Definition of Terms:
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Biblical Foundations of Ecclesial Authority
The foundation of Catholic ecclesial authority is rooted in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus proclaims,:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:18–19)
This authority was not retained exclusively by Christ during His earthly ministry but entrusted to His Apostles. He tells them:
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” (John 20:21)
The very title Apostle (Greek: apostolos, “one who is sent”) implies delegated authority. In rabbinic Judaism, this would imply that the “sent one” acts with the authority of the sender. Hence, Jesus could say:
“He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me…” (Luke 10:16)
This ecclesial authority encompassed governance, doctrine, and discipline. In Matthew 18:17–18, Christ commands that if a person refuses correction:
“…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. 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.”
The terms bind and loose (Greek: δέω and λύω) were legal terms in Jewish tradition, used by the Sanhedrin to refer to decisions regarding what was permitted or forbidden—halakhic rulings (cf. Sifra, Emor 9; Talmud: Makkot 23b). These terms signified not just teaching authority but judicial power to define behavior and obligations.
In Matthew 23:1–4, Jesus acknowledges the Pharisees’ authority “as long as they sit on the chair of Moses.” This “chair” was symbolic of their juridical and doctrinal office. But Christ, who fulfills the Law and the Prophets, transfers this seat of teaching authority to the Apostles—especially Peter (cf. Matt. 16:19)—thus establishing a new foundation for divine authority within the Church:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven…” (Matt. 16:19)
“I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom…” (Luke 22:29–32)
This context reveals a divinely conferred, continuous office of leadership and judgment, not simply a fellowship of believers.
Apostolic Authority and Early Ecclesial Structure
This authority was made visible early on in the Church’s first major doctrinal dispute: the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). The Apostles, in the face of controversy over circumcision, did not appeal to Scripture alone but gathered to deliberate as a Church and, guided by the Holy Spirit, reached a binding decision (Acts 15:28). This early precedent of conciliar resolution would set the pattern for later councils addressing doctrinal disputes. This exercise of magisterial authority clarified Christ’s teachings in a new context, setting a precedent for resolving disputes by appealing to the Church’s teaching authority, rather than individual interpretation.
This exercise of authority—discerning, clarifying, and binding Christian belief—was undergirded by Christ’s promises regarding the Holy Spirit’s guidance to the Apostles and their successors:
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:13)
“He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
“I will send you another Counselor…the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16–17)
This divine guidance safeguards the Church’s doctrinal teaching, not because of human impeccability, but because of divine promise.
Apostolic Fathers and the Emergence of Ecclesial Hierarchy
After the Apostles, their immediate successors—the Apostolic Fathers—continued this understanding of the Church as divinely authorized:
Clement of Rome (c. 96 A.D.), in his First Letter to the Corinthians, admonished the Corinthians for removing presbyters from office unjustly, urging obedience to the Church’s appointed leaders. Remarkably, this intervention came not from their local bishop but from the bishop of Rome, indicating Rome’s recognized authority beyond its own diocese even at this early date.
Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107 A.D.) repeatedly insists on unity with the bishop, whom he saw as the guarantor of communion with Christ. In his Letter to the Smyrnaeans, he writes, “Where the bishop is, there is the Church,” implying that legitimate Christian faith is tied to apostolic authority mediated through bishops.
Roman Primacy in the Early Church
Already in the second century, the primacy of the Roman See was evident:
Dionysius of Corinth, writing in the mid-second century, praises Pope Soter for his pastoral care and notes that Rome’s generosity and doctrinal guidance had become a longstanding tradition, stating:
“You have also by your urgent exhortation bound together the planting that was made by Peter and Paul at Rome and Corinth.”
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 180 A.D.), in Against Heresies (3.3.2), declares:
“It is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church [Rome], on account of its preeminent authority…”
Though this statement is sometimes contested, it reflects the belief that Rome preserved the authentic apostolic tradition and that other churches looked to it as a doctrinal anchor.
St. Cyprian of Carthage, while upholding episcopal collegiality and famously clashing with Pope Stephen I over rebaptism, still acknowledged Rome’s centrality. In his letter to Pope Cornelius (Epistle 59), Cyprian supports the Roman bishop against an antipope (Novatian), affirming that unity with the legitimate Bishop of Rome is a condition for communion with the universal Church.
- Tertullian and Cyprian of Carthage also refer to the Roman Church as possessing a special role, with Cyprian calling it “the chair of Peter and the principal Church”, “from which sacerdotal unity has its source” (Epistle 59:14).
