of the church. Their customs were far different from the Jews, who then made up most of the church. Should the new Gentile converts be required to be circumcised and to keep other requirements of the Law of Moses? After “much debate” (Acts 15:7), Peter stood up and asked, “...why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Verse 10). After James agrees with Peter, quoting Scripture as proof, they reached the decision that the Gentiles should abstain from idols, fornication, and what is strangled. No further burden was to be placed upon the Gentile Christians. Thus the apostles exercised the power of binding and loosing, as given by Jesus.
Did the apostles ever utter “I bind you, Satan?” Not once is such an utterance recorded in the New Testament. It is not credible to assume that they understood Jesus' teaching as an instruction to “bind Satan” through prayers and verbal declarations and then never followed the instructions personally. The church of the twentieth century should not understand and practice the teachings of Jesus differently than the church of the 1st century. If it does, the authority of Scripture is compromised.
Other Bible commentators also assert that “binding and loosing” find their meaning in rabbinical usage. Concerning Matthew 16:19, William Hendriksen states, “The very wording - note `whatever,' not `whoever' - shows that the passage refers to things, in this case beliefs and actions, not directly to people. Binding and loosing are rabbinical terms, meaning forbidding and permitting.” [iii] Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament, under the entry “deo_” (to bind), states, “. . . by a Chaldean and rabbinic idiom to forbid, prohibit, declare illicit: Matthew 16:19; 18:18.”
The Keys to the Kingdom
Let us discuss the “keys of the kingdom” in regard to binding and loosing. The keys signify the terms of entrance. What keeps people “bound” in the sense of forbidden entrance is their own, unforgiven sin. What Peter (and the other disciples) were given was the terms of entrance into the Kingdom. They had the authority to declare on what basis sins would be forgiven or retained:
Peter was told he would possess the keys and be able to bind and loose people. These were decisions Peter was to implement as he received instruction from heaven, for the binding and loosing occurred there first. Peter simply carried out God’s directions. This privilege of binding and loosing was seen in Peter’s life as he had the privilege on the day of Pentecost to proclaim the gospel and announce to all those who responded in saving faith that their sins had been forgiven (Acts 2). He was able to do the same thing with the household of Cornelius (Acts 10-11; Acts 15:19-20). The same privilege was given all the disciples (John 20:22-23). [iv]
So binding and loosing have at least two applications. The first (logically) is the authority to declare the terms of forgiveness of sins and thus entrance into the kingdom. This happens through preaching the gospel and authoritatively declaring that those who repent and believe the gospel are forgiven and are added to the church. Those who reject the gospel remain in bondage to their sin, are unforgiven, and are outside of the kingdom of God.
The second application is that to bind and loose is the authority to declare what is God's mind on a matter of doctrine or practice. This is what the early church did in Acts 15. To “bind” is to obligate, to “loose” is to remove obligation. The future perfect tense (“shall having been bound”) shows that this authority is only valid when used in submission to Christ's word or teaching. It does not give the church the authority to make up new teachings later in church history.
Binding and loosing were misused during the lifetime of the apostles. False teachers in Galatia decided to ignore the authoritative decision of the apostles and “bind” Gentile Christians to the Law of Moses. Furthermore they created false terms of entrance by saying that if people were uncircumcised they were denied entrance. This provoked Paul’s strongest reaction to any false teaching he corrected: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6, 7).
In part 2 of this article we will disuse the meaning of “binding the strong man” as found in the parable in Matthew 12.
End Notes
. THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, edited by G. Kittel & G. Friedrich, vol. II, page 60.
[ii] WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, A. T. Robertson, Vol. I, page 134.
[iii] THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, New Testament Commentary, William Hendriksen, page 651.
[iv]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2:58). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
When the second part of this paper is published I will post it also.
