Day 150- SOAP

Day 150

Mark 3- 9

Scripture: 3 ²¹ When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Ok this is another question for Pastor Brandon, sorry! So how come His family thought that he was going out of his mind? Surely they knew he was the Son of God so why would anything He does or say surprise them. I mean His mother knew how He was born etc she should have faith in anything He does, or is this for some reason? Thank you!!

And here is the answer to my question earlier in the week regarding what this verse means:

"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."

Short answer:

The church is given the authority to judge what is sin, and to discipline/put out of fellowship Christians who will not acknowledge their sin.

Long answer:

Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law and removed its role as moral guide and it's condemnation of men when he died on the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made a live together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (ESV)

Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (ESV)

Now it is written on our hearts by the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 31:33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

2 Corinthians 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (ESV)

This is the "law of Christ" that Paul frequently referenced. We are not under the Mosaic law, but under the law of Christ which is summarized by love, defined by His teaching, revealed in His character, consistent with God's unchanging standard of right and wrong through all time.

1 Corinthians 9:21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. (ESV)

The Keys that are spoken of are promised to Christ. It is his authority to rule and reign.

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.

The "law" is now written on our hearts, but there remains a need for a check and balance against the deceitfulness of our hearts in calling good what is sin for our own pleasure. "Binding" and "loosing" in Jewish thought and literature frequently referred to interpreting the law as to what was acceptable and what was not. So the "keys" in this passage are specifically given as saying what is sin and what is not, generally given as Christ's authority in the Kingdom of God. Addressed to Peter not as a unique role, but as he frequently typified all the disciples and eventually the church. The rock is the truth of the Messiaship of Jesus, believed and testified, typified in Peter. It is the true testimony of Christ. (this passage is the driving theme of Peter's first epistle)

Matthew 16:15-19 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (ESV)

The authority of saying what is sin and not sin clearly belongs to the church in Jesus' teaching about church discipline a couple chapters later.

Matthew 18:15-18

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (also see verses 19-20 where the authority extends to what we ask for as a church in prayer)

...and in John's teaching about the authority of the church to teach on sin and righteousness as well as what is true repentance and conversion.

John 20:23 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Observe this authority in action in the church of Corinth.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Though Christ delegates His authority to the Church, it remains His and will be exercised in final judgment.

Revelation 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Revelation 3:7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

Thank you for the answer!!!!

Next reading: Mark 10-16

Read the blog here: 180 days