That is also what I have always heard.
So I’ll give you Matthew 16:18 is singular and speaking directly to Peter.
I will also concede Matthew 18:18 is not speaking to all believers, but only the Apostles.
Now, before you get too happy about my concessions,…
In Matthew 18:18 where Jesus is speaking to all the Apostles, this is where you have stated proof for papal infallibility:
I never saw that before! This we know all the Apostles wrote and spoke truth or they could not be considered divinely inspired. They were protected from error.
But it disproves papal infallibility as Peter was not the only one protected from error.
(I should acknowledge this doesn’t settle the issue of the keys.)
Ginger
You will not find an instant in Scripture where “key” is not singular, even when at first glanse it looks that way. For instance, Jesuse said He has the “keys” to death and hades". There are two separate doors; therefore “keys” is used to explain 1 key for death and 1 key for hades, thus “keys”. The same thing is true with Matthew 16:19, keys is used and appears to be plural, but it is the same single key, given to multiple people, thus “keys”. The only way it can be otherwise would be several fold. First, a new Greek term, because the definition is literally “a key”, not “key”, but “a key”. The other would be if you had 2 or more different locks on the same gate/door; therefore you would need “keys”, but you still have the issue with the definition “a key”. The other possibility would be to have more than one gate or door to the Kingdom of God or heaven that had different locks and needed a separate key for each lock; similar to the previous example of 1 door with several locks or the exapmle of death and hades.
You know there are 12 gates into the new heaven; perhaps that is the “key”, forgive the pun, but that would also destroy the Peterine “key”.
Then there is reality; the key is inseperable from the “loose and bind”; therefore at a minumun it applies to all of the disciples, but it applies to every Christian according to Matthew 18, which I am somewhat disappointed to see Ginger conceded that since the evidence proves beyond doubt that Jesus was preaching to a crowd. Notice the child right there he used as an example and the parents must have been there unless they had a sitter service n the side.
Matt 5When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
(Who is the them? the crowd-doesn’t look that way at first apperance)
"If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
End of Sermon on mount: cptr 7-beg ch 8
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
Matt 18At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said,
(now He is in full preaching mode for the next 30 plus verses)
"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. "If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to ave two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.
Ch 19 starts:
When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
It really is troubling that no one recognizes when Jesus is in full preaching mode here in Chapter 18; oh well, we can only point it out and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work if He so choses.
Yep they do I tell you.