White Horse Inn What Is (and Isn't) the Authority of the Church?
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Mar 29, 2026 A lively discussion of what 'keys of the kingdom' means for preaching, discipline, and communion. They examine Matthew 16 and 18, debating whether authority is personal or corporate. The panel explores how preaching, absolution, and fencing the table shape entry into and life within the church. Practical approaches to communion eligibility, catechesis, and pastoral care are compared.
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Keys Mean Proclaiming And Guarding The Gospel
- The keys in Matthew 16 and 18 refer to authority to proclaim the gospel and exercise church discipline, not personal Petrine power.
- Mike Horton and Bob Hiller tie Matthew 16 (entry to the kingdom) to Matthew 18 (life in the kingdom) as preaching plus corrective action.
Discipline Aims At Reconciliation Not Power
- Binding and loosing aim primarily at reconciliation, pursuing the lost sheep, and calling people to repentance rather than exercising authoritarian power.
- Justin Holcomb emphasizes the parables surrounding Matthew 18 as steps of pastoral pursuit before exclusion.
Reformers Rooted Absolution In Gospel Promise
- Reformers rejected Roman penance because absolution must be tied to gospel promise, not priestly calculations of sin weights or satisfactions.
- Calvin argued private and public confession serve relief and public order, but absolution rests on Christ's promise.
