Binding and Loosing

Binding and Loosing

The Biblical concept of binding and loosing pertains to the degree to which actions are constrained by law. To illustrate, by way of secular example section 92.06 of the Akron, Ohio, city ordinances states: “No person shall dye or otherwise color any rabbit or baby poultry, including, but not limited to, chicks and ducklings.” This law has been bound and is thereby enforceable in Akron, Ohio. The Akron citizen is constrained from coloring baby ducks. However, since there are no laws in Akron, Ohio about painting your pet elephant, citizens are loosed (not constrained) in doing so. All citizens of Akron, Ohio, are bound or loosed by the laws pertaining to Akron. On the largest of scales, the Bible is the ultimate authority by which all actions are bound or loosed today. How does this book have such authority to bind and loose?

Binding

Binding and Loosing? How is this done?

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1). God is creator, we are creation. The man Job realized the state of humans when before God he stated: “Behold I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee” (Job 40: 4). Isaiah 64:8 establishes that God is the potter, man the clay. The creation logically does not have authority over the creator. The Bible given to man is the Word of God. They are the edict of the King. They are uncontestable.

When the man Jesus came to the earth, God made it clear Jesus was His Son and man was to listen to Him (Matthew 17:5). The Jews of that time wondered when Jesus spoke how he could do so with authority (Matthew 21:23). Consider how Jesus received his authority:

John 5:30 – I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 12:49-50 – For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.

Jesus sought to do the will of his Father. He only stated what the Father would have him say. He did nothing of Himself, only that which the Father had given him authority to do. Consider John 1:1-3 where Jesus, the Word of God (John 14:6, John 17:17) creates all things. God says, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), it was done. Jesus did not simultaneously create a light source. God had not said to do so and Jesus only does what He is told. Jesus does not add to or do less than what He is told by the Father. Thus, through the Father, Christ has always constrained himself. When tempted by Satan in Matthew 4, Jesus followed the same pattern of stating his Father’s will, “it is written”. In the obedience of Christ, the Father than gave Jesus all authority (Matthew 28:18).

The apostles were gathered together by Christ. They were nobodies. However, Christ made them men with authority. How?

John 14:26 – But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.

John 16:13 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The Holy Spirit comes to these men and by the authority of Christ, given by the Father, shares all truth (the Word of God) with them. They are then told to teach the truth Christ shared by himself and through the Spirit. In doing so, they are doing no less than what Christ himself did. They acted with authority of the Father. They constrained or bound themselves to it. Jesus tells Peter the following in Matthew 16:19:

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loosen earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Of note is the false doctrine some twist from this verse of papal succession. It is believed that starting with Peter a line of succession to bind and loose doctrinal precepts upon mankind was handed down through today by the popes. This is a gross misunderstanding and misapplication of scripture. To begin with, “the keys of the kingdom” is a term referencing the sharing of the Word of God. Peter shared the Word on the day of Pentecost and 3000 souls were added to the kingdom. The doors to the kingdom were opened by the keys of the gospel. Next, the charge to bind and loose was not just given to Peter, but also to the disciples (followers of Christ – Matthew 18:18):

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

The binding and loosing is not something that was assigned to an individual or a succession of popes, but to the followers of Christ. Yet, there is an even more important understanding that must be realized. In both Matthew 16 and 18, the ability to bind and loose, the ability to constrain according to authority of Christ given by the Father, is something which is directly tied to that which has already been bound or loosed in heaven. In simplistic terms: Share the word and stick to it. Don’t add to it and don’t take away from it. What is commanded to be followed is that which has been established by God already. There is not authority given to create new law. God’s law is not imperfect needing additions or subtractions to it depending upon the situation.

Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Jude 1:3 – Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

The verses above all point to the fact that the Word of God has been given in complete to man. There are no further words or clarifications which are needed. There are no new laws to constrain upon mankind. Of importance in answering our question about how the Word of God has authority two more verses must be mentioned. We know that God the Father instructed Jesus and he followed. Jesus instructed the apostles directly and through the Holy Spirit and they followed. This is important in the understanding of the authority of the Bible for no word of scripture has been taught by the opinion of those apostles. It has only been through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through Christ we have received the teachings of Christ.

2 Peter 1:20-21 – knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 1:11-12 – For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

If by Pope, “angel”, vision, emotion, friend, Bishop, or theologian an instruction is given which is not found to be in agreement with the Bible, there is no authority in their words (Galatians 1:6-10). Man cannot be constrained by that which the Words of God as found in scripture do not constrain. Man is free where there is no constraint. Binding and loosing is the responsibility of all who would share the gospel. It is a responsibility they follow with Christ, the Apostles, and past disciples. It is the binding and loosing of that which has been established previously in heaven and nothing more. Accursed are those who do not do so.