Church Councils and Doctrinal Definition
Ecumenical councils became the primary way of resolving serious theological disputes. At these gatherings, bishops from across the Church deliberated under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, often with the Bishop of Rome’s participation or approval playing a decisive role.
The Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) addressed Arianism and declared the consubstantiality (homoousios) of the Son with the Father. Pope Sylvester I sent legates, and the Nicene Creed became a foundational doctrinal standard.
The Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.) famously declared the two natures of Christ in response to Monophysitism. The council Fathers cried, “Peter has spoken through Leo!” upon hearing Pope Leo I’s Tome—a doctrinal letter articulating the orthodox faith with decisive clarity.
The decisions of these councils were considered binding on all Christians, a reflection of the early Church’s understanding of its divine teaching authority, not merely a consensus of theologians.
From Primacy to Supremacy: Historical Development
As disputes continued and heresies threatened unity, the need for a final and authoritative voice became more evident. Over time, the Roman See was increasingly looked to for adjudication and doctrinal confirmation. Appeals from both East and West to Rome became more common.
This development was not an abrupt assertion of absolute power but a recognition of Rome’s ancient role as a court of appeal and the successor of Peter. The culmination of this process occurred at the First Vatican Council (1870), which defined the doctrine of papal infallibility:
“When, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, [the pope] defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church, he possesses… infallibility…” (Pastor Aeternus, Vatican I)
This formalized what centuries of Church life had witnessed organically—a need for a final authority that could preserve unity and truth amid doctrinal fragmentation.
Conclusion
The Catholic doctrine of Church authority arises not from claims of human superiority but from Christ’s commission, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the historical experience of the Church as it navigated crises, heresies, and schisms. From the authority given to the Apostles, through the witness of the Fathers, to the judgments of ecumenical councils and the role of the papacy, the Church has consistently affirmed that it possesses a divinely instituted authority to teach and govern in matters of faith and morals.
Rather than negating the authority of Scripture, this magisterial authority is what made Scripture possible—preserving its message, determining its canon, and interpreting it faithfully. By recognizing the Bible as an authoritative book, one implicitly acknowledges the Church that authored and preserved it. This understanding of authority, as expressed in Catholic doctrine, seeks not to dominate but to serve the truth and ensure that the faith once delivered to the saints remains intact through all generations (cf. Jude 1:3).
Bible Verses:
Matthew 18:15-18
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. 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.
Matthew 10:40
“If they receive you they receive me; if they reject you, they reject me”
Hebrews 13:7–9
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited their adherents”
Hebrews 13:17
“Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you”
1 Thessalonians 2:13
“And we thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God.”
1 Tim. 3:15
“you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
2 Pet. 1:20-21
“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”
2 Peter 2:1
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions.”
2 Pet. 3:16
“There are some things in them [Paul’s letters] hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures”
Ephesians 3:10
“so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 4:11-12
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”
Church Father Quotes:
The Didache (ca. 50-70 A.D.)
“Elect for yourselves, therefore, bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, humble men and not lovers of money, truthful and proven; for they also serve you in the ministry of the prophets and teachers. Do not, therefore, despise them for they are honorable men.” (15:1 [A.D. 140, possibly as early at A.D. 70]).
Clement of Rome (martyred 96 A.D.)
“Through countryside and city [the apostles] preached; and they appointed their earliest converts, testing them by the Spirit, to be the bishops and deacons of future believers. Nor was this a novelty: for bishops and deacons had been written about a long time earlier” (Epistle to the Corinthians 42:4-5 [A.D. 80]).
“Our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned, and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry.
“As for these, then, who were appointed by them, or who were afterwards appointed by other illustrious men with the consent of the whole Church, and who have ministered to the flock of Christ without blame . . . we consider it unjust that they be removed from the ministry” (Epistle to the Corinthians 44:1-3 [A.D. 80]).
Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.)
“For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the manifested will of the Father; So also Bishops, settled everywhere to the utmost bounds of the earth, are the will of Jesus Christ… Let us be careful, then, not to set ourselves in opposition to the bishop, in order that we may be subject to God.” –Letter to the Ephesians (Written 107 A.D)
“Therefore it is fitting that you should live in harmony with the will of the bishop, as indeed you do. For your justly famous presbytery, worthy of God, is attuned to the bishop as the strings to a harp. Therefore by your concord and harmonious love Jesus Christ is being sung. Now do each of you join in this choir, that being harmoniously in concord you may receive the key of God in unison, and sing with one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father, that he may both hear you and may recognize, through your good works, that you are members of his Son.” –Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-2: (Written 107 A. D.)
