what is the church in matthew 18:17

My soul may have been spared a great deal of malarkey. And the servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, O Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. We have, first, the sower sowing the word. He is here. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Treat Them as Unbelievers (Tax collectors and Gentiles). If it was His rejection, these scornful men were themselves rejected in the very act. The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to It is only as he grows up, and begins to be initiated into a competitive world, with its fierce struggle and scramble for prizes and for first places, that his instinctive humility is left behind. No doubt the first verse says, that "when He was come down from the mount, great multitudes followed Him;" but then the second verse gives no intimation that the subject which follows is to be taken as chronologically subsequent. Here we have what was Jesus' favourite picture of God and of God's love. 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. While this may sound correct, given this is appropriate in a secular work environment, churches need to adopt a Matthew 18 conflict resolution strategy when it comes to reconciling with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Hence the Lord would raise up a fresh testimony altogether, and do a new work suitable to it. The pasture land is on the hill country which runs like a backbone down the middle of the land. Matthew 18:1-14. 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. So Jesus said that in a child we see the characteristics which should mark the man of the Kingdom. But nothing turned aside the purpose of God, or the activity of His grace. Next is the one pearl of great price, the unity and beauty of that which was so dear to the merchantman. The care of children is something which is carried out for the sake of none other than Jesus Christ. (Compare Mark 3:13-19, andMark 6:7-11; Mark 6:7-11; Luke 6:1-49; Luke 9:1-62) The mission of the apostles did not take place till afterwards. 9. He talks about offending these same little ones. There is no unpassable gulf fixed but that between hell and heaven. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. In other words, the leper is here introduced after the sermon on the mount, though, in fact, the circumstance took place long before it. Thus He points out the utter moral incongruity of fasting at that moment, and intimates that it was not merely the fact that He was going to be rejected, but that to conciliate His teaching and His will with the old thing was hopeless. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. I have a better place than you, and their motivations were not always the purest. Gentile and a tax collector. Dont consider him now in the number How important is the fact that the Corinthian Assembly was Formed From A Synagogue? I feel like Ive been spinning my wheels for years and now like a babe relearning everything fresh n new. And they, many times, were arguing about these things, the greatest. "Verily, I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven." He was warning them that they were going in completely the wrong direction, away from the Kingdom of Heaven and not towards it. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. He that humbles himself shall be exalted"( Luke 14:11 ). (i) The love of God is an individual love. Christ, having taught us to indulge the weakness of our brethren, here cautions us not to indulge their wickedness under pretence of that. Church Discipline - Matthew 18:15-18 - BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." To take this pure little child with his simplicity and trust in God, and deliberately seek to destroy that child's faith in God, in Jesus Christ.Jesus said, "look, it'd be better for a man if he just took a millstone", and these millstones weigh about three to four hundred pounds, "tie it around his neck, and toss him into the sea. 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? It may seem harsh to treat unrepentant sinners in the manner described. At this point in time, Andrew has, in general . Proceed in this method: First, "Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea ( Matthew 18:6 ). 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. Wherefore if your hand offends you, then cut it off, cast it from you: it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet and to be cast into the everlasting fire. Should there still be no change, believers should treat the offender as if no longer part of their fellowship; though they should also desire the persons repentance and restoration (Matthew 18:15-18). In Galatians 2:11 what is meant by "I opposed him to his face"? As I pointed out above (cf. We have to be clear what that punishment involves. Here again is found a fresh case of the same remarkable principle of selection of events to form a complete picture, which I have maintained to be the true key of all. Of course, the facts of the cross were necessary to give it an evident and literal fulfilment; but we have it first apparent in His life, and it is blessed to see it thus accomplished, as it were, in what passed with Himself; fully realized in His own spirit, and the results exposed before the external facts gave the fullest expression to Jewish unbelief. Thank you. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. The Palestinian shepherds were experts at tracking down their lost sheep. He had been there before. So you They used it literally of the young child; but regularly a teacher's disciples were called his sons or his children. Accordingly, here we have, first, the Lord judging the wrong thoughts of "Scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem." The power of agreement in prayer.Then Jesus goes on with His two or three concepts. I'll bury the hatchet, but I leave the handle showing so I can grab it whenever I need it." 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Understanding the Prophetic Mind, Temperament, and Calling is a life changing seminar! 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 one step further . 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. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me ( Matthew 18:5 ). Receiving a little child in Jesus' name refers to complete acceptance of a child-like believer because of his innocent and unrestrained trust in the Lord. How he loves their beautiful little faces. By extending grace, forgiveness, and table fellowship to them. The picture is of a great royal court where only the most favoured courtiers and ministers and officials have direct access to the king. Therefore a child also means a beginner in the faith, one who has just begun to believe, one who is not yet mature and established in the faith, one who has just begun on the right way and who may very easily be deflected from it. When He reigns as David's Son, there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts. Many promises we have in scripture of a gracious answer to the prayers of faith, but this gives a particular encouragement to the joint-prayer; "the requests which two of you agree in, much more which many agree in." Having said that, I believe the Church in your question simply refers to a group members in your local fellowship. Where his saints are, his sanctuary is, and there he will dwell; it is his rest (Psalms 132:14), it is his walk (Revelation 2:1); he is in the midst of them, to quicken and strengthen them, to refresh and comfort them, as the sun in the midst of the universe. He ate with them. This is the second reference to ekklesia in Matthew and the only other occurrence of this word in the four Gospels. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? The universal Church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus. "The offender is a brother, one that is in Christian communion, that is baptized, that hears the word, and prays with thee, with whom thou joinest in the worship of God, statedly or occasionally." I can't understand it, but, man I am involved in an affair, and I don't know what to do. Concerning the maintenance of the unity of the community, just ask, it will be done for you. And if there is some sin that you are tolerating, allowing, playing with, and messing around with, you cannot do it. 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. Prayer must go along with all our endeavours for the conversion of sinners; see James 5:16. Peter goes forth, but losing sight of the Lord in the presence of the troubled waves, and yielding to his ordinary experience, he fears the strong wind, and is only saved by the outstretched hand of Jesus, who rebukes his doubt. To the child a state of dependence is perfectly natural. Here there may be a difference. It was not more truly Christ's kingdom as man than He was God's own Son, His beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased, who was now to be heard, rather than Moses or Elias, who disappear, leaving Jesus alone with the chosen witnesses. 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. "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." The church is different from the world and its organizations, the church is easy to enter but difficult to leave. 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? Not so. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take a count of his servants. "I will build my church." Jesus has only one church. And so if you humble yourself as a little child, that person will be the greatest". The Jew feared the sea; for him Heaven was a place where there would be no more sea ( Revelation 21:1). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Because Matthew's object is the display of the change of dispensation through, or consequent on, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. their salvation. 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! Matthew 16:17-18. Jesus called a little child and made him stand in the middle of them, and said, "This is the truth I tell you--unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 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. Besides the general regard God has to the prayers of the saints, he is particularly pleased with their union and communion in those prayers. The cultural backdrop for trespass and aught against was the Mosaic Law. The lesson is that God will not forgive people if they do not forgive others (Matthew 18:35; cf. Jesus says, "That is perfectly true; this world is full of temptations; that is inevitable in a world into which sin has entered; but that does not lessen the responsibility of the man who is the cause of a stumbling-block being placed in the way of a younger person or of a beginner in the faith.". 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. This came out most blessedly through the disciples. The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me,Psalms 69:9. Peter, the good confessor of chapter 16, cuts but a sorry figure in chapter 17; for when the demand was made upon him as to his Master's paying the tax, surely the Lord, he gave them to know, was much too good a Jew to omit it. So it was here. This, in fact, is not an injunction to abandon a man; it is a challenge to win him with the love which can touch even the hardest heart. Every nation had its angel; every natural force, such as the wind and the thunder and the lightning and the rain, had its angel. They are people who in fellowship seek the will of God, who in fellowship listen and worship together. Just like if you have a problem with a sibling and you "discuss with the family" it might not mean that you brought the issue to all your aunts, uncles, cousins, grand parents etc. Instead of giving her at once a reply, He leads her on step by step; for so He can stoop. As time passes, the process expands to involve more Christians. Your book on authority should be mandatory for every believer! 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. The master of the servant was moved with compassion, and let him go, and forgave him the debt. God's sternest judgment is reserved for those who put a stumbing-block in the way of others. What can be simpler than that John put the question through his disciples, because he (not they only) had a question in the mind? In Matthew 13:1-58 we have the well-known sketch of these new ways of God. 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. 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. We just dont like the answer. If not, this could allow any hurt feelings to become grudges and hinder our walk, both with Christ and with each other. It was Rabbinic teaching that a man must forgive his brother three times. That revelation came through His apostles after His ascension. It was more than the total budget of the ordinary province. I can see where the interpretation you ask about is plausible, however the progression in that text, Paul's practices of church discipline, and the precursor of Old Testament corporate punishment indicate that this "church" is more representative of the body as a whole rather than a metonym. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Nor is this all. Realize that; bring before Him your needs. He might respond, "The church was never concerned about me before. In the Old Testament Law we find instruction on handling a sinner much the same way with accusation confirmed by investigation and witnesses then followed by all the people dealing with the sin. It is not possible that Jesus said this in its present form. Thou wouldest have healed him, wouldest have preserved his friendship, but he would not, and so has forfeited it." . (2) In Matt 18, the sin in question is, by the authority of the church, excommunicablein at least two senses. 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. To continue to allow the flock to fraternize with such a beast is to invite bloodshed. PDF Matthew 18:15-18: The Most Misapplied Passage on Church Conflict Matthew 18 and the Universal Church - g3min.org We just need to forgive, and move on. that man or that woman who has done this evil deed, to your gates, ( Matthew 18:1 ). And don't you know that if you could see Him, if He actually stood here visible, if you could reach out and touch Him, you know that the problems would all go away. He had been preparing them for the new things, and the impossibility of making them coalesce with the old. They were the great congregation and church, in the midst of which Christ sung praise to his Father: and since the whole of this advice, and these excellent rules are given to them, and they are spoken of in the next verse, as having the power of binding and loosing, they may well be thought to be meant here; and that the design of Christ is, to instruct them how to behave, in case of offence to one another; that the reproof should be first private, and if it did not succeed, to be made before one or two more; and if that did not do, the whole body was to be acquainted with it; and which rules hold good, and are to be observed by all Christian men and churches, in all ages: though no doubt but allusion is made to the Jewish customs, in rebuking before the multitude, or carrying of a private case, after all other means used were ineffectual, to the sanhedrim. Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired me to: Should you not also have had compassion on your fellowservant, even as I had pity on you? Jesus is saying, " cut it off. This person may receive undue shame, embarrassment, and humiliation and may fall away from the faith as result. On the other hand, it is not too much to say, that the same Scriptures which convince one unbiassed mind that pays heed to these notes of time, will produce no less effect on others. Of its peace and order, that every member may know his place and duty, and the purity of it may be preserved in a regular way and not tumultuously. Today we must do what we have had to do only three previous times in the 36-year history of Peninsula Bible Church. if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a That is what the Jew could not understand about the Christian idea Of God. Matthew 18:15-17. December 2022. Though in such a world as this it is rare to find one good whom all men speak well of, yet it is more rare to find one good whom all men speak ill of. In Matthew 14:1-36 facts are narrated which manifest the great change of dispensation that the Lord, in setting forth the parables we have just noticed, had been preparing them for. In what sense did Jesus, our Lord, take their infirmities, and bear their sicknesses? If men would accept the fact of their dependence on God, a new strength and a new peace would enter their lives. 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. In every child there are infinite possibilities for good or ill. He will remember the genuine love of his spiritual family. It was true that He was made of woman, and made under the law; but He was Jehovah Himself, that lowly Nazarene.