Most Misquoted Bible Verse -Matthew 16:19

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Matthew 16:19

This is one of the most misquoted and misused scriptures in the bible. It is part of Jesus' conversation with Peter after he confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus then declares that Peter's confession is foundational and then starts speaking of the authority He is giving to His disciples regarding "binding and loosing". But what exactly does this binding and loosing mean?

In Jewish rabbinical language, 'binding and loosing' referred to authoritative decision making - declaring something forbidden (binding) or permitted (loosing). It was a way of describing the authority to interpret and apply God's law.

In the new testament, this phrase refers to the authority given to the apostles ( and by extension, to the church) to make decisions about doctrine, discipline and practices in alignment with God's will. We see a clear example in Matthew 18:18 where church discipline is in view. It indicates that what is decided on earth should already be in heaven's will, not that humans or us, the church, dictate heaven's actions. But where does the misinterpretation of binding Satan and loosing blessings come from?

We've seen and heard many people today mistakenly interpret 'binding and loosing' as a form of spiritual warfare, thinking and believing they can bind or loose Satan or even loose financial prosperity, healing or any other form of success over their lives. However, this is not what Jesus was talking about. There's nowhere in scripture where believers in Christ are commanded to bind Satan. As far as we know, Satan is active in the world (1Peter 5:8) and though he is ultimately subject to God's authority, we are told to resist him (James 4:7), not bind him. If binding Satan worked the way some of us think, then why would he still be active after countless believers have supposedly bound him?

Loosing in this verse is also not about releasing material blessings. The biblical use of 'loosing' refers to allowing or permitting things within the authority of God's kingdom, not a way of claiming wealth , health or some form of success. The new testament never shows us 'loosing' prosperity or houses, but rather encourages trust in God's provision (Matthew 6:33). So, where to from here?

• Stand firm in faith (Ephesians 6:10-18).

• Use the authority given by the Lord responsibly, particularly in upholding biblical truth and church discipline.

• Pray according to God's will (1John 5:14-15) rather than making declarations not supported by scripture.

• Resist the devil through obedience and steadfast faith, not unbiblical 'binding' rituals (James 4:7).

The concept of binding and loosing in this text is about the authority of the church to make decisions in accordance with God's will, not about binding Satan and his minions or loosing blessings. The binding and loosing of things over your life is not biblical.

This is the shorter version of how I see this verse. Have you been binding and loosing unbiblically? It would be great to hear your understanding of this verse. Comment here or DM me on IG and let's have a conversation.

Grace and Peace.