Binding Where God Has Not Bound
Matthew 16:18-19
Joe D. Gibbs, Sr.
This most vital subject could be view as being pregnant with an unexpressed motive which causes the objective bible reader to be cognizant of the danger of confusing that which is of God with that which is not.
The text to which our attention has been called is one that is quite familiar; however, it is rich with great theological consolation when considered in light of the purpose of it's inclusion into the text. The first Part of the consolation referred to is rooted in the promise of the master to build his church, which would afford those in the world a place of refuge and fellowship with Christ and fellow believers. The second part of this consolation stems from the fact that the church would rest upon a solid, unshakable foundation...that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God! The third part of this consolation hangs on the promise that the icy fingers of death would not prevent the promise to come to fruition. The fourth part of this consolation, even privilege, is that God would allow man, in spite of his kinship to iniquity, to be apart of the salvation process. The fifth part of this consolation lies in the fact that, inasmuch as the Master entrusted them with the "keys of the Kingdom", heaven would sanction, recognize, and ratify their authority. The Apostles needed that reassurance... that what they preached and taught was backed by heaven, because the last thing the early church needed was a timid, weak-kneed, and unsure Apostleship! That's why he said, "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven"!
This was of monumental importance because, in the absence of the person of Jesus, who would be able to fill the authority void ??? Of course, the Apostles would fill that void! They were the ones Jesus chose to be his witnesses, Matthew, 10:1-21 The Apostles were to be the very ones who would stabilize and set the church during it's immediate stage of infancy, Acts 2:42, 47! They were the one's who would be part of the foundation of the church, Paul said to the church at Ephesus, "Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles, and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone...", Eph.2:19-20. So, the Apostles were the foundational source of authority in the absence of Jesus. And the exclamation point to their authority was the fact that they were guided by the Holy Ghost! Jesus said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth..He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you", John 16:13; John 14:26. At this point, we are led to the conclusion that, in a nutshell, for the sake of man-kind, there is an alliance between heaven and earth! I'm glad there's a connection between heaven and earth. The first hint of this connection when God said, "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness', Gen.1:26. Another hint of this connection became evident when Jacob, as he was fleeing from Esau, lay down one weary night and had a dream. In that dream he saw a ladder.
The top of the ladder was in heaven and the bottom rested on the earth, and he saw angels ascending and descending up the ladder. God at the top, saying "I am the God of Abraham and Isaac". And hundreds of years down the stream of time I hear Jesus telling Nicodemus, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved", John 3:16. I don't know how you feel about it, but I'm glad there is a connection between heaven and earth! And here in this text, we find a continuation of that connection as Jesus assures them that their authority will be recognized and guided by heaven as they went about "binding" and "loosing"!!
But the question that now looms over the text is what is meant by the words, "bind" and "loose". We know what the text says, but what is the meaning? While the Greek word for 'bind" in this text provides no etymological "smoking gun", the words that make up the entire sentence, properly interpreted, will lead us to a more accurate understanding of the generally accepted interpretation. The commonly accepted view would be expressed by some of the most popular translations of the bile. The KJV, NIV, NRSV, RSV, ASV, and others. But he translation that comes closer to the intended interpretation, in my view and in this passage, is The Amplified Bible, which reads, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven" I don't profess to be a Greek scholar but my resources have led me to believe that, in this passage, we're dealing with "The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden (or permitted)" In other words, as one scholar put it, "earth thus follows heaven, not the reverse". Even the Apostles would not be foot-loose and fancy-free with "binding and loosing". And if we follow this line of thinking, we don't have heaven sitting passively...waiting to see what the Apostles concluded, but actively participating in their guidance through the Holy Spirit."
The Apostles had to be the first ones to understand that heaven is the ultimate authority! Not they, themselves, not the Rabbis, not the philosophers, but heaven! If they hadn't understood this, they could have drifted into the thinking that heaven was hitched to their wagon...binding where God had loosed and loosing where God had bound! And this is the point where this lesson has specific applicability to us today. We have some who are binding where God has loosed and loosing where God has bound!! But my task is to address...
"Binding Where God Has Not Bound"
Within the ranks of our brotherhood, thank God, there are those who are those who are sincerely and intensely interested in sound doctrine, doing things the Bible way, calling things and people by Bible names, daring not to go beyond that which is written, attempting to restore and preserve New Testament Christianity, trying to quote, unquote "speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent", trying to maintain that Berean mentality where they search the scriptures diligently to seek justification for everything claimed! And that's good because every New Testament Christian and every seeker of truth should seek to know and do God's will. Acts 10-34. But somewhere along the line we have some who are binding where God has not bound!
Binding Where God Has Not Bound
There are three points that are associated with "Binding Where God Has Not Bound".
I. It's Divisive
II. It's Dangerous
III. It's Distracting
I. Binding where God Has Not Bound Is Divisive
When one takes it upon himself to bind where God has not bound, it causes division.