“Take care to do all things in harmony with God, with the Bishop presiding in the place of God and with the presbyters in the place of the council of the Apostles, and with the deacons, who are most dear to me, entrusted with the business of Jesus Christ.”- Letter to the Magnesians 6:1 (Written 107 A.D.)
“It becomes you not to presume on the youth of the Bishop, but to show him all reverence in consideration of the authority of God the Father: just as even the holy presbyters do not take advantage of his outwardly youthful appearance, but yield to him in their Godly prudence: yet not to him, but to Jesus Christ, the Bishop of all.” –Letter to the Magnesians 3:1 (Written 107 A.D.)
“See that you all follow the bishop, just as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the Apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop.” –Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Ch 8:1 (Written 107 A.D.)
“Indeed, when you submit to the bishop as you would to Jesus Christ, it is clear to me that you are living not in the manner of men but as Jesus Christ, who died for us, that through faith in his death you might escape dying. It is necessary, therefore -as is your practice-that you do nothing without the bishop, and that you also be subject to the presbytery, as to the apostles of Jesus Christ… It is necessary also that the deacons, the dispensers of the sacraments of Jesus Christ, be in every way pleasing to all men.” –Letter to the Trallians 2:1-3 (Written 110 A.D.)
“He that is within the sanctuary is pure; but whomever is outside the sanctuary is not pure. In other words, anyone who acts without the bishop and the presbytery and the deacons does not have a clear conscience.” –Letter to the Trallians, 7:2 (Written 107 A.D.
Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202 A.D.)
“It is necessary to obey those who are the presbyters in the Church, those who, as we have shown, have succession from the apostles; those who have received, with the succession of the episcopate, the sure charism of truth according to the good pleasure of the Father. But the rest, who have no part in the primitive succession and assemble wheresoever they will, must be held in suspicion” (Against Heresies 4:26 [A.D. 180]).
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.)
“After the death of the tyrant, [the apostle John] came back again to Ephesus from the Island of Patmos; and, upon being invited, he went even to the neighboring cities of the pagans, here to appoint bishops, there to set in order whole churches, and there to ordain to the clerical state such as were designated by the Spirit” (Who Is the Rich Man That Is Saved? 42:2 [A.D. 190]).
”Innumerable other commands are written in the holy scriptures pertaining to chosen persons, some to presbyters, some to bishops, some to deacons, others to widows, of whom we shall speak elsewhere. Many things spoken in enigmas, many in parables, may benefit those who fall in with them. But it is not my province, says the instructor, to teach these any longer. But we need a teacher of the exposition of those sacred words, to whom we must direct our steps.” –Paedagogus 3:12:97:2
Hippolytus of Rome (170-235 A.D.)
“Let the bishop be ordained after he has been chosen by all the people. When someone pleasing to all has been named, let the people assemble on the Lord’s Day with the presbyters and with such bishops as may be present. All giving assent, the bishops shall impose hands on him and the presbyters shall stand by in silence. Indeed, all shall remain silent, praying in their hearts for the descent of the Spirit” (The Apostolic Tradition 2:1 [A.D. 215]).
Firmilian of Caesarea (Died 269 A.D.)
“And other heretics as well, if they have parted themselves from the Church, can have nothing to do with power and grace, since all power and grace is settled in the Church, where preside presbyters, who possess the power of both baptizing and imposing of hands, and of ordaining.” – Letter to Cyprian (Written in 255 A.D.)
Archelaus of Carrhae (Written 278 A.D.)
“But the bishop is the one to whom the care of the Church is entrusted.” –The Acts of the Disputation with Manes, Chapter 18.
Hilary of Poitiers (310-367 A.D.)
“Believers have always found satisfaction in that utterance of God which, by the testimony of the evangelist, was poured out into our ears along with the very power of its own truth: ‘Go now, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” Indeed, what is there of the mystery of human salvation that is not contained therein?” –The Trinity, Against the Arian Heresy 2:1 (Written 355 A.D.)
Gregory of Nyssa (335-395 A.D.)
“The bread again is at first common bread; but when the mystery [the Eucharistic prayer] sanctifies it, it is called and actually becomes the Body of Christ. So too the mystical oil, so too the wine;…after their sanctification by the Spirit each of them has their superior operation.