Binding And Loosing part 1
By Bob DeWaay
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 NASB U)
“I bind you, Satan!” is uttered in thousands of prayers every day in America. Many books have been written based on the idea that Christians can verbally “bind Satan” and thus “loose” people from his nefarious activities. But in the process, the true Biblical doctrine of binding and loosing is obscured. It might surprise many to find out that “binding and loosing” are about declaring the terms of entrance into the kingdom, and about determining what is or is not binding on Christians after they have been added to the church.
Those who teach and practice “binding and loosing” as verbal warfare against evil have several Biblical passages that they claim support the practice. The two most prominent ones are found in the book of Matthew: Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 12:28, 29. Matthew 16:19 states, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” By combining that thought with the Matthew 12 passage, which speaks of binding the “strong man,” they draw the conclusion that we have the authority to bind Satan, thus making his “goods” exposed for plundering. According to many followers of this theory, the “goods” are money, political power, people, etc. The church supposedly, therefore, has the opportunity to take world power away from Satan and deliver it to ourselves. In part 2 of this series of articles I will deal with the Matthew 12 passage. In this article we will examine Matthew 16:19 and the New Testament teaching about binding and loosing.
What did Jesus mean by the terms “bind” and “loose” as used in Matthew 16:19? These words were commonly used by Jewish rabbis. New Testament scholars agree that “binding and loosing,” when used in this way, retain the basic meaning that they had in the Jewish culture of the first century.
For example, the Theological Dictionary of The New Testament states under the entries for “deo_ and luo_” (the Greek words for binding and loosing used in Matthew 16:19 and elsewhere), “Jesus does not give to Peter and the other disciples any power to enchant or to free by magic. The customary meaning of the Rabbinic expressions is equally incontestable, namely, to declare forbidden or permitted, and thus to impose or remove an obligation, by a doctrinal decision.” TDNT draws the conclusion that this is the meaning of the words as used in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18.
A. T. Robertson also comments on Matthew 16:19,
To “bind” in rabbinical language is to forbid, to “loose” is to permit. Peter would be like a rabbi who passes on many points. Rabbis of the school of Hillel “loosed” many things that the school of Schammai “bound.” The teaching of Jesus is the standard for Peter and for all preachers of Christ. Note the future perfect indicative..., a state of completion. All this assumes, of course, that Peter's use of the keys will be in accord with the teaching and mind of Christ. [ii]
Dr. Robertson's comment about the use of the future perfect tense is important. If we were to translate the passage very literally, it would read “...whatever you loose on earth shall having been loosed in heaven.” The 1995 update version of the NASB (cited above) reflects this tense which the earlier version of the NASB did not. The tense of the verbs shows that the disciples were not unilaterally to decide a matter, thus binding “heaven” to their decision. It means that their decision, as Dr. Robertson suggests, will be in line with what already was God's mind on the issue.
This means that the apostles were Jesus’ authoritative spokesmen and that their decisions would be binding. Jesus spoke God’s authoritative words and authorized His apostles to speak those words to the church. We can see this idea in the book of Hebrews:
For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Hebrews 2:2-4)
We can see how Peter and the others understood Jesus' teaching on binding and loosing by examining their actions as recorded in the Book of Acts. Acts 15 records a dispute that arose about the behavior of Gentiles who were recently becoming part of the church. Their customs were far different from the Jews, who then made up most of the church. Should the new Gentile converts be required to be circumcised and to keep other requirements of the Law of Moses? After “much debate” (Acts 15:7), Peter stood up and asked, “...why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Verse 10). After James agrees with Peter, quoting Scripture as proof, they reached the decision that the Gentiles should abstain from idols, fornication, and what is strangled. No further burden was to be placed upon the Gentile Christians. Thus the apostles exercised the power of binding and loosing, as given by Jesus.
Did the apostles ever utter “I bind you, Satan?” Not once is such an utterance recorded in the New Testament. It is not credible to assume that they understood Jesus' teaching as an instruction to “bind Satan” through prayers and verbal declarations and then never followed the instructions personally. The church of the twentieth century should not understand and practice the teachings of Jesus differently than the church of the 1st century. If it does, the authority of Scripture is compromised.