For instance, we all agree:
That we must worship God "in Spirit and in truth" John 4:24. We all believe that, but we have some that have come to the conclusion that the correct way, the scriptural way to experience worship is to sit up like statues and hood ornaments while in worship. If they had be that lame in the 3rd chapter of Acts, instead of leaping and jumping in the Temple praising God, they would say, "all that jumping is unnecessary"! But if you had been lame from your mother's womb, seeing others walk when you had to be carried, you would have been jumping and shouting too! When God does give you something you've been asking for all your life; when God lifts you up when you down; when he puts you back together when you've been broken; when he replaces your frown with a smile; when he replaces your burdens with blessings; when he replaces your tears with joy; when he turns your midnight to day, if you can just sit there without any outward display of emotion, that your business! But, while that might be the way some do it, others are more expressive! And everything is all right until someone from "The Binding Committee decides to bind it. You can't do this and you can't do that . . . claiming that we have no scriptural authority by Approved Example. Necessary Inference, or Direct command! But what the "Binding Committee" needs to know is that what's "necessary" to one might not be so direct to another; What is considered "Approved" by one might not be deemed "Approved" by another, and what's Direct" to one might not be so direct to another! So what the "Binding Committee" needs to do is stop trying to "bind and loose" issues for other people and confine their "binding" and loosing" to their home congregation! And if you don't agree with the way somebody does something somewhere else, don't go over there! And I have a feeling they already know not to come to your place, especially with the expectation of doing something contrary to your conviction!
Somewhere along the line we have learn that the Christian religion has some fundamental, essential, and theological connectives that bind us together and if we don't find out what these connectives are, we'll fool around and have to withdraw from everybody! But on the other hand, those who feel disposed to exercise their freedom to be more expressive should have enough Jesus in them to be considerate of the theological sensitivites of those who are more conservative! If we could get to this point, we'll be able to address the concerns that threaten the church as a whole! Some of the things we fuss and argue about are not the things that are cause people walk in the front door and out the back! Somewhere along the line we have raise our level of toleration on things that are not associated with the foundation of Christianity! Until then, those who "bind" where God has not "bound", and those who "loose" where God has not "loosed" will continue to be sources of divisivenses!
"Binding Where God Has Not Bound"
II. Binding Where God Has Not Bound Is Dangerous
There are many dangers that confront the church, but the danger this lesson addresses is just as timely. It's dangerous to "bind" where God has not "bound" because that which is "bound" where God has not "bound" is placed on the same level as that which he has "bound" and that's dangerous! When we don't know where God's binding stops and ours begins, we view every issue as being equally important. And everything is not of equal importance! The type of car you drive is not as important as how you drive! What body of water one is baptized is is not as important as being baptized! And so it is with various issues with which we wrestle... all of them are not on the same level! But the problem is rooted in the fact that there are those who want to be right, and that's good! But we need to keep in mind that God is the only one who never made a theological, or applicationary mistake! God is the only one who was right on everything he said! God is the only one understands everything completely, without any misunderstanding! We have a lot of intelligent people in the church and in the world but I would like to meet the man who thinks he fits in this category with God! Do you have the brazened audacity to tell God to scoot over! So, If I'm right about it, we should do every thing possible, in the light of the danger, to keep from binding where God has not bound!
Binding Where God Has Not Bound
III. Binding Where God Has Not Bound Is Distracting
When one is distracted, his or her attention is moved from a point of focus. This can detrimental if one is operating machinery or driving a car, and in the case of before us, who can calculate the detriment we have suffered as a result of our in-house squabbles? There is a story of a beggar who was attacked by another beggar for the bread he possessed. While these two beggars battled, the bread fell. After one subdued the other, he looked around from the bread, but it was nowhere to be found. A crow had swooped down and flow off with it. I think there is a lesson in this story for us! While we are fussing and fighting among ourselves, somebody else is flying off with the opportunities we possessed!
Surely, from time to time, there is a need to correct a fellow brother as in the case of Apollos, Acts 18. But history bears witness that we spend more time preaching on each other than we do preaching Jesus! It was the preaching of Jesus that saved the Jews on the Day of Pentecost! It was the preaching of Jesus that saved the city of Samaria! It was the preaching of Jesus that turned the world upside down! And when our national forums regain focus on Jesus, we'll be inspired enough set our pulpits afire with the preaching of King Jesus!
This is exactly what the apostles were inspired to do as they went forth 'binding" and "loosing" or prohibiting and permitting! And as I look over the inspired record, I what the Apostle "bound" and "loosed"!
Conclusion:
Partaking of the Lord Supper on the First D. O. T. Week - LOOSED! Acts 20:7
Laying - BOUND!
Baptizing in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins - LOOSED! Acts 2:38
Backbiting - BOUND!
Singing and making melody in the heart - LOOSED! Eph. 5:19
Tale bearing - BOUND!
Praising God - LOOSED! Acts 2:47
Envy - BOUND!
Supporting the work of the church LOOSED! I Cor.16:1-2
Jealousy - BOUND!
Trusting in the Lord - LOOSED!
Hatred - BOUND!
Taking up your cross and following Jesus - LOOSED! Matt. 16:24
Strife - BOUND!
Pressing toward the mark of the prize - LOOSED!
