This episode elaborates on the previous episode, principally focusing on Matthew 16:18-19, where believers are given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Christ builds His Church by calling people out of the kingdom of darkness and placing them in the kingdom of Christ, through the person of the Holy Spirit. The “ekklesia,” or church literally means “those called out of.” Those who don’t respond to the call carry on in the kingdom of darkness, and the natural locus of ungodly power is the state. This fact alone points to the inevitable conflict of kingdoms as both the Church and non-Christians seek to co-op the State to serve their respective interests. The history of Christian nationalism largely reflects widespread corruption in the Christian Church based on an unhealthy mixing of the kingdoms. Since Christ gave believers the keys to the kingdom of heaven, NOT those accessing worldly kingdoms, Christians should focus their efforts on reaching unbelievers through preaching the gospel. Setting up earthly “Christian” kingdoms amounts to making the Church another powerbroker, diluting and corrupting its mission. Believers instead should utilize their LEGITIMATE authority to make disciples, not presuming they have been given a mandate to FORCE Christ’s other-worldly kingdom onto non-Christians. The episode finally addresses “binding and loosing” as it relates to the keys of the kingdom.
