Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian perspective.

This page is one of a series looking at the unique Family doctrine of the Keys of the Kingdom.

The Family's Defence of the Keys

Matt 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. NKJV

This page is the third in a series on the Family's unique interpretation of Matthew 16:19, in which the 'keys of the kingdom' are said to be a powerful spiritual force that can facilitate miracles. Please read the explanation and discussion of this Family doctrine first: click here. For a compilation of various commentaries on Matthew 16:19, click here.

Unless otherwise stated, the Family doctrine of the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ will be referred to on this page as ‘the keys’. So, when there is a reference to ‘the keys,’ in general it will refer to the Family doctrine of mighty spiritual power specially bestowed to the Family through ‘calling on the keys’. A statement like ‘the keys are not in the Bible’ should be understood as referring to the Family interpretation of the phrase mentioned in Matthew 16:19.

Many Family members found it difficult to accept the keys when the official Family publications first presented them. Some people simply pushed their questions aside and decided to believe in the keys, based on their previous acceptance of other Family publications. That is, they decided that they would believe Family leadership, regardless of what they said.

Other people were more vocal, asking for clarification about various aspects of this new teaching. Then, in response to Family members' queries about the lack of biblical support for this doctrine, Family leadership published a GN defending the keys using what appeared to be biblical arguments.

This web page discusses the five main arguments contained in that GN.

The Family's arguments for the keys

Following is a concise summary of how the Family defended the keys:

1. There are many things in the Bible that we don’t understand. Accepting a doctrine by faith is not an unusual principle. Therefore, Family members may believe in the keys even if they don't understand them.

2. Jesus said many things to His disciples that were not recorded in the Bible (John 20:30). The keys could have been one of those 'unspoken' things.

3. Many ‘key promises’ published by the Family are in fact Bible verses paraphrased and therefore may be easily accepted.

4. In Luke 10:17-19, a sequence of events is recorded (this sequence is not explicitly spelled out in the Bible; it is strictly a Family interpretation of the passage):

1. Jesus gave His disciples power to perform miracles.

2. The disciples became“little messiahs” (in the Family's words) - that is, they were emulating Jesus.

3. The Devil then became afraid (“freaked out” in the Family's words) at the thought of many people with Jesus' power.

4. So, the Devil increased his attacks on the disciples in order to hinder these people who had the same power as Jesus.

5. In response, Jesus increased the power He had given to them.

6. The Bible says that in the time of the end the Devil will again increase his attacks. The 'end-time' is now, and, in a similar way to the events of Luke 10:17-19, the Lord has again increased the power available to his followers that they may counter those attacks. According to the Family, the keys constitute this increase of power.

5. The Bible is still effective, but the Family claims that key promises ‘open new doors.’ The keys access “more power” than is available than when using the Bible alone. Christians won’t be ready for end-time persecution without the power of the keys.

These five arguments are discussed on this page.

Believing without understanding

The Family proposes that the keys should be accepted, believed, and acted on by faith. They are not to be analysed in the hopes of understanding them, rather they are to be trusted and put into practice. Understanding may or may not come as a result of faith, but faith does not come as a result of understanding.

Indeed, the Bible says:

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14 NIV).

There are certainly many things in the Bible that can only be understood from a standpoint of faith. In fact, without faith, the things of the Spirit are "foolishness" to the "man without the Spirit" (1 Cor 2:14). Spiritual things cannot be understood by human intellect.

For example, salvation is a matter of faith, not reasoning. God expects people to believe in Jesus' atonement for sin, believe that He is the Messiah, and believe that He died for the sins of humankind. One cannot come to God through "worldly wisdom" (1 Cor 1:21), but by believing in the Son of God (John 3:36).

The Bible also makes it clear that God's ways are so far above people's ways as to be incomprehensible (Isaiah 55:8,9). The "thoughts of God" can only be known by the "Spirit of God" (1 Cor 2:11) and even the wisest thing that people can conceive of is utter foolishness before God (1 Cor 1:25). Preaching the Gospel is not to be done by the means of "superior eloquence or wisdom" (1 Cor 2:1 NET) but rather in "demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor 2:4).

There is also scriptural precedent for believing that God can do things that our intellect cannot comprehend. For example, Jesus said that even a small amount of faith could move an entire mountain (Matthew 17:20).

