Every One a Minister of the Word (Luther)

The ministry of the Word belongs to all. To bind and to loose clearly is nothing else than to proclaim and to apply the gospel. For what is it to loose, if not to announce the forgiveness of sins before God? What is it to bind, except to withdraw the gospel and to declare the retention of sins? Whether they [that is, the Roman Catholic church] want to or not, they must concede that the keys are the exercise of the ministry of the Word and belong to all Christians. (Martin Luther, ‘Concerning the Ministry’, Luther’s Works, vol. 40, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan, Concordia Publishing House, St Louis, 1955-1986, p. 27. The mention of ‘keys’, and indeed the entire quote, is in reference to Matthew 16:19: “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.”)--- From the The Briefing by Matthias Media