Binding and Loosing in the Bible
Binding and loosing is Jesus' grant of kingdom authority to His church — to declare on earth what heaven has already settled in the Word.
Jesus gave Peter and the gathered church 'the keys of the kingdom' with this striking promise: 'whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven' (Matthew 16:19; cf. 18:18). The Greek perfect tense — 'shall have been bound… shall have been loosed' — shows the church ratifying what heaven has already decided, not commanding heaven.
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Christ gave the keys of the kingdom to His church (Matthew 16:19)
- 2Binding and loosing concerns church discipline and doctrine (Matthew 18:15-18)
- 3The grammar shows heaven leads, earth follows (perfect passive)
- 4It is exercised through Scripture, prayer, and the gathered church
- 5It is not a formula for binding Satan in private prayer
- 6Christ Himself holds the ultimate keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18)
Key KJV Scriptures
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
"Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
Why It Matters
Binding and loosing dignifies the local church as the visible embassy of heaven. When the church faithfully declares God's Word — welcoming the repentant and warning the unrepentant — its verdict echoes a verdict already rendered in heaven.
Application for Today
Treat your local church seriously. Submit to faithful teaching, participate in discipline with humility, and pray for the unity of believers. Do not invent private binding rituals; trust Christ who already holds the keys.
Continue Your Study
Frequently Asked Questions
Does binding and loosing mean I can bind Satan in prayer?
No. Scripture never models believers binding Satan privately. The passages concern church doctrine and discipline. Resist the devil (James 4:7) and trust Christ's finished triumph (Colossians 2:15).
Is this authority only for Peter or for the whole church?
Matthew 18:18 extends the same authority to the gathered church, and John 20:23 to the apostles collectively. The keys are entrusted to Christ's church, not to one office.
What is being 'bound' or 'loosed'?
In context, sins, doctrines, and persons under discipline — declared forgiven or retained, permitted or forbidden, in line with Scripture.
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