"But how about their binding and loosing on earth, and it being bound or loosed in heaven?
A text in Jeremiah will help us to understand this. In the record of the calling of the prophet, we read:Jeremiah 19
Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jeremiah was only a man, yet he was clothed with wonderful power.
As strong language was used concerning him as was spoken to Peter.
As strong language was used concerning him as was spoken to Peter.
Q: Now how was he to root out kingdoms,and to pull down and to destroy, and to throw down, to build,and to plant them?
A: Simply by the word of the Lord which he should speak. A prophet is simply the mouth-piece of God. He utters nothing of himself, but only as God speaks through him, and yet he maintains his individuality, so that the words are his own.
It is all of man and all of God. The words of the man are also the words of God, and so whatever the man utters on earth, are the decrees of heaven.
Whatever he binds or looses on earth, is bound or loosed in heaven.
It was the same with the apostles. On the day of Pentecost,when the Holy Spirit came on them, they began to speak.
Therefore just as Jeremiah, as the spokesman for God, could tear down and build up nations, so the apostles, with the words of Christ in their mouths, could bind and loose, according to the will of heaven.
The acts of men in such cases were not the acts of men, but of God. Men were simply the mouth-pieces of his righteous decrees.
Q: But how about the words of Christ being addressed directly to Peter?
A: There is no question but that Peter occupied a prominent place among the apostles. He was a natural leader, and often spoke for the others.
Galatians 2:7-9 When they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) ...they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
As one to whom the gospel was specially intrusted, he did most certainly have the keys of the kingdom of heaven in his possession; but this special commission he shared with Paul, and to Paul was given the greater work.
So they keys of the kingdom of heaven were committed to Paul as well as to Peter, and in a greater measure, since he
1 Corinthians 15:10 ...labored more abundantly than they all.
And not only were the keys given to Peter and Paul, as pioneers in the great work of the gospel, but to all their associates, who received the same divine commission (Matthew28:19-20); and not only to the apostles...And so the church, which is the house of the living God, stands not upon any one man, nor upon any company of men, but “on the foundations of the apostles and prophets, JesusChrist himself being the chief corner-stone,” and the entire foundation." E.J.Waggoner