But the church which Christ started and pastored did not believe or teach such things as these. Jesus taught that salvation from sin comes through God’s grace, made possible by His sacrificial death. I believe that God promised the continued existence of that church and that salvation throughout all ages. In other words, there are churches in this world today which are duplicates of the first church. Those churches which are true to God today, stem back to the church of which Christ spoke in Matthew 16. Yet despite what I believe about the importance of the church, I do not believe that all of God’s saints are members of one of Christ’s churches. They should be, but sadly, they are not. There are probably born again people in a dozen other congregations here in Post Falls. I’ll call them “congregations,” because they are not linked by history or doctrine to the church of this text. God has not made Calvary Baptist Church the sole or the essential doorway into Heaven.
But how well does this opinion of mine meld with our Lord’s somewhat confusing statement in verse18 and 19? I believe that it fits perfectly when we let those verses speak. “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
As I said last week, there are three interpretations, explaining Christ’s statement about “the rock.” There are three interpretations – and one very wicked perversion. Some theologians believe that the rock upon which Jesus’ built His church was Peter’s confession – “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Many others believe that the rock was Christ Himself. And there are good Baptist scholars who believe that it was upon the disciples that Christ built His church. When Peter made that memorable confession, he was speaking for the entire group – the church. They had all made that same confession earlier several times. Matthew 14:33; John 1:49 and John 6:69 for example. Christ asked for the testimony of the entire group – “Whom say YE that I am.” And Peter, speaking not for himself alone, but for the entire church, replied – “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Then Jesus, speaking to Peter as the representative of the group, said, “This is the rock upon whom I will build my church.”
The perversion of this statement is the idea that Peter became the first Pope, and upon him the Lord built the Roman Catholic Church. Problems with this false doctrine abound. For example, why doesn’t the Bible speak about Peter’s ministry in Rome if he became the Roman Pope? Was it because, perhaps, he was never even there? Perhaps he was, but Paul was more the Roman Christian than Peter. And then the Book of Acts indicates that Peter was not the leader of the Apostles. Despite his forwardness, and that he was often the preacher, he was not the pastor of the church. That honour eventually belonged to James. And nowhere do we clearly read that Christ would build His church on this one man. On the other hand there are several scriptures which speak of all the disciples or apostles. Ephesians 2:20 for example – “Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” Then too Peter was far from the authority that Catholicism makes him out to be. After the Lord sent him to minister to the Gentile Cornelius, Peter went back to the Jerusalem church with his hat in his hand, offering an explanation. He was definitely not in control of the Lord’s church. And can you picture a Roman Catholic priest today rebuking the Pope for something? But Peter was rebuked by Paul for some un-Christian behavior. Peter was not infallible; he was not Pope; he was not Roman Catholic. Also, where in the scripture do we find a definitive statement about the future transference of Peter’s authority to his successors, as Catholicism claims. To say that Peter, alone, is the rock upon which Christ built His church, is unbiblical – alien to the Bible. On the other hand, to say that Peter, along with the rest of the disciples, were the foundation of Christ’s church, is not only Biblical, but historically accurate.
All of that is important for a correct understanding of verse 19. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Roman Catholicism, along with a few dozen cults, are built on verse 19 after their perversion of verse 18. If Christ built His church on Peter, then Peter, and perhaps his successors can open and close the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven to whomever they choose. But that is not what the Saviour is telling us.
In order to properly understand this scripture, we must begin with the fact that…
There is a difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just because the Lord speaks of the church in one verse and the kingdom in the next doesn’t mean that they are equivalent. A church, by definition and Biblical revelation, is an assembly of called out people. It is as assembly, a gathering, a congregation, a convocation – meeting together for a specific purpose. A church of the Lord Jesus Christ, assembles in order to do God’s will and to glorify God’s Name. There is no such thing as a church which cannot assemble. An assembly which doesn’t assemble is a misnomer – it is improperly named – it is essentially a lie. There is no such thing as a universal, never-gathering assembly. Christ’s churches – those of the Bible – were local assemblies. Most of the members of those churches were saints of God, but there were a few lost members as well.
The family of God, on the other hand, is made up entirely of born-again people. There is not one unsaved person in the family of God – they have all been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Like our own physical families, our spiritual brothers and sisters may be scattered around. We have Christian brethren who are members of “assemblies,” started by men rather than God. We have Christian brothers and sisters who are not members of Christ’s church. Just as we have family members who have moved away, or with whom we don’t have close fellowship, yet they are still brothers, sisters and cousins within our family. Families do not have to assemble to be families. In fact, the family of God includes those brothers and sisters, who have passed away and are now in the presence of their Saviour.
In verse 19 Christ refers to another entity – not His church or family – He speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven. I believe that the “Kingdom of Heaven,” sometimes called the “Kingdom of God,” speaks of the rule of God. In this case, rather than being our Pastor, or Elder Brother, Christ is the King. But His kingdom is temporarily under attack by Satan, and it is filled with both loyal subjects and wicked rebels. Christ spoke of this Kingdom in Matthew 5 and 11 and more extensively in chapter 13. We don’t have time to get into a deep review of the Kingdom right now. Suffice it to say that the Church of Christ, is a part of the Kingdom of Heaven. You could say that in one way the Church is the militant arm of the Kingdom. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Well then, what is the key, or what are the keys, to which Christ referred?
Remember that families are made up of family members – basically parents and children. The Head of the family of God is God the Father, and Christ Jesus is described as the Elder Brother. You and I, I trust and hope, are brothers and sisters in the family of God. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is made up with Christ, the Head, and those who have joined – willing to assemble and serve the Lord. The Kingdom of God is made up of citizens and non-citizens.
