Christians’ use of the keys
This being the 500th anniversary of the start of the Lutheran Reformation, I have been finding myself involved in more than a few interesting conversations with Roman Catholic friends/coworkers. One topic that comes up nearly every time is Ministry of the Keys or Universal Priesthood. I was taught to use Matthew 18 and John 20 as my proof passages for what we in the WELS believe. When I bring these passages up, however, I am usually confronted with an interesting argument for which I have no good response. In both passages there is no mention that Jesus is speaking to believers in general - both passages seem to give a setting that includes only the disciples – the eleven. I understand that just because Matthew and John do not mention others does not exclude the possibility that they were present. However, I am still left wondering if we can use these passages in support of the Ministry of the Keys as being meant for all Christians. The Roman Catholic position that the Roman Catholic Church has sole possession of binding and loosing is not refuted by our proof passages. Instead, Roman Catholics use these, as well as others, to support their own position. I thought I was prepared, I guess I was wrong. May I please ask for some help with this? Thank you.
You can certainly keep using Matthew 18 and John 20 as proof passages for each Christian possessing the “keys.” Matthew 18:18-20 makes clear that it is Jesus’ church on earth, not just his small band of disciples then, who have received his authority to forgive or retain sins. When we remember that Luke 24:33 describes who was present in the narrative of John 20:19-23, we will recognize that Jesus gave the authority to forgive or retain sins to his followers, not just the eleven disciples in Jerusalem.
Other parts of Scripture inform us that Christians are to forgive those who sin against them and seek their forgiveness (Luke 17:4; Matthew 18:21-35). Christians can forgive others only if they have the Lord’s authority to do so. In that regard, the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer (“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”) reminds Christians that they possess the “keys.”
As you intimated, Christians are priests before God (1 Peter 2:9) who can announce to others the news of God’s forgiveness, or the message of his law.
God bless your spiritual conversations with others—in this Reformation anniversary year and beyond!