Text: "And I say also unto thee, ’That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.’" (Matthew 16:18,19—see: verses 13-19)

"And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, ‘whosoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven: and, whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.’" (Matthew 18:17,18 --see: verses 15-20)

GOD COMMANDS HIS CHURCH TO DISCIPLINE HER MEMBERS

In order to preserve the testimony of the Church, it is necessary to preserve her purity. For this reason, God has commanded His Church to discipline her members.

In order to maintain the order and government of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ has appointed the office of pastor, which office is elsewhere called the office of "bishop" and "elder."

In order to equip His pastors, whose task is to "minister" to the saints, Christ has given to them "the keys of the kingdom of Heaven."

PASTORAL AUTHORITY

The "keys" symbolize "authority" and "right." When a dignitary is given the "keys to the city," it speaks of an "honor" or a "right" to the city.

Christ gives authority to His pastors. In fact, all their authority comes from Him. This authority, however, is not civil authority such as has been the claim persecutors through the ages. As Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36)

The authority Christ gives His ministers is spiritual authority. It is the authority "to bind" and "to loose," and like a key it is given "to open" and "to shut." It is "an authority that if duly administered, Christ will ratify by "binding" or "loosing" in Heaven what they "bind" or "loose" on earth. As a key is useless unless it fits a lock, so there is no authority given for the misuse of that authority.

THE "KEY OF DOCTRINE"

There are two "keys" of the kingdom of Heaven: the "key of Doctrine" or "Creed," and the "key of Discipline" or "Practice." The former authorizes Gospel ministers to prohibit, i.e. "to bind," as well as to permit, or "to loose." Christ has given authority, to them to declare a thing lawful or unlawful, and for this reason, the truth that a faithful minister preaches must not be regarded as the opinion of a man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God." Paul and Barnabas thanked God unceasingly for the Thessalonians because when they received the Word of God which they heard from the apostles, they received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the Word of God "which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (I Thessalonians 2:13)

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "We pray you, in Christ’s stead, ‘be ye reconciled to God,’" and, our Lord Jesus declares that when a faithful minister of the Gospel pronounces a man and a woman "husband and wife," He binds them in Heaven. "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." Only those arrogant in heart can presume to have authority to separate what God has joined. (II Corinthians 5:20; Matthew 19:5,6)

Inherent in the "key of doctrine" is the authority to preach the Gospel, i.e. "to loose" or "to open" the Gospel as well as to refuse to preach the Gospel, i.e. "to bind" or "to close" up a people to the benefits of the Gospel. So Paul and Barnabas "waxed bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.’" (Acts 13:46)

And, when the Jews "opposed themselves" and blasphemed, Paul shook his raiment, and said unto them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.’" (Acts 18:6}

THE "KEY OF DISCIPLINE"

The second of the "keys" is the "key of discipline" or "practice." Although our Lord commanded to allow the wheat and tares to grow together until the harvest, it is an abominable handling of Scripture to interpret the parable to mean we ought to allow the lawless, the ungodly, the unholy and profane to continue in the fellowship of the saints. Whoremongers, sodomites, child-molesters, kidnappers, murderers, liars, thieves and such like are not in good standing with God, and when such sinners are known, they will not be allowed to continue in good standing in any congregation of the righteous. Churches that take no action against erring members are confederacies in evil.

DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY

In Matthew 16:13-19, our Lord’s discourse is with Peter, but in Matthew 18:15-20, it is clear the authority "to bind" and "to loose" is given by our Lord to include all His disciples. All faithful ministers since "The Twelve" have been endowed with this authority. (See: I Corinthians 5:1-5)

According to the latter passage, Christ endows Gospel ministers with authority to do 3 things: to admit members into the church, to censure members who through doctrinal impurity or moral impurity forfeit the privilege of membership, and to restore erring members when they repent.

"BINDING EVIL" AND "BINDING SATAN:"

UNSCRIPTURAL TEACHINGS

Notice that in neither chapter does our Lord speak of "binding the forces of evil," or "binding Satan." This doctrine is completely unbiblical, and is the invention of the modern Charismatic movement. It has great appeal to a backslidden church because it gives authority to men that properly belongs to the Lord. Such teaching has cultivated a light-hearted and often arrogant attitude among the careless.