As you probably know, I am not a citizen of the United States. I live under the laws of this country; I am affected by her economy, her politics, and her foreign policy. The mores of American society affect me just as much as they do you who are citizens. I am a legal alien, but there are also illegal aliens around us. And there are also felons, criminals, rebels and likely even terrorists. All of us are residents, but not all of us are citizens with all the rights and blessings of the United States of America. And the same is true under the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 13 clearly teaches us that there is a great mixture of residents in God’s Kingdom.
It might bother some of you that I am not an American citizen. Some of you might think that I am blessed by America without contributing to America. But I might argue that I contribute as much as you do, and yet I have less blessings. What if you convinced me to become a citizen of this country? What would I have to do in order to become a full-fledged citizen of the United States? I’ve never really looked into it, but let’s use our imaginations for a moment. I might have to take citizenship classes, learning something about American history and government. But I have already done that, and I have proven to myself at least that I know as much if not more than the average American about the history and government of this country. Also, I might have to have a sponsor, and if that was the case I might be able to find one or two. I might have to prove fiscal responsibility, but my tax returns for the last thirty years would do that. And then I’d have to stand before a judge, upon whose declaration would determine my future citizenship. Is there a parallel between my illustration and Biblical truth? “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Ever since the sin of Adam, his children and grandchildren, all residents of the Kingdom of Heaven, have been sinners and rebels against their King. Almost from the very beginning, “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” – Genesis 6:5. As the King of His Kingdom, Jehovah, graciously saved Noah and his family, and washed the rest of humanity off the face of the earth, starting over again. But the wickedness of man is a part of his nature, and that fresh start changed nothing – God didn’t expect that it would. To paraphrase Isaiah, “Our iniquities have separated between us from God, and our sins have hid his face from us, that he will not hear. For our hands are defiled with blood, and our fingers with iniquity; our lips have spoken lies, our tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: by nature we trust in vanity, and speak lies; we conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”
How can one of these rebels, dead in trespasses and sins, become a living, a loyal servant of the King? First, he must be born again. And then, he must stand before the Judge and be declared righteous and worthy of Heavenly citizenship. YOU must be saved from the guilt and stench of your sins, and you must be graciously accepted in God’s Beloved.
I am far more interested in being a good citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven than to be a citizen of the United States. I hope that doesn’t offend you too much. But this country – as it is for my own homeland – is living in open rebellion against God. The laws of this country, the social values of this country, the education and entertainment industry of this country – are not only un-Christian, but anti-Christian. I’m not urgently yearning to become a citizen of a country soon to be destroyed by the wrath of God. But let’s say that I did want to become a U.S. citizen. That is not something that I could declare for myself. It might be a choice that I could make, but to become an actual citizen would not be mine to assume. And some federal judge might look at nothing more than my receding hairline, or that I was a Baptist pastor, deciding that I wasn’t going to vote Democrat and refuse to grant my petition for citizenship. Since I was born an alien – to become a citizen is up to the gracious declaration of a federal judge.
And beloved, that is exactly as it is in becoming a citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is entirely by the grace of God. Let me paraphrase the scripture which was read earlier – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins and rebels in His realm, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us citizens together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to serve Him as loyal subjects, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past rebels in the flesh, That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made citizens by the blood of Christ.” When sinners humble themselves before the cross and the throne of Christ in repentance, love and faith, it is evidence that God has given to them new hearts – the hearts of loyal citizens.
Verses 18 and 19 say, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
But to whom – were these keys given?
I believe that Jesus was speaking to Peter and to the rest of His first church, as small as it was. To those men was given the responsibility of preaching the Kingdom, and the deity of Christ, and the gospel. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The church of Christ possesses the keys to the kingdom in the sense that to that assembly of militant Christians has been given the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the sinfulness of the rebel is clearly declared, and when the sacrifice is magnified and uplifted, the Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of those rebels – to save whomsoever He chooses. To Peter, James, John and the rest of the apostles, along with the members of all the succeeding churches of Christ, has been given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. The keys are the gospel of Christ.
But what about those words “and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This sounds as though Heaven is obligated to the man who holds the keys here upon earth. It sounds like the doors of Heaven swing open and closed on the hinges at the front of the Lord’s church. I don’t believe that it does. But I will say that as authorized and commanded to preach salvation, the Lord’s church plays a critical role in Heavenly citizenship.
Now, let me go to a place where I rarely visit, and to which I don’t feel really comfortable. I will just leave this in your lap and let you do with it as you see fit. As you know I am not an expert in the nuances of the Greek language, but I have access to experts. What I am about to share with you, I have read in the statements of eminent Greek scholars, including A.T. Robertson – a Baptist, and recognized expert. I have further tried to verify these things through the internet and found support there. Specifically, here a quote from a man named H.H. Hobbs: “In the Greek text of ‘shall be bound…. shall be loosed’ the verbs are what is called the periphrastic future perfect passive. This form expresses an action which took place in the past but whose effect is still existing in the present, and will continue to be in effect in the future. Literally, ‘shall have been bound…shall have been loosed.’ In effect, the binding and loosing were in heaven, are still there, and will continue to be there. And the passive voice speaks of this binding and loosing as being done by (someone) other than man on earth…”
In other words, as the members of the Lord’s churches go out preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, when sinners have their hearts opened by the grace of God, and when they humbly put their faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour, they are doing exactly what God ordained and intended. This is Baptist doctrine; this is my doctrine.
The keys to the kingdom of God, are carried in our hands and pockets. As the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is shared with others we are opening the doors to that Kingdom. Those who actually reach for those keys, will be those whom God has ordained and invited to become citizens.
Now the question remains, are you still a rebel – soon to be condemned and executed by the King? Or are you a citizen of Heaven by the grace of God? This church – and I as one of its members – are holding out to you the key to your deliverance from sin. Repent before God, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. “Ye, must be born again.”