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The Reputation of a Congregation

Congregation Reputation

What Do They Say About Us?

When people drive by our church building, what do you think they say? Do they say? Do they say, “Yea, that church is incredible. They are always teaching people the Scriptures and they do such a great job showing others Jesus Christ by what they teach and the way they live?” Well, perhaps people say that and perhaps they do not. But, the sad truth is that very few congregations are talked about this way. Why not? Well, to have people say this about the church means that the Christians who meet at the local congregation must have a commitment to proclaiming the cross of Jesus Christ while also caring about their community enough that they become the solution to the major issues plaguing our communities. They must be a light to the world! And, if we are not like this, then we need to change.

Congregation

What is the Reputation of Your Congregation.

For instance, if we do not think like this then we need to change the way we think. So many Times we believe that the church is the answer or is a huge asset to the community in which we live. So often, we may be called a compassionate church, we may even have a wonderful benevolence ministry with helping others, including a food pantry. We may even help struggling Christians all over the world. But here’s the thing…. while it is a good thing to help others out when they need it, did we extend our hand out to them too? What I mean is, did we embrace them? Did we identify with them and put ourselves in their shoes? You see, compassion is not what we do, compassion is supposed to be who we are because that is who our Master is. And so, we help others not just in momentary ways, but help them to see the Savior by teaching them because if we really care for them, we will care more for their souls.

Second, if we want people to think about us in incredible ways, maybe we need to change the way we pray. What do I mean by this? Most of the Time, prayers need to be based on more than just what our needs are. In the book of Mathew, Jesus teaches us something revolutionary. Jesus wants us to pray that the Father would raise up workers to meet the needs that we see in our communities. He says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt. 9:38). When was the last Time you prayed the song, “Lead me to some soul today?” Do we not sing this song because we hope that someone else will care for the souls that are around us? Perhaps the preacher or some missionary will reach them. I think the Lord here was referring to His disciples, Christians, who would be those workers in reaching out to the souls that He knows can be saved. So, will you be incredible and reach them or let them be lost?

Third, change the way you keep score. Huh? For years, congregations define success by the strength of the programs and/or the increase in numbers. But, does this really define success? Why do we define success like this…like a business? Should we not be basing our success on meeting the Lord’s will and tending to the crying needs of people around us? I mean, so what if we can feed the hungry, provide shelter, give blood, go to ball games together if we are still unwilling to fulfill God’s calling in Isa. 61 and Luke 4. We ought to be able preach good Tidings to the poor and allow Jesus to heal their broken hearts so that they can be released from the bondage of sin! That’s it! Doing the will of God because we love our Creator and we love our community as much as ourselves! To love them and to serve Jesus, with no strings attached, and allowing God to open their hearts and to give the increase.

Fourth, to be an incredible congregation of the Lord’s body, it involves changing our thinking, praying and score keeping. But, it also means to change the way we do community outreach. Community outreach does not mean “inviting them to our church.” It means, inviting them into our lives! It means, going to them and being involved in their lives and not just insisting that they come and join us. Jesus is the best example of this. So often it was the case the Jesus went to the people. He was involved in their lives. He wanted to know about the people. He wanted to know them and to show them the glory of God and in doing so, many followed and still follow Him. We can do the same thing if we are willing to do His will. You see, that is giving yourself to God. Too often it is the case that we give God the bare minimum and that is not going to cut it.

We have got to be good stewards of what God has given us and what He has given us is ourselves…a born again life! We belong to Him! We must therefore, change our normal giving to Him and start giving ourselves to others because our hearts are gripped with all that God has done for us and that even when we are not in the “mood” to do for God, we “get in the mood” because of how much we love our God in heaven. And, if we do that, when people drive by the church building, they will says, “Yea, that church is incredible. They are always teaching people the Scriptures and they do such a great job showing others Jesus Christ by what they teach and the way they live! They want to be involved in my life and because of that, I want to be involved in the God whom they serve!” Dare to be different than the world, brethren.

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Hezekiah

Hezekiah: What Have They Seen in Thy House?

There is an interesting story in 2 Kings 20 about Judah’s King Hezekiah.  Some envoys were sent to him from the king of Babylon; and in his pride, Hezekiah “showed them all the house of his treasures…..there was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them” (v. 13).  When the prophet Isaiah inquired  about their visit (v. 15), he asked the king, “What have they seen in thy house?” Hezekiah had exposed all of Judah’s wealth to his Babylonian guests – a mistake that would eventually lead to the downfall of the kingdom of Judah (vv. 16-18).

Hezekiah

As Hezekiah, Do You Know What is in Your House.

