[Dr. Eckleburg]

The kingdom has an external manifestation as the visible Church of Jesus Christ. In that regard, I believe I explained the definition of binding and loosing had to do with discipleship and disciple. Discipleship has to do with teaching the nations the ways of God that they might be brought near to Him (Matt. 28:19,20), and discipline has to do with excluding from the people of God those who may profess Christ yet live immoral and ungodly lives without repentance or espouse obvious heresy. The keys represent an external, visible authority given to the ordained leaders (elders) of the church (Matt. 16:18,19; cf. Matt. 23:13).

Amen. This is how I understand Scripture.

It's no coincidence dispensationalism branched out from this laissez-faire attitude of church order because both deny the God-ordained power of Christ's visible church on earth to positively affect society and to furher usher in the Kingdom of God on earth since the appearance of Christ.

Both concede defeat without engagement. Cui bono?

God ordained for Godly men to assume duties within His church to guide His flock and insure sound doctrine, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. That's not of the papacy; that's Scriptural as the verses from Acts 20 attest.

[Quix]

Nonsense.

Dispensationalism has been with us from the first century of The Church.

And God’s everlasting unchangeable

PROMISES

to the children of Jacob

. . . a lot longer than that.

[wmfights]

The keys represent an external, visible authority given to the ordained leaders (elders) of the church (Matt. 16:18,19; cf. Matt. 23:13)

The only keys of the kingdom of heaven are faith in Jesus Christ. No external church controls that faith.

ICor. 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...

The head of our church is Jesus Christ. The ruler on interpretation is the Holy Spirit. Any suggestion that a local body has this type of authority takes you down the path of Roman.