2011-09-09

What kind of a power is the Office of the Keys?

Share |


What is the Office of the Keys? It is the peculiar church power which Christ has given to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of penitent sinners, but to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent. Where is this written? Thus writes the holy Evangelist John, chapter twentieth: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and saith unto them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.


The power of the Office of the Keys is a spiritual power, which Christ has given to His entire Church on earth, in such a way that each Christian local congregation, even the smallest one, has this power and is fully entitled to use it. This power is exercised through God’s Word.

Joh. 20:22-23: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and saith unto them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Matt. 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.

Matt. 18:17-18: 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, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matt. 18:20: For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.