Why does the authority of binding and loosing only go to the Apostles in Matthew 18:18

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Clement of Alexandria

[T]he blessed Peter, the chosen, the preeminent, the first among the disciples, for whom alone with himself the Savior paid the tribute [Matt. 17:27], quickly grasped and understood their meaning. And what does he say? “Behold, we have left all and have followed you” [Matt. 19:2 7, Mark 10:28] ( Who is the Rich Man That is Saved? 21:3-5 [ A.D. 200 ]).

Let me know when you come across another apostle with Peter’s ‘credentials’ [preeminent/first among, etc]
 
I’ve never said that St Peter did not have a special place among the Apostles. This thread has to do with binding and loosing, which all the Apostles were given authority.

ZP
 
ziapueblo said:
The “keys” and the authority to “bind and loose” are one in the same.
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ziapueblo said:
I’ve never said that St Peter did not have a special place among the Apostles. This thread has to do with binding and loosing, which all the Apostles were given authority.
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Peter [alone] was given the keys of the kingdom and the power to bind/loose [Mt 16]; the other apostles were given the power to bind/loose [Mt 18]
 
ArchStanton said:
Peter [alone] was given the keys of the kingdom and the power to bind/loose [Mt 16]; the other apostles were given the power to bind/loose [Mt 18]
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The power to “bind and loose” go hand-in-hand with the “keys.”

ZP
 
one man to a college of Cardinals… think of Joseph to the Pharaoh [ Gen 41] and Eliakim in the House of Judah [ Isaiah 22]…

and remember that even the Holy Spirit mentions Peter as ‘first’
 
but you don’t seem to see what is written… keys given to Peter exclusively in Mt 16
 
CCC 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.”
 
and this…

CCC 553 Jesus entrusted a specific authority to 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 “power of the keys” designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church . Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his Resurrection: " Feed my sheep ." The power to " bind and loose " connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church . Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter , the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom.
 
ArchStanton said:
keys given to Peter exclusively in Mt 16
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And as I have stated earlier, Cyprian of Carthage, in “On the Unity of the Church” (the longer version), refers to the keys, stating that Peter received them on behalf of the Twelve, and that the bishops, being successors of the twelve, are all heirs of the keys, because the episcopal order is a single, undivided entity. Hence, the power of the keys belongs to ALL bishops, and not merely the bishop of Rome.

ZP
 
It’s been said over and over. The Apostles can do collectively what Peter does individually,
 
St. Cyprian of Carthage famously was engaged in a disagreement with the pope of the time on the subject of Baptism’s validity when conferred by heretics. (He was against it, while Pope Stephen either was okay with all rites, or with all rites using the correct words and actions, depending on who you asked.)

He equally famously decided that he was wrong, and that the pope was right and had more authority too. But yeah, he got pretty hot against Pope Stephen, and it only really got settled under Pope Cornelius.

OTOH, some people get confused by this, because there was also an antipope in Cornelius’ time (Novatian of the Novationist heresy/schism) whom Cyprian told off.

Anyhoo, it is normal for writings of the Fathers to be preserved that were later recognized as wrong (so as to follow the arguments and how they were refuted), or because they were partially right and said some good stuff.
 
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Who says it contradicts the Church?

I think this will be my argument from now on, on any subject matter, on any thread, “that’s just his opinion.” Makes it easier 😉

ZP
 
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A disciple is a follower and imitators of their masters. Apostles are those who have been sent by their master. Christ breathed on his disciples and then gave them the power to forgive sins and then sending them to make disciples of all nations. That is where we get our apostolic succession. First you’re a follower, and if you are willing and it please God you receive Holy Orders then you are an apostle with the power of God within you for the forgiveness of sins.
 
All the apostles (other than Peter since he already had it) were granted like power and authority in Mt 18:18, but the chief power was given to Peter by virtue of Christ singularly laying the keys upon his shoulder earlier in Mt 16:19. The apostles can do collectively what Peter does individually. If the apostles corporately recieved it in Mt 16:19, there would be no reason to repeat Mt 18:18.

Christ purposely used the language of Isa 22:22 where the keys are passed down in dynastic succession from one steward of the kings house to the next steward. There was no corporate language used by Jesus.

Isa 22:22 • ‘And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open.’
Mt 16:19 • ‘And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.’

There is only one steward to govern the kings house, lest it be divided. Jesus gave Simon alone the keys and renamed him Cephas which is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for rock. When God assigns you a new name, you are given a new important vocation, just as when God renamed Abram to Abraham or when God renamed Jacob to Israel. That new vocation was head of the universal church. Its no coincidence that Cephas shares the same root as in ‘kephale’ which means head (Eph 5:23). In fact Jesus gave Simon a name only He possessed, because Peter is the Vicar of Christ (1 Cor 10:4).

In chapter 16, Peter was given authority before all the other apostles. If it was before the other apostles, then it was over them as well, because that jurisdiction was over the existing faithful. Moreover, Christ himself told Peter to feed his sheep, granting him universal jurisdiction (Jn. 21:15-17). Only Peter was told to stengthen the other apostles because he was the head (Lk 22:32). Only Peter was the beneficiary of Christ’s prayers that his faith would not fail, because Peter was steward of the house of God, and Christ can’t promise the gates of hell to not prevail if the head of His church falters. Only Peter received Divine knowledge by special revelation from God the Father because he was called out amongst the apostles as their leader. In fact, Peter is always listed first in the scriptures because he is the head, but for two obvious exceptions to the rule.
 
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continued:

When there were new apostles to be chosen (who were not present when Christ gave the keys), it was by word of Peter that Matthias was made an apostle through the Holy Spirit. When there was discipline to be handed out such as to Ananias, it was by word of Peter. Even St Paul dared not begin his ministry without first spending fifteen days with Peter, and this was after Paul saw Christ (Acts 1:20-26). When there was a doctrinal issue at the first Apostolic Council, it was by word of Peter that is was resolved. All were silent after Peter spoke and Paul and Barnabas spoke in support of what Peter said (Acts 15:7-12). When it was time to pay Jesus’ tax, it was Peter who acted in persona Christi as the Vicar of Christ and paid His tax (Mt 17:24-25). All of these instances from my posts are important because they show the special status of Peter as prince of the apostles, primate of the universal church and the Vicar of Christ who exercised universal jurisdiction.

“The church of God which sojourns at Rome to the church of God which sojourns at Corinth … But if any disobey the words spoken by him through us, let them know that they will involve themselves in transgression and in no small danger.”
Pope St. Clement of Rome, 1st Epistle to the Corinthians (A.D. 96)

" [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre- eminent authority…"
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (A.D. 180)

And of course , the Pope St. Clement above was the very same who laboured with St. Paul:

Phil 4:3 • ‘And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those women who have laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life.’
 
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Nicky777 said:
Christ breathed on his disciples and then gave them the power to forgive sins and then sending them to make disciples of all nations.
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Correct. I totally agree with that and have not said anything different.
 
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