“This same power of the word also makes the priest venerable and honorable, separated from the generality of men by the new blessing bestowed upon him. Yesterday he was but one of the multitude, one of the people; suddenly he is made a guide, a president, a teacher of piety, an instructor in hidden mysteries” (Sermon on the Day of Lights [A.D. 383]).
Apostolic Constitutions (ca. 375-380 A.D.)
“Grant to him [the bishop], almighty master, through your Christ, possession of the Holy Spirit, so that he may have, according to your mandate, the power to remit sins, to confer [holy] orders according to your precept, and to dissolve every bond, according to the power which you gave to your apostles” (Invocation in the Ordination of Bishops 8:5-7 [A.D. 341]).
Ambrose of Milan (340-397 A.D.)
“For those to whom the right of binding and loosing was given, it is plain that either both are allowed or it is clear that neither are allowed. Both are allowed to the Church, neither is allowed to heresy. For this right has been granted to priests only.” –Penance 1:2:7 [A.D. 388]
John Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.)
“If any man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. (1 Timothy 3:1) Now I have not said that it is a terrible thing to desire the work, but only the authority and power. And this desire I think one ought to expel from the soul with all possible earnestness, not permitting it at the outset to be possessed by such a feeling, so that one may be able to do everything with freedom. For he who does not desire to be exhibited in possession of this authority, does not fear to be deposed from it, and not fearing this will be able to do everything with the freedom which becomes Christian men” –The Priesthood Book 3:11
“But when a dispute arises concerning matters of doctrine, and all take their weapons from the same Scriptures, of what weight will any one’s life be able to prove? What then will be the good of his many austerities, when after such painful exercises, any one from the Priest’s great unskillfulness in argument fall into heresy, and be cut off from the body of the Church, a misfortune which I have myself seen many suffering. Of what profit then will his patience be to him? None; no more than there will be in a sound faith if the life is corrupt.” –The Priesthood 4:9
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
“Perhaps you will read the gospel to me, and will attempt to find there a testimony to Manichæus. But should you meet with a person not yet believing the gospel, how would you reply to him were he to say, I do not believe? For my part, I should not believe the gospel except as moved by the authority of the Catholic Church. So when those on whose authority I have consented to believe in the gospel tell me not to believe in Manichæus, how can I but consent? Take your choice. If you say, Believe the Catholics: their advice to me is to put no faith in you; so that, believing them, I am precluded from believing you—If you say, Do not believe the Catholics: you cannot fairly use the gospel in bringing me to faith in Manichæus; for it was at the command of the Catholics that I believed the gospel;— Again, if you say, You were right in believing the Catholics when they praised the gospel, but wrong in believing their vituperation of Manichæus: do you think me such a fool as to believe or not to believe as you like or dislike, without any reason?” -Augustine of Hippo, Against the Fundamental Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 5
Pope Celestine I (376-432 A.D.)
“A Synod of priests gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit. For true is that which we read, since the Truth cannot lie, to wit, the promise of the Gospel; Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And since this is so, if the Holy Spirit is not absent from so small a number how much more may we believe he is present when so great a multitude of holy ones are assembled together! Every council is holy on account of a peculiar veneration which is its due; for in every such council the reverence which should be paid to that most famous council of the Apostles of which we read is to be had regard to.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
“Let us look once again at these words of our Doctor, which he uses with express reference to bishops, saying, Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost has placed you as bishop, that you rule the church of God, which he has purchased with his blood.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
Isidore of Pelusium (360-440 A.D.)
“If you could personally take the time to join them in deliberating at Ephesus, I am sure that there will be no censure of you on their part. If you leave the voting to the crowd’s antipathies, who would free the synod from all of the mockery? You would also remedy the situation, if you would stop your servants from dogmatizing, since they stand uncertainly between a great chasm of serving the emperor and quarreling with God, for fear that they make waves for the empire, dashing against the rock of the Church the contrivances of their bad faith. That Church has been set up, and cannot be lorded over by the gates of Hell, as God announced when He was creating it.” -Letter to the Emperor Theodosius
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 A.D.)
“We have added to these our own letters and that which it is necessary for you to hold and teach, and what you should be careful to avoid. Now this is the Faith of the Catholic and Apostolic Church to which all Orthodox Bishops, both East and West, agree: [Creed of Ephesus].” -Third Epistle to Nestorius (Written 430 A.D.)
Vincent of Lerins (Died ca 446 A.D.)
