The Keys Of The Kingdom
By Jonathan Helmuth
January 1, 2011
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. -Matt. 16:19
This scripture verse is one of the most misunderstood but important verses in the Bible. Jesus was giving his disciples keys. The keys of the kingdom of heaven lock or unlock the mysteries of this realm to us.
The Catholic Church understood this verse to mean that Jesus was giving Peter unequivocal authority to make decisions and rules. Later the protestant church decided he was not giving this right to Peter but he was giving it to the church. I would like to propose to you that he was doing neither.
The context of this scripture verse is in the context of Jesus asking his disciples in verse 13: "Who do men say that I am?" They then proceed to tell him that some were saying he was John the Baptist and others were saying Elias and others Jeremias or one of the prophets. Then he asks them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered with, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Peter had just come into agreement with heaven who Jesus really was. Jesus responded to this with, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Notice that the revelation was from heaven toward earth or to Peter.
He then proceeds to tell him that his name was Peter and that upon this rock he would build his church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. It is in this verse that the Catholic Church gets the doctrine that Jesus was ordaining Peter as the Vicar of Christ. He is not saying this at all. He is saying that upon a person receiving a personal revelation from the heavenly Father who Jesus really is, he would build his church. He was not just a prophet as others were saying but indeed he was the Christ, the Messiah. Even the gates of hell will never prevail or hold out against it, (this revelation).
He then starts the verse of our text with the word and which connects this verse with the afore mentioned scripture verses.
The keys of the kingdom of heaven are about us coming into agreement with the heavenly realm not heaven coming into agreement with us. If heaven would have to come into agreement with us, Jesus would have had to come into agreement with what Peter said a few verses later. Jesus was showing his disciples that he would be killed and raised from the dead a few days later; but Peter rebuked him and said, "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be." Jesus had to rebuke Satan, who was using Peter as a voice for himself.
Here is a better interpretation of this passage: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven."
Also, if this verse was saying that whatever we decide on earth, heaven would have to agree with us; the Lord's prayer would have said, "Thy kingdom come, our will be done in heaven as on earth." 1 John 5:14 would have said, "If we ask anything according to our will he heareth us."
We are like harps with our strings out of tune. We must allow the Holy Spirit to bring us in tune with the Word. When this is accomplished we will come into harmony with God, bringing forth a sound that will resonate in the earth and in the heavens, bringing glory and honor to our king.
In John 5:19 Jesus says it this way:
Verily, verily I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." And in John 12:49 he says, "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. -John 5:19
So even Jesus didn't do or say anything that he first did not see or hear his heavenly Father doing or saying.
In conclusion: our Father wants to have a relationship with his children. We must find out through prayer and reading of the scriptures what his will is and come into alignment with it. Then the blessing of God will be upon us and we will be a true representative of the kingdom of heaven.
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