Explain Matthew 16:19

Actually there is no verse that gives the pope infallible declarations. The passage you gave is one that is miss-used for such however. The passage is speaking of giving men the keys to open the church age which is the word of God. Nothing more.

 

Geneva Study Bible

16:19 6 And I will give unto thee the n keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt o bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(6) The authority of the Church is from God.
(n) A metaphor taken from stewards who carry the keys: and here is set forth the power of the ministers of the word, as (Isaiah 22:22 </desk/?query=isa+22:22&gt says, and that power is common to all ministers, as (Matthew 18:18 </desk/?query=mt+18:18&gt says, and therefore the ministry of the gospel may rightly be called the key of the kingdom of heaven.
(o) They are bound whose sins are retained; heaven is shut against them, because they do not receive Christ by faith: on the other hand, how happy are they to whom heaven is open, who embrace Christ and are delivered by him, and become fellow heirs with him!

From John Gill: (too much to paste)
http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=016&verse=019

From Mattew Henry:
http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-com/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=016

 

I was taught that giving the keys is the church representing Christ's authority. It's singular here but in Matt. 18 the same phrase is repeated and the "you" there is plural.

It has nothing to do with Peter being the Pope or head of the church, but rather that the church derives its authority from heaven, and what is bound first in heaven is bound on earth. It also has nothing to do with spiritual warfare and binding demons although this passage is misused to teach that.

The Matt. 18 passage has to do with church discipline. The authority to discipline in the church, when according to God's word, is from God.

Here's a link that responds to the Catholic claim that this passage makes Peter the first pope:
Was Peter the Rock?

 

The passage refers to the authority given to the local church to receive and expell members. Jesus makes a very similar statement in Matthew 18 where the context clearly shows He is talking about exercising church discipline.

Also, in I Corinthians chapter 5 Paul charged the church at Corinth to exercise this authority when they were "gathered together" and to excommunicate the impenitent whoremonger from the church.

These are the passages from which Baptists derive their beliefs about congregational government and discipline. Unfortunately, many Baptists have been so deceived by Protestant ways of thinking that they have forgotten these things. Some Baptists even view our polity as just a tradition and not the teaching of Christ.

Not only so, even among the Baptists who acknowledge the true meaning of these passages, there are few who actually put them into practice. It seems to me that the Baptist churches stand in sore need of using the keys given them by Christ and to unlock the "exit" door from the church.

Mark Osgatharp

 

I have moved this topic to the Other Religions/Doctrines Forum.

This topic will probably get more attention in the Other Religions/Doctrines Forum, it is not a Baptist Theology in any way.

I have also moved the topic 'Explain Matt. 16.28 to the Other Discussions forum

Baptist Only Forums are limited to posts by active members of a local Baptist Church.

Bro. Dallas Eaton (co-Moderator)