Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Passage: Matthew 18:15-35
Focus: “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18.
This statement by Jesus can be a bit puzzling. It has given rise to some weird interpretations. I won’t claim any infallible rights to getting it right, but I’m going to take a good shot at clarification, offering an approach that I think is quite simple.
In the way of background, let me direct your attention to a couple other passages in this Gospel. Firstly, Matthew 16:19 is a similar statement which I think is not so much made exclusively to Peter as it is to all those who recognize that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16). “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Knowing and believing Who Jesus is, and receiving to yourself His vicarious provision, causes you to receive the keys to doing life on this earth as well as eternal life in heaven, a door you could never open on your own. You become set free, or LOOSED from the control and consequences of sin, and given membership in “the kingdom of heaven.” So anyone who responds this way to God’s Word (the Gospel) is also loosed in this way. But anyone who rejects the Gospel is bound, both now and forever. It’s a serious message we have been given to proclaim…a serious responsibility.
Secondly, take note of Matthew 13:11-12. “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” I see a parallel between the SECRETS and the KEYS of the kingdom. And I think the vital link to receiving the SECRETS in this case is HEARING EARS (13:9) or AN UNDERSTANDING HEART as to Who Jesus is and what He has to offer…which I equate with the confession that says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Therefore, anyone who is given physical life and who understands and receives Christ is also given eternal life…incredible “abundance.” That’s good. But anyone who is given physical life but rejects Christ (the Gospel) not only loses his physical life (which no one can keep very long anyway) but also forfeits the infinite rewards of eternal live. He’s both bound on earth and barred from heaven. Not good.
Picking up on the context of the passage before us, the guy who is guilty of a real sin against you (which doubles as a sin against God), but refuses to submit to your godly concern, or the input of the other godly leaders, or the instruction and advice of the whole church body, has simply reverted back to being a sinner in need of the Gospel. If he will repent and receive it, fine. If not, he’s in big trouble. I think that’s basically how it works.
Perhaps we could sum it up this way: You are a missionary! And as someone has said, “A missionary is God’s man, doing God’s work, in God’s time, in God’s way. Whew!