Matthew 16:19

“I will give to you the keys of the kingly rule of heaven, and whatever you will bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” '

Peter then continues to be honoured for what he has said, but we must remember that the privilege he receives is that of a servant, not of a master. He is to be given 'the keys of the Kingly Rule of Heaven' (but not necessarily the only keys). He will be, as it were, ‘a doorkeeper to the house of the Lord' (Psalms 84:10). And what will these enable him to do? Jesus goes on to explain. They will enable him to bind and loose (an ability later given to all the Apostles - Matthew 18:18).It is the servant or steward who bears the keys, not the master of the household. And he will open up the door for others, both by determining doctrine, and by establishing the church. This was primarily fulfilled in that Peter was the first preacher to the Jews after the resurrection, in Acts 2, and the first official opener of the doors to Gentiles, in Acts 10-11.

But like all pictures, in interpreting this we must look for examples which explain the point in Scripture. We cannot just interpret it to suit our own viewpoints. That is to make revelation subject to what we think, and that is clearly foolish. Revelation is intended to shape what we think. A clear example of what these words mean is found in chapter 23, where the Scribes are said not to open the truth either to themselves or others. ‘You shut the Kingly Rule of Heaven against men. For you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who are entering in to enter' (Matthew 23:13). They were using the keys of the Kingly Rule of Heaven wrongly (each Scribe was given a key representing the key of knowledge when he graduated - Luke 11:52), because they resisted the truth as it is found in Jesus. And they sought to prevent others responding to His words. Thus the keys of the Kingly Rule of Heaven are related to the proclamation of the truth, and to the encouraging of men and women to enter under the Kingly Rule of Heaven. These words are highly significant, for they were indicating that 'the keys' which belonged to the Scribes had now been taken off them and given to the Apostles on their confession of His Messiahship.

To Peter then, and to the remainder of the Apostles, to the Scribes of the early church (Matthew 13:52), and to the later appointees of the early church, and to us, are granted the keys of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. When we proclaim His truth we open the door, when we withhold the truth we close the door. Peter was especially given the keys at this point because he had demonstrated by his words that he had a message to preach. He was the first to receive them because he was the first to declare the truth about Jesus. From now on he could proclaim this new truth, that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, opening the Kingly Rule of Heaven to all who would hear.

But there is no suggestion that these are the only keys, and that they are given to Peter exclusively. He received them first because he was the first to testify of Jesus that He was the son of the living God. And as others began to be aware of the same they too would receive the keys of the Kingly Rule of Heaven.

In the light of the words that follow, it is almost certain that we are to see in these keys a reference to ‘the key of knowledge' which was solemnly presented to each Rabbi on his successful completion of his probation, whereby he was to open the meaning of the Law to God's people (compare Luke 11:52). It is true that that was only a single key given to each. But that is the point. Their keys have been taken from them and entrusted to Peter on behalf of all the Apostles. However if Jesus was combining this idea with that of proclamation to both Jew and Gentile then He might well have had in mind two keys, one for opening the truth to the Jews and the other for opening it to the Gentiles, just as He was doing Himself. It should be noted that the use of the key by the Rabbis was to unlock the truth to people in order that they might enter the Kingly Rule of Heaven (Matthew 23:13), and that Jesus' charge is that they failed even to use if for themselves. There was no thought of them actually controlling who could enter (except by failing to reveal the truth to them). They were servants and stewards, not Masters.

‘And whatever you will bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.' Here is the prime example of the use of the keys. They are to be used in accordance with heavenly instruction through the Spirit (note the tense of the verb 'shall have been bound/loosed in Heaven'), as the Spirit reveals to them the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:9). The Rabbis were spoken of as binding the Law when they forbade something, or gave a strict interpretation, and as loosing the Law when they ameliorated it in some way. In the same way then, Peter was to be able to make decisions, along with all the other Apostles (Matthew 18:18), which would determine the meaning of Scriptural injunctions for God's people. They were given the authority to expand and explain. We find this being carried out in the letters of Peter, John and Paul. But we should note that when there was disagreement expounded truth must prevail (e.g. Galatians 2:11). For this ministry they would be given special and unique enlightenment as they applied the Master's words (John 16:13). This power and authority was especially required in the days of the infant church, before there was a New Testament which contained within it that expounded truth.

But we should note here the future perfect tense which whenever it is used is significant. The verb ‘to loose' is freely used in all its tenses so that when the future perfect is chosen it must be seen as to be given its full force, otherwise it would not have been used. And that force is ‘shall have been'. Thus it is saying here that each decision that the disciples make is to have first been established in Heaven. They are thus to respond to what Heaven says, not make their decisions so that Heaven may concur. Theirs is a great responsibility. It is to receive the mind of Christ on behalf of the infant church (1 Corinthians 2:16). They were to be humble servants of the Master, and responsive to His revelation to them.

Note. These keys must not be confused with the key of David (Isaiah 22:22) for that is clearly still said to be in Jesus' hands as the One Who 'opens and shuts'. See Revelation 3:7. That is the key of history and of men's destiny.