Other Bible commentators also assert that “binding and loosing” find their meaning in rabbinical usage. Concerning Matthew 16:19, William Hendriksen states, “The very wording - note `whatever,' not `whoever' - shows that the passage refers to things, in this case beliefs and actions, not directly to people. Binding and loosing are rabbinical terms, meaning forbidding and permitting.” [iii] Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament, under the entry “deo_” (to bind), states, “. . . by a Chaldean and rabbinic idiom to forbid, prohibit, declare illicit: Matthew 16:19; 18:18.”
The Keys to the Kingdom
Let us discuss the “keys of the kingdom” in regard to binding and loosing. The keys signify the terms of entrance. What keeps people “bound” in the sense of forbidden entrance is their own, unforgiven sin. What Peter (and the other disciples) were given was the terms of entrance into the Kingdom. They had the authority to declare on what basis sins would be forgiven or retained:
Peter was told he would possess the keys and be able to bind and loose people. These were decisions Peter was to implement as he received instruction from heaven, for the binding and loosing occurred there first. Peter simply carried out God’s directions. This privilege of binding and loosing was seen in Peter’s life as he had the privilege on the day of Pentecost to proclaim the gospel and announce to all those who responded in saving faith that their sins had been forgiven (Acts 2). He was able to do the same thing with the household of Cornelius (Acts 10-11; Acts 15:19-20). The same privilege was given all the disciples (John 20:22-23). [iv]
So binding and loosing have at least two applications. The first (logically) is the authority to declare the terms of forgiveness of sins and thus entrance into the kingdom. This happens through preaching the gospel and authoritatively declaring that those who repent and believe the gospel are forgiven and are added to the church. Those who reject the gospel remain in bondage to their sin, are unforgiven, and are outside of the kingdom of God.
The second application is that to bind and loose is the authority to declare what is God's mind on a matter of doctrine or practice. This is what the early church did in Acts 15. To “bind” is to obligate, to “loose” is to remove obligation. The future perfect tense (“shall having been bound”) shows that this authority is only valid when used in submission to Christ's word or teaching. It does not give the church the authority to make up new teachings later in church history.
Binding and loosing were misused during the lifetime of the apostles. False teachers in Galatia decided to ignore the authoritative decision of the apostles and “bind” Gentile Christians to the Law of Moses. Furthermore they created false terms of entrance by saying that if people were uncircumcised they were denied entrance. This provoked Paul’s strongest reaction to any false teaching he corrected: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6, 7).
In part 2 of this article we will disuse the meaning of “binding the strong man” as found in the parable in Matthew 12.
End Notes
. THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, edited by G. Kittel & G. Friedrich, vol. II, page 60.
[ii] WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, A. T. Robertson, Vol. I, page 134.
[iii] THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, New Testament Commentary, William Hendriksen, page 651.
[iv]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2:58). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Member
Um...Yay Greek!
Many people know that this verse is the verse used by the Catholic church to justify papal authority. I have no wish to follow in what I consider to be the footsteps of their willful apostasy. I do not acknowledge papal authority, nor do I believe anything in the Scriptures grants it.
Anyway, the "binding and loosing" verse appears only twice. First Jesus says it to Peter (Matt 16:19), then He says it to His entire ekklesia (Matt 18:15-18). That last fact is rather important, because by saying it to His entire assembly, Jesus made it clear that whatever was being discussed applied to the group as a whole, and not only to Peter or the first 12 apostles.
As such, it is important for us to understand what it means, because it applies to us directly. We, the sheep who believe in Jesus and follow Him, are the ekklesia.
The article DeaconBob posted pretty much corroborates my own research. I used the notes of Phillips and Young to help me parse the Greek. Both of those individuals were particularly concerned with the misuse of this verse to justify levels of authority that mankind does not have.
It should be noted that the future perfect tense of the Greek is actually a simple perfect participle structure. That's what makes the rendering of the verse into English so difficult. Our language doesn't have a perfect participle structure that is not tied to a specific time/tense.
