There is a Rabbinic tale of Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai who wept bitterly at the prospect of death. The point is, Matthew 18 is not a biblical mandate in such cases. In our culture the closest equivalence would be civil or criminal offenses, not petty local church squabbles. What an anticipation of the walk by faith, not by sight, in which the Gentiles, when called, ought to have glorified God, when the rejection of the Messiah by His own ancient people gave occasion to the Gentile call as a distinct thing! The care of children is something which is carried out for the sake of none other than Jesus Christ. (iv) Finally it stresses the supreme importance of the child. From this it was deduced that God's forgiveness extends to three offences and that he visits the sinner with punishment at the fourth. What is more, it speaks of tax-collectors and Gentiles as irreclaimable outsiders. We can imagine how the other shepherds would return with their flocks to the village fold at evening time, and how they would tell that one shepherd was still out on the mountain-side seeking a wanderer. Your book on praise and worship woke me up to the new covenant reality. "Even so shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you do not each one forgive his brother from your hearts.". Your postings enrich life. We must "go and tell him his fault BETWEEN you and him alone." Now, we are talking here about a sinning brother. When the incestuous Corinthian was to be cast out, the church was gathered together (1 Corinthians 5:4), and it was a punishment inflicted of many, 2 Corinthians 2:6. Since he was quite unable to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children, and all his possessions, and payment to be made. - Matthew 18:15-17 NIV. A kingdom divided against itself will not stand. He is not the slave of numbers. No Christian can be satisfied to live complacently and lethargically in a civilization where there are conditions of living and housing and life in general where a young person has no chance of escaping the seductions of sin. In each case the believer should go to the offender privately and point out the wrongdoing, so that the person might be spiritually helped. No word whatever implies that the cleansing of the leper happened at that time. It is never appropriate to decide on discipline without hearing both sides of the story. Now most of our prayer is done in private, but there are times when agreement in prayer is extremely valuable. [Note: Wiersbe, 1:66. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the Does this passage apply to how Christians and churches should handle public sins, including moral trespasses and false teaching? But whoever puts a stumbling-block in the way of one of these little ones, who believe in me, it is better for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned far out in the open sea. but what a heart was His! Thereon the Lord also has His word to say, first reminding Peter of his new name suitably to what follows. It is only after careful prayer and consideration for the other person should we go to and point out their sin in the hopes they will be restored. They that are shut out from the congregation of the righteous now shall not stand in it in the great day, Psalms 1:5. Times without number two people have agreed to pray for the physical or the spiritual welfare of a loved one and their prayer has not, in the literal sense, been answered. that take and give unto them for me and thee." We get to that when we get to Luke's gospel. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Why? (iii) The love of God is a seeking love. How important is the fact that the Corinthian Assembly was Formed From A Synagogue? In this passage there may well be stressed both the necessity of self-renunciation for the Christian individual and discipline for the Christian Church. Who are you to hold a little crutch or a grievance against your brother, not forgive him, because of some slight, or some mean thing that he has said about you, or some dirty thing that he has done to you. But as humans sometimes do, a person may make an inappropriate comment or commit an action that may cause another Christian to become offended. This ridge-like plateau is narrow, only a few miles across. All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Isaiah 7:10-16 (The sign of Immanuel); Psalm 80:1-7 17-19 (Show the light of your countenance); Romans 1:1-7 (Paul's greeting to the church at Rome); Matthew 1:18-25 (Our God near at hand) ( English Standard Version) December 18, 2022. While believers are not to fraternize with disfellowshiped brethren, they are not to treat them as enemies. He "went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." Numerous times Paul calls out people in his letters: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:17; & 2 Timothy 4:10,14. On being asked why, he answered. If I have a problem with a brother in Dallas, it is not practical to travel or call up some members in ( universal Church) Philippines, Australia and Mongolia etc.,to talk about the issue. First of these comes the treasure hidden in the field, for which the man sells all he had, securing the field for the sake of the treasure. Besides the secret worship performed by particular persons, and the public services of the whole congregation, there may be occasion sometimes for two or three to come together, either for mutual assistance in conference or joint assistance in prayer, not in contempt of public worship, but in concurrence with it; there Christ will be present. "He that exalteth himself shall be abased. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell. Hence, here it is a question not merely of cleansing, but of forgiveness, and forgiveness, too, as that which precedes power, manifested before men. Matthew gives no such details, but call and mission are together here. There are no restraining walls. Jesus responds by emphasizing the importance of childlike humility, and the importance to Him of those who demonstrate that humility of faith. Those that will be reasoned out of their sins, need not be shamed out of them. Little faith leaves us as fearful for ourselves as dim witnesses of His glory whom the most unruly elements obey. If there is a mortal sin in many Matthew 18 disciplinary environments, it is alleged gossip and not following all the steps of Matthew 18 to address a problem in a local church. Copyright 2023 | ScriptureCatholic.com | All rights reserved. (1.) Of course, both do preserve chronological order when it is compatible with the objects the Holy Spirit had in inspiring them; but in both the order of time is subordinated to still greater purposes which God had in view. God has forgiven you so very much, all of your past sins. Ought you not to have had pity on your fellow-servant, as I had pity on you?' Read full chapter. Jesus may well be saying that the most important people are not the thrusters and those who have climbed to the top of the tree by pushing everyone else out of the way, but the quiet, humble, simple people, who have the heart of a child. Matthew 18:1-35 is a most important chapter for Christian Ethics, because it deals with those qualities which should characterize the personal relationships of the Christian. ( Matthew 18:21 ), Now I imagine that Peter at this point thought I am really setting a great example here. Well, Jesus is our pattern in all thingsthe same Jesus of Matthew 18. I'll bury the hatchet, but I leave the handle showing so I can grab it whenever I need it." If that is to be taken literally, and without any qualification, it is manifestly untrue. 18:15-18 "If your brother sins against you, go, and try to convince him of his error between you and him alone. The violent man, Herod, guilty of innocent blood, then reigned in the land, in contrast with whom goes Jesus into the wilderness, showing who and what He was the Shepherd of Israel, ready and able to care for the people. My wife has been freed. The Lord's Conflict Resolution Plan. In the context of Matthew 18:15-20, we see that the sin is personal, private, and the person guilty of the offense is personally accessible. yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Then the pitiable condition of the disciples at the foot of the hill, where Satan reigned in fallen ruined man, is tested by the fact, that notwithstanding all the glory of Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, the disciples rendered it evident that they knew not how to bring His grace into action for others; yet was it precisely their place and proper function here below. He doth not say, "If you shall agree to sentence and decree a thing, it shall be done" (as if ministers were judges and lords); but, "If you agree to ask it of God, from him you shall obtain it." And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day . The Old Testament tells the story that Jesus completes. Had she not such confusion of thought that, if the Lord had heeded her words, it must have been destruction to her? In the next discourse we may hope to have the rest of his gospel. but it was far too much for the young man. And, therefore, the sheep are ever liable to wander; and, if they stray from the grass of the plateau into the gullies and the ravines at each side, they have every chance of finishing up on some ledge from which they cannot get up or down, and of being marooned there until they die. This often has devastating effect on children and their relational networks as they simply do not understand what is occurring. And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them." To me it is evident, from a careful comparison of them all, as I think it is capable of clear and adequate proof to an unprejudiced Christian mind, that neither Matthew nor Luke confines himself to such an order of events. But in this case the taking of the witnesses is not meant to be a way of proving to a man that he has committed an offence. There was no other Church around at the time these words were penned. Away back in the eleventh century Duke Robert of Burgundy was one of the great warrior and knightly figures. let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican. I have a better place than you, and their motivations were not always the purest. How important that we learn to serve, that we not be looking for ourselves, but we only be looking for our Lord and to exalt Him. . To my mind, the depth of such grace only enhances the beauty of Jesus, and is the very last possible ground that justifies man in thinking lightly of the Saviour. And I encourage every one of you to have a prayer partner. Matthew 18 is a principle especially directed to the Christians. Give to me forgiveness in my heart. To be clear, are you asking whether church discipline must take place before the whole congregation of a local church vs. the elders of a church? Matthew does assume the church will endure (Matt. When God intends special answers to prayer, he calls for a solemn assembly, Joel 2:15; Joel 2:16. Yet man, in face of all, is so deceived of the enemy, that he prefers to be left with the demons rather than enjoy the presence of the Deliverer. The unparalleled grace of the Saviour must form and fashion the saints henceforth. Here there is nothing but joy. So take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven [and I love this] their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven ( Matthew 18:8-10 ). 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. One of the earliest interpretations of this saying of Jesus was that the two or three are father, mother, and child, and that it means that Jesus is there, the unseen guest in every home. Jesus has been describing a process for confronting another believer who is guilty of sin. Nevertheless, when there was the display of the glory of the kingdom, the Father's voice proclaimed Him as His own Son, and not merely as the man thus exalted. Moreover, the very picture of drowning had its terror for the Jew. A Gentile (indeed, any mind not under any kind of legal prejudice or difficulty) would be far more moved by a detailed account of what was more, conspicuous. This is the opposite of the objective Matthew 18 seeks to achieve. One passage, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (16:18), has become the basis of Roman Catholic belief in the divine institution of the papacy. We have it in Acts and the Epistles. No matter what the great purpose might be, He was there for faith. The Rabbis had a wise saying, "Judge not alone, for none may judge alone save One (that is God).". Andrew was confronted in his sin, called to repent and as an act of repentance, submit to his church leaders. But our Lord with dignity demands of Peter, "What thinkest thou, Simon?" I love it.But He said. The church should be able to influence its own members positively when they go astray. The implication is one of incredulity. Thank you and God bless you, Matthew 18: Misunderstanding and Misuse in Conflict Resolution. (ii) Second, there is the quality of responsibility ( Matthew 18:5-7). But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.. Set up a meeting with the person in a private setting and allow the pastor to confront that person with at least one witness present. 7-9); and, the care of heaven toward both the saved and lost . and when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples [in both the parables and the explanations alluding to what we possess in Matthew 13:1-58.]. God is one and His Church is one. Is it correct to use "the" before "materials used in making buildings are"? Thus, the present dealings of God in grace, the actual shape taken by the kingdom of heaven, the calling of the Gentiles, the formation of the Church, are all passed completely over. Our Lord then answers, with perfect dignity, as well as grace; He puts before the disciples of John the real state of the case; He furnishes them with plain, positive facts, that could leave nothing to be desired by John's mind when he weighed all as a testimony from God. The Meaning of Church in Greek and the Difference from Old Testment. The primacy of Peter is perhaps one of the strongest points of contention between Catholics and non-Catholics today. A double action follows. "Can a woman forget her sucking child? Verse 15: "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.". This, I believe, is a great lesson, and too often forgotten. So rather than Matthew 18:20 proving that the church is merely invisible and thus denying the visible aspect of the church, the verses right before it actually reveal the contrary, that the church is visible in nature. Jesus said, "I am in the midst of them". Jesus says to take the wayward brother to the Church for reproval. This sets forth not at all the way in which the Christian stands related to Christ; for even though we had known Him after the flesh, henceforth know we Him no more. What it may well mean is that the relationships which we establish with our fellow-men last not only through time but into eternity--therefore we must get them right. The true path to greatness is always the path of humility. 79. John Chrysostom makes this clear in his 4th century commentary: But if he shall neglect to hear them also, tell it to the church, that is, to the rulers of it; but if he neglect to hear the church, I'll be better then you. At that time Jesus answered, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. As we have often seen, it is Matthew's consistent custom to gather together the teaching of Jesus under certain great heads; he arranges it systematically. We have, first, the sower sowing the word. It does not seem exactly as a pictorial view of what the Lord was doing, or going to do, but rather the repeated pledge, that they were not to suppose that the evil He had judged in the elders of Jerusalem, or the grace freely going out to the Gentiles, in any way led Him. (i) If we feel that someone has wronged us, we should immediately put our complaint into words. (i) First and foremost, there is the quality of humility ( Matthew 18:1-4). There are many lovely characteristics in a child--the power to wonder, before he has become deadeningly used to the wonder of the world; the power to forgive and to forget, even when adults and parents treat him unjustly as they so often do; the innocence, which, as Richard Glover beautifully says, brings it about that the child has only to learn, not to unlearn; only to do, not to undo. