Matthew 18:18–19

Context

Chapter 18 of the Gospel of Matthew contains Jesus' teaching to his disciples on relationships within the community. It opens with a warning against causing little ones to stumble and with the parable of the lost sheep. Verses 15–17 then set out the procedure for dealing with a brother who has sinned: first go and admonish him alone; if he will not listen, take one or two others along; and if he still will not listen, "tell it unto the church." Verses 18–19 follow immediately after this procedure. They are followed in turn by verse 20, "where two or three are gathered together in my name," and by Peter's question about forgiveness and the accompanying parable (vv. 21–35). In Matthew 16:19 the authority to bind and loose is addressed to Peter alone, whereas the "ye" of Matthew 18:18 is plural.

Interpretation

"Binding" and "loosing" are understood to have been expressions used in the Judaism of the time for deciding what was forbidden and what was permitted, or for expelling a person from the community and receiving that person back.

• Catholic reading: The authority to forgive and to retain sins was given to the apostles and to the bishops, understood as their successors. Together with John 20:23, the passage is cited as a basis for the sacrament of penance (the sacrament in which sins are confessed and forgiven).
• Presbyterian and Reformed reading: The "keys of the kingdom of heaven" are understood as the preaching of the Word and church discipline (the church's correction of members who have sinned). The Westminster Confession of Faith confesses that the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed to the officers of the church. In Korean Presbyterianism, church courts such as the session and the presbytery are regarded as exercising this authority.
• Baptist and Congregationalist reading: On the basis of "tell it unto the church" in verse 17 and the plural "ye," the authority to decide matters of discipline and membership is held to rest with the whole congregation.
• Verse 19: Many churches read this verse as a promise that God answers when two or more people pray in agreement. Some commentators, however, connect it with the "two or three witnesses" mentioned just before and read it as referring primarily to the agreement a community reaches when judging a dispute. They point out that the Greek word pragma, rendered "any thing," can also mean a legal "case."

Debates and Issues

• The question of tense: The Greek form behind "shall be bound" in verse 18 can also be rendered "shall have been bound." Interpreters therefore differ over whether the verse means that heaven ratifies the church's decisions or that the church must decide in accordance with what has already been determined in heaven.
• Prayer that "binds" evil spirits: Some Pentecostal and charismatic circles cite this passage as the basis for declaring in prayer that evil spirits are "bound." They read it together with Matthew 12:29, which speaks of binding "the strong man." Others point out that the context of the passage is community discipline and forgiveness, and that using it as a basis for binding evil spirits is an application that goes beyond the text.
• "Any thing that they shall ask": Against reading this phrase as an unconditional guarantee of an answer, some argue that it must be read together with 1 John 5:14–15, which speaks of prayer offered according to God's will.

In the Korean Church

Verse 19 is frequently cited as the basis for hapsim gido ("united prayer"), in which many people at a prayer meeting pray together for the same prayer request. Verse 18 is cited in sermons and teaching on church discipline, and in some churches it is also used as the basis for declarations of "binding and loosing" during prayer.

Related Passages

• Matthew 16:19
• Matthew 18:15–17
• Matthew 18:20
• John 20:23
• 1 Corinthians 5:4–5