Tuesday, June 26, 2007

What does Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, Whatever you loose on earth will be loose in heaven mean

What does Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, Whatever you loose on earth will be loose in heaven mean

How many of us understand this?
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3 comments:

dbcjr said...

This statement of Jesus speaks of a spiritual principle but specifically and contextually pertains to forgiveness and judgment.

Matthew 18:15-21

15 Dealing with a Sinning Brother


"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

18 "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.

19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

21 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant


Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
NKJV

The context of Matthew 18:18 is squarely between two pericopes dealing with forgiveness. It cannot be said that Jesus changed subjects so abruptly then reverted back again two sentences later.

Perhaps we evangelicals have been too hasty with our criticisms of our Catholic brethren, albeit, this authority to bind and loose does not appear to be limited to a priestly order.

Should we say that the forgiveness of sins rests in the hands of humans? Hardly. 1 John 1:9 clearly delineates who it is that forgives sin, God alone.

Nevertheless, one cannot escape the verbiage of "bind" and "loose" as power that rests in the hands of humanity. My question then is "What or who is bound or loosed?"

Resentment many times holds the perpetrator to his sin. Stories of loved ones of murder victims, who forgave the murder and resulted in a life turned round, are abundant. Yet, I think the truth of what Jesus is saying is yet missed in this perspective. Note His following parable:

Matt 18:21-35
21 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant


Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."
NKJV

Who was the one bound in the end? The unforgiving one. The power to bind or loose is ours. I may have a right to be resentful, but the result is binding upon me. This understanding seems consistent with other teachings of Jesus:

Luke 6:37

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
KJV

Matt 7:1-2
7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
NIV

Yet, when one inquires of the scriptures as to the spiritual mechanism of the binding and loosing, the "why" it happens, greater spiritual principles are discovered. It may be these perspectives that prompted your blog question.

April 28, 2008 at 8:26 PM
BigHugeThing said...

Thanks for the comment and I think I agree. Even though we sometimes are too myopic when viewing Scripture ... too limiting, we should not be so far sighted as to be creative either. Too many liberties have been taken with this binding and loosing principal.

I wonder if our desire to be in control has gotten the better of us. I've gone around "binding and loosing" this and that in the past but now question my application. Many move this beyond the context IMHO.

April 29, 2008 at 7:49 AM
fio said...

I think it means: "your past will not be forgotten"
" repetition transcending the cosmos"
"whatever you give out, you will be getting in." the boomerang effect. "what goes around comes around".

August 29, 2009 at 9:49 PM

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