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." There Jesus says, "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. Jesus did not confuse them with much revelation about the form that their corporate identity would take following His ascension. So, if they want to be faithful to the Bible, then they have to follow the Church. Take away this unforgiving spirit that I have." Matthew 18:15-17 gives some guidelines as to the proper steps to take when a fellow brother or sister in Christ commits a sin against you: If your brother or sistersins, go and point out their fault,just between the two of you. Matthew 18 does not apply in a formal way in those kind of circumstances. He visited the pastor and asked for forgiveness. that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three Oh, boy how they longed for this. the sight of the Lord your God, by transgressing His covenant, and "If he shall neglect to hear them, and will not refer the matter to their arbitration, then tell it to the church, to the ministers, elders, or other officers, or the most considerable persons in the congregation you belong to, make them the referees to accommodate the matter, and do not presently appeal to the magistrate, or fetch a writ for him." Jesus had uttered similar words in Matthew 16:19 when discussing the divine authority He had given to Peter and the other 11 apostles of the Jerusalem Church. To satisfy the physical needs of a child, to wash his clothes and bind his cuts and soothe his bruises and cook his meals may often seem a very unromantic task; the cooker and the sink and the work-basket have not much glamour; but there is no one in all this world who helps Jesus Christ more than the teacher of the little child and the harassed, hard-pressed mother in the home. When Jesus said, "Tell it to the church (assembly)," the disciples probably heard, "Tell it to all the other disciples, not just the two or three witnesses." And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. how is it that ye have no faith? For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." woe unto thee, Bethsaida! Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click, to understand why. Perhaps no verse is so taken out of context and misapplied as Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." The Biblical proof that this was correct was taken from Amos. "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessed with a devil. Salem Media Group. Matthew 18 is far more specific and narrow than is often recognized. He said. The context is the disruption of community due to actual, objective loss in a legal sense. of For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them ( Matthew 18:20 ). But in practicality, we live and fellowship in the Local Church. Matthew 18:17 applies to local churches. Take another person with you or another two people with you, and face him with the issue again. As for the Gentile, the Lord's proffer to go and heal his servant brought out the singular strength of his faith. Gehenna ( G1067) was the valley of Hinnom, a valley below the mountain of Jerusalem. The clear assumption is that the Church fellowship is Christian, and seeks to judge everything, not in the light of a book of practice and procedure, but in the light of love. Those of the church that are presumed to be most capable of determining such matters; and he speaks ironically, when he says (Matthew 18:4; Matthew 18:4), "Set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church; those, if there be no better, those, rather than suffer an irreconcileable breach between two church members." I wish I would have seen all of that when I was younger. Note, Christ has been pleased to put an honour upon, and to allow a special efficacy in, the joint-prayers of the faithful, and the common supplications they make to God. And the basis of any answer toward your question does require some foundation to be built in biblical ecclesiology. So Jesus said that in a child we see the characteristics which should mark the man of the Kingdom. He is talking about behaviors of a scandalous nature between individuals that would breach the community shalom: corporate well-being. That is specially so if he goes out from a protected home where no evil influence was ever allowed to play upon him. Thank-you for putting into words what the Spirit has been whispering in my heart. This, too, we ascertain from Mark 1:1-45, where there are clear marks of the time. Thus it is shown that, though we have rich grace to the Gentile, there is the remembrance of natural relationship still. The Terrible Responsibility ( Matthew 18:5-7; Matthew 18:10 Continued). Is it not most sweet to see, that He who proves His divine glory at once associates us with Himself? In particular, to those requests that are put up to God about binding and loosing; to which this promise seems more especially to refer. No law of heaven limits the number of petitioners. After this, dismissing the multitudes, He retires alone, to pray, on a mountain, as the disciples toil over the storm-tossed lake, the wind being contrary. He was about to go off on a campaign. The passage begins with these words: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. The cultural backdrop for trespass and aught against was the Mosaic Law. I just finished reading it last night. Concerning the maintenance of the unity of the community, just ask, it will be done for you. The total revenue of the province which contained Idumaea, Judaea and Samaria was only 600 talents; the total revenue of even a wealthy province like Galilee was only 300 talents. It singles out seven qualities which should mark the personal relationships of the Christian. There is nothing in this world more terrible than to destroy someone's innocence. No Jew would be brought before the Sanhedrin for divergent doctrinal views short of blasphemy, as in the case of Christ. It is in an atmosphere of Christian prayer, Christian love and Christian fellowship that personal relationships may be righted. You say, "Well, explain it to us." Toward the end of Matthew 18 we know Peter understood the implications of what I am proposing: Lord, how often do I have to forgive? (Matthew. When members are not in harmony with one another, either because of doctrinal differences or personal disputes, there is less motivation for the sinner to return. Note, A gross sin against God is a trespass against his people, who have a true concern for his honour. Because He said He would be here in the midst of us, and you can reach out by faith and touch Him tonight. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost ( Matthew 18:11 ). If, however, those bonds have not been developed, the task could be much more difficult. - Augustine Sermon 82.7. Heats and animosities, among those whose work it is to remove offences, will be the greatest offence of all. Obviously, Christ's instruction is not to stone them, but removing the obstinate from the church as a whole is consistent with the Israelite practices of sanctifying the community of faith. Treat Them as Unbelievers (Tax collectors and Gentiles). So synagogue means congregation or assembly, which certainly fits the context of what Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:18. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. Who could touch the leper save Emmanuel? But every Scripture that treats of that time proves what dread, what anxiety, what dark clouds will be ever and anon. if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Subscribe here to receive blog publication notifcations in your email inbox. By its gross and unfeeling violation! (Matthew 1:22-23; 2:5-6,17,23; 4:14-16). In Matthew 18:17, Jesus uses the word church in reference to the local church. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. He was there for the express purpose of glorifying God. We shall be dealing in detail with these relationships as we study the chapter section by section; but before we do so, it will be well to look at the chapter as a whole. The evil spirits asked leave to pass into the herd of swine, which thus typify the final condition of the defiled, apostate mass of Israel; their presumptuous and impenitent unbelief reduces them to that deep degradation not merely the unclean, but the unclean filled with the power of Satan, and carried down to swift destruction. And I've found, to my shame and chagrin, that the school's misuse of Matthew 18 is far from unusual. The greatest of all sins is to teach another to sin, especially if that other should be a weaker, a younger, and a less-experienced brother. "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David!" God's delight is to pick out the hindmost for the first place, to the disparagement of the foremost in their own strength. And always God's answer is the offer not of escape, but of victory. as if it were a just action, take one or two others along with you, What He was introducing could not mix with Judaism. They glorified God. Observe that it is at this point the chapter begins with vindicating the sanctity of marriage. Suppose something does go wrong, what are we to do to put it right? More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! II. That is what He wanted His disciples to do regarding the erring brother or sister. In Galatians 2:11 what is meant by "I opposed him to his face"? It was to be brought to the church in order that he might be admonished, entreated, and, if possible, reformed. If a man teaches another to sin, it would be better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. I am the surgeon and I am telling you, we've got to operate immediately. There is no note of the time when he came, but simply the fact that he did come. . They said, "Lord when you come into your kingdom, would you let one of my sons be on your right hand? There will be differences at the close. To continue to allow the flock to fraternize with such a beast is to invite bloodshed. The objective of all discipline is ultimately restoration, not exclusion. Matthew 18:15-17. Go, and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. It could be a grandiose sin like adultery or a small sin like gossip or lying. Jesus Christ teaches His disciples principles that will help them lead the Church. Scripture is clear: The church must practice biblical church discipline toward professing Christians who persist in known sin. 14. y Ib. Ecclessia doesn't have a sense of just the people of one denomination who meet at that local church building you see in your suburb of the city. Jesus takes it from confronting with one person [v15] to confirming it (in obedience to the Law) by 2 or 3 witnesses [v16] to an even larger group in the church [v17]. Note, When we cannot do what we would in religion, we must do as we can, and God will accept us. Drowning was sometimes a Roman punishment, but never Jewish. The 100 denarii debt could be carried in one pocket. That is why the Catholic Church has been around for 2,000 years, and the Protestant sects continue to splinter by the thousands each year. A hook is cast into the sea, and the fish that takes it produces the required money for Peter as for his gracious Master and Lord. The next chapter (Matthew 18:1-35) takes up the double thought of the kingdom and the Church, showing the requisite for entrance into the kingdom, and displaying or calling forth divine grace in the most lovely manner, and that in practice. That is what the Jew could not understand about the Christian idea Of God.