The scripture is very clear when it was written by the Apostle Paul in
2Ti 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
We have been given a precious gift, the Word of God. It is our spiritual responsibility as believers to read it as well as study it.
We are to find out what the Word really says.
One role of the Five-Fold ministry is to PROPERLY instruct and teach the saints the Word, not from man's opinion, but by proper interpretation of the Word. I would like to share a teaching to one scripture that so many have taught to the Body of Christ in error.
Let us read Matthew 18:18, "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Many today are being taught that this is a warfare scripture when it is not. In fact, when we study, we find no reference to warfare at all. The truth be told, this is about rendering a verdict and teaching. Let us read the whole verse in context.
Mt 18:15 ¶ "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'
17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
Firstly, what Christ is teaching starts with "If your brother SINS against you", and gives instruction on how to bring that person into correction and accountability.
It involves a threefold process of trying to correct the sinner:
This is an important place to properly interpret what Christ is teaching the Apostles here.
What is He saying? He is saying if the person will not repent of their sins, then let them go.
This right refers to EXCOMMUNICATION and shows that when they agreed on a matter pertaining the actions of a person it would be received in Heaven.
Once we come to verse 18, we now see a clearer picture of what Christ is doing here. He is preparing His disciples to run the Church. The terminology of BIND and to LOOSE literally means to REMIT and PERMIT and they had to teach what is and what is not permitted by God.
Also in Jewish custom, these words were spoken at the commissioning of a preacher by the ordaining rabbi. What we see is a picture of the RABBI commissioning His preachers.
'Binding and loosing' means the power of deciding questions of faith and morals in the visible church. The words, derived from the Aramaic, meant in that dialect the power of deciding what was lawful or unlawful to be done according to Jewish law, and what was right or not right to be believed. This power was conferred upon a rabbi or scribe at his ordination ceremony. To bind was to prohibit; to loose was to permit.
Also to note:
"The phrases to bind and to loose were Jewish, and most frequent in their writers. It belonged only to the teachers among the Jews to bind and to loose. When the Jews set any apart to be a preacher, they used these words, 'Take thou liberty to teach what is BOUND and what is LOOSE.'" Strype's preface to the
Posthumous Remains
of Dr. Lightfoot, p. 38.
Initially, Christ had spoken this first to the Apostle 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."
Now here He is confirming this authority to all of the Apostles.
The scripture then goes into teaching us that the 2 or 3 agreeing on a matter means what they were to render in teaching and in decision-making for the Church would be heard by the Father and done for them for the CHURCH.
Nowhere does this refer to spiritual warfare. If you have been taught this and believed as so, do not feel bad. Many have been taught this concept using this passage of scripture. But now that you know what it really says, ask the Lord how to apply it and ask him to uproot any other lies or spirit of error from you so that you may know the whole TRUTH of the WORD.
Lord, help us to get back to what You really said and what You meant so we can apply it properly today.
STUDY TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED!
In His Service,
Jesse Griffin
