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.
Please be aware it is not my intent to be divisive, to exclude anyone or any church denomination. The Gospel itself will take care of that in due time. However, I don’t think I could pick a better chapter than Matthew Chapter 16 to jump flat-footed right in the middle of the fray regarding divisions within the Christian church over doctrinal differences.
I realize it is nearly impossible for a simple man to change what someone has been taught by a respected elder all their lives. And that my friend is the root of the divisions over doctrine in the Christian church. Many churches are teaching us what to believe, which can be good, but they are neglecting to teach “How to rightly divide the word of truth.”
It’s akin to the old saying, “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.”
That is to say if someone teaches you what to believe then you are dependent upon another’s abilities. However, if you learn how to discern truth for yourself, then you can know with certainty what is true.
In Acts 17, Paul expresses his admiration for the Christians at Berea because they not only received the word taught them, but “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Jesus taught his disciples how to rightly divide the word of truth. He gave them each the key to the kingdom. Peter first, because Peter figured it out first or at least spoke first (Spirit led). The other disciples got their copies of the key, each in his own time, or should I say turn. Pun intended!
FYI: There is only one key, but it is a master key from which unlimited duplicate “keys” are made. Jesus is using keys as a representation of authority.
Only someone who has been granted authority and has passed the test can receive keys to the kingdom, then the Master Key Maker (Jesus) authorizes them to give away His duplicate keys. Hint: See Isaiah 22:22 or Revelation 3:7
Ask yourself this. Have I given away a key to the Kingdom of Heaven lately?
P.S. Please, let me encourage you to read at a minimum all of Matthew 16 to prove if what I am relating is true?