The saints of God have "as much Scriptural warrant for binding Satan as they do for binding "Death." Even Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil over the body of Moses "dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke, thee,’" (Jude 9)

THE METHOD OF ADMINISTERING CHURCH DISCIPLINE

The Lord "loved the church and gave Himself for it." Here, in Matthew 18, He lays down 5 procedural steps to show how discipline is to be properly administered in the "Church of the First Born," "the Church of the living God, the Pillar and the Ground of the Truth." (Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 12:23; I Timothy 3:15)

First, go to the erring member and tell him his fault—but do it privately, keeping it quiet so long as possible. Argue the case with the guilty member. If he will hear you, i.e. if he will take heed to what is said, and will mend his way, you have gained your brother—you have rescued him.

Second, if he will not hear you, tell one or at most 2 others that they may go with you to the errant member, and that in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. Perhaps the sight of others with you will effect a softening in him.

Third, if he will not hear them, it must be made public by revealing it to the Church.

Fourth, if his heart is so obstinate that he will no hear what the Church has to say, "let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to keep company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of the world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters: for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." (I Corinthians 5:9-11)

THE GODLY RESPECT CHURCH DISCIPLINE

All members of Christ’s Church are to respect the discipline exercised against a member of the body. The relationship previously existing between the erring member and every child of God is dissolved. They must witness in all necessary business with him that they concur with the action of the Church and that they consider him as if he belonged to the world.

They must not be arrogant or icy in their attitudes toward him, but demonstrate a kindness without appearing to condone his sin. TO reveal a softness or an approval of him is to make them-selves liable to be censured. If the good of the offender is to be assured, every Christian should respect God-ordained discipline, If any saints treat the offender with the same cordiality as before, or if any appear to side with the guilty member, he will be encouraged to continue in his wrong.

Errant members who have been censured by the Church may persist in their hostility to the truth and may even strive to cause divisions within the Church. The Apostle Paul exhorted, "Mark them and avoid them." Such people should be shunned by members of the Church as they would a cancer. If necessity requires them to some association with them, they should be made aware of the harm of listening to their arguments. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." (Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 15:33)

No member can find pleasure in the company of an errant member without becoming "partaker of his sins." So long as the censured member continues in his waywardness, so long are the Godly to note that man, and have no company with him that he may be ashamed." (II John 11; II Thessalonians 5:14)

"Let him be unto thee as an heathen man..." There is a marked difference between an errant member and a heathen: an errant brother is capable of being restored. He is not excluded from the hope of forgiveness. Church censure, therefore, is not an end, but a means to an end. It is designed that the guilty may be brought to sense their guilt and be ashamed, and that upon their repentance they may be restored into fellowship.

Every convenient opportunity should be taken to admonish him to repent; So long as he will listen to reproof, there is hope. Calvin remarked, "He who is ashamed is yet healable." Such admonition should be lovingly, yet, solemnly given, and care should be taken lest by "good words and fair speeches" he deceive you.

Fifth, when the erring brother repents, the Church is to restore the member, and the saints must open wide their arms to welcome him. If Christ is ready to forgive, the saints must be ready to forgive because "if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. (Matthew 6:15)

A SIGN OF THE TIMES

It is very grievous that Church discipline is nearly non-existent. If a Church member is Scripturally disciplined, he ought not be able to join any church --not a Baptist, a Presbyterian, a Pentecostal, an Anglican, or any other. Yet in this present hour, most pulpits are occupied by pastors who preach smoother things than God does allow.

THE EFFECTS OF PROPERLY-ADMINISTERED DISCIPLINE

"Verily I say unto you, ‘Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven.’" When an erring member is Scripturally disciplined, he is "bound." He may go down the street and become a member in another congregation that refuses to recognize the discipline administered, or the Church may be so thrilled at having a new member, they may be unwilling to investigate a newcomer in his former congregation. The guilty member may succeed in becoming a deacon, or a Sunday school teacher—but he is "bound", nonetheless. His prayers, like his communion with Christ, are "bound" and will remain "bound" until he repents. He can never be right with God until he does repent. He may appear to be in good standing in the religious community, but he is not in "good standing" before the Lord.

