What if He Really Meant It?
I know, I know, we did this yesterday too, but really, can you go wrong with the words of Jesus? I’m preaching this weekend on church discipline, so I’ve been meditating quite a bit on these ideas and these doctrines in particular. There seems to an unspoken decorum in our culture: “Don’t talk about politics and religion in mixed company and certainly, don’t talk about, much less practice church discipline.” After all, who are we to judge, right? But what if Jesus really meant it?
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them (Matthew 18:15 -20).
Think about how many Christians (and churches) live as though Jesus didn’t really mean these words. But what if He did?
- Read Jesus and the Gospels by Craig Blomberg
- Read Jesus the Messiah by Robert Stein
- Read Synopsis of the Four Gospels (English Only) by Kurt Aland
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April 24th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Two questions I have:
1) When Jesus says “tell it to the church” does this imply, do you think, a congregational vote on “discipline”? In other words, is there an implicit sense of congregational approval here?
2) Am I right to think that while this is a pattern for discipline, there are times you might skip the “steps” and the church may directly kick someone out? For instance, in 1 Corinthians 5 Paul says to expell the immoral brother, and if a person came to you (as a pastor) and said “I am leaving my wife and I dont care what you think…laters” then could you not just say to the church “look, this guy left his wife and is totally hard to the Gospel, he has removed himself and is no longer a member by discipline” or something to that affect. In other words, must there always be a three step process?
April 24th, 2008 at 9:45 am
1) There is a congregational involvement in the sense that at that point, the entire congregation is involved in calling the person back to repentance but I see no sense in which this means a “vote.” By this point, if following Matthew 18, the individual has already been confronted with their sin on at least two occasions.
2) Many to point to 1 Corinthians 5 and say that there are some sin that are of such a public nature that you immediately go to step three or even step four of Matthew 18, yes.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:48 am
On this comment I am pleased. Often, I have heard about my community that people get too involved and into other peoples business.
When all we are doing is following this model.
I used to hear it where I worked when I talked about a family I was living with. My co-workers would say, why should they be talking to you about anything- you are paying them.
And another example, a friend who came through one of our church ministries and is new to the community said he got warned about our church. That they get involved. I knew the situation with the person he came across, someone who was abusing his wife and had been disciplined but not in public. HE decided to then leave the church.
But, the Matthew passage is clear, we are part of a community that should get involved and not ignore each other or be politically correct.
There should be confrontation when someone is in sin. Be it a sin we think is minor or major, although in God’s eyes it is all equal.
I have appreciated those who have confronted me over the years. Because, their is always truth behind what they said, even if I disagree or I am defensive about it.
Because wrong or right motive on that persons part, God will use it to sharpen me.
Robert
April 24th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Another excellent resource on the Sermon on the Mount is Sinclair Ferguson’s book: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World.