Let’s look further at the immediate context of Jesus’ words about binding and loosing. Note that directly before He mentioned binding and loosing, Jesus said that He would give Peter the “keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Peter was never given any literal keys to heaven’s gates, and so Jesus’ words must be taken as being figurative. What do “keys” represent? Keys represent the means of access to something that is locked. One who has the keys has means that others do not have to open certain doors.
As we consider Peter’s ministry as reported in the book of Acts, what is it that we find him doing that could be considered comparable to opening doors that are locked to others?
Primarily, we find him proclaiming the gospel, the gospel that opens heaven’s doors for all who will believe (and the gospel which shuts the gates of Hades). In that sense, all of us have been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, as we are all Christ’s ambassadors. The keys to the kingdom of heaven can only be the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message that can open heaven’s gates.
