Matthew 18:18
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
“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. Matthew 18:18
“Amen! I say to you, as much if you should bind upon the earth, it will be ‘having been bindings’ in the heaven. And as much, if you should loosen upon the earth, it will be having been loosenings in the heaven.” (CG)
In the previous verse, Jesus gave instructions on someone who would not listen to the out-called gathering. If he continued to stubbornly listen, he was to be treated like the ethnicity and the taxmen. Now, he provides an authority similar to that stated to Peter in Acts 16:19, beginning with, “Amen! I say to you.”
The “you” is plural. In Matthew 16:19, it was singular, referring to Peter. Therefore, the authority is not limited to Peter. This authority is, “as much if you should bind upon the earth, it will be ‘having been bindings’ in the heaven.”
The plural “bindings” refers to the plural number of people. Each such decision is a part of those things having been bound in the heaven.
Access to heaven is through faith in Jesus. That is something ahead for the disciples at this time. Hence, the future tense, “it will be.” These disciples are being told that they will have authority to bind, meaning prohibit, that which is prohibited in the heavens. That is seen with the use of the perfect participle “having been.” Likewise, Jesus says, “And as much, if you should loosen upon the earth, it will be having been loosenings in the heaven.”
To loosen means to undo and thus to allow. These disciples were given the authority to make decisions concerning what was to be done or not done in the church, confirming that which was bound in heaven. This is how the church was established. Decisions were made, authority was set, and matters were discussed, such as in Acts 15 at the Council in Jerusalem.
These matters were granted to men, inspired by the Spirit, to establish the workings of the church and also to pen the words of Scripture that would then become the final authority for church conduct. These words are logically connected to the previous section that dealt with a sinning brother, because that was a matter that they would decide.
If they decided such a person was to be returned to fellowship, that is what was bound in heaven. If they determined he should be expelled, that was bound in heaven. With the word of God complete, we now have Scripture to determine what is bound in heaven. We simply need to follow what has been provided.
Life application: It is not uncommon in some churches to hear people claim they are “binding” this or that, or that they are “loosening” this or that, as if they personally have authority to direct heaven to do certain things.
Rather, God in heaven determines what is acceptable and what is not in spiritual matters. He has given us His wisdom for church-age guidance in the pages of Scripture. That is what is bound and what is loosed.
A problem with churches arises when they don’t use the Bible to make such determinations. How can you allow or prohibit something in accord with God’s will if you don’t know what His will is? The answer is that you cannot.
A process was set in motion for Christ’s church to be established. Moses received God’s will, penned it, and passed it on to the people. That is what was bound or loosened for the people. God took a bit of a different direction with the church. He gave the leaders authority to get things going, to make decisions in accord with the Spirit’s directions, and eventually, they penned the New Testament.
That is seen, for example, in these words from James –
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.” Acts 15:28, 29
The decision was bound in heaven (good to the Holy Spirit), and it was then passed on to the people as a binding precept. Now that the word is completed, we are to go to the epistles to further clarify what was initially set forth.
Lord God, how good it is to have Your word to direct us. We don’t need to worry if we are living in accord with Your will or not if we are aware of what Your will is! And so, we will continue in Your word, learning its precepts and living in accord with what it says. Amen.
