Matthew 16:17-19 NLT
[17] “Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. [18] Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. [19] And I WILL GIVE YOU THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM of Heaven. Whatever you forbid (untie, loosen, release, annul, set at naught, destroy – Strong’s Concordance number g3089) on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit ( bind, tie, fasten – Strong’s Concordance number g1210) on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

This is a passage of Scripture that has almost as many interpretations as there are interpreters! From Peter, the rock on whom Jesus builds His church to demons that have to be beaten back by our authority, confusion has confused the issues around Jesus’ commission to His disciples.

It’s important for us to distinguish between specific instructions and promises Jesus gave to His twelve disciples as the “foundation” of the church…

Ephesians 2:20 NLT
[20] Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

… and general instructions and promises that apply to the church.

“I WIL GIVE YOU THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM”… What a loaded statement! The entire New Testament is an expansion on Jesus’ promise to His Twelve disciples.

This was a unique situation in the lives of the disciples. The setting was unusual, one that Jesus deliberately chose as the background to His commission to His disciples.

Caesarea Philippi was the “red light” district of Israel, situated in the north-east, near Mount Hermon, and the area later known as Banias, the source of the Jordan River and the site of the despicable pagan worship of Pan, the goat-god.

This was the area in Israel, the centre of monotheistic Judaism, where Roman and Greek paganism were practised in the extreme. A temple to the worship of Caesar and a temple to the worship of Pan, the goat-god of fertility, were the centre of pagan worship in this area together with the disgusting practice of sexual contact with goats.

Against this background, where the worst of human depravity was exposed, Jesus impressed on His disciples the power of His “yoke”, the power of the gospel based on His life, death, and resurrection, to save and deliver from all sin. At the same time, He commissioned His disciples through understanding and experience, to interpret, and teach His yoke to the whole world which was the key to the kingdom of heaven.

Although He did not express these details in so many words on this occasion, the disciples would have understood His commission by the words He used. They were first-century disciples of a Jewish rabbi. They were called to a life-long commitment to follow, imitate, and pass on the teachings and practices of their “teacher” without adding or subtracting anything from his teaching or example. His yoke represented every detail of who he was, did, and taught.

Like a young ox yoked with an old ox to learn to pull a plough, disciples were “yoked” to their rabbi to learn to live like he did and to pass the rabbi’s yoke to other disciples.

So, Jesus’ final command to the Twelve was a summary of the years that they had spent yoked to Him as their rabbi.

Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
[18] “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus was adamant that those who adopted His yoke of righteousness and mercy would be set free from all other yokes, especially the yoke of the religious leaders who hypocritically taught a legalism they did not live by.

His yoke was already (approved) permitted in heaven and did away with every annulled and destroyed yoke bound on people (for example, the yokes of idolatry or legalism). Hence, He gave His commission to the Twelve to practise and teach His yoke to the very people who were enslaved by the paganism the disciples were witnessing in Caesarea Philippi. “On this rock I will build my church…” Which rock? Is it not possible that Jesus was referring to the very rock on which the temple to the worship of Pan stood. In places like that, He would build His church of people whose lives would be changed through His death and resurrection and His yoke of mercy and forgiveness.

Jesus’ authority to pass on His commission to His disciples lay in the very words of Peter’s confession. As the Son of the living God, He had the right and authority to send them out to the world to bind His yoke on people as the solution to sin and alienation from God.

The worst the world has done is to substitute imaginary gods for the true God, to attribute to them the right to be worshipped, and to turn God’s holy requirements upside down, calling good evil and evil good (Romans 1:18-32).

Jesus instructed His disciples to pass on the gospel message of salvation through His death and resurrection to the whole world. They would rightly understand what His death would mean, through the writings and predictions of the prophets in the Old Covenant. He would send the Holy Spirit to be in them, giving them understanding, who would lead them into all truth. He would inspire them to write this message for posterity.

2 Peter 1:16-21 NLT
[16] “For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes [17] when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” [18] We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. [19] Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. [20] Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, [21] or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

It is faith in the gospel message of salvation through Jesus alone and obedience to the message, that is the key to the kingdom. The response of obedience to Jesus and His teaching opens the door to God’s reign in the heart. Jesus, sets those free from all other yokes who follow and obey Him.

John 8:31-36 NLT
[31] “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [33] “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” [34] Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

The Twelve were chosen to call people to enter the kingdom of God through repentance and faith in Jesus. They were to teach the good news of Jesus in all its detail. They would call others to discipleship, but no one would have the authority Jesus specifically entrusted to them. All other disciples are called to embrace the yoke the Twelve passed on without adding or subtracting anything to it. Adding to or subtracting anything from Jesus’ yoke would automatically disqualify them from being His disciples.

The passage of Scripture quoted at the beginning has a completely different meaning from that traditionally taught. This is not about binding Satan (as if this were possible!), and loosing the Holy Spirit (which is utter nonsense). Jesus taught His, disciples that the power of the gospel of God’s grace through His death and resurrection would bind that truth in them and loose them from the lies they believed and practised. Only through the message of the gospel, faith in Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit that brings about the new birth can anyone ever see or enter the kingdom of God.

In response to Nicodemus’ question…

John 3:3, 5-8 NLT
[3] “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”…
[5] Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”