[count-your-change]

From the accounts given the keys given Peter were the privilege of showing how prophecy was now being fulfilled.

And it was not minor details but how that the new “nation” was being formed and who would be given opportunity to be part of it.

[1000 silverlings]

In this chapter, Peter's understanding of Whom Jesus is, is a spiritual understanding, not a human one, and of course we know that this Truth is the rock upon which the church of Christ is built, it's certainly not built on a human being such as Peter, with the faults that he had. Build a church on faults and of course, big cracks will appear.

This statement and understanding of Christ is our universal statement of faith and is the "key" to the kingdom. this kingdom is spiritual and only those "born from above" have access to it, ie, the keys.

[1000 silverlings]

Here's what MacArthur says about "binding and loosing". It goes back to Jewish law and has nothing to do with forgiveness of sins, or catching the devil.

The concept of binding and loosing was a rabbinical concept. Binding and loosing is an old, archaic thing. It would be permitting and forbidding in our terms. And, Jesus said to the Apostles, you remember “that whatever you forbid on earth, shall have been forbidden in Heaven, and whatever you permit on earth shall have been permitted in Heaven.” In other words, He is simply saying, when you act in agreement with the revelation of God, Heaven is acting on your behalf.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

From the Heidelberg Catechism...

Q & A 83

Q. What are the keys of the kingdom?

A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.^1

^1 Matt. 16:19; John 20:22-23

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Q & A 84

Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?

A. According to the command of Christ:

The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins.

The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them.

God's judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.^1

^1 Matt. 16:19; John 3:31-36; 20:21-23

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Q & A 85

Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline?

A. According to the command of Christ:

Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond also to their admonition— such persons the officers exclude from the Christian fellowship by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes them from the kingdom of Christ.^1

Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church.^2

^1 Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5:3-5, 11-13; 2 Thess. 3:14-15 ^2 Luke 15:20-24; 2 Cor. 2:6-11

[1000 silverlings]

No, disagree.
.