THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD - PART 342

Matthew 16 states that "whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed in Heaven. [Therefore] go you into all the world and preach this good news concerning the Kingdom of Heaven, revealing the King’s name, JESUS who is the only begotten Son of the Holy Spirit, and in Him dwells all the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God bodily. As it is written, every person's knee shall bow and every person tongue confess that JESUS the Christ is Lord thereby is His Father the Holy Spirit glorified."

The apostles by JESUS then were declared to be His witnesses to the very uttermost parts of the earth. Well the apostles never made it personally around the world. Still, the words and life of JESUS the Lord of Glory has now spread all over the world.

Recall how we earlier discussed the time that Peter was straddling the fence when Jewish believers were present? And Peter separated himself from fellowshipping with the Gentile believers? Paul, upon arriving on the scene saw that Peter was not walking in the gospel light. Paul went to task with Peter for it was Peter who was to be blamed for discord among believers. (Acts 15)

Together, off they went to Jerusalem where the apostles, elders and prophets with the people all assembled to discuss whether it was necessary that the Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the old covenant law. At the time, this was the subject under discussion. Note also that the record shows that the subject was discussed and a BINDING (earthly ruling) was accepted. The ruling being that it was not necessary that gentile believers should be circumcised and keep the law.

Note also that letters were formulated and delivered by hand to all the assemblies of believers, and interwoven into those letters were the words, "It seemed good to the HOLY SPIRIT." This statement in and of itself reflects an effective binding heavenly affirmation.

Now to whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. The apostles, elders, prophets with the people sent these letters to the afore mentioned believing assemblies. And the believing church assemblies upon hearing the contents of the letters were loosed from the confusion that Peter had caused because of his then ignorance of the true good news message of God. As a consequence, the believers were loosed on earth by their hearing and seeing the contents within the letters formulated by the apostles, prophets, elders and people. Likewise, as the scriptures state, they were loosed in Heaven.

For it is written that the believers had much consultation having now been loosed and affirmed by Heaven. God has put no difference between Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or otherwise. We are all together one body in JESUS the Christ.

Yes. The apostolic teachings delivered to them by the Holy Spirit of JESUS, being the written and confirmed Word, revealled the true gospel of God. Revealed in the face of JESUS the Christ bound us to JESUS the Living Word so that we may be loosed from the erroneous teachings of the so called church fathers. This is why we as brethren (and sisters) be not again entangled with the yoke of bondage that is inherent within religious institutions. Why? Because again it is written that whosever the Son of God sets free (loose) is indeed free (loosed).