‘If your brother sins against you, … tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ – Matthew 18:15-20.
Taken out of context, the text, ‘… where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am,’ can be used to discredit the significance of personal or private prayer, organised religion and religious activities such as Mass.
Given its original context and audience, Jesus was addressing a gathering of decision-making disciples and apostles. He intended to instruct them on how to deal with a Christian who sinned against another Christian, assuring them that He would be invisibly present to guide them. Jesus had the Jewish law in mind, which required two or three witnesses to establish the truth or ensure a fair judgment (Deuteronomy 17:6). Ultimately, He assured them that they were the final authority on matters such as these.
This reflection invites us to explore the significance of the authority and power Jesus gave to Peter and his fellow apostles, symbolised by the keys:
‘And I tell you, you are Peter (meaning rock), and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.’ – Matthew 16:18-19.
After giving the disciples this authority, Jesus told them: ‘If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven.’
This simply meant that the disciples, in union with God the Father, could loose and bind disciplines on Christians who sinned. An ordained minister does not forgive sins by his own power but acts as an instrument of God’s mercy, in the person of Christ. During His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated His divine authority and mercy by offering forgiveness (John 8:11).
In John 20:22-23, Jesus links this authority directly to receiving the Holy Spirit, showing that it is a spiritual authority rather than a human skill. The same passage is understood as the direct institution of the Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation (Confession). It gives priests delegated authority from God to forgive or withhold forgiveness of sins and provides the basis for the practice of confessing sins to priests.
The text under reflection differs in significance from James 5:16, which encourages believers to confess their sins to one another and pray for one another so that they may be healed. James, nevertheless, instructs sick individuals to call for the ‘presbyters’ of the Church to pray over them and anoint them with oil. These symbols and rites act as visible channels of God’s invisible grace.
Jesus neither restricted His apostles’ authority to matters of sin alone nor prevented them from passing His authority to their successors. Rather, He also meant that the Twelve, and those whom they ordained as their successors, could arbitrate on other important matters, such as disciplinary and doctrinal issues.
Through the centuries, the Church has developed binding rules, known as canon law, as well as a court system or tribunal. Through canon law and the tribunal, a diocesan bishop exercises judicial power in the diocese. The system also protects the legal and spiritual rights of Church members while providing formal corrective measures to help errant Christians amend their behaviour and repair damage to the community.