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From: daved@westford.ccur.com (508-392-2990)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: "... and upon this rock ..."
Message-ID: <Nov.10.07.27.20.1990.24834@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 10 Nov 90 12:27:22 GMT
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Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu

Hi Chuck!   :-)

You noted, 

>(2) The power of the keys has some background in
>Jewish discussions.  It probably did have a specific ecclesiastical
>meaning.  --clh]

I've never heard this before; do you have a citation handy?

Thanks,

Dave Davis

[The New Jerusalem Bible footnote for Mt. 16:19 claims that "'bind'
and 'loose' are technical rabbinic terms; primarily they have a
disciplinary reference; one is 'bound' (condemned to) or 'loosed'
(absolved from) excommunication.  Their secondary usage is connected
with doctrinal or juridical decisions.  An opinion is 'bound'
(forbidden) or 'loosed' (allowed)."  The Anchor Bible commentary on
Mt. does not mention this, but instead connects binding and loosing
with symbols of secular authority.  "Isa. 22:15ff [particularly 22:22
--clh] undoubtedly lies behind this saying.  The keys are the symbol
of authority, and Roland de Vaux rightly sees here the same authority
as that vested in the vizier, the master of the house, the
chamberlain, of the royal household in ancient Israel.  Eliakim is
described as having the same authority in Isaiah; it was Hilkiah's
position until he was ousted, and Jotham as regent is also described
as "over the household" (II Kings xv 5).  Significantly, the first
Chaldean governor after the deportation of 586 B.C., Gedaliah, is
given the same title on his official seal.  It is of considerable
importance that in other contexts, when the disciplinary affairs of
the community are being discussed (cf. xviii 18; John xx 23) the
symbol of the keys is absent, since the sayings apply in those
instances to a wider circle.  In John xx 23 the words are used of
pardon, and in that context the Greek words luein and kratein derive
from a secondary interpretation of Isaiah's Hebrew."