Matt. 16 : 19 Keys of the kingdom of heaven?

[Mark]

What did Messiah mean when He gave the "keys to the kingdom of heaven" to Peter in Matthew 16:19?

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(Matthew 16:19)

[Nashdude]

I don't have time to go indepth right now (am on my work computer, which I have to share ), but I really believe that Peter is not the only one Jesus was talking to at the time. Remember, He was addressing ALL of the disciples at the time, asking ALL of them who the people thought He was, and who THEY thought He was. Peter was only the last one to speak. He didn't give Peter ALONE the keys to heaven, but rather all those who served in the same capacity as Peter---as Christ's disciples.

That includes us today.

As to what He meant by this "giving", I'll comment on that when I have a few more minutes, as I tend to get longwinded on this kind of thing hehe

[alon]

Matthew 16:17-20 (ESV)  17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Mattityahu 16:17-20 (OJB)  17 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply to him, Ashrey atah (happy are you), Shimon Bar Yonah, because basar vadahm (flesh and blood) did not give you this hisgalus (revelation), but Avi shbaShomayim.  18 And I also say to you that you are Shimon Kefa [Petros] and upon this TSUR I will build my Kehillah, my Chavurah (the Community of Moshiach) and the shaarei Sheol (gates of Sheol) shall not overpower it.  19 I will give you the maftechot Malchut HaShomayim (keys of the Kingdom of Heaven); and whatever you shall bind as asur (prohibited) on haaretz shall be bound as asur (prohibited) in Shomayim, and whatever you shall loose as mutar (permitted) on haaretz shall be loosed as mutar (permitted) in Shomayim.  20 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave the directive to his talmidim that they should tell no one that he was the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

Bind G1210  δέω  deō  Thayer Definition:
1) to bind tie, fasten
1a) to bind, fasten with chains, to throw into chains
1b) metaphorically
1b1) Satan is said to bind a woman bent together by means of a demon, as his messenger, taking possession of the woman and preventing her from standing upright
1b2) to bind, put under obligation, of the law, duty etc.
1b2a) to be bound to one, a wife, a husband
1b3) to forbid, prohibit, declare to be illicit

Loose  G3089  λύω  luō  Thayer Definition:
1) to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened
1a) bandages of the feet, the shoes
1b) of a husband and wife joined together by the bond of matrimony
1c) of a single man, whether he has already had a wife or has not yet married
2) to loose one bound, i.e. to unbind, release from bonds, set free
2a) of one bound up (swathed in bandages)
2b) bound with chains (a prisoner), discharge from prison, let go
3) to loosen, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied, or compacted together
3a) an assembly, i.e. to dismiss, break up
3b) laws, as having a binding force, are likened to bonds
3c) to annul, subvert
3d) to do away with, to deprive of authority, whether by precept or act
3e) to declare unlawful
3f) to loose what is compacted or built together, to break up, demolish, destroy
3g) to dissolve something coherent into parts, to destroy
3h) metaphorically, to overthrow, to do away with

Sh'mon Bar-Yonah was made a Sheliach Tzibur, the first apostle. He now had Rabbinic authority to speak for the sect which was following Yeshua, later to grow and become the Nots'rim; to make Halacha and give rulings, and to dissolve legal bonds. He could declare a person apostate or accept them into the fold. Note where this authority comes from: "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Through his trust in Yeshua, YHVH Himself revealed this to Sh'mon Kefa. The implication is clear that this same trust and revelation scenario is what he is to use when making these rulings. Also both trust and its' testimony (evidence) are based in knowledge and obedience to Hashem's . If Kefa did not have an obedient walk, he would not have been a talmid of Yeshua in the first place. That same statement is as true of us as it was the men who followed Yeshua then.

It is also interesting to note where they were at the time this was said. They were standing in front of a grotto in the Galil which had a pagan temple near it. The Romans and the Greeks called this "the Gates of Hell" and it was said to be home to many demons, most minor but not all. I can't but wonder if this is why the enemy came after Kefa so hard at the crucifixion. But in the end it was proven that Yeshua knew what He was doing as Sh'mon Kefa overcame his failure and went on to lead the early sect of the Nots'rim.

Notice too that Yeshua announced this promotion of sorts to the enemy, not to the Jews. He also enjoined his Talmidim not to tell anyone that He was haMoshiach. The enemy knew this, why not tell the Jews? My thoughts are that He wanted anyone coming to the faith to do so by the calling and their trusting response to the Ruach of Adonai. Even today we get many arguments from people, Jew and Gentile alike (and even some calling themselves Messianic) "But Jesus never said He was the Messiah." Not in so many words, no. You must come to that conclusion based on your faith and trust alone. And you must submit yourself to those He appoints in authority, not be obtuse in your opinions. Not to say we don't use discernment, but if you have a problem with what is said then respectfully ask about it. That is how we learn (that and talking with others of like mind, i.e. at Ahavat Elohim  ).

This was no less than a declaration of war on the enemy. Like many armies of old, they would face off in full battle array and the leaders would confer, sometimes negotiating a truce. Yeshua was saying 'We've been at war from the fall from the heavens, and again at the fall of man; now I tell you I've appointed a lieutenant to lead should I fall and there will be no truce!' If it helps, think of the scene in "Braveheart" where the smaller ragtag Scottish army was faced off with the English and the Scottish nobles wanted to go and negotiate. One of the Lieutennants of the rebel army asked William Wallace where he was going as he was leaving the lines for the conference on the soon to be bloody field. His reply was classic, "I'm going to pick a fight." Yeshua was picking a fight. He was saying 'You started this, but I am about to finish it.'

My thoughts on the question.

Dan C