"He that exalteth himself shall be abased. Any such feeling should be brought out into the open, faced, and stated, and often the very stating of it will show how unimportant and trivial the whole thing is. I believe that was Podcast 18. What church must be told--is the great question. Matthew 18:17-18. The motives of the natural heart are laid bare. Such is the perversity of man, that he who is not called thinks he can follow Jesus whithersoever He goes. The second is, "So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few are chosen." moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, and if He prayed to be released from the dread situation which confronted him, he was not released from it; but he was given power to meet it, to endure it, and to conquer it. and who are my brethren?" However, it seems that if the whole church gets involved in reproving the offender, some sort of communal, as well as individual, punishment would be involved. It was so challenging, thought provoking and inspiring. "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved." let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican: To illustrate His point regarding unrepentant sin, Jesus uses two classes of people who are particularly despised in His day. As a class, Gentiles are excluded from Gods covenants, promises, and worship and are, therefore, outside the bounds of fellowship (Ephesians 2:11-13). Now at the same time there came disciples to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? We often mistake grace for silence. 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. Ought you not to have had pity on your fellow-servant, as I had pity on you?' but if he neglect to hear the church: Only one option remains if all of the above steps are followed and the sinner still refuses to repent. Thus, in the chapter before us, we have a very comprehensive sketch of the Lord's manifestation from that time, and in type going on to the end of the age. Every believer has the presence of Christ with him; but the promise here refers to the meetings where two or three are gathered in his name, not only for discipline, but for religious worship, or any act of Christian communion. God is not content to wait until men come home; he goes out to search for them no matter what it costs him. Pastors can train their leaders to take a Matthew 18 approach when a person comes to them with a problem concerning another member of their church. As you correctly note, the Church has a local and universal aspect. I say not how fax he had realized this profound truth; I say not that he could have defined his thoughts; but he knew and declared His command of all as truly God. Because He said He would be here in the midst of us, and you can reach out by faith and touch Him tonight. That is to say, God's punishment is for those who are useless, for those who make no contribution to life, for those who hold life back instead of urging life on, for those who drag life down instead of lifting life up, for those who are the handicaps of others and not their inspirations. God could not be limited by a question of place; His word was enough. Apply this. He might respond, "The church was never concerned about me before. That is specially so if he goes out from a protected home where no evil influence was ever allowed to play upon him. 6:12). They measured Jesus by their own impotence. There is room also for the most thorough self-abnegation. The sin that Matthew addresses can be any sin. Jesus responds by emphasizing the importance of childlike humility, and the importance to Him of those who demonstrate that humility of faith. List the following offenses on the board: being lied to; having something stolen; being betrayed by a friend. In the evening multitudes are brought, taking advantage of the power that had so shown itself, publicly in the synagogue, and privately in the house of Peter; and the Lord accomplished the words ofIsaiah 53:4; Isaiah 53:4: "Himself," it is said, "took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses," an oracle we might do well to consider in the limit of its application here. Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. When one feels wronged by another in the church, the temptation is for him to seek out some personal friend or confidant, and to elaborate the real or fancied wrong by embellishing it with every possible coloring and emphasis, thus spreading hate against the offending party. God I am bitter. More than one Gentile and tax collector accept the Messiah. Does "the church" in Matthew 18:17 refer to the whole assembly? "That ye may know it (then saith He to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house." Matthew 18 1. On the word Church, Matthew 16:28. The Christian is constantly aware that he is responsible for the effect of his life, his deeds, his words, his example on other people. You say things I have always felt, but never had the courage to speak them out. What does the Bible mean when it says, Do not judge. Because troubles are never settled by going to law, or by Christless argument. They that are shut out from the congregation of the righteous now shall not stand in it in the great day, Psalms 1:5. (2.) If they listen to you, you have won them over. she cried; but what had she to do with the Son of David? If your . God is a God of reconciliation and restoration, not one of division. In every child there are infinite possibilities for good or ill. Fasting, indeed, would follow when the Bridegroom was taken from them. He was warning them that they were going in completely the wrong direction, away from the Kingdom of Heaven and not towards it. It probably was no more than a grave though passing difficulty, which he desired to have cleared up with all fulness for their sakes, as well as his own. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. For God no man is unimportant and no one is lost in the crowd; for the Christian every man is important and is a child of God, who, if lost, must be found. the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die Observe that it is at this point the chapter begins with vindicating the sanctity of marriage. Your book on the misuse of apostolic authority-what an eye opener! That is a must. Josephus calls hell an everlasting prison. