The verbs in future perfect tense—'will have been bound', 'will have been loosed'—suggest that 'the heavenly decision preceded Peter's declaration of it on earth'. "Bind" and "loose" are judicial terms denoting "forbid" and "permit".

What does Matthew 16 18 mean?

The Greek word used to denote church in Matthew 16:18 is ecclesia, which literally means a “calling out” and originally referred to a civil assembly. Thus Jesus' use of the phrase “my church” referred to an assembly “called” by him. ... The phrase “gates of hell” refers to the place of restriction for the unjust dead.

What did Jesus mean when he gave Peter the keys to the kingdom?

The keys of the kingdom is a Christian concept of eternal church authority. ... The authority can be literally traced to one passage in the New Testament, where Jesus mentions them first in response to St. Peter answering a question, and secondly in speaking to a group of disciples.