In light of these biblical truths, the Family argues that their doctrine of the keys of the kingdom should likewise be accepted and believed 'by faith.' One should not attempt to reason one's way through the keys, because they are, according to the Family, a matter for the spirit, not the intellect.

On the other hand, the Bible does not place understanding and faith in opposition to each other. Neither does it suppose that the two can be separated from each other, as though one's intellect may be considered a separate entity from one's faith. Rather, people are portrayed holistically, with their many facets combining together as one. God wants people to not only to believe in Him (John 3:16) and love Him with all the heart and soul but also to love Him with all the mind (Matthew 22:37). That is, people are to worship God in a spirit of faith, using the emotions, the will and also the intellect. People cannot be separated into their various components, as if their emotions, will power and mind belonged to separate people. Neither can faith be separated from the intellect, as though belief in Christ is incompatible with understanding Him.

The following article discusses the relationship between faith and reason.

Faith

The distinction between matters of faith and matters of knowledge must not be drawn too rigidly, inasmuch as all matters of knowledge are in some measure matters also of faith. The distinction, when properly made, chiefly recognizes the different objects to which our convictions relate, and the different methods by which we arrive at these convictions. The convictions themselves may be as strong in the one case as in the other.

Theological. Faith in the theological sense contains two elements recognized in the Scriptures: there is an element that is intellectual and also an element, of even deeper importance, that is moral. Faith is not simply the assent of the intellect to revealed truth; it is the practical submission of the entire man to the guidance and control of such truth.

Intellectual. Viewed more particularly with reference to its intellectual aspect, faith is properly defined as the conviction of the reality of the truths and facts that God has revealed, such conviction resting solely upon the testimony of God.

These truths and facts are to a large extent beyond the reach of the ordinary human processes of acquiring knowledge. Still, they are of the utmost importance in relation to human life and salvation. God has therefore revealed them. And they who accept them must do so upon the trustworthiness of the divine testimony. This testimony is contained in the Holy Scriptures. It is impressed moreover by the special sanction of the Holy Spirit.

Reason and Faith. The relation of reason to faith is that of subordination, and yet not that of opposition. The truths of revelation are in many cases above reason, though not against it. Such truths were revealed because reason could not discover them. They are therefore to be accepted, though the reason cannot demonstrate them. But this inability of reason to discover or to demonstrate is one thing; irrationality, as involving absurdity, or contradiction of the intuitions of the intellect or conscience, or contradiction of well-established truth, is another.

Reason has its justly recognized and appropriate function in examining and weighing the evidences of revelation, as well as in interpreting or determining the force of the terms in which the revelation is given. But when the reality and meaning of revelation are thus reached, reason has done its work, and it remains for faith to accept the contents of the revelation, whatever they may be.

It should be said, however, that the evidence of the saving truth of revelation, most convincing for many, is not that which appeals directly to reason. Many lack ability or opportunity to investigate the rational evidences of Christianity. But to them with all others the announcement of the truth comes attended by the ministration or direct testimony of the Holy Spirit. They are thus made to feel that they ought to repent and believe the gospel. If they yield to this conviction they obtain forgiveness of their sins and become new creatures in Christ Jesus. The Spirit bears witness to their acceptance with God. And thus in the experience of salvation they have unquestionable proof of the reality of revelation. In all this reason is subordinate to faith but by no means opposed to it
From the New Unger's Bible Dictionary, article by E. McChesney. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.

In response to the Family's claim that the keys are simply to be accepted by faith, one may make the following points:

First, it is far too simplistic to assert that the intellect is to be discarded in favour of belief. The Bible enjoins obedience of the entire person to God, where people are to believe God and worship and obey Him using their minds, as well as their emotions, will-power and actions.

Second, God expects people to accept His divine revelation by faith, specifically as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is God's special revelation to humankind, so 'faith' is accepting God's message in the Bible as being true. Therefore, when our understanding is challenged by worldviews in opposition to the Bible, we are to develop our intellect based on God's perspective as revealed in the Bible, rather than on human opinions.

Third, God does not expect people to "accept by faith" teachings that are not in the Bible. The Bible forms the foundation for faith, and God's people are to believe what it says. Extra-biblical teachings, however, may not be seen as God's special revelations. Rather, they are to judged by the Bible- if the Bible contradicts them, or if they are simply absent from the Bible, as in the case of the keys, they may be rejected. Therefore, there is no obligation for anyone to accept 'by faith' the doctrine of the keys.

Fourth, while reason is to submit to faith, and is to be developed based on a foundation of faith, the Bible does not set reason and faith at enmity with each other. God does not set forth absurdities for people to accept by "blind faith," but encourages a rational understanding which is built on faith.

The Family occasionally quotes Augustine's maxim, that "understanding is the reward of faith," but they do not understand that Augustine did not promote a blind faith in which reason was the enemy of faith. For Augustine, faith and reason were interdependent.

On Augustine

Augustine’s teaching on apologetical issues has inspired apologists and theologians from his day to the present. In his approach, faith and reason are interactive in coming to know the true God in Jesus Christ. Reason precedes faith in that a rational mind and recognition of the truth of what is to be believed must exist if we are to believe anything. But faith precedes reason in that the truths of the Christian faith are in large part unseen—not only is God invisible, but the redemptive acts of God in Jesus Christ occurred in the past and cannot be directly witnessed. Because these truths cannot be seen, they must be accepted on the authority of God’s revelation as given in Scripture and witnessed by the church. These truths can then be understood as the believer comes to appreciate their significance from the inside. “For understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that thou mayest understand.” Augustine, then, was the first apologist to enunciate the principle of believing in order to understand, or faith seeking understanding (fides quaerens intellectum), but for him it was only one side of the coin. He frequently expressed this interactive or interdependent view of faith and reason in such statements as “For faith is understanding’s step; and understanding faith’s attainment.” Moreover, he emphasized (in his later writings) that both faith and reason are enabled by God’s grace. He declared that “no one is sufficient for himself, either to begin or to perfect faith; but our sufficiency is of God.”

From A Brief History of Apologetics by  Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman, Jr.

One should also remember that the Bible repeatedly exhorts its readers to come to a rational understanding of its truths.

Ps 119:104 From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. NASU

Prov 2:1-8
My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
NASU

2 Tim 2:7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. NASU

To summarise, it is incorrect to suggest that the keys should be accepted by faith, without attempting to understand them. Further, there is no obligation for any follower of Jesus Christ to accept by faith any teaching that is not in the Bible.

The keys may have been an unrecorded biblical teaching

The Family has suggested that Jesus may indeed have explained to His disciples the principles of the keys of the kingdom, but the disciples either neglected or were commanded not to write Jesus' explanation down. After all, the Gospel of John does say that Jesus said and did "other things" that were not recorded (John 20:30, 21:25).

There are several things that should be said in response to this argument.

First, Christian doctrines may be defined as those that are in the Bible. Teaching about salvation, forgiveness, atonement and repentance are all valid Christian doctrines; all are clearly set forth in the Bible. However, there is no allowance in the Bible for extra teachings to be invented, based merely on the supposition that Jesus might have talked about the topic. At best, this argument demonstrates ignorance of the revelation of God, at worst, it is abuse of the Scriptures in order to manipulate people.

Second, the passages in the book of John note the obvious truth that not everything that Jesus ever did was actually recorded, or more specifically, the apostle John did not write down in his gospel everything that Jesus ever said or did. The writers of the Gospels, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, chose those incidents that best suited their various purposes. This is why the four Gospels set forth the life of Jesus from different perspectives: Matthew was writing primarily to Jews, Luke to Gentiles, and so on. John acknowledged that he selected incidents and teaching from Jesus' life that clearly show Jesus' divinity and God's plan for eternal life. In other words, when John said that he did not write down everything that Jesus ever did, he was explaining the purpose of his gospel. He was not suggesting the possibility of further spiritual power given to Jesus' followers. To imply such is to take the passage out of context and give it meaning that it does not have.

Third, John did not say that he omitted important teaching. In fact, there is no suggestion anywhere in the Bible that Jesus may have taught other important doctrines, which were omitted. The Bible clearly asserts that all that is important is included within its pages; it is complete.

For an analysis of John 20:30 and 21:25 on this website, please click here.

