In a couple of places in the Bible, both in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus mentioned binding and loosing in heaven and on earth.  What did Jesus mean by this?

Here are the two Scriptures.

Mat 16:19  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Mat 18:18  “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

The words “bind” and “loose” were common Jewish idioms meaning to declare something forbidden or to declare it allowed.  So, at first sight these verses seem to be saying that Jesus’s disciples have been given power to arbitrate on matters with the same authority as God.  But that is perverse, particularly if such an arbitration displeases God.

Let’s take a closer look to see what these verses really mean. 

The context of Mat 16:19 doesn’t provide additional information.  However, the context of Mat 18:18 does.  The preceding verses of Mat 18:18 instruct us on how to deal with a brother who sins against you.

Mat 18:15  “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

The first step is to talk to him alone.  Most cases can be resolved just by doing this.  But what if this doesn’t work and your brother refuses to listen?

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY WORD MAY BE ESTABLISHED.’

The issue is elevated.  You talk to your brother again but this time with one or two other brethren.  They will witness to the offending brother that he has indeed sinned.  But what if this doesn’t work either and your brother refuses to listen?

Mat 18:17  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church [ekklesia]. But if he refuses even to hear the church [ekklesia], let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

The issue is elevated again.  This time you take it to the church.  The Greek word translated church here is ekklesia.  It means an assembly of people.  In other words you take the issue to the congregation.  (This verse does not say take the issue to the ministry!)  The congregation can tell the brother he has sinned.  If he fails to listen to the congregation, then he is to be treated “like a heathen and a tax collector”.  In other words, he is to be avoided and shunned.  In practice this means being put out of the church.  We see an example of this in the Corinthian church where a man was sleeping with his father’s wife.

1Co 5:1  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!

The apostle Paul told the church when they were “gathered together” to remove the sinner from their fellowship.  Note that this disfellowshipping was done when “gathered together”, that is, it was done by the congregation, not by an individual minister.

1Co 5:2  And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed.
1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

This story has a happy ending as the man later repented and was restored to fellowship.

2Co 2:5  But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe.
2Co 2:6  This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man,
2Co 2:7  so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
2Co 2:8  Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.

Note that the punishment came from “the majority”, again emphasising that the correction came from the congregation, not an individual minister.

Let’s return to Matthew 18:18.

Mat 18:18  “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

We have seen that the preceding verses are instructions on how to deal with a brother who sins.  So the binding (forbidding) and loosing (allowing) relate to dealing with a sinning brother, when to remove him from fellowship or restore him to fellowship.  The meaning of this verse is that by following the instructions of the previous verses we, the individual and the congregation, are carrying out the will of God in the matter.  Indeed, this meaning is made clearer in some translations.

The Literal Translation of the Bible has:

Mat 16:19  And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven. And whatever you may loose on the earth shall be, having been loosed in Heaven.

Mat 18:18  Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth will be, having been bound in Heaven. And whatever you loose on the earth will be, having been loosed in Heaven.

Also, the New American Standard Bible has:

Mat 16:19  “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.”

Mat 18:18  Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

In other words, God’s will on how to deal with a sinning and repentant brother has already been established in heaven.  By following the instructions given in the preceding verses (verses 15 to 17), God’s will is done on earth.