Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. New Living Translation “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. English Standard Version 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. Berean Standard Bible Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Berean Literal Bible Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven. King James Bible 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. New King James Version “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. New American Standard Bible Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. NASB 1995 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. NASB 1977 “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Legacy Standard Bible Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Amplified Bible I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven. Christian Standard Bible Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. Holman Christian Standard Bible I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven. American Standard Version Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Contemporary English Version I promise you God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but God will not allow anything you don't allow. English Revised Version Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. GOD'S WORD® Translation I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free. Good News Translation "And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. International Standard Version "I tell all of you with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven. Majority Standard Bible Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. NET Bible "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. New Heart English Bible Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Webster's Bible Translation Verily I say to you, Whatever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Weymouth New Testament I solemnly tell you that whatever you as a Church bind on earth will in Heaven be held as bound, and whatever you loose on earth will in Heaven be held to be loosed. World English Bible Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionTruly I say to you, whatever things you may bind on the earth will be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things you may loose on the earth will be having been loosed in the heavens. Berean Literal Bible Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Young's Literal Translation 'Verily I say to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens. Smith's Literal Translation Truly I say to you, Whatever things ye should bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever things ye should loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAmen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. Catholic Public Domain Version Amen I say to you, whatever you will have bound on earth, shall be bound also in heaven, and whatever you will have released on earth, shall be released also in heaven. New American Bible Amen, 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. New Revised Standard Version Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleTruly I say to you, Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And truly I say to you, everything whatsoever you will bind in the earth will have been bound in Heaven, and anything that you will release in the earth will have been released in Heaven. NT Translations Anderson New TestamentVerily, I say to you, my disciples, Whatever you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Godbey New Testament Haweis New Testament Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever things ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever things ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Mace New Testament I declare unto you, "whatever things ye disallow on earth, are disallow'd by heaven: and whatever ye authorize on earth, are authoriz'd by heaven." Weymouth New Testament I solemnly tell you that whatever you as a Church bind on earth will in Heaven be held as bound, and whatever you loose on earth will in Heaven be held to be loosed. Worrell New Testament Worsley New Testament Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Brother who Sins…17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.… Cross References John 20:23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.” Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” John 16:23-24 In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. / Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. / And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him. James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Luke 11:9-10 So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus, / hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 2:10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, Acts 15:28-29 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: / You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. Isaiah 22:22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Job 22:28 Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways. Genesis 18:18-19 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. / For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.” Deuteronomy 19:15 A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Numbers 30:2 If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised. Treasury of Scripture Truly I say to you, Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 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. John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. Acts 15:23-31 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: … Jump to Previous Bind Bound Church Earth Fixed Free Heaven Heavens Held Loose Release Released Soever Solemnly Truth Verily Whatever WhatsoeverJump to Next Bind Bound Church Earth Fixed Free Heaven Heavens Held Loose Release Released Soever Solemnly Truth Verily Whatever WhatsoeverMatthew 18 1. Jesus warns his disciples to be humble and harmless,7. to avoid offenses, 10. and not to despise the little ones; 15. teaches how we are to deal with our brothers when they offend us, 21. and how often to forgive them; 23. which he sets forth by a parable of the king who took account of his servants, 32. and punished him who showed no mercy to his fellow servant. Truly I tell you This phrase is a solemn affirmation used by Jesus to emphasize the importance and truth of His statement. It is often used to introduce significant teachings or revelations. In the context of Matthew 18, Jesus is addressing His disciples, underscoring the authority and responsibility they will have in the community of believers. This phrase is similar to the Old Testament prophets who would declare, "Thus says the Lord," indicating divine authority. whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, providing authoritative teaching to His disciples. 