The child's humility is the pattern of the Christian's behaviour to his fellow-men, and the child's dependence and trust are the pattern of the Christian's attitude towards God, the Father of all. There is far more in aionios ( G166) than simply a description of that which has no end. It was to be brought to the church in order that he might be admonished, entreated, and, if possible, reformed. There are no restraining walls. However the disciples undoubtedly understood Him to mean simply His band of disciples. "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse." Now what you need to conceptionalize and to realize is the fact that Jesus is here tonight.Now if you have a real need and you knew Jesus was there, what would you do? . He who brings Jesus and the blessing of Jesus to a child is doing a Christlike work. ________________________________________________. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain, Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology, Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines, Euler: A baby on his lap, a cat on his back thats how he wrote his immortal works (origin?). Matthew 18:1-14. It is not a mandatory judicial protocol for every circumstance of conflict in community life. There is nothing in this world more terrible than to destroy someone's innocence. 2. He was really God in man; and all these wonderful features are here presented and compressed in this most simple, but at the same time significant, action of the Saviour the fitting frontispiece to Matthew's manifestation of the Messiah to Israel. To maim my own body, to me is a very repugnant idea. Because troubles are never settled by going to law, or by Christless argument. 17 "And 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 . This is equivalent to the Shechinah, or special presence of God in the tabernacle and temple of old, Exodus 40:34; 2 Chronicles 5:14. in weight; and they would form, at a distance of a yard apart, a line five miles long! In what follows we have that which is necessary, to complete the picture of the other side. All of 18:15-20 pertains to the Apostles and their successors and not anyone whosoever claims to be a Christian, including His teaching regarding what they should bind on earth should be bound in heaven (18:18), as well as that when two or three of them are gathered in His name, he would be in their midst (18:20). "I will build my church" (singular). witnesses. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. But if Matthew here laid aside all question of time, it was in view of other and weightier considerations for his object. But here as everywhere we must remember the basic law of prayer; that law is that in prayer we receive, not the answer which we desire, but the answer which God in his wisdom and his love knows to be best. When we pray unselfishly, God sends his answer--but the answer is always his answer and not necessarily ours. The Power Of The Presence ( Matthew 18:19-20), 18:19-20 "Again, I tell you, that if two of you agree upon earth upon any matter for which you are praying, you will receive it from my Father who is in Heaven. Our model for this is Matthew 18:15-18. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. The truth of this is apparent, if we compare the gospel of Mark. Here is a warrant signed for the ratification of all the church's proceedings according to these rules, Matthew 18:18; Matthew 18:18. In later days it became the refuse dump of Jerusalem; a kind of vast incinerator. As Christians, we want to treat people as we would want to be treated. Well, apparently Paul did not understand Matthew 18at least not the way we commonly interpret it. Christ will not own those as his, nor receive them to himself, whom the church has duly delivered to Satan; but, if through error or envy the censures of the church be unjust, Christ will graciously find those who are so cast out, John 9:34; John 9:35. 18 "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[ a] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[ b] loosed in heaven. Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said, "He who begs forgiveness from his neighbour must not do so more than three times." It was not a local church, but itinerant. Matthew 18:15-20 . 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. What I'm wondering, though, is whether "the church" necessarily refers to the whole gathered assembly, or whether the phrase can be properly read as a metonym, similar to a phrase like "waiting for an answer from the White House" where "the White House" obviously doesn't refer to the building, but to the president and his staff. If we have a difference with someone, there is only one way to settle it--and that is face to face. Everything depends on how he is taught and trained. Thus Matthew, called at the very receipt of custom, follows Jesus, and makes a feast for Him. This is not a make-a-wish prayer formula for three people in a circle singing praise songs and reveling in some spiritual phenomenon of the Lords presence. Rather, the peace of the community is so important to Christ that He makes this promise (my expanded translation): Wherever two are three of you are concerned about the unity of the community, where you had to make judgment in a case, and you are in agreement on it, I will stand behind your judgment. It is enough to meet a difficulty which many feel by the simple plea that the reason assigned is in my judgment a valid explanation, and in itself a sufficient solution of the apparent discrepancy. So, when more is added, He says, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Dissent or disagreement is viewed as disloyalty to the group, denomination, or an individual leader. It was true that He was made of woman, and made under the law; but He was Jehovah Himself, that lowly Nazarene. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ( Matthew 18:2-4 ). The context is interpersonal conflict involving behaviors between individuals, not enforcement of denominational or group doctrinal distinctives. Oh, what a heart is ours! The fact of two without the personal details would not powerfully tell upon mere Gentiles perhaps, though to a Jew it might be for some ends necessary. He was then present, a man despised, yet with title to forgive sins, proved by immediate power to heal. (iv) The love of God is a rejoicing love. