Matthew 18:18 Meaning: What Binding and Loosing Means

The two Greek verbs at the heart of this verse, deō (bind) and luō (loose), were everyday words in Jesus’ world. They could mean tying a rope or untying a sandal. But the rabbis of Jesus’ day also used them as technical terms: to 'bind' meant to declare something forbidden, and to 'loose' meant to permit it. When Jesus uses these words, He steps into that familiar language and fills it with new weight. The grammar matters too. The phrases 'will have been bound' and 'will have been loosed' point to a completed action in heaven. It is not that the church decides and heaven scrambles to agree. Heaven has already determined what is right. The church’s job is to discern and declare that judgment, especially about who is inside or outside the family of faith. That is a serious and sobering trust.

Christians have understood this verse in two main ways, reflecting different traditions. Many Protestant commentators, following Calvin and Barnes, see the primary meaning as church discipline: when the church rightly excludes an unrepentant member or welcomes a penitent one back, heaven confirms the decision. Others, especially Catholic and Orthodox traditions, see a broader teaching authority, linked to the keys given to Peter in Matthew 16 and to the bishops who succeed the apostles. Both traditions agree that the binding and loosing is not a blank check; it is a delegated authority, exercised under Christ’s rule and guided by His Word. The early church took this verse seriously when deciding who could be baptized or readmitted after serious sin.

Some people think this verse means that church leaders can make up rules and God is obliged to follow. But the grammar shows the opposite. The Greek says the binding and loosing 'will have been bound' in heaven first. The church’s role is to declare what God has already decided, not to create new laws. The context also matters: these words come right after a process of personal correction, not a grab for power.

Very few of us will ever sit in a church court or pronounce a binding sentence. But all of us have people we have fallen out with. This week, you could take the first step of Matthew 18, a private, honest conversation with someone who has hurt you, or whom you have hurt. You don’t need to fix everything alone; Jesus promises that when two or three gather in His name to do the hard work of reconciliation, He is right there. The heavenly authority is not about control; it is about restoration. You can trust that your small, obedient step matters on earth and in heaven.