So you could equally parse it as
"What you will bind on Earth, has been bound in Heaven...."
or
"What you will bind on Earth, had been bound in Heaven...."
or
"What you will bind on Earth, will have been bound in Heaven...."
Any way you look at those three though, the perfect tense clearly indicates that it happened in Heaven first...before Peter or anyone else makes a decision.
So in all of these cases, Jesus is telling Peter (and the ekklesia later) that because of his faith, that faith which earned him the name "the rock" and so on, he would be "in the Spirit" to the point that he could safely make decisions as explained in Deacon Bob's letter, and that those decisions were going to be in agreement with Heaven's decisions. The faith is what allows him to be in such strong harmony with the Lord.
Many people know that this verse is the verse used by the Catholic church to justify papal authority. I have no wish to follow in what I consider to be the footsteps of their willful apostasy. I do not acknowledge papal authority, nor do I believe anything in the Scriptures grants it.
Anyway, the "binding and loosing" verse appears only twice. First Jesus says it to Peter (Matt 16:19), then He says it to His entire ekklesia (Matt 18:15-18). That last fact is rather important, because by saying it to His entire assembly, Jesus made it clear that whatever was being discussed applied to the group as a whole, and not only to Peter or the first 12 apostles.
As such, it is important for us to understand what it means, because it applies to us directly. We, the sheep who believe in Jesus and follow Him, are the ekklesia.
The article DeaconBob posted pretty much corroborates my own research. I used the notes of Phillips and Young to help me parse the Greek. Both of those individuals were particularly concerned with the misuse of this verse to justify levels of authority that mankind does not have.
It should be noted that the future perfect tense of the Greek is actually a simple perfect participle structure. That's what makes the rendering of the verse into English so difficult. Our language doesn't have a perfect participle structure that is not tied to a specific time/tense.
So you could equally parse it as
"What you will bind on Earth, has been bound in Heaven...."
or
"What you will bind on Earth, had been bound in Heaven...."
or
"What you will bind on Earth, will have been bound in Heaven...."
Any way you look at those three though, the perfect tense clearly indicates that it happened in Heaven first...before Peter or anyone else makes a decision.
So in all of these cases, Jesus is telling Peter (and the ekklesia later) that because of his faith, that faith which earned him the name "the rock" and so on, he would be "in the Spirit" to the point that he could safely make decisions as explained in Deacon Bob's letter, and that those decisions were going to be in agreement with Heaven's decisions. The faith is what allows him to be in such strong harmony with the Lord.
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Member
Perhaps long winded is also very thorough? What i received in email was very good!
Please continue to participate here. Your thoughtful thoroughness is a breathe of very fresh air
Please continue to participate here. Your thoughtful thoroughness is a breathe of very fresh air
Member
Bob DeWay has written part 2 of Binding and loosing and I include it here as promised previously
Binding and Loosing Part Two
By Bob DeWaay
In Part One of Binding and Loosing we saw from Scripture that binding and loosing concerned both the terms of entrance into the Kingdom and the authority to declare God’s mind on matters of doctrine and practice. However, some have interpreted binding and loosing to be the authority to bind Satan and demons through verbal declaration, a misunderstanding primarily based on Matthew 12:28, 29: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” This statement was Jesus’ response to His critics who claimed that he cast out demons through “Beelzebul” (the ruler of demons).
Matthew 12:28, 29 offers Jesus' own interpretation of the deliverances they had just observed—that these were done by the Spirit of God and showed the power of the kingdom of God in the person of Christ. In these deliverances, Christ confronts the powers of darkness, and Christ is victor! The Pharisees should have recognized this and committed themselves to Christ, but they were unwilling. Jesus goes on to warn them about blaspheming the Holy Spirit (verse 31) by accusing Christ of being of the Devil.