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. The Old Testament tells the story that Jesus completes. Chapter 8, which opens the portion that comes before us tonight, is a striking illustration as well as proof of the method which God has been pleased to employ in giving us the apostle Matthew's account of our Lord Jesus. If the person is still not repentant, bring it before your elder board. But this becomes tricky when it comes to church conflict. With God, as nothing is impossible, so no one, small or great, is despised: all is seen and put in its just place; and grace, which rebukes creature pride, can afford to deal divinely with the smallest as with the greatest. For that person to not be numbered among the brothers, all the church would need to know. Having left Nazareth, as we saw, He takes up His abode in Capernaum, which was henceforth "His own city." Of course, there is often the order of time, but through the central part, and not infrequently elsewhere, his setting forth in order turns on another principle, quite independent of mere succession of events. When He reigns as David's Son, there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts. Only if these steps fail is the matter opened to public scrutiny. What can be simpler than that John put the question through his disciples, because he (not they only) had a question in the mind? Matthew's version of the Lord's Prayer (6:9-15) is used in the liturgies of the Christian churches. The grounds of such a judgment will naturally come before us ere long: I can merely refer to it now as my conviction. 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. Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? That revelation came through His apostles after His ascension. For us the great value of a child must always lie in the possibilities which are locked up within him. Take another person with you or another two people with you, and face him with the issue again. The Lord then had been shown such as He was towards Israel, had Israel in their leprosy come to Him, as did the leper, even with a faith exceedingly short of that which was due to His real glory and His love. No sooner had Jesus taught his men his own prayer, than he went on to expand and explain one petition in it: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" ( Matthew 6:14-15). "Suffer me first," he says, "to go and bury my father." Mt 18:21-22 correspond to Lk 17:4; the parable and the final warning are peculiar to Matthew. "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased." Seven times? We may go further. If not, then Jesus words would mean little. 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. So, when his fellow-servants saw what had happened, they were very distressed; and they went and informed their master of all that had happened. 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, A child does not wish to push himself forward; rather, he wishes to fade into the background. A man often hates those whom he has injured most of all; and it may well be that nothing we can say can win him back. But it was for a land of darkness and sin and death that Jesus came from heaven the Messiah, not according to their thoughts, but the Lord and Saviour, the God-man. Jesus is saying, " cut it off. Your prophetic seminar has helped me understand myself and others like I never have before. how is it that ye have no faith? Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. He might respond, "The church was never concerned about me before. This came out most blessedly through the disciples. Those that will be reasoned out of their sins, need not be shamed out of them. We have been forgiven a debt which is beyond all paying--for the sin of man brought about the death of God's own Son--and, if that is so, we must forgive others as God has forgiven us, or we can hope to find no mercy. All rights reserved. has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the God is one and His Church is one. I'll be better then you. Especially is this situation true in the case of a new convert. (Matthew 19:30.) Peter asked how many times Jesus followers should forgive before taking the severe action that Jesus had just outlined. But it is expressly the pattern after which He was to deal, and will deal, with Israel. Well you file a malpractice suit against me for quackery for saying, "We'll, just let it go and see what happens".And I said, "You're coming to me with a spiritual malady that is more deadly then cancer. Those letters were sent to church leaders, but also circulated among the church as a whole. Peter thought that he was going very far, for he takes the Rabbinic three times, multiplies it by two for good measure adds one, and suggests, with eager self-satisfaction, that it will be enough if he forgives seven times. This was the very blessing that aroused, above all, the hatred of the scribes. Handbook on Church Discipline by Jay Adams. Concerning the maintenance of the unity of the community, just ask, it will be done for you. (1) 1 Peter 2:5 b) Matthew 16:18 i) The Greek word for church means "a called-out assembly." ii) The Lord Jesus is calling out people from across the world by the Holy I believe that was Podcast 18. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.". 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. In emotionally escalated situations of interpersonal conflict that do not involve scandalous behaviors of a legal sort, is there wisdom in bringing other parties to bear witness to what is said and done, and to bring extra points of view and hopefully keep things from escalating out of control? There is a Rabbinic tale of Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai who wept bitterly at the prospect of death. But if he neglect to hear the church: the advice they should give unto him, the reproof they should think proper for him, or the censure they should pass upon him. - Matthew 18:15-17 NIV. Matthew 13:19-22), we find first of all the utter worthlessness of the flesh's readiness to follow Jesus. Or, Secondly, By constraint; when there are not more than two or three to come together, or, if there be, they dare not, for fear of the Jews, yet Christ will be in the midst of them, for it is not the multitude, but the faith and sincere devotion, of the worshippers, that invites the presence of Christ; and though there be but two or three, the smallest number that can be, yet, it Christ make one among them, who is the principal one, their meeting is as honourable and comfortable as if they were two or three thousand. And so, for example, there's a governing body that has authority to make judgements on . 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.. The first step is for the one who is wronged to go and speak privately with the one who has sinned in hopes of restoring the relationship. And if he shall neglect to hear them The one or two, in conjunction with the offended person that shall hear the ease, and admonish and reprove; if he takes no notice of what they say to him, but remains stiff and impenitent, tell it unto the church: which some understand, of the (Mybr) , or "multitude", before whom it was lawful to reprove, after such private methods had been taken: others, the political magistrates, or sanhedrim; who took cognizance of cases between one person and other, either by themselves, or messengers; and gave admonitions and reproofs, as to parents, when they did not provide for their families F24, and to wives that were perverse, and provoked their husbands F25 others, of the presbyters and governors of the Christian church; others, of the church itself, and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "the house of Christians"; to which it is objected, that as yet a Christian church was not formed: but what were the twelve apostles of the Lamb? 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." 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. We have noted that the terms "lord," "disciple," "apostle," and others came to have more specific meanings as Gods kingdom plan unfolded. Matthew 18:17 In-Context 15 "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. J. WESLEY. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and a certified writing coach. 1 Timothy 5:19-20 states: And they, many times, were arguing about these things, the greatest. Thank you for all the people you are helping and all the help you have been to us. He did not even do that after His resurrection (Acts 1:6-8). 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.". On this occasion Peter thought that he was being very generous. But inasmuch as he did not have any money to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold, his wife, and his children, and all that he had, in order that a partial payment might be made. 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. 15 "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. The steps of church discipline are outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. 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. 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. hen a sinner has been rebuked with love and yet refuses to repent, he is no longer demonstrating the spirit of a sheep but rather of a wolf. "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." Approach them directly. And the last verse actually seems to give the Church the power to retain and to forgive sins. The Lord was in Capernaum, where Peter lived; and on a certain Sabbath-day, after the call of Peter, wrought in the synagogue mighty deeds, which are here recorded, and by Luke also. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you asa Gentile anda tax collector. In Galatians 2:11 what is meant by "I opposed him to his face"? "When we were boys at play," he said, "one day at a cross-roads we reversed a signpost so that its arms were pointing the opposite way, and I've never ceased to wonder how many people were sent in the wrong direction by what we did." Some consider that John the Baptist enquired solely for the sake of his disciples. "If he will not hear the church, will not stand to their award, but persists in the wrong he has done thee, and proceeds to do thee further wrong, let him be to thee as a heathen man, and a publican; take the benefit of the law against him, but let that always be the last remedy; appeal not to the courts of justice till thou hast first tried all other means to compromise the matter in variance. There will be differences at the close. If the erring disciple does not respond to the churchs encouragement to return to the Shepherd, Jesus said the disciples should treat such a person as a Gentile and a tax gatherer. I'm curious about the phrase "tell it to the church." The proper step is to tell the elders of the church directly to let them handle the situation since they are the authority over the pastor. Now if he does not hear you, then take with you one or two witnesses, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established ( Matthew 18:16 ). "Tell it to the church, that particular church in the communion of which the offender lives; make the matter known to those of that congregation who are by consent appointed to receive informations of that kind. Nothing can be simpler. Even so it is not the will of the Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish ( Matthew 18:12-14 ). 17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, His ear was open to the call on behalf of Israel perishing, dying, dead. Misguided church leaders often use Matthew 18 as a speech/thought-control template. It was clearly a question of connection with the apostle of the circumcision ( i.e., Peter's wife's mother). Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven ( Matthew 18:22 ). It was the little foreshadowing of what will be when the Lord has joined the remnant in the last days, and then fills with blessing the land that He touches. The mention of "the church," or "the congregation" as it is in the Greek, shows that this rule was propounded by Christ for observance on the part of his followers in all ages. Such is the perversity of man, that he who is not called thinks he can follow Jesus whithersoever He goes. 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. 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 . They may also take their concern to a pastor or other superior, shirking their responsibility to deal with it directly. In Matt 18:17-18, Jesus is clearly telling us that the Church is the final authority on questions of faith or discipline. On this the Lord proceeds to take a step farther, and makes a deeper inroad, if possible, upon Jewish prejudice. (iii) But this phrase can have another and very wonderful meaning. All rights reserved worldwide. As to any one else, even the most liberal gift that ever was given of God to fallen man on earth, to the golden head of the Gentiles, exempted the deep and its untamed inhabitants. [1] For a fuller treatment of this topic see: The Rescue of Matthew 18 available at Amazon.com in softcover and Kindle format. Note, The presence of Christ in the assemblies of Christians is promised, and may in faith be prayed for and depended on; There am I. Sheep are proverbially foolish creatures. 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. Your blog on the cleansing of the Temple was EPIC in my life! Note, It is a good rule, which should ordinarily be observed among Christians, not to speak of our brethren's faults to others, till we have first spoken of them to themselves, this would make less reproaching and more reproving; that is, less sin committed, and more duty done. The binding and loosing spoken of (Matthew 16:19; Matthew 16:19) was done by preaching, this by praying. Here there may be a difference. we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. Well, you may be right. I just finished reading it last night. Christ, having cautioned his disciples not to give offence, comes next to direct them what they must do in case of offences given them; which may be understood either of personal injuries, and then these directions are intended for the preserving of the peace of the church; or of public scandals, and then they are intended for the preserving of the purity and beauty of the church. Thus, in many ways, tax collectors are hated more and are considered outside the limits of normal Jewish fellowship. A king forgave a servant a huge debt, but the servant then refused to forgive a fellow servant a small debt (Matthew 18:23-30). I have to thank you for your blog and books. The fellow-servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you in full.' "This man blasphemeth." 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.