Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus�

“Binding and Loosing”�By Dr. Richard Booker�

Modern scholars have greater access to documents and research developments�relating to first-century Judaism than at any other time in history. Many scholars, who�only a few years ago were trying to disprove the Bible, are now working together to�gain a better understanding of the ancient culture in which Jesus lived. Archaeological�finds have become so plentiful that some have hailed these times as the beginning of�a golden age of biblical archaeology.�

All of these discoveries have not only given us further proof of the veracity of the�Bible, but have given us a greater understanding of the period in which Jesus lived�out His life on the earth and further evidence of the Jewishness of His teaching. He�was Jewish and His teachings reflect His Jewishness.�

The church at Rome was admonished by Paul that the Christian faith was never�intended to be a repudiation of its Jewish roots, but rather, the engrafted Gentile�Church was actually a branch that grew out of these roots (Rom. 11:18). The essence�of these teachings is that without Judaism there would be no Christianity.�

Perhaps the most convincing evidence of the thorough-going Jewishness of Jesus is�His method of teaching. Over the past fifty years, studies of the Jewish nature of the�early Church have brought to light many new insights into the first century docu-�ments, especially concerning the idioms and Galilean teaching methods of Jesus. In�these articles we will study some of the more common idioms in the life of Jesus and�His disciples.�

The Keys of the Kingdom�

An often misunderstood statement is found in Matthew 16:49, where Jesus gives�Peter the keys of the kingdom and says, "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall�be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in�heaven." For years this text has been greatly misunderstood, causing much confusion�throughout Christendom. This is not a charismatic expression of authority over the�principalities and powers but a judgment of the elders regarding the proper way to�live together in community.�

In Judaism, binding and loosing has long been understood to be a legal designation.�During the days of Jesus, these antonyms were used to describe certain religious�decisions. The term bind meant to forbid, and loose meant to permit. There are�numerous examples of this in rabbinical literature.�

Acceptable and Not Acceptable�

To understand this, we must know that first century rabbis were constantly called�upon by their communities to interpret scriptural commands. For example, the Bible�forbids working on the Sabbath but does not define what specific activities constitute�work. As a result, the rabbis ruled as to which activities were permitted on the�Sabbath and which were not. They bound or prohibited certain activities and loosed�or allowed others.�

Peter was given the keys, or the authority, to bind and loose concerning scriptural�questions with the early Church. An example of this practice can be found in Acts 15,�during the controversy over whether or not Gentiles should be admitted into the�fellowship without first being circumcised.�

After the apostles and elders convened in Jerusalem, Peter showed an example of�loosing when he ruled that both Jews and Gentiles were part of Gods covenant. (Acts�15:9) Then James, the pastor of the Church at Jerusalem, gave an example of�binding when he required the believing Gentiles to abstain from the four character-�istic practices of the pagans (Acts 15:1320).�

Binding and Loosing Today�

In our local congregations and communities there are certain attitudes, behavior�patterns, and practices which are acceptable and others which are not acceptable.�The people of God cannot live any way they desire. There must be a consensus�among the community as to what is allowed and what is not allowed regarding moral�standards and the practice of God's Word.�

Like the rabbis of old, the leadership of the congregation and/or community is�charged by the Almighty to seek His will concerning these matters. As God gives�clear direction, the leaders communicate to their community what attitudes and�behavior they deem acceptable and not acceptable. This is the essence of the biblical�meaning of binding and loosing.�

Personal Application�

There are 613 instructions in the Hebrew Scriptures. The New Covenant (Testament)�contains approximately 1030 commands for walking with God. While the Bible tells�us what God expects of us, it does not always tell us how to apply God a Word. This�is often left to our own interpretation. While we should all seek God for His wisdom�for our lives personally, it is the responsibility of our spiritual leaders to collectively�seek the mind of God for His direction concerning decisions that relate to the�standards and practices of the larger believing community.�

About Dr. Richard Booker�

Richard Booker, MBA, Ph.D., is an ordained Christian minister, President of Sounds of the�Trumpet, Inc., and the Founder/Director of the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies.�

He is the author of thirty books which are used by churches and Bible schools around the�world. He has also developed many seminars and Bible college level courses and writes regu-�larly for Christian magazines.�

Dr. Booker has traveled extensively for over thirty years teaching in churches and at confer-�ences on various aspects of the Christian life as well as Israel and the Hebraic roots of Christianity.�

Dr. Booker and his wife, Peggy, lead yearly tour groups to Israel where, for eighteen years, Dr. Booker was a�speaker at the International Christian Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem attended by over�5,000 believers from 100 nations.� Dr. Booker’s teachings are designed to help believers better understand the Bible and their covenant God. He�has a God-given ability to communicate the Scriptures in clear, easy-to-understand language with practical ap-�plication for everyday Christians that brings life out of the Bible and into people’s hearts.�

Dr. Booker and Peggy founded the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies (IHCS) in 1997 as a ministry to edu-�cate Christians in the Hebraic culture and background of the Bible, build relationships between Christians and�Jews, and give comfort and support to the people of Israel.�

Their tireless work on behalf of Christians and Jews has been recognized around the world as well as being rep-�resented at the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus.�Dr. Booker has a daily television program which can be seen on the internet at www.godslearningchannel.com�and around the world via satellite. He has produced over 350 programs.�

 Dr. Booker is a spiritual father to many believers around the world.�

Visit Dr. Richard Booker online:�www.drrichardbooker.com or www.rbooker.com�

Sounds of the Trumpet, Inc.�Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies�

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