Question:  Hi Greg,

            How should Matthew 18:18 be applied in the church today?

            Jim

Answer:  Dear Jim,

            The verse in Matthew 18:18 appears in the middle of a passage about church government and discipline.  The passage simply affirms that decisions made by the “ecclessia” will be sanctioned in heaven.  This passage does not give broad all-encompassing power to the church, but within this context it speaks to discipline that becomes necessary within the church.  There are further passages within the New Testament that speak to church government in this regard such as Romans 16:17 and 1 Corinthians 5.

            If you are interested in the term “binding and loosing”, it is also used in Matthew 16:19 (in another context) and the principle (though not the exact phrase) is spoken of in John 20:23.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht