A term that Jesus used to describe special authority he gave to his followers. Jesus talked about binding and loosing on two different occasions.
Jesus Gives Authority to Peter
After Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus said to him: “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” (Matthew 16:19). Later, Jesus gave the same authority to bind and loose to all of the disciples (18:18).
Only Matthew's Gospel includes these specific words about binding and loosing. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus said something similar to the disciples after the resurrection: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld” (John 20:23). It is difficult to understand exactly what kind of authority Jesus gave and how far it reached.
What Does "Binding and Loosing" Mean?
“Bind” and “loose” translate two Greek words. The Greek words come from Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. In Jesus's time, Jewish teachers used these words in two ways:
Teaching Authority: Teachers of God's law would say an action was "bound" when they forbid it, or "loosed" when they allowed it. Jesus mentioned this teaching role when he said: “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So practice and observe everything they tell you.” Matthew 23:2–3. Among the greatest Jewish rabbis, Shammai “bound” many actions that the more liberal teacher Hillel “loosed.”
Legal Decisions: People also used these words when making decisions about punishment or freedom. To "bind" meant to judge someone guilty, while to "loose" meant to declare them innocent.
Both sets of meanings have been used to interpret the two texts in Matthew.
The precise meaning of the words in Matthew must be understood based on their use in specific situations and based on the general New Testament understanding of the authority of the apostles. In Matthew 16:19, Peter’s authority to bind and loose is connected with his receiving “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” In the Gospels, the “kingdom of heaven” or "kingdom of God" is where God rules. It is the “community” of people whom he rules as Lord. As a symbol, Peter was given the keys to that kingdom, that “building.” The people of God are described as his building (1 Corinthians 3:9, 16–17; Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Peter 2:4–5). The keys symbolize the authority given to Peter as the one who confessed Jesus as Lord (Matthew 16:16). Peter represents all those disciples who speak the same confession.
According to Matthew 23:13, the scribes were understood as guardians of the kingdom because the knowledge of God had been given to them (Luke 11:52). But they failed in this duty and kept people from entering God's kingdom. Therefore, their task was given to Peter, who spoke for the 12 disciples. These disciples represented God's new people (see Matthew 21:43).