Remission Of Sins On Earth and In Heaven (2)

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Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.  John 20:23

In the last article we began an explanation of this verse.  We called attention to the fact that the same idea as is contained in this vs. is also found in Mt. 16:19 and Mt. 18:18.  Our readers are asked to consult these two passages from Matthew.

We also pointed out that all three passages speak of Christian discipline, which discipline is, along with the preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments, a mark of the true church of Christ to distinguish her from the false church.

But Christian discipline is not only a mark of the true church; it is the church's calling, her marching orders, given her by Christ her Head.

In giving the command to exercise discipline to the apostles, Christ gave this command to the entire new dispensational church, for the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles (Eph. 2:20).

The passages in Matthew speak of binding and loosing; and tell us that the binding and loosing which is done on earth is also done in heaven: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven . . . ."

We may well ask the question: What specifically is meant by "binding and loosing?"  The Scriptures give us the answer in the vs. quoted at the top of this article, John 20:23.  It is the power to remit sins and "retain" sins.  Or, to put this in language more common among us, it is the power to forgive sins or not to forgive sins.

This is the power given to the apostles and to the church.

Christian discipline is the spiritual power to forgive sins or to withhold forgiveness.

We ought to pause here a moment to notice a couple of elements about this which, while not specifically mentioned in the text, are taught in other parts of Scripture.

In the first place, this whole matter has to do, as we said, with Christian discipline.  And discipline is exercised upon those who, in the congregation, commit gross sin which is an offense to the church and which will, if unconfessed, bring God's judgment upon the church.

In the second place, as the elders admonish and instruct such a sinner, their goal is to lead the sinner to repentance and confession.  The words of Jesus to the apostles refer to forgiving sin and not forgiving sin upon confession, or lack of it.

The confessing and penitent sinner is forgiven by the church; the impenitent sinner is not forgiven.  The confessing and penitent sinner is taken back into the life and fellowship of the church.  The impenitent sinner is put out of the church.  In this way the gates are opened and closed.

To the church, therefore, is given the authority to forgive sin and to refuse to forgive sin.  And that authority to forgive or not to forgive is done also in heaven. 

This is the meaning of Jesus' Word.

But now we come to the great question: Is not this exactly what Rome teaches?  Does not Rome claim to itself a power to forgive sins which belongs to Christ alone?  Is not this an arrogant assumption on Rome's part?  And now, you say, that this is what Scripture teaches after all?

We must answer this question.

And we ought to answer it first of all by pointing out that Rome did not always hold to its present position.  In the earlier history of the church in the new dispensation the church pronounced forgiveness of sins (or no forgiveness) in the name of Christ and as the mouthpiece of Christ.  It was a pronouncement of what Christ Himself did.

But as Rome grew in power and gathered to itself more and more authority which it had no right to claim, it also changed this whole idea so that it claimed the judicial right to forgive sins.  It was not only declaratorybut judicial.  That is, Rome claimed that as a church it could and did forgive sins.

In this way Rome claims to itself what belongs only to Christ.

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But we shall have to finish this discussion in the next issue.

Our readers will bear patiently with us in a rather lengthy discussion of the matter because it is of such vital importance.