WCF 30.2

Westminster Confession of Faith

30.2. Of Church Censures

To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed: by virtue whereof, they have power respectively to retain, and remit sins; to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the Gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.

Proof texts

Matt. 16:19 — [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matt. 18:17, 18 — [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [18] Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
John 20:21, 22, 23 — [21] Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” [22] And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
2 Cor. 2:6, 7, 8 — [6] For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, [7] so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. [8] So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.

For discussion

The Assembly cited Matt. 16:19 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
4 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
HC Q83 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
HC Q84 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

HC Q83 · HC Q84 · HC Q85 · BC 7.4 · BC 7.5 · BC 7.6 · SC60 6.1 · SC60 6.2 · SC60 6.3 · SC60 6.4 · SC60 6.5 · IAR 7.1 · SHC 6.1 · SHC 6.2

Leader's notes

A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): These Sections teach — 1st. As to the nature and extent of the power conferred upon the Church of admitting and excluding from the fold, and of disciplining its members. 2d. As to the ends of this discipline. 3d. As to the methods through which it should be administered. All Church power must be exercised in an orderly manner through the officers spoken of above, freely chosen for this purpose by the brethren ; and it relates— " 1. To matters of doctrine. She has a right to set forth a public declaration of the truths which she believes, and which are to be acknowledged by dll who enter her communion. That is, she has a right to frame creeds…

An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): In opposition to the Erastians, who assign the power of inflicting the censures of the Church to the civil magistrate, our Confession here affirms, that the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed to the officers whom Christ has appointed in his Church. " I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," said Christ to Peter, " and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." — Matt. xvi. 19. By " the keys of the kingdom of heaven," we are to understand the power and authority of exercising government and discipline in the Church; in virtue of which, those…