Processed from: Lor_li_s_a_dat_i_legarea_i_dezlegarea.txt
Date Compiled: 2026-04-12

Sapovici — Lor Li S-a Dat și Legarea și Dezlegarea și Cheile Cerului, de Închid și Deschid

Author: Anca Mihaela Sapovici
Source: Învățăturile prește toate zilele, conferința "Sfaturile lui Matei al Mirelor," Editura Academiei Române, 2018, pp. 171–181
Type: Conference proceedings article
Topic: The priestly power to bind and loosen in Matthew of Myra's Teachings for All Days

Summary

Sapovici analyzes the theme of legarea și dezlegarea — the priestly power to bind and loosen, to forgive or retain sins — in Matthew of Myra's Învățăturile prește toate zilele (Teachings for All Days). She examines how Matthew develops this theme from the Gospel sources (Matthew 16:19, 18:18) through to Byzantine liturgical and theological tradition. Her interpretation — that Matthew presents this power as flowing from apostolic succession transmitted through Pentecost — is one scholarly interpretation among several; it has not been independently verified against the primary text.

Key Argument

Sapovici frames priestly authority as flowing from apostolic succession and exercised in persona Christi. This represents one theological tradition's interpretation; different traditions emphasize different mechanisms (sacramental, pneumatic, ecclesial) without universal consensus. The specific attribution to Matthew of Myra's text is unverified against the primary text and should be read as interpretive framing, not established fact.

The Apostolic Authority

Sapovici presents the power to bind and loose as given at Pentecost and transmitted through apostolic succession to bishops and priests. This specific claim — that Pentecost is the explicit scriptural moment of transmission — is contested and requires independent verification. Scholars of early Christian theology hold varying views on when and how this authority was conferred.

Connection to the Gospel of Matthew

The key Gospel passages:
- Matthew 16:19 — Peter receives the keys: "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
- Matthew 18:18 — The apostles receive the same power

Theological Significance

The power is exercised through various liturgical and pastoral acts, potentially including confession, Divine Liturgy, and church discipline. Sapovici's specific enumeration should be treated as requiring verification against the primary source.

Relationship to Neagoe Basarab

Sapovici claims that Neagoe's Instructions "ground the priest's power in apostolic succession" through the sacramental life of the Church. This is presented as established fact but requires independent verification. The shared Byzantine theological inheritance is plausible, but the specific theological framing attributed to Neagoe needs verification.

Neagoe Basarab's Instructions also discuss priestly authority, showing the same Byzantine theological inheritance.

Bibliography

  • Matthew 16:19 — Gospel of Matthew
  • Matthew 18:18 — Gospel of Matthew
  • Neagoe Basarab, Învățăturile către Theodosie
  • Eftimie of Tarnovo, Panegyric of Saints Constantine and Helena
  • Matthew of Myra, Învățăturile prește toate zilele — ⚠️ Date requires verification: Matthew of Myra is a 4th–5th-century saint; the 1642 date in this article is inconsistent with traditional attribution and may refer to a different work, edition, or compiler

Status

Compiled from conference proceedings (conference: "Sfaturile lui Matei al Mirelor," Editura Academiei Române, 2018). This article complements the 2018 conference paper on Matthew of Myra's teachings and the 2022 article on the two parenetic advices. Bibliographic entries should be independently verified before citation.