‘Key promises are Bible verses paraphrased’

The Family pointed out that many 'key promises' are actually very similar in wording to Bible verses, and said that therefore there should be no difficulty in accepting them as true.

Actually, the fact that 'key promises' are so similar to Bible verses should be a cause for great alarm, not faith and acceptance.

There’s an important point that should be made with regard to paraphrasing the Bible. To paraphrase means to express the same message in different words, to rewrite something (usually for the purpose of clarification or application) without changing the original meaning.

For example, there are a number of different translations, or 'versions' of the Bible. Some are quite literal (the NASB), others are paraphrased (the Living Bible, the Message), and others are somewhere in between (the NIV, the NET).

Paraphrased Bibles make no claim as to the accuracy of each individual word, but focus almost exclusively on the whole meaning of the verse, the sentence or the phrase. Indeed, when the original Hebrew or Greek text contains an idiomatic expression or uses an archaic meaning of a word, a paraphrased version may give the actual meaning more clearly than a literal version. Paraphrased Bibles are therefore quite useful when used in conjunction with the literal translations.

The Family, however, has treated the Bible quite differently. By their own admission, they have paraphrased Bible verses, rewriting them to include a reference to the keys. For example, the Bible says that "My God will supply all your needs" (Phil 4:19), but the Family might rewrite the verse to say "My God will supply all your needs through the power of the keys." The original meaning of the Bible has been dramatically altered to accommodate the Family doctrine. This is not paraphrasing the Bible so that it means the same thing, but "adulterating the word of God" (2 Cor 4:2), putting words into God's mouth which He did not say.

Therefore, the Family's assertion that 'key promises' are similar to Bible promises is actually an admission that the Family is guilty of manipulating the word of God.

Luke 10:17-22

Luke 10:17-22
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
NASU

As outlined above, the Family version of this passage was that the disciples had been given a certain amount of power, but were then given more power after Jesus saw that the Devil was increasing his attacks on them. The Family then said that this particular incident shows that the Lord increases the spiritual power available to His followers when they need it. The keys, according to the Family, is an example of such an increase in power.

However, there are severe flaws in the Family's argument.

First, the sequence of events as described by the Family is not explicitly described in Scripture. The Bible does not say that the disciples were given a measure of power, which was later increased following a satanic attack. The Family is guilty here of twisting the scriptures to mean what they want it to mean.

Second, even if the passage did say that the disciples' spiritual power was increased following a satanic attack, it certainly does not say that the Lord will likewise increase spiritual power to every disciple when they are under attack. There is no mention in the passage of this incident setting a precedent for future disciples. In fact, Jesus appears to downplay the power, gently reminding His disciples to rejoice over their salvation rather than over what they had been able to do (Luke 10:20).

Third, the Bible elsewhere explains how satanic attacks may be defeated:

Rev 12:11-12
11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."
NASU

Although the devil comes "having great wrath," he is defeated by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the total commitment of His followers to Him. Jesus' followers do not need extra spiritual power to defeat the devil because they are clothed with the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself within them.

Fourth, it should be pointed out that there is no connection, direct or indirect between this story in Luke 10 and Jesus' reference to the keys in Matthew 16. The passages are unconnected and any link between the two is contrived.

Commentaries on Luke 10:17-19

Bob Deffinbaugh:

Their experience far surpassed their expectations. They came back jubilant.

When they say, “even the demons are subject to us,” it would seem that their ability to cast out demons was the epitome, the ultimate evidence of the power and authority they exercised in the name of the Lord Jesus. It is easy to see how they would have come to this conclusion. After all, had the nine disciples not been unable to cast the demon out of the lad (cf. Luke 9:37-41)? If the nine were the “A squad,” and they could not cast out a demon, and the seventy, the “B squad,” were successful, this was cause for great joy. That they were able to cast out demons was proof to the disciples that they had great authority in Jesus” name, and thus a great cause for joy.

Jesus’ response to the enthusiasm and joy of the seventy is most interesting and informative. The first thing I note about His response is that it is warm, affirming, even a sharing in their joy. While their joy may have been misplaced, they were not rebuked.