The key verse, which some claim as support for “binding” Satan through direct verbal assault, is Matthew 12:29. In this passage, Jesus uses a metaphor to illustrate His own mission. A strong man controls his own house until a stronger man comes, binds him, and plunders the house. “Bind” in this metaphor means “to tie up with a rope.” It is used literally. “Binding and loosing” when used together in other settings are technical terminology where to “bind” is to obligate, to “loose” is to remove obligation as we showed in the previous article. “Bind” in Matthew 12:29 is in a different context and is part of the metaphor.
Consider Luke 11:21, 22 which records the same illustration. Luke does not use the term “bind,” but says the stronger man “...attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied...” (Luke 11:22). So “attacks and overpowers” describes the same concept as “bind” in Matthew 12:29. This is a realistic story with a spiritual application. The application is that Jesus is the stronger man who has power over Satan and can and does plunder his “house.” The deliverances proved Jesus’ power over Satan.
Therefore, “bind,” as used in Matthew 12, is metaphorical terminology, not a magic word, the utterance of which will stop the activity of evil spirits. That the Luke account does not even use the word “bind” shows this. “Bind” is incidental to the picture of a strong man's house being plundered. Whether victory is accomplished by binding, overpowering, or disarming, it is not as consequential as the fact that it is a stronger man who must do it.
The casting out of demons, however, is a precursor to the greater work of plundering Satan’s “house” that Jesus would carry out through the cross. The Bible consistently ties the conquest of Satan's kingdom of darkness and the liberation of its subjects to the Incarnation, which leads ultimately to the cross. The stronger man is Jesus, not us. When the author of Hebrews says that it was “through death” that Jesus would render the devil powerless to hold his captives, he can only be referring to the cross where Christ paid for our sins: “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14, 15). We were in bondage to Satan, not because of his great power, but because of our own sins which put us under the penalty for sin, which is death.
For further light on this, consider the following passage:
And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Colossians 2:13 – 15)
The margin of the NASB, as quoted here, has a note indicating that the last “Him” could be “it, i.e., the cross.” Christ triumphed over the forces of darkness through the cross. If the “goods” of Matthew 12:29 are people held in bondage, then the “binding” of the strong man that accomplished their release was through the cross.
We can better understand this by contemplating how it was that humanity first came into this bondage. The book of Hebrews describes human bondage as the “fear of death.” We know that death is the penalty for sin. Satan's first lie, as recorded in Genesis 3, was that Eve could sin and not die as God said she would. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, sin entered human experience for them and all of their descendants. As Paul declares in Romans, the wages of sin is death. Romans 5:12 explicitly says that sin and death spread to all because of the original sin. We were born sinners by nature, children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), in bondage to the “strong man.” Spiritual death was our present reality, and ultimate death our certain destiny, unless God did something to rescue us! It is no wonder that the passage in Hebrews 2 calls human bondage, “The fear of death.”
The way Christ was ultimately to “bind” the strong man and plunder his goods was to die a substitutionary death on the cross, paying the penalty for us. Now liberated by faith from spiritual and eternal death, we walk in victory because of the power of God. Christ's victorious encounters with demons prior to His death on the cross were demonstrations of His Messianic mission and His power over evil. However, they were not an end in themselves. Had Jesus not gone on to die for our sins, the “houses” (Matthew 12:43-45) that had been “swept” clean would have remained empty, inviting places for evil spirits to return. Those delivered from particular spirits during the public ministry of Jesus were still spiritually dead sinners like everyone else. They needed to have the penalty for their sins to be paid, so that if they responded in faith to the gospel, they would be born of the Spirit and their “houses” thus filled. These were delivered from certain demons, but still needed to be transferred as individuals from the house of Satan into the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).
The Gospel of John also shows the importance of the cross in the defeat of Satan and the deliverance of people from his domination. During the week immediately preceding His crucifixion Jesus said “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” (John 12:31, 32). The next verse tells us explicitly that Jesus was speaking of His death on the cross. The casting out of Satan and the drawing of men (previously “bound” by the Evil One) to Christ is accomplished through the cross! This confirms our interpretation of Matthew 12:28, 29.