 

To borrow from Isaiah’s question: what about your life?  Has anyone visited you lately?  If so, “What have they seen in thy house?”  Did they see a genuine love for God in your home?  Did they see a respectable and loving family, devoted to one another?  Was the beauty of Jesus seen in your conduct? If not, beware, my friends.  For such a mistake will eventually lead to ruin.

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Suffering in Hell?

Is there suffering in Hell?

How could a loving God ever consider casting man into a lake of fire and leaving him there to suffer for all eternity? This is not an easy question to consider on many levels, but it is one which intrigues the minds of so many. Is it possible that we may not see the horrendous nature of sin and what divine justice demands for punishment? Is it possible that we may have developed a wrong view of God by overemphasizing His goodness, and that wrong view of Him is part of the problem? Whether we can answer these two questions or others which might come to mind really is not the issue. The underlying issue is, “What does God reveal that He will do with the wicked?”

Every sin will be punished. The writer of Hebrews looked at the Old Testament and said, “The word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward” (Heb. 2:2). The Holy Spirit of God affirmed that every sin committed for the thousands of years since Adam had been justly rewarded. Our God delights in forgiveness and rejoices in showing mercy (Micah 7:18), but He is also just. The issue before us is, “What does He reveal that He will do with the wicked?”

The sin of angels is punished by God with continuing suffering. Both Jude and Peter (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4) describe the rebellion of angels. What did a loving God do with them? He did not simply destroy them, but He bound them with chains in the darkness of hell awaiting a coming judgment where they will be cast into an everlasting fire (Matt. 25:41).

The rich man who refused to share with the beggar, Lazarus, suffered in the fires of Hades. What did a loving God do with this selfish, rich man? Taken from his body, he was in torments, begging for one drop of water to cool his tongue. His words, “I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24), show what love and justice demanded from both Lazarus and the rich man.

Those who worshipped the beast suffered consciously in the fire of God’s judgment. “If any man worship the beast . . . he himself shall drink of the wrath of God. . . . He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone . . . And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Rev. 14:9-11). How will a loving God deal with the man who rebels against Him? Certainly not simply casting him into the lake of fire where he will immediately burn up and cease to exist. It is the loving God who speaks of fire and brimstone lasting forever and ever and never having any rest from that punishment.

Remember the issue is, “What does God say about hell?” The options are clear—eternal bliss with God or eternal darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Your choice!

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The Piety of Baptism

The Piety of Baptism – An Identifying Mark of the One True Church

The post-modern attitude of “live and let live” rarely (if at all) places religious demands upon individuals.  Such has not been the attitude toward God in times past.  Debates regarding exactly what those religious demands entailed were commonplace in former times.  Popular attitudes toward contemporary religious obligation are primarily limited to some kind of concern for the poor.  Many consider everything else optional.  Even characterizing such attitudes as “religious” is passé.  Instead, people prefer to moniker themselves as “spiritual.”  In such a religious environment the ancient and biblical concept of piety – doing religious things simply because that is what God desires – has been replaced with one’s self interests, but that is exactly what Christianity calls individuals to sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

baptism

Baptism and Piety Go Hand in Hand.

In times past, questions about baptism surrounded its purpose (whether it was for the remission of sins or not), necessity for salvation (whether one needed it to go to be saved), and/or mode (whether it was sprinkling, pouring, or immersion).  Some suggested that the only purpose of baptism was to become a member of the local congregation.  The Lord’s church has stood strong in these discussions pointing to the necessity of baptism (immersion) for the remission of sins.  This is, after all, what the Bible simply teaches in such passages as Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:36-39, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:1-11, Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:11-13, and 1 Peter 3:21.  More and more, however, individuals are just ignorant of what baptism even is.  I remember one person coming into the church building, pointing to the baptistery, and saying, “What is that?”

As the religious culture around us changes, the need to stay true to the Bible’s teaching on baptism becomes even more important.  While in the past, teaching what the Bible clearly says about baptism has distinguished the churches of Christ from other religious groups who practice some form of baptism, today, teaching what the Bible has to say about Baptism distinguishes the church from the masses of religious/spiritual groups who know nothing of the practice.  In contradistinction to the self-serving nature of popular religion today, Christian baptism calls the individual to a selfless submission to Christ and His will.  It is a true reflection of the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for the sins of mankind (Romans 6:1-11).  In that regard, it is a preeminent act of personal piety.

In this issue of the Christian Worker, we look at the topic of baptism.  It is our purpose to address typical objections from religiously minded individuals, but also to simply teach what the scriptures simply reveal on the issue.  With that in mind some key passages that discuss baptism have been selected and our writers have been asked to comment on those verses.  The issue concludes with the very important question, “Why should I be baptized?”  It is our hope and prayer that everyone who comes to read this issue will take the topic of baptism as an act of personal piety seriously.  In so doing, we will also consider serious the mode, purpose, and necessity of baptism as well.

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