”With great zeal and closest attention, therefore, I frequently inquired of many men, eminent for their holiness and doctrine, how I might, in a concise and, so to speak, general and ordinary way, distinguish the truth of the Catholic faith from the falsehood of heretical depravity. I received almost always the same answer from all of them, that if I or anyone else wanted to expose the frauds and escape the snares of the heretics who rise up, and to remain intact and sound in a sound faith, it would be necessary, with the help of the Lord, to fortify that faith in a twofold manner: first, of course, by the authority of the divine law; and then, by the Tradition of the Catholic Church.
Here, perhaps, someone may ask: ‘If the canon of the Scriptures be perfect, and in itself more than suffices for everything, why is it necessary that the authority of ecclesiastical interpretation be joined to it?’ Because, quite plainly, Sacred Scripture, by reason of its own depth, is not accepted by everyone as having one and the same meaning. The same passage is interpreted in one way by some, in another by others, so that it can almost appear as if there are as many opinions as there are men. Novatian explains a passage in one way, Sabellius in another, Donatus in another; Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius in another; Photinus, Apollinaris, Priscillian in another; Jovinian, Pelagius, Caelestius in another; and afterwards in still another, Nestorius. And thus, because of so many distortions of such various errors, it is highly necessary that the line of prophetic and apostolic interpretation be directed in accord with the norm of the ecclesiastical and Catholic meaning. In the Catholic Church herself every care must be taken that we may hold fast to that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all (1). For this is, then, truly and properly Catholic. That is what the force and meaning of the name itself declares, a name that embraces all almost universall. This general rule will be correctly applied if we pursue universality, antiquity, and agreement. And we follow universality in this way, if we contess this one faith to be true, which is confessed by the whole Church throughout the whole world; antiquity, however, if we in no way depart from those interpretations which, it is clear, our holy predecessors and fathers solemnized; and likewise agreement, if, in this very antiquity, we adopt the definitions and theses of all or certainly of almost all priests and teachers.” –Commonitoria 2:1
Gennadius of Massilia (Died 496 A.D.)
“Caelestinus, bishop of Rome, addressed a volume to the churches of the East and West, giving an account of the decree of the synod against the above mentioned Nestorius and maintaining that while there are two complete natures in Christ, the person of the Son of God is to be regarded as single. The above mentioned Nestorius was shown to be opposed to this view. Xystus likewise, the successor of Caelestinus, wrote on the same subject and to the same Nestorius and the Eastern bishops, giving the views of the Western bishops against his error.”-‘Illustrious Men’ by Gennadius, Chapter 55. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 3.Philip Schaff. Christian Literature Publishing Co, 1892
Pope Gregory I the Great (540-604 A.D.)
“I confess that I receive and revere, like the four books of the holy Gospel, four Councils, to wit: that of Nicaea, in which the perverse doctrine of Arius is destroyed; that of Constantinople, also, in which the error of Eunomius and Macedonius is overthrown; the first also at Ephesus, in which the impiety of Nestorius is judged; and that too of Chalcedon, in which the wickedness of Eutyches and Dioscurus is reproved. These Councils I embrace with full devotion and I keep to them with fullest approval; for on them as on a cornerstone rises the structure of the holy faith, and whoever does not hold fast to their solidarity, whatever else his life and conduct may be, even if he is seen to be a stone, still, he lies outside the building.” -Letter to John, Patriarch of Constantinople, the Same Being Sent Also to the Other Patriarchs, Eulogius of Alexandria, Gregory of Antioch, John of Jerusalem, and Anastasius, ex-Patriarch of Antioch. February, 591 A. D. [1, 24 (al. 25)]
Non-Catholic Quotes:
The Jewish Encyclopedia
“The power of binding and loosing was always claimed by the Pharisees. Under Queen Alexandra, the Pharisees, says Josephus (Wars of the Jews 1:5:2), ‘became the administrators of all public affairs so as to be empowered to banish and readmit whom they pleased, as well as to loose and to bind.’ . . . The various schools had the power ‘to bind and to loose’; that is, to forbid and to permit (Talmud: Chagigah 3b); and they could also bind any day by declaring it a fast day (Talmud: Ta’anit 12a). . . . This power and authority, vested in the rabbinical body of each age of the Sanhedrin, received its ratification and final sanction from the celestial court of justice (Sifra, Emor, 9; Talmud: Makkot 23b).(Jewish Encyclopedia 3:215).