Meaning of "Binding" and "Loosing"

[ChrisRedfield47]

Jesus said to Peter in Matt 16:18 and to all the apostles in Matt 18:18:

“Whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, Whatsoever you shall loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven”.

These words were very common in the times of Jesus, despite the fact they aren’t mentioned much in the bible. These words were the Rabbinical terms for “forbidding and permitting.” When the Jews bound something, they forbid it. When the Jews loosed, they allowed or permitted something.

**The Greek scholar, A. T. Robertson, wrote about binding and loosing: **
“To ‘bind’ (dêsêis) in rabbinical language is to forbid; to ‘loose’ (lusêis) is to permit”

-A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1930), p. 134; comment on Matthew 16:19

The well-respected Bible commentator, Adam Clarke, agrees with Robertson, and writes:
“It is as plain as the sun, by what occurs in numberless places dispersed throughout the Mishna, and from thence commonly used by the later rabbins [rabbis] when they treat of ritual subjects, that binding signified, and was commonly understood by the Jews at that time to be, a declaration that any thing was unlawful to be done; and loosing signified, on the contrary, a declaration that any thing may be lawfully done. Our Savior spoke to his disciples in a language which they understood….”

The Jews bound and loosed all kinds of things. This authority was passed on to the blessed Apostles. For more info see video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuDxf6u9UMU

 

[MarcoPolo]

The well-respected Bible commentator, Adam Clarke

Thanks for the info. FYI, if this is the 19th century Protestant commentator Adam Clarke - he can be quite anti-Catholic and bombastic at times. Personally, I wouldn’t label him “well-respected” even if his ilk respect him.

 

[Ben_F]

To me this makes the Catachism the official word of the Lord. It´s Christs´ Church talking.

 

[MarcoPolo]

To me this makes the Catachism the official word of the Lord. It´s Christs´ Church talking.

The Church does refer to both Scripture and Sacred Tradition as the "Word."Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the Word of God, committed to the Church. (Dei Verbum, 10)

 

[A_G]

Once the sinner truly repents, the Lord forgives him, and therefore it follows that the Church should also forgive him. So when that person repents, they seek God’s forgiveness by praying to Him. Since God’s Church was also offended, he should also seek forgiveness from the Church.

Therefore the sequence of events is as follows:

1. Sin and obstinacy; 2. God’s binding in heaven; 3. Church’s binding on earth.

And in the case of repentance, the sequence is:

1. Repentance; 2. God’s loosing in heaving; 3. Church’s loosing on earth.

The church’s action on earth reflects God’s judgment in heaven. It is the Church that follows God, and not the other way around.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1443 - 1445):

1443 During his public life Jesus not only forgave sins, but also made plain the effect of this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community of the People of God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A remarkable sign of this is the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a gesture that expresses in an astonishing way both God’s forgiveness and the return to the bosom of the People of God.

1444 In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ’s solemn words to Simon Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” “The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head.”

1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.

 

[Mystophilus]

Thanks for the info. FYI, if this is the 19th century Protestant commentator Adam Clarke - he can be quite anti-Catholic and bombastic at times. Personally, I wouldn’t label him “well-respected” even if his ilk respect him.

Robertson was a Protestant, too, by the way.

 

[thistle]

D-R Bible, Haydock Commentary:

Mathew 16:
Ver. 19. And I will give to thee the keys, &c. This is another metaphor, expressing the supreme power and prerogative of the prince of the apostles. The keys of a city, or of its gates, are presented or given to the person that hath the chief power. We also own a power of the keys, given to the other apostles, but with a subordination to St. Peter and to his successor, as head of the Catholic Church. — And whatsoever thou shalt bind, &c. All the apostles, and their successors, partake also of this power of binding and loosing, but with a due subordination to one head invested with the supreme power. (Witham) — Loose on earth. The loosing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins, is called an indulgence: the power of which is here granted. (Challoner) — Although Peter and his successors are mortal, they are nevertheless endowed with heavenly power, says St. Chrysostom, nor is the sentence of life and death passed by Peter to be attempted to be reversed, but what he declares is to be considered a divine answer from heaven, and what he decrees, a decree of God himself. He that heareth you, heareth me, &c.** The power of binding is exercised, 1st. by refusing to absolve; 2nd. by enjoining penance for sins forgiven; 3nd. by excommunication, suspension or interdict; 4th. by making rules and laws for the government of the Church; 5th. by determining what is of faith by the judgments and definitions of the Church. (Tirinus) **— The terms binding and loosing, are equivalent to opening and shutting, because formerly the Jews opened the fastenings of their doors by untying it, and they shut or secured their doors by tying or binding it. (Bible de Vence) — Dr. Whitby, a learned Protestant divine, thus expounds this and the preceding verse: “As a suitable return to thy confession, I say also to thee, that thou art by name Peter, i.e. a rock; and upon thee, who art this rock, I will build my Church, and I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the power of making laws to govern my Church.” (Tom. i, p. 143.) Dr. Hammond, another Protestant divine, explains it in the same manner. And p. 92, he says: " What is here meant by the keys, is best understand by Isaias xxii. 22, where they signify ruling the whole family or house of the king: and this being by Christ accommodated to the Church, denotes the power of governing it."

 

[ChrisRedfield47]

Thanks for the info. FYI, if this is the 19th century Protestant commentator Adam Clarke - he can be quite anti-Catholic and bombastic at times. Personally, I wouldn’t label him “well-respected” even if his ilk respect him.

Oh Ok. I wasn’t aware of his anti-catholic writings, just saw a couple of pretty good writings which were not anti-catholic.