Matthew 16:19 Commentary and Bible Study

What does this mean? What are these keys? Christ speaks of himself as possessing the keys of the kingdom of heaven: ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death’ (Revelation 1:18). By this he means that he has absolute authority to determine who may and who may not enter heaven and who will and will not be sent to hell. Does this mean that Peter also was given unique authority to bind, to determine who would and would not be saved, and God would honour all his decisions? They cannot be right, for nowhere else in New Testament is there anything like this. There is a widely held evangelical view that in this verse the Lord is giving authority to apostles and all responsible subsequent church leaders: authority to take into membership and expel those who have sinned. There is some truth in this, but binding and loosing in heaven damages this view – who you let into church will be let into heaven? No, that is entirely the prerogative of God. In the book of Acts we do not see the apostles pronouncing on the destiny of individuals as to their eternal state in heaven of hell. What we see them doing is carrying out the great commission and preaching the gospel and explaining the terms on which Christ will receive sinners and pardon them. This not some arbitrary exercise of power. Even in Christ’s case, all the conditions of salvation are out in the open and cannot be changed. Apostolic doctrine was binding on the church, but the apostles themselves were bound by their own doctrine, and that doctrine was not invented by them but was received from Christ. We are privileged instruments but we cannot cause anyone to be saved. So if Christ gave personal authority like this to Peter, he contradicted everything else he said. What is said here to Peter is shortly afterwards said to all the apostles (Matthew 18:18), so this was not unique to him but something he shared with the other apostles. In the next verse, in what is obviously a connected promise, the Lord says, ‘Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18:19-20). Ordinary believers agreeing together in prayer also have a mighty power available to them because petitions made on earth will be heard and respected by the Father in heaven: prayer uttered on earth moves the hand of God. This is not about personal authority, but is a word to wake the church up to its high responsibility. This about the keys of the word of God, the gospel. Christ says, ‘I put into your hands the gospel. As people take it, they are turning a key in a lock.’ Peter cannot do it personally. Only the preaching of the word can do it. Peter was given the duty to preach and the privilege of being used. God will by and large bring sinners through preaching. If they don’t come and they reject it, they will be bound. If they believe and are saved, then they are freed from sin, and your word is powerful. We are on an indestructible foundation. The church of true believers is on this foundation. It changes us; Christ’s work will succeed. We gain some rocklike characteristics and become people of some metal and strength. The church age started with a handful of disciples frightened men and women. They faced the hostility of the Jews. Those who listened to them were at times thrown out of their homes and ostracised by their families. But in spite of this, 3000 and then 5000 were added to the church within weeks. Great persecution came but it made them more resolute.