The Bible does speak of an actual future “binding” of Satan in the book of Revelation:
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (Revelation 20:1 - 3)
Some also link this to the cross and claim that the thousand years is figurative language for all of church history. Two strong points of evidence mitigate this interpretation. 1) The binding of Satan through the cross is only efficacious practically in the lives of believers. The “nations” are still very much deceived by Satan and even blinded to the gospel (2Corinthians 4:4). Individuals are delivered from Satan during the church age, but not entire nations. 2) Whatever “binding” happened to Satan in Revelation 20:2 he is eventually “released from” according to Revelation 20:3. The effects of the cross are eternal; never will there be a “release” from what God did through Christ on the cross. Therefore, on exegetical grounds, I conclude that this passage is talking about the future millennial reign of Christ during which Satan is “bound” in the abyss and has no access to those living during this time.
No passage in the Bible instructs believers to say, “I bind you Satan,” as if that would change anything. If we are concerned, as we should be, about seeing people delivered from their bondage to Satan, then we should preach the gospel. When Paul asserted that Satan blinded the eyes of the unbelieving, it was in the context of his defense of preaching the unadulterated gospel (see 2Corinthians 4:1-6). God provides no other means of deliverance from bondage to Satan apart from the cross. Through the cross those who believe are transferred from Satan’s kingdom to Christ’s as we see here: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13, 14). And for this we are thankful—it is sufficient.
Binding and Loosing Part Two
By Bob DeWaay
In Part One of Binding and Loosing we saw from Scripture that binding and loosing concerned both the terms of entrance into the Kingdom and the authority to declare God’s mind on matters of doctrine and practice. However, some have interpreted binding and loosing to be the authority to bind Satan and demons through verbal declaration, a misunderstanding primarily based on Matthew 12:28, 29: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” This statement was Jesus’ response to His critics who claimed that he cast out demons through “Beelzebul” (the ruler of demons).
Matthew 12:28, 29 offers Jesus' own interpretation of the deliverances they had just observed—that these were done by the Spirit of God and showed the power of the kingdom of God in the person of Christ. In these deliverances, Christ confronts the powers of darkness, and Christ is victor! The Pharisees should have recognized this and committed themselves to Christ, but they were unwilling. Jesus goes on to warn them about blaspheming the Holy Spirit (verse 31) by accusing Christ of being of the Devil.
The key verse, which some claim as support for “binding” Satan through direct verbal assault, is Matthew 12:29. In this passage, Jesus uses a metaphor to illustrate His own mission. A strong man controls his own house until a stronger man comes, binds him, and plunders the house. “Bind” in this metaphor means “to tie up with a rope.” It is used literally. “Binding and loosing” when used together in other settings are technical terminology where to “bind” is to obligate, to “loose” is to remove obligation as we showed in the previous article. “Bind” in Matthew 12:29 is in a different context and is part of the metaphor.
Consider Luke 11:21, 22 which records the same illustration. Luke does not use the term “bind,” but says the stronger man “...attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied...” (Luke 11:22). So “attacks and overpowers” describes the same concept as “bind” in Matthew 12:29. This is a realistic story with a spiritual application. The application is that Jesus is the stronger man who has power over Satan and can and does plunder his “house.” The deliverances proved Jesus’ power over Satan.
Therefore, “bind,” as used in Matthew 12, is metaphorical terminology, not a magic word, the utterance of which will stop the activity of evil spirits. That the Luke account does not even use the word “bind” shows this. “Bind” is incidental to the picture of a strong man's house being plundered. Whether victory is accomplished by binding, overpowering, or disarming, it is not as consequential as the fact that it is a stronger man who must do it.
