What is the Authority of the Church?

Scripture Verses that caught my attention today: Matthew 18:18-19 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Observation: The church has been given some authority from above.

Application: What role does the church play in the greater scheme of things?

Some time ago I heard a professor speak in terms of how the author of the Gospel of Matthew understood the church. Jesus, Matthew 16:19, offers to Peter and, by extension, the church throughout the ages, what is commonly known as the “office of the keys” that comes with the reality that ‘whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ In the passage above from chapter 18, Jesus repeats this instruction about binding and loosing and adds that “if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you” by our Father in heaven.

According to the professor, based on these verses and some other general themes in Matthew’s gospel, the church has God’s permission to bind and loose. In other words, in light of circumstances it is possible for the Church to come to new understandings and/or conclusions of what is and is not appropriate for the people of God in a new time and place.

Admittedly, this is a rather humbling thought, that the church—made up of sinners such that it is—might nevertheless be able to proclaim that something that was once taboo, could now be okay…and vice-versa. (I should also point out, as did the professor, that this understanding of the church’s authority is limited to Matthew. We do not necessarily find such understandings of the church’s role in other parts of the Bible.)

I also once heard a pastor, in this case a hospital chaplain, offer a presentation entitled: “Loosing is not Losing.” Her basic gist was that, if the church sincerely undertakes a time of study and prayerful deliberation on a significant matter, and comes to a different conclusion than a previously-held view, it is not necessarily a loss for the church to ‘loose’ the previously held restrictions.

Of course, some might understandably be fearful that, if such floodgates are opened, where will the church stop? Would it suddenly say that all kinds of malarkey are now permitted?

Personally, I don’t think so. Certainly people of faith even within the same church often come to different conclusions on any number of issues. But even so, I think all faithful Christians recognize the basic tenants of love God and love neighbor, even if we sometimes (alright, OFTEN!:)) differ in how best to do so.

Interestingly, according to Jesus, even if we are wrong on something, apparently in the kingdom of heaven it will nevertheless be loosed or bound, such as the case may be.

Prayer: Lord, throughout the Scriptures we find you engaging with the human species and even, at times, changing your mind in response to our requests for mercy. Give us wisdom in such things and plenty of grace as well. We surely need it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


(readings today included Matthew 17-19)