Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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". . . and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Along with the keys of the kingdom, the Lord Jesus gave to Peter and eventually to others whom he sent to preach the gospel, authority over his people on earth. There is no contradicting the fact that the apostles and elders had authority to judge among the saints and to establish standards that were binding on them. That authority even extended to either forgiving sin or refusing to forgive it. Peter refused to forgive Ananias and his wife for their plot to deceive the saints, and they both fell dead at the apostle's feet (Acts 5:1-11). When a man is anointed with power from God, wise people fear him.
God has instituted government among His people. Paul mentioned those in the assembly who would "rule over" the saints (Heb. 13:7), adding this exhortation: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls" (Heb. 13:17). In another place, Paul mentions "them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you" (1Thess. 5:12). In Romans 12, Paul mentions ruling among the saints as being one of the gifts of the Spirit (v. 8). References abound in Paul's writings to those who have authority from God to rule over His people.
Peter also recognized that there were those in the congregation anointed by God with authority over the saints. He encouraged them to "take the oversight" of the flock of God willingly, not being "lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock" (1Pet. 5:1). A ruler in the congregation of the Lord is required to have an humbler disposition than is required of the saints over whom he rules.
There were in the apostles' time, as there are now, some who "despise government" (2Pet 2:10). They "speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." They are, as Peter bluntly describes them, "cursed children" of God (2Pet. 2:14). Their damnation is both certain and just.
In saying, "whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven", Jesus was telling his disciples, first of all, that God gives men authority to govern His people on earth. When God gives a man authority to rule among the saints, those saints are required to acknowledge that authority. They will not escape God's judgment if they refuse to do so.
A man of God has authority to determine, for any particular situation, what is best for the flock for which he is responsible. He has authority to forbid them to do a certain thing or to direct them to do a certain thing. Jesus will stand by him and enforce his judgment. After some saints in the congregation spent themselves into debt buying Christmas presents some years ago, my father said that if that trend continued, he would cancel Christmas. The man of God has authority to command his sheep to have no part in a particular custom of the world, such as Christmas, if he sees that the saints are hurting themselves and their testimony by their involvement in it.
If a pastor is prudent, he will fear God and watch for his flock. If he fears God, he will encourage righteousness and rebuke sin among the saints. He will do this because in the Final Judgment, he will be required to answer to God for how they conducted themselves. This is evident by what we find in Jesus' messages to the seven pastors in the second and third chapters of Revelation. Jesus held those pastors personally accountable for the behavior of the saints that were under their care (Rev. 2, 3).
Government is God's work. Authority over the saints comes only through the anointing of the holy Ghost. Elections by men confer no spiritual authority upon anyone to do anything in the congregation of the Lord, and the saints need not fear such men, regardless of their title. It is only what the man anointed by God binds on earth that is bound in heaven. And it is only what the man anointed by God looses on earth that is loosed in heaven. Every other commandment given to saints, every other standard, every other doctrine or judgment made by men bears no weight in heaven and can be safely ignored by the children of God. But if a man whom God has chosen and anointed determines anything and gives a commandment to that effect to one of His children, his word is God's Word, and no one will be guiltless who rebels against it.