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gives His formula for solving person-to-person problems. Why is this not taught or really used much in Catholicism as opposed to Protestantism, specifically Fundy Christian denominations who live by it? First, the offense may be so serious that the only responsible decision that the church can make is to thrust the offender out of the church and view him or her as an unconverted person (18:17). Thus it is easy to see, that the reason for here putting together the leper and the centurion lies in the Lord's dealing with the Jew, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, in His deep grace working in the Gentile's heart, and forming his faith, as well as answering it, according to His own heart. Silence is not allowing grace to occur, but rather a cowardice to pervade the church body. Although this passage is certainly not a correct report of what Jesus said, it is equally certain that it goes back to something he did say. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! He is in the midst of them, that is, in their hearts; it is a spiritual presence, the presence of Christ's Spirit with their spirits, that is here intended. (Matthew 19:30.) "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And if he refuses to listen to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Salem Media Group. The bodily presence of the Messiah was not needed. Your email address will not be published. (2.) 17: 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. 4) THE SPIRITUAL COMPOSITION OF THE CHURCH (MATTHEW 16:18) a) The Lord Jesus builds the church out of living stones. He can only be treated as one outside the church, not hated, but not held in close fellowship." Proceed in this method: First, "Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. And they, many times, were arguing about these things, the greatest. It is the glory of Christ; not so much as Son of the living God, but as the exalted Son of man, who once suffered here below. The Father and the Son have their appropriate part, even as we know from elsewhere the Spirit sent down from heaven in due time was to have His. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take a count of his servants. Also I avoided mentioning elders, because I didn't want to import an ecclesiology that might be anachronistic to the passage anyway. I feel like the past few years I am having to deprogram myself and relearn a lot. J. WESLEY. I have endeavoured, though, of course, cursorily, and I feel most imperfectly, to give thus far Matthew's sketch of the Saviour as the Holy Ghost enabled him to execute it. "Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" Mark gives them in the end of his second and the beginning of his third chapters. For the first time in my life I dont feel like there is something wrong with me. How light soever proud scorners may make of the censures of the church, let them know that they are confirmed in the court of heaven; and it is in vain for them to appeal to that court, for judgment is there already given against them. Andrew was confronted in his sin, called to repent and as an act of repentance, submit to his church leaders. This was the very blessing that aroused, above all, the hatred of the scribes. But nothing turned aside the purpose of God, or the activity of His grace. Therefore it was not a mere simple fact that He banished sickness or infirmity, but He carried them in His spirit before God. To lose a hand, to lose an eye by my own doing is just a horribly repugnant thought. It was Rabbinic teaching that a man must forgive his brother three times. In the time of Jesus the Jews had a very highly-developed angelology. Note, When we cannot do what we would in religion, we must do as we can, and God will accept us. Some rabbis taught that to eat with a Gentile was a capital offense crime worse than murder! This often has devastating effect on children and their relational networks as they simply do not understand what is occurring. detestable thing has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? In the time of Jesus the flocks were often communal flocks; they belonged, not to an individual, but to a village. The Lord is saying it's got to be more than just a forgiving of words. thoroughly. The question fairly arises, Why it is that the Holy Ghost has been pleased so remarkably to leave time out of the question in this chapter, as well as in the next? Christian reproof is an ordinance of Christ for the bringing of sinners to repentance, and must be managed as an ordinance. We know that this is a tempting world; it is therefore the Christian's duty to remove stumbling-blocks, never to be the cause of putting them in another's way. Now it is a great honour which Christ here puts upon the church, that he will condescend not only to take cognizance of their sentences, but to confirm them; and in the following verses we have two things laid down as ground of this. Who but God could command not only the waves, but the fish of the sea? God is like that; God cannot be happy until the last wanderer is gathered in. Observe, First, That the power of church discipline is not here lodged in the hand of a single person, but two, at least, are supposed to be concerned in it. If the answer is no, encourage them to go directly to that person in a private manner. Matthew's version of the Lord's Prayer (6:9-15) is used in the liturgies of the Christian churches. It was after our Lord had called the twelve, and ordained them not after He had sent them forth, but after He had appointed them apostles that the Lord comes down to a plateau upon the mountain, instead of remaining upon the more elevated parts where He had been before. Where two or three are assembled together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.". It says simply, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Sounds like the Mafia here, but I am all for it. It is equally clear that the seven worse spirits mean the complete energy of the devil in the maintenance of Antichrist against the true Christ: and this, strange to say, along with idols. There are no restraining walls. The leper approaches the Lord with homage, but with a most inadequate belief in His love and readiness to meet his need. The Matthew 18 principle tells us the first step when someone sins against you or has offended