The casting out of demons, however, is a precursor to the greater work of plundering Satan’s “house” that Jesus would carry out through the cross. The Bible consistently ties the conquest of Satan's kingdom of darkness and the liberation of its subjects to the Incarnation, which leads ultimately to the cross. The stronger man is Jesus, not us. When the author of Hebrews says that it was “through death” that Jesus would render the devil powerless to hold his captives, he can only be referring to the cross where Christ paid for our sins: “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14, 15). We were in bondage to Satan, not because of his great power, but because of our own sins which put us under the penalty for sin, which is death.
For further light on this, consider the following passage:
And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Colossians 2:13 – 15)
The margin of the NASB, as quoted here, has a note indicating that the last “Him” could be “it, i.e., the cross.” Christ triumphed over the forces of darkness through the cross. If the “goods” of Matthew 12:29 are people held in bondage, then the “binding” of the strong man that accomplished their release was through the cross.
We can better understand this by contemplating how it was that humanity first came into this bondage. The book of Hebrews describes human bondage as the “fear of death.” We know that death is the penalty for sin. Satan's first lie, as recorded in Genesis 3, was that Eve could sin and not die as God said she would. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, sin entered human experience for them and all of their descendants. As Paul declares in Romans, the wages of sin is death. Romans 5:12 explicitly says that sin and death spread to all because of the original sin. We were born sinners by nature, children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), in bondage to the “strong man.” Spiritual death was our present reality, and ultimate death our certain destiny, unless God did something to rescue us! It is no wonder that the passage in Hebrews 2 calls human bondage, “The fear of death.”
The way Christ was ultimately to “bind” the strong man and plunder his goods was to die a substitutionary death on the cross, paying the penalty for us. Now liberated by faith from spiritual and eternal death, we walk in victory because of the power of God. Christ's victorious encounters with demons prior to His death on the cross were demonstrations of His Messianic mission and His power over evil. However, they were not an end in themselves. Had Jesus not gone on to die for our sins, the “houses” (Matthew 12:43-45) that had been “swept” clean would have remained empty, inviting places for evil spirits to return. Those delivered from particular spirits during the public ministry of Jesus were still spiritually dead sinners like everyone else. They needed to have the penalty for their sins to be paid, so that if they responded in faith to the gospel, they would be born of the Spirit and their “houses” thus filled. These were delivered from certain demons, but still needed to be transferred as individuals from the house of Satan into the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).
The Gospel of John also shows the importance of the cross in the defeat of Satan and the deliverance of people from his domination. During the week immediately preceding His crucifixion Jesus said “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” (John 12:31, 32). The next verse tells us explicitly that Jesus was speaking of His death on the cross. The casting out of Satan and the drawing of men (previously “bound” by the Evil One) to Christ is accomplished through the cross! This confirms our interpretation of Matthew 12:28, 29.
The Bible does speak of an actual future “binding” of Satan in the book of Revelation:
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (Revelation 20:1 - 3)
Some also link this to the cross and claim that the thousand years is figurative language for all of church history. Two strong points of evidence mitigate this interpretation. 1) The binding of Satan through the cross is only efficacious practically in the lives of believers. The “nations” are still very much deceived by Satan and even blinded to the gospel (2Corinthians 4:4). Individuals are delivered from Satan during the church age, but not entire nations. 2) Whatever “binding” happened to Satan in Revelation 20:2 he is eventually “released from” according to Revelation 20:3. The effects of the cross are eternal; never will there be a “release” from what God did through Christ on the cross. Therefore, on exegetical grounds, I conclude that this passage is talking about the future millennial reign of Christ during which Satan is “bound” in the abyss and has no access to those living during this time.
No passage in the Bible instructs believers to say, “I bind you Satan,” as if that would change anything. If we are concerned, as we should be, about seeing people delivered from their bondage to Satan, then we should preach the gospel. When Paul asserted that Satan blinded the eyes of the unbelieving, it was in the context of his defense of preaching the unadulterated gospel (see 2Corinthians 4:1-6). God provides no other means of deliverance from bondage to Satan apart from the cross. Through the cross those who believe are transferred from Satan’s kingdom to Christ’s as we see here: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13, 14). And for this we are thankful—it is sufficient.
