Explain about Peter and the church, binding and loosing. Matt. 16:18, 19. P.
Our querist says John 16, but Matthew evidently is meant. Note these facts: (1) Simon son of Jonah had confessed Christ to be the Son of the living God; (2) Jesus declared that this was not revealed to him by flesh and blood, but by the Lord. Because of Simon's faith, he came in living connection with Christ; (3) Therefore Jesus gave him the name of Peter, Greek, petros, stone, and declares that upon this rock (petra), that which made Simon a living stone, that confession in Christ including Christ, is the Rock upon which He would build His church. So Paul calls Christ the foundation. 1 Cor. 3:11. So Peter declares that Christ is the living foundation stone, while believers are the living stones builded on that foundation. Surely the apostles ought to know the foundation.
The keys to the kingdom, the binding and the loosing, are the declaration of the principles of the kingdom and men's relations thereto. Peter was chosen of God to proclaim these principles first, to both Jews and Gentiles; to the first, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and to the Gentiles later (Acts 15:7). See answer to 1875. All the power to bind or loose is in the Word of God that His servants bear.