The concepts of “binding” and “loosing” are mentioned several times in the New Testament, particularly in the teachings of Jesus. At its core, binding and loosing refer to the authority given to leaders in the early church to make decisions regarding doctrine and practice.
Key Bible verses about binding and loosing
Here are some of the main verses in the Bible that mention binding and loosing:
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 ESV)
This verse comes right after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus responds by saying Peter is the rock on which He will build His church and then makes this statement about binding and loosing.
“If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)
This passage comes in the context of Jesus teaching about dealing with sin in the church. He instructs His followers to confront someone who sins against them and, if they refuse to listen, to bring others as witnesses. He then gives this teaching about agreement in prayer.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21-23 ESV)
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and commissions them to carry on His work in the power of the Spirit. As part of this, He gives them authority to forgive or not forgive sins.
In summary, these verses establish the concepts of binding and loosing as:
– Authority given to the church to establish doctrine and practice
– Agreement in prayer with other believers
– Power to forgive or not forgive sins
What did binding and loosing mean to the original audience?
To understand what Jesus meant by these statements, it’s helpful to explore how first-century Jews would have understood these concepts.
Binding and loosing were rabbinical terms used in the time of Jesus. Rabbis would “bind” people to obedience to the law by declaring what was not allowed. To “loose” meant to free people from the prohibition of the law.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day believed they had authority to interpret the law and determine what was forbidden or permitted. So when Jesus spoke of binding and loosing, His original Jewish audience would have recognized He was establishing authority for His followers to interpret the law, rather than the Pharisees and scribes.
Binding and loosing had to do with making rules related to the law and the tradition. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had added many extra rules (what they called “tradition”) in addition to God’s law. Jesus was teaching that His disciples had divine authority to assess those traditions.
How were binding and loosing understood in the early church?
It’s clear from early church writings that binding and loosing were connected to the authority to establish doctrine, practice, and discipline within the Christian community.
For example, the Didache, an early church manual of discipline from the late first century, instructs churches to appoint overseers and deacons who have authority to “bind and loose” (Didache 15:1).
The Epistle of Barnabas (late first century) uses binding and loosing language in reference to the church forgiving sins. It states that Jesus “granted [His disciples] authority to preach the Gospel, idest (that is) the power of forgiving sin” (Epistle of Barnabas 5:9b).
Tertullian (c.160-225 AD), when writing about the power Jesus gave to Peter, argued that the authority to bind also meant the authority to loose:
“For though you think heaven still shut, remember that the Lord left here to Peter and through him to the Church, the keys of it, which every day He exercises for loosing sins” (On Modesty 21).
From these examples we see the early church fathers connecting binding and loosing to the authority to preach the gospel, forgive sins, and establish standards of doctrine and living.
Binding and loosing as church discipline
A major aspect of binding and loosing was the concept of church discipline. Jesus taught that if a brother who sins against you refuses to listen even when confronted by two or three witnesses, then the matter should be brought before the church:
“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:17 ESV)
To “bind” something meant to declare it forbidden. So if after going through the steps of discipline someone still refused to repent, the church could formally prohibit that person from participating in the life of the church body.
Paul exercised similar discipline against the man in 1 Corinthians 5 who was living in sexual immorality. He called upon the church to remove this man from fellowship:
“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (1 Cor 5:4-5 ESV)
This sort of corrective discipline was understood as a form of “binding”—officially placing someone outside the blessings of Christian community as motivation to repent.
To “loose” was the contrasting action of welcoming someone back into the fellowship they had previously been excluded from. This might happen if the person responded to discipline by demonstrating sorrow and change.
“Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV)
In this passage Paul “loosed” forgiveness to the man previously under discipline, allowing him back into the community now that his heart was right.
Binding and loosing as doctrinal authority
In addition to discipline, the concepts of binding and loosing applied to the establishment of doctrine and the authority to interpret Scripture.
The Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15 is an example of how the early church exercised authority to settle a doctrinal dispute. The question arose whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised. After discussion, Peter and James exercised their binding authority by declaring that circumcision should not be required:
“Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.” (Acts 15:19-20 ESV)
The apostles and elders used language of “binding” to settle this doctrinal issue:
“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” (Acts 15:28-29 ESV)
The church was given authority to interpret the Scriptures, under the Spirit’s guidance, in order to establish standards of doctrine and practice. Their binding decisions carried authority from Christ Himself.
Binding and loosing as forgiveness
Lastly, binding and loosing applied directly to the forgiveness of sins. Jesus told His disciples they had the power to forgive or retain sins:
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21-23 ESV)
This authority to pronounce forgiveness was entrusted to the church. As 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Practically speaking, this might be applied when believers confess sin privately before God but also confess publicly before the church body and its leaders. Church leaders could then assure repentant individuals of God’s forgiveness.
Principles for how binding and loosing apply today
While the cultural context was different, these principles are very relevant for churches today:
1. Church discipline should follow the pattern Jesus established. This includes confronting sin, bringing witnesses if needed, and removing unrepentant individuals from fellowship if they will not turn from sin. Exercising loving discipline protects the purity of the church.
2. Doctrinal decisions should be rooted in Scripture and made under the Spirit’s guidance. While individual conscience is important, establishing standards of orthodox belief is a function of biblical authority entrusted to church leadership.
3. Pronouncing forgiveness requires wisdom and sensitivity to each situation. As believers confess sin and repent, church leaders can assure them of God’s complete cleansing. Private sins may only require private confession, while public sins may need public confession.
4. Binding and loosing should always be centered on the gospel of grace. Just as Jesus offered forgiveness freely yet called for repentance, so the church must hold these twin truths together.
Conclusion
In summary, the authority to bind and loose was Jesus entrusting the early church with weighty responsibility. This included guarding the faith, maintaining holiness, and declaring forgiveness that agrees with God’s heart.
Binding and loosing are to be exercised humbly and carefully, never lording authority over God’s people. Church leaders do not determine ultimate reality, but are called to align their doctrine and practice with Scriptural truth as they shepherd God’s flock.
When applied well, binding and loosing allow the church to walk in the wisdom of God’s Word and the power of the Spirit. These twin tools help guide Christ’s followers through the challenges of life and doctrine as they shine the light of the gospel to the world.