2. Disciples The immediate audience of Jesus' teaching, representing the early church and its leadership. 3. Heaven The spiritual realm where God's will is perfectly enacted, contrasted with earthly authority. 4. Earth The physical realm where the church operates and exercises its authority. 5. Binding and Loosing A Jewish idiomatic expression referring to the authority to declare what is permitted or forbidden. Teaching Points Authority of the ChurchJesus grants the church authority to make binding decisions on spiritual matters, reflecting heaven's will. Responsibility in Decision-Making The church must exercise its authority with discernment, aligning decisions with Scripture and God's will. Unity Between Heaven and Earth The church's actions should reflect the unity between heaven and earth, ensuring that earthly decisions resonate with heavenly principles. Role of Community Binding and loosing are communal activities, emphasizing the importance of collective discernment and accountability within the church body. Prayerful Consideration Decisions involving binding and loosing should be approached with prayer, seeking divine guidance and wisdom.(18) Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth.--(See Note on Matthew 16:19.) The promise before made to Peter is now extended not only to the other Apostles, but to the whole society of which they were the representatives, and is, of course, to be understood as dependent on the same implied, though not expressed, condition. So far as the Ecclesia was true to its Lord, and guided by His Spirit, it was not to think that its decisions depended on any temporal power. They were clothed, as truth and righteousness are ever clothed, with a divine authority. As connected with the treatment of individual offenders, the words "bind" and "loose" may seem here to approximate more closely than in Matthew 16:19, to "condemning" and "absolving" in their force, but there is no ground for setting aside, even here, their received meaning in the language of the scribes. The Christian had to apply general laws to particular instances. The trial of each offender became a ruling case. It was binding or loosing, directly as interpreting the Law, only secondarily and indirectly as punishing or pardoning.Verse 18. - The following words are addressed, not, as the preceding verse, to the offended Christian, but to the apostles, as possessed of some superior powers above those of any individual congregation. Verily I say unto you. The Lord solemnly confers the grant made to Peter (Matthew 16:19) on the whole apostolate. The binding and loosing, in a restricted sense, and in logical connection with what precedes, refer to the confirmation and authorization of the sentence of the Ecclesia, which is not valid, so to speak, in the heavenly court till endorsed by Christ's representatives - the apostles. Whether the verdict was the excommunication of the offender ("bind") or his pardon and restoration ("loose"), the ratification of the apostles was required, and would be made good in heaven. The treatment of the incestuous Christian by St. Paul is a practical comment on this passage. The congregation decides on the man's guilt, but St. Paul "binds" him, retains his sins, and delivers him to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:1-5); and when on his repentance he is forgiven, it is the apostle who "looses" him, acting as the representative of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:10). In a general sense, the judicial and disciplinary powers of the Christian priesthood have been founded on this passage, which from early times has been used in the service of ordination. Each body of Christians has its own way of interpreting the promise. While some opine that, speaking in Christ's name and with his authority, the priest can pronounce or withhold pardon; others believe that external discipline is all that is intended; others again think that the terms are satisfied by the ministration of the Word and sacraments, as a physician gives health by prescribing remedies. Parallel Commentaries ... Greek TrulyἈμὴν (Amēn) Hebrew Word Strong's 281: Of Hebrew origin; properly, firm, i.e. trustworthy; adverbially, surely. I tell λέγω (legō) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command. you, ὑμῖν (hymin) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. whatever ὅσα (hosa) Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 3745: How much, how great, how many, as great as, as much. By reduplication from hos; as As. you bind δήσητε (dēsēte) Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1210: To bind, tie, fasten; I impel, compel; I declare to be prohibited and unlawful. A primary verb; to bind. on ἐπὶ (epi) Preposition Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at. earth γῆς (gēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe. will be ἔσται (estai) Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. bound δεδεμένα (dedemena) Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Plural Strong's 1210: To bind, tie, fasten; I impel, compel; I declare to be prohibited and unlawful. A primary verb; to bind. in ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. heaven, οὐρανῷ (ouranō) Noun - Dative Masculine Singular Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. whatever ὅσα (hosa) Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 3745: How much, how great, how many, as great as, as much. By reduplication from hos; as As. you loose λύσητε (lysēte) Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 3089: A primary verb; to 'loosen'. on ἐπὶ (epi) Preposition Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at. earth γῆς (gēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe. will be ἔσται (estai) Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. loosed λελυμένα (lelymena) Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Plural Strong's 3089: A primary verb; to 'loosen'. in ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. heaven. οὐρανῷ (ouranō) Noun - Dative Masculine Singular Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel. Links Matthew 18:18 NIVMatthew 18:18 NLT Matthew 18:18 ESV Matthew 18:18 NASB Matthew 18:18 KJV Matthew 18:18 BibleApps.com Matthew 18:18 Biblia Paralela Matthew 18:18 Chinese Bible Matthew 18:18 French Bible Matthew 18:18 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Matthew 18:18 Most certainly I tell you whatever things (Matt. Mat Mt) |