THE POWER OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION

"If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven." This passage that is nearly always interpreted of prayer is in the context speaking of church discipline. Certainly "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me," however, prayer is not the primary application of the context.

"For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." This passage is usually interpreted as if it applied to the assembling of the saints, and certainly it is true that if only 2 or 3 gather together to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, He will be among them to sanction their meeting, but the primary meaning of the passage remains that it is not necessary for the entire religious community to agree with the discipline of a Church: but if it is properly administered, God will sanction the censure of even 2 or 3 who gather together in His name.

Christ’s judgments will follow a Church’s discipline. Such judgments may not be as overt as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, and in the many who are weak and sickly, or who die because they partake unworthily of the Lord’s Table. Sometimes God’s judgments come in the form of more and aggravated sin, but more often than not, it comes in the inability to discern God’s truth as before the Church’s censure. How terrible a condition to be unable to understand the Word of God as in times past! Let scorners ridicule the authority Christ gives to His servants. Let them laugh, if they will. It is true nonetheless that where 2 or 3 gather together in the name and for the glory of God, Christ is there in the midst.

An opportunity is open for a godly couple to assume the ministry at Chapel Library in Venice, Florida. In addition to an extensive lending library, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Nelson have a gospel tract ministry that extends to every state and nearly to every country.

Among the qualifications are first, that the couple are circumspect in their lives; and second, that they embrace the doctrines of grace.

All interested should write --

Chapel Library

% Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Nelson

P.O. Box 1335

Venice, Florida 3559S

Telephone: 488-2622 (Area Code 8137)

_______________________

"MY TIMES ARE IN THY HAND."

Text: "Thou art my God; my times are in Thy hand." (Psalm 31:14,15)

The Psalmist here makes a deliberate proclamation of his determined allegiance to the Lord who made Heaven and earth -- "Thou art my God." He acknowledges the reality of what God had already told him. No matter what troubles confronted him, no matter when they came upon him, whether in the darkness of night or in the blazing light of the noonday sun, the realization the Almighty was his God was sufficient. What should he fear? Whom should he fear? "The Lord" was His God.

He was no urchin or orphan, but he had a Father in Heaven. The Lord was his God! Until a person is so persuaded that he too can cry with the Psalmist, "Thou art my God!" his confidence will teeter. To the Psalmist, God was his Comforter, his Protector, and his Friend.

"My times are in Thy hand." If his times were in the hands of God, they were in the hands of One who could help him! If he could say with confidence, "Thou art my God," then the Almighty would help him and would dispose of his times for his good. All things would work together for his good because he loved the Lord and was called according to His purpose.

"My times are in Thy hands." God could lengthen or shorten the days of the years of his times. God had authority to sweeten or to embitter those times. He had the power to render his times smooth or rough because they were in His hands.

Our times are, therefore, not in our own hands to use as we choose to use them. Here is a direct condemnation of them who would hasten their death or the death of another. Euthanasia is hereby forbidden, as is abortion. Our times are in the hands of Him who has given life. Our times belong to Him; and it is His business when death is to occur. Except in the punishment of crimes when God commands the taking of life, we are to commit our care unto Him for He is the faithful Creator.

"My times are in Thy hands", and not in mine own. They are not at my disposal to he used according to my whims. Like Pilgrim I too must wait until I am bidden to cross the River of Death and enter into Zion. I must not pine away my golden years, nor neglect my health.

David found particular comfort in the realization that since his times were in the hands of God, they were not in the hands of his enemies. Could his times be in better hands? Who knows better the time to deliver us from our troubles? Who knows our needs any better?

God who made the Heaven and the earth is our God! Our times are in His hands! It is certain then, our life will not be lived in vain: it has a purpose.

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