Matthew 16:19 has Jesus saying, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” What does that mean?
If we go back to the Greek, which was one of the lingua franca at the time, especially in the Asia Minor/Palestine area, the word 'keys' is from the word 'kleis'. It is in the New Testament six times. It means authority. What are these keys? They are not actual literal keys like someone gives to others to let themselves into a place. In each reference it is symbolic of holding some kind of power over something else. When Jesus says that we have the keys of the kingdom it means that we have been given authority on this earth. We will be heard from heaven. We will be given authority from heaven. Why? We are kings! See Lesson 79 This is the background, the big question is where did the keys come from? Keep in mind some of this is just an opinion because the Old Testament doesn't mention keys although other terms are used in there that are connected. Such as "dominion", "rule", and "subdue" have clearly the same concepts. We are to rule. But 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:2, and John 12:31 says that satan rules the earth. Now how could both be right? Somewhere along the line satan gained the keys to this world. And that day came the day that Adam fell. We bowed down to satan and he became the ruler of the world.
We were supposed to rule this world and live forever; one with God (Elohim) the Creator but Adam disobeyed God and basically gave satan the keys to the earth. We handed dominion over to him. We died that day. Our souls and bodies were now able to die. Our bodies now decayed. Our souls now went to the grave (Sheol) waiting for judgement. There are two parts to Sheol; Hades and Paradise. When Jesus's body died, His soul went to Paradise and released all the souls. The souls went back to their bodies, Matthew 27:52-53. These resurrected saints gained life again and were taken to heaven when Jesus ascended. We lost the keys and the only way we could get it back is if God Himself came and took them back. While He was in Paradise he took back the keys for us. Revelation 1:17-18 says, "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.'"
We now have been given the keys to the kingdom. Peter passed on those keys because the church was founded on him. We are the church. We have those keys. Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades. Satan has no more dominion over us, unless we don't use those keys. Death will not stop us.
Hi Tim,
ReplyDeleteI have just read your post and also lesson 79. I agree that we have been given authority through the power of the Holy Spirit. However, I believe that much of that authority is being quenched through fear of going through trials and not persevering when the enemy tries to question that Word spoken. There is a time for everything and the more we wait for that perfect timing of the Lord the more our faith will increase as we act upon that Word spoken to us.
It reminds me of Peter keeping his eyes focused on Jesus and not on the circumstance, and being able to walk on water.
I would like to come over to your other sites where you have discussions, and will make time to do that as I always enjoy that.
God bless you.
Most definitely we limit ourselves due to fear. Good point.
ReplyDeleteHey Tim, First of all, I don't disagree with anything you wrote here. I'm a firm believer that God's Word is so wonderfully dynamic that certain passages say different things to different people. People can have interpretations different from others, as long as they recognized that the literal interpretation is key and our tether to reality.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, the key, pun intended, to this passage, goes back to verse 13-18.
"When Y'shua came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Y'shua replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it"
In the Greek, the sentence structure shows that Y'shua nicknamed Petros (Peter)or Rock, because of his proclaimation of faith.
“Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Therefore, the literal rock, upon which Y'shua will build the church(Kingdom of Heaven), is the proclamation of faith. It is the proclamation of Faith that Hades will not overcome.
When Y'shua told Peter that he will give him the Keys, he meant that he will give him the responsibility of proclaiming the same proclamation of faith, as the keys (The authority or right to enter) into the Kingdom. Whosoever, proclaims the same proclamation of Faith will be bound (permitted secured entrance) in Heaven, those who don't will be loosed, disallowed (not permitted entrance).
Your thoughts, so far?
I think it is quite clear who the 'rock' is here. It is explained in Isaiah ch. 26 v. 4:-
ReplyDelete'Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock!'
1 Corinthians ch. 3 v. 11 states@-
'For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.'
I believe the church is built on Jesus Christ, the One Whom God the Father has made Lord.
I think both of you are correct.
ReplyDeletePeter's real name was Shimon, which means hyena, not Kefa which came later. So there has to be some symbolic significance to the change. Christ who is the rock laid the foundations of his church upon Peter, the rock.
The point though here is the Keys. You have them. Jesus took them back from satan and handed them back over to us. But we don't use them. We keep ourselves in chains when he said no he has freed us but we choose to stay there in sinful prison.
I agree, whether it is the person of the Messiah or a profession of Faith, concerning the Messiah, it is both the Messiah. The keys are literally the authority and responsibility of those, who make that profession of Faith, in the Messiah, to in order to legally enter the Kingdom. Y'shua is definitely the cornerstone of that foundation and the chief capstone, which heralds over the entry, into the Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don't think that Satan had the keys, per se. In the beginning, the Kingdom entry was free and clear for all. Sin brought death, which was a natural barrier to the kingdom, built by our transgressions. I agree that Satan provided the "building material" for that barrier, but he never had control or the keys, to gain entry. Y'shua's sacirificial death provided the hammer, to obliterate that barrier/death. A true, from the heart, profession of Faith, in the atoning sacrifice, gives us the right and priveledge to use the hammer/keys, to gain entry. All Satan is, is an instigator, who tries to divert our path.
When we sinned didn't we basically bow to satan? When we sinned we gave him authority; sin entered our DNA. I am not saying we gave him keys to heaven. I am saying we gave him keys of authority and to the earth. He is known as prince of the air, god of this world. He was never supposed to have any power of the earth. We were given dominion but we turned it over to him. This may be why we had to perform things to get our salvation back in the OT. The keys were not in our hands, until Jesus came and gave them back.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important that we not forget, the two verses, before 1 Cor 3:11, which says,
ReplyDelete"Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds."
How is the foundation laid, by use of the GRACE, that God has given us. How do we receive that GRACE? It is by the authority, given to us, by way of our profession of Faith. Without that belief, Agape, which results in our faith, our building will fall. That is what is meant, when Paul said, "But let each one be careful how he builds."
I agree. Whether it is the Messiah or a profession of faith, in the Messiah, it's still the Messiah. The Messiah is the cornerstone and the chief capstone. However, the whole thing falls apart, without the faith.
As for the keys being held by Satan, I have a slight problem with that. Satan is, at best, an instigator. His influence is the best weapon he has, nothing more. And God reigns that in and out, based on what we can bear. Unless I am misunderstanding you, Satan influenced man to sin, which created a barrier/death, to prevent access to the Kingdom. Satan could never remove that barrier, once in place. Only God could provide the necessary hammer/keys, to break down that barrier. That hammer is our Faith in the Messiah, as the God provided Sacrificial Lamb, upon the altar of God.
Sorry, if I misunderstood you.
I don't want to go way off on a tangent, but one could argue that Satan's original area of responsibility included the earth. He blew it when he rebelled and took a third of the angels with him. There are some, who believe that is the reason he tempted Eve, to get back at God for creating a replacement caretaker, in Adam.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that we gave him the keys to the earth, but I thought we were discussing the Keys to the Kingdom, unless you are saying that the earth is the Kingdom of Heaven, mentioned in Matthew 16:19? I'm a little confused, but you already knew that.:-)