you. See 2 Chronicles 5:13; Acts 4:31. In Luke 17:3-4 Jesus is teaching the disciples about forgiveness and says: Be on your guard! The Church Refugee sanity video you posted last week gave us some sanity. Hence it is that He has grouped together circumstances which make this plain, without raising the question of when they occurred; in fact, they range over a large space, and, otherwise viewed, are in total disorder. But it is just possible that this passage is not to be taken so much personally as in connection with the Church. Now most of our prayer is done in private, but there are times when agreement in prayer is extremely valuable. It does not mean that we should cease to show kindness to him and aid him in affliction or trial, for that is required toward all people; but it means that we should disown him as a Christian brother, and treat him as we do other people not connected with the church. Verse 29 gives us strict time. If thy eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Matthew 18:1-14. The spoken word can often settle a difference which the written word would only have exacerbated. This is not a form of excommunication to be used among Christians, nor was there ever any such form among the Jews; nor could Heathens or publicans, especially such publicans as were Gentiles, be excommunicated, when they never were of the Jewish church. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established . Exegeses of Matthew 18 frequently overlook the fact that Jesus is not speaking to the multitude, but to the disciples (18:1), whose successors were the hierarchs and presbyters of the Church. In this passage there may well be stressed both the necessity of self-renunciation for the Christian individual and discipline for the Christian Church. In truth, this was Emmanuel, God with us. Consider that Matthew 16:18 teaches us a least the following five truths about the church (adapted from Alan Highers, "The New Testament Church"): Jesus is the builder of the church. Secondly, If that doth not prevail, then take with thee one or two more,Matthew 18:16; Matthew 18:16. The Greek word is constantly so used as an expression of contempt, "This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." 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 . He also gives Peter the keys of the kingdom, as we see afterwards. "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." If, however, those bonds have not been developed, the task could be much more difficult. Jesus said, "Unless you turn." This is one of the accusations against Jesus: He eats with sinners. But I see no sufficient reason to refuse the impression that John found it hard to reconcile his continued imprisonment with a present Messiah; nor do I discern a sound judgment of the case, or a profound knowledge of the heart, in those who thus raise doubts as to John's sincerity, any more than they appear to me to exalt the character of this honoured man of God, by supposing him to play a part which really belonged to others. But to talk matters over with some wise and kindly and gracious people present is to create a new atmosphere in which there is at least a chance that we should see ourselves "as others see us." I think each church leader needs to read these books, I may buy one for our leaders. He ate with them. But one that never was of a religious society, could not be driven out of it. Tell it to the guides and governors of the church, the minister or ministers, the elders or deacons, or (if such the constitution of the society be) tell it to the representatives or heads of the congregation, or to all the members of it; let them examine the matter and, if they find the complaint frivolous and groundless, let them rebuke the complainant; if they find it just, let them rebuke the offender, and call him to repentance, and this will be likely to put an edge and an efficacy upon the reproof, because given," 1. In this highly competitive world it is very easy to pay most attention to the person who is pugnacious and aggressive and self-assertive and full of self-confidence. He is just as much present at the Prayer Meeting or the Bible Study Circle with their handful of people as in the crowded arena. "Oh, I forgive you, but you do that again, you're going to get it. (i) It can mean, not so much to receive a child, as to receive a person who has this childlike quality of humility. "With greater solemnity," and, 2. And inasmuch as God has commanded it, God will give me the capacity if I am willing, but I've got to be willing.And so I have to pray, "Oh, God give to me that spirit of forgiveness. In the next incident the force of the plea turns on God's goodness towards the wretchedness of man. The church may here mean the whole assembly of believers, or it may mean those who are authorized to try such cases - the representatives of the church, or these who act for the church. [1.] He maintains His sovereign title to do good, to do as He will with His own. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? Such is His grace, such His wisdom. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. [Note: Walvoord, Matthew: . Why do so many Christians fail the "practice what you preach" standard? That is why the shepherd could leave the ninety-nine. Whatever might be the Church or the kingdom, it is precisely when the Lord unfolds His new glory in both the kingdom and the Church that He maintains the proprieties of nature in their rights and integrity. In fact, even the mothers of the disciples sometimes got in on this. . "Telling it to the Church" probably does not refer to a public announcement, but probably a discrete fellowship with some members of Church who will find an appropriate way to deal with the issue. "Tell him his fault, elenxon auton--argue the case with him" (so the word signifies); "and do it with reason and argument, not with passion." Your book on healing has touched me in such a deep way. They said, "Lord when you come into your kingdom, would you let one of my sons be on your right hand? In fact, if you think that Jesus said "church" in Matthew 16: . Let those who have so little experience of what man is, even in the regenerate, beware lest they impute to the Baptist such an acting of a part as shocks us, when Jerome imputed it to Peter and Paul in the censure of Galatians 2:1-21.