Member
hey trulyblezzed. I just couldnt help noticing ur question about this statement which can be found in two places in the Bible:
First addressed to Peter: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 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."
And secondly addressed to all His disciples: Mat 18:18 "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.”
The first statement states that more than 2000 years ago before Jesus' Ascension, Jesus knew that he had to appoint someone as the foundation and base/rock for His(Jesus) church, without a leader on earth to do God's mission division and quarrel will cause division amongst the people of His church.
And when Jesus says to Peter(known as Cephas="Petros"-the rock(smaller fragment of "Petra" the bigger rock which is Christ=Church) that upon this rock=Peter I will build my church, Jesus is saying that He appoints Peter as the head of the church to lead His people/church into the fullness of God's kingdom and grace. The now appointed Peter in the belief of the Catholic church according to the line in History is Pope Benedict XVI, leading and guiding the universal church. throughout the years many have parted and split from the Catholic church due to human reasons if you study the beginning of Christianity and how it came to so many denominations.
The 2nd statement addressed to all His disciples: Mat 18:18 "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.” refers that Peter works hand in hand with God's chosen apostles, through divine intervention and the guidance by the Holy spirit, he then decides what is best and truthful for the Church to grow universally. Meaning Peter, or in catholic belief, the Pope, with the inclusion of the congregation and councils and through great discernment sets decrees, doctrines and values for the Church to be guided by.
I hope Im able to help in this manner...anything else feel free to share God bless!!
First addressed to Peter: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 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."
And secondly addressed to all His disciples: Mat 18:18 "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.”
The first statement states that more than 2000 years ago before Jesus' Ascension, Jesus knew that he had to appoint someone as the foundation and base/rock for His(Jesus) church, without a leader on earth to do God's mission division and quarrel will cause division amongst the people of His church.
And when Jesus says to Peter(known as Cephas="Petros"-the rock(smaller fragment of "Petra" the bigger rock which is Christ=Church) that upon this rock=Peter I will build my church, Jesus is saying that He appoints Peter as the head of the church to lead His people/church into the fullness of God's kingdom and grace. The now appointed Peter in the belief of the Catholic church according to the line in History is Pope Benedict XVI, leading and guiding the universal church. throughout the years many have parted and split from the Catholic church due to human reasons if you study the beginning of Christianity and how it came to so many denominations.
The 2nd statement addressed to all His disciples: Mat 18:18 "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.” refers that Peter works hand in hand with God's chosen apostles, through divine intervention and the guidance by the Holy spirit, he then decides what is best and truthful for the Church to grow universally. Meaning Peter, or in catholic belief, the Pope, with the inclusion of the congregation and councils and through great discernment sets decrees, doctrines and values for the Church to be guided by.
I hope Im able to help in this manner...anything else feel free to share God bless!!
Moderator
Staff Member
Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life
Beloved,
the Truth will set you free ....
His Name is Jesus
See the truth here...
We were in bondage to Satan, not because of his great power, but because of our own sins which put us under the penalty for sin, which is death.
WERE in bondage
NOT because of any power of satan
but because of the penalty for sin....
and Jesus gave Himself that we MAY be free....
even now.
Thank You Jesus!!!
that's the good news.... come unto Jesus
He's bound to set you free, by His own Word and His Love, His Name,
Bless you ....><>
Br. Bear
let us praise His name and adore Him, forever and ever, amen
Jesus Christ the Lord
Beloved,
the Truth will set you free ....
His Name is Jesus
See the truth here...
We were in bondage to Satan, not because of his great power, but because of our own sins which put us under the penalty for sin, which is death.
WERE in bondage
NOT because of any power of satan
but because of the penalty for sin....
and Jesus gave Himself that we MAY be free....
even now.
Thank You Jesus!!!
that's the good news.... come unto Jesus
He's bound to set you free, by His own Word and His Love, His Name,
Bless you ....><>
Br. Bear
let us praise His name and adore Him, forever and ever, amen
Jesus Christ the Lord
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