Before our Lord seeks to re-focus their joy, He first informed them that their ability to cast out demons was evidence of even greater issues than they had imagined. They saw their success only in terms of their having authority over the demons; Jesus was also watching their success (“I was watching Satan fall, …” v. 18, NASV), only He saw Satan’s demise. If they saw the demons as subject to them, Jesus saw Satan in the beginnings of his demise. Satan was, like lightning, falling from heaven. That is, he was falling down, and he was falling “lightning” fast. The coming of Christ and more specifically the cross of Christ was Satan’s defeat, and the mission of the seventy was but a preview of what was to come. Did the seventy see the spirits as subject to them? Jesus saw Satan as being defeated, and his power and authority as being overthrown.

The authority which the Lord had given to His disciples, that is to the seventy disciples, was such that it included power to overcome Satan, and the opposition to the preaching of the gospel which they were sent to proclaim. Their authority in Jesus’ name included the ability to “trample on serpents and scorpions” (v. 19). This may be language which is somewhat symbolic, as the allusion to Satan’s falling from heaven like lightning, but there is also a literal dimension which should not be overlooked. As they were going about from place to place, there was a very real danger posed by both serpents and by scorpions. It would seem as though Satan, the enemy (v. 19), would attempt to thwart their mission by employing such means as serpents. After all, Satan was, in the garden, in the form of a serpent. Because of their authority, however, no such dangers could defeat or hinder them, so long as they were doing what Jesus had commanded them to do. For this moment, and on this mission, they were invincible, indestructible.

In verses 18 and 19 our Lord affirmed and even expanded upon the significance of the ministry the disciples had when they were sent out. In this they can rejoice. But in verse 20 our Lord now turns the disciples’ attention to a better basis for their joy. If they destruction of Satan was good news, and cause for rejoicing, their salvation was even better news, and cause for deepest joy. In a very gentle way, Jesus told them that they should rejoice in the fact of their salvation, rather than the fact of Satan’s downfall and defeat.

“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

We should not lose sight of the fact that having the ability to cast out demons is not even proof that one is saved. We would assume from the fact that Judas was one of the twelve, that he was successful in casting out demons, as were the others (cf. Luke 9:1-2). To have been unable to do so would have caused Judas to “stick out like a sore thumb,” something of which we have not hint in the Scriptures. The words of our Lord in Matthew’s gospel, however, make it quite clear that unbelievers were able to cast out demons:

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Jesus told His disciples that rather than to rejoice in their power over the demons, they should rejoice in their salvation. They should rejoice in that their names were written in heaven. Initially, the disciples were caught up in their relationship with the spirit world, namely that in Christ’s name they had power over them. Jesus told them that they should be rejoicing in their relationship with God. Joy at the prospect of the termination of Satan’s opposition is nothing when compared to the certainty of an eternal relationship with God. To suggest an analogy, the joy of one who marries should not be so much rooted in the fact that he is no longer single, as in the pleasure of his bride. The joy of the Christian should not be primarily in the destruction of Satan’s hold and power over us, but in the fact that we now belong to God.

From: The True Source of Joy by Bob Deffinbaugh

Ron Ritchie:

Jesus responded, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” In the immediate context it seems that what Jesus was saying was, "You were experiencing my power at work in and through you so you could cast out demons while on earth, but I want you to know that I was present when Satan was cast out of heaven. His power was broken then, it was broken at my temptation in the wilderness, it is broken now by my power through you, and as I look into eternity, his power will be broken in the future by all who deal with him and his demons in my name.”

He continued, “I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you [I will protect you from any attack from Satan in which as a murderer he tries to kill you]. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” What Jesus meant was, don’t rejoice in the activities of a ministry, for as Ephesians 2:10 says, these works were set out beforehand for us, and all we have to do is walk in them. But we are to rejoice in the fact we have an eternal relationship with the living God.

From: Are You Willing to Become a Disciple of Jesus Christ by Ron Ritchie

John MacArthur:

In this context, it appears Jesus' meaning was, "Don't be so surprised that the demons are subject to you; I saw their commander cast out of heaven, so it is no wonder if his minions are cast out on earth. After all, I am the source of the authority that makes them subject to you" (v.19). He may also have intended a subtle reminder and warning against pride - the reason for Satan's fall.

From the MacArthur Study Bible, footnote to Luke 10:18

John MacArthur also says: