Binding and loosening

Jesus's Institution

To Peter

Matthew 16:16-20 [ESV] 16: Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17: And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20: Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Interpretation Binding and loosening to:
to Peter
to those who like wise declare as Peter "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"

To Church Members on dealing with Church Members!

Matthew 18:15-20 [ESV] 15: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16: But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17: If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18: Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19: Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20: For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
Interpretation Binding and loosening to:
to Church Members on dealing with Church Members



Forgiveness in the great commission linked to Binding and Loosening

The great commission:
John 20 1: Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2: So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3: So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4: Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5: And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6: Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7: and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8: Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9: for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10: Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11: But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12: And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13: They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14: Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15: Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16: Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). 17: Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" 18: Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"- and that he had said these things to her. 19: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20: When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21: Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." 22: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23: If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld." 24: Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25: So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." 26: Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27: Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." 28: Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29: Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31: but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Interpretation:
the church can proclaim forgiveness (speading the gospel?)
Your sins are forgiven

Forgiveness in other contexts

Forgiveness linked to keeping relationship

1 John 1 1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- 2: the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- 3: that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4: And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5: This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6: If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10: If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Forgiveness received is also linked to forgiveness given

Matthew 6 1: "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2: "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3: But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4: so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5: "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6: But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7: "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8: Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9: Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11: Give us this day our daily bread, 12: and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14: For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15: but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16: "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17: But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18: that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23: but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24: "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25: "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26: Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27: And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28: And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29: yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30: But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31: Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32: For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Colossians 3:12-15 [ESV] 12: Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13: bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14: And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15: And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Forgiveness linked to healing

James 5 1: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2: Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3: Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4: Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5: You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6: You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. 7: Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8: You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9: Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10: As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11: Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12: But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 13: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14: Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15: And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16: Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18: Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 19: My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20: let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.


Examples Binding and Loosening

1st Council in Jerusalem

Acts 15 1: But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2: And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3: So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4: When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5: But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses." 6: The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7: And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8: And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9: and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10: Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11: But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." 12: And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13: After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. 14: Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15: And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16: "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17: that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18: known from of old.' 19: Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20: but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21: For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." 22: Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23: with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24: Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25: it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26: men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27: We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28: For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." 30: So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31: And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32: And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33: And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 34: 35: But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 36: And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." 37: Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38: But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39: And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40: but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41: And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Interpretation:
The gentiles are free from the jewish law

Councils


Some Examples Bindings Loosenings in difference denominations

Common


Roman Catholic


Baptist - which basically seems to include all non-denominationals

There is an understanding the baptism should be done as an adult when he/she decides

Calin

TULIP acronym is understood as summarizing Calvins doctrine

Notes

What I believe - I might be deceived
Binding that do not consider certain thoughts/doctrines could limit finding truth



Anathema in Bible