The kingdom of heaven assumes a form unknown to prophecy, and, in its successive mysteries, fills up the interval between the rejected Christ's going to heaven, and His returning again in glory. I think that it is important that we have, and somehow can conceptionalize this. He does not wish for prominence; he would rather be left in obscurity. Often our prayers for our success would necessarily involve someone else's failure. Those that were priests in the house of God would not they at least receive their own Messiah? 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. i) Simon Peter knew that he was not the foundation. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 4) THE SPIRITUAL COMPOSITION OF THE CHURCH (MATTHEW 16:18) a) The Lord Jesus builds the church out of living stones. 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. They said, "Lord when you come into your kingdom, would you let one of my sons be on your right hand? Yet Jesus was accused of being the friend of tax-gatherers and sinners; and he never spoke of them as hopeless outsiders, but always with sympathy and love, and even with praise (compare Matthew 9:10 ff; Matthew 11:19; Luke 18:10 ff; and especially Matthew 21:31 ff, where it is actually said that the tax-gatherers and harlots will go into the Kingdom before the orthodox religious people of the time). Only tradition will not do this work, nor will human thoughts or feelings. Why should I return? 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. 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. Matthew 16:18), this word means "a called out assembly of people." The Palestinian shepherds were experts at tracking down their lost sheep. Reject Him as the Messiah; in that rejection the moral glory of the Son of man would be laid as the foundation of His exaltation and manifestation another day; He was Lord of the Sabbath-day. Matthew 18:15-17 contains the words of Christ to his church, instructing us on how to deal with internal conflict with a brother or sister who sins against us and doesn't know it. we have in Peter what man is, even after all this. Publican - See the notes at Matthew 5:47. This furnishes occasion to the Pharisees to vent their unbelief: to them nothing is so offensive as grace, either in doctrine or in practice. There were, therefore, usually two or three shepherds with them. How can this new ban on drag possibly be considered constitutional? This should not be done until all these steps are taken. He had brought out the kingdom before in view of that which betrayed to Him the unpardonable blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. The apostles were then sent thus, no doubt, forerunners of those whom the Lord will raise up for the latter day. 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 . The plucking of the corn, and the healing of the withered hand, had taken place long before. The Lord turned the captivity of Job, not when he prayed for himself, but when he prayed for his friends who had trespassed against him. It may be so. Then follows another incident, which equally proves that the Spirit of God is not here reciting the facts in their natural succession; for it is assuredly not at this moment historically that the Lord goes into the house of Peter, sees there his wife's mother laid sick of a fever, touches her hand, and raises her up, so that she ministers unto them at once. Considerable time, it is true, elapsed between the two facts; but this only makes it the more sure and plain, that they are grouped together with a divine purpose. The power of agreement in prayer.Then Jesus goes on with His two or three concepts. If this also fails, the entire community of believers should appeal to the offender. For us, treating like tax collectors and Gentiles means: have no contact, turn them over to satan, or worsecondemn them to hell. disagreements. The very next scene, the case of Jairus, the ruler, shows it. For us the great value of a child must always lie in the possibilities which are locked up within him. 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. Start FREE. Secondly, It is good to see those who have the management of church discipline, agreeing in it. Jesus took a child. The care of children is something which is carried out for the sake of none other than Jesus Christ. Action shapes reality. And I am certain that He is certain that if you take the four hundred and ninety, that you'll lose count before you'll ever get there. 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. December 2022. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you [careful note] if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses ( Matthew 18:23-35 ). Thus, and after the tenderest sort, there is that which evidences the Messiah on earth present to heal His people who appeal to Him; and the Jew, above all counting upon His bodily presence demanding it, I may say, according to the warrant of prophecy, finds in Jesus not merely the man, but the God of Israel. God take away this bitterness. if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a They glorified God. 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 ). 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. Q&A Peters authority based on Matthew 16:18-19, Q&A The Church: Truth versus conduct, Catholic Wedding Ceremony Traditional and Modern Services. You have an amazing ability to put into words the very things people agonize over. What Does Matthew 18 Say about Conflict Resolution Within the Church? In particular, to those requests that are put up to God about binding and loosing; to which this promise seems more especially to refer. Yes, there is. Certainly, God-fearing Gentiles, such as Cornelius (Acts 10), do exist in the New Testament days, but they are not the norm. Reproving a brother who had sinned was a positive command under the law. ], PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ( Matthew 18:1-35 ). In this we have another striking illustration of the same principle, because this miracle, in point of fact, was wrought long before the healing of the centurion's servant, or even of the leper. If, however, those bonds have not been developed, the task could be much more difficult. But the future is in view also. Peter asked how many times Jesus followers should forgive before taking the severe action that Jesus had just outlined. What an eye opener to me and family! 2. Peter was not without warrant for this suggestion. 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. Though the fact is plain, and the fault too, yet they must be put together with application. If this article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? The point is, Matthew 18 is not a biblical mandate in such cases. How are we to account for a selection so marked, an elimination of time so complete? People agree to pray--and pray desperately--and do not receive that for which they pray. "If he shall hear thee" --that is, "heed thee--if he be wrought upon by the reproof, it is well, thou hast gained thy brother; thou hast helped to save him from sin and ruin, and it will be thy credit and comfort," James 5:19; James 5:20. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Hence the Lord would raise up a fresh testimony altogether, and do a new work suitable to it. 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. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. While contextually the steps outlined in verses 1520 refer to private disputes, similarities exist in cases of congregational discipline. No Jew would be brought before the Sanhedrin for divergent doctrinal views short of blasphemy, as in the case of Christ. Because He said He would be here in the midst of us, and you can reach out by faith and touch Him tonight. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. On the word Church, Matthew 16:28. There Jesus says, "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. It does not mean we treat people like moral contaminants. But Israel had no sense of their leprosy; and they valued not, but despised, their Messiah, albeit divine I might almost say because divine. It is easier to label and scapegoat someone as the cause of problems than to forgive them perpetually. I just finished reading it last night. I would like to hear what you have to say. Jesus tells his disciples that what they bind or loose on earth is also bound or loosed in heaven. No law of heaven limits the number of petitioners. In our culture the closest equivalence would be civil or criminal offenses, not petty local church squabbles. Whosoever follows this threefold rule will seldom offend others, and never be offended himself. This is one of the accusations against Jesus: He eats with sinners. The Matthew 18 principle tells us the first step when someone sins against you or has offended you. Proceed in this method: First, "Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. 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. So it was here; and our Lord turns to eternal account, in His own goodness, the shortcoming of John the Baptist, the greatest of women-born. "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David!" The Parables of Christ Their Uniqueness and Interpretation, Marriage Rx Medicine for the Common Marriage, Jesus Through Eastern Eyes Archived Video Is Available, Understanding the Prophetic Mind, Temperament, and Calling Seminar, Life in the New Covenant Video Series Episode One, The Lords Prayer #4 The Life and Love of Father, The Lords Prayer Part 3 Thankfulness, The Lords Prayer Part 1 Introduction, The Lords Prayer Part 2 Jesus Our Rabbi, Vision Casting in Christian Leadership. So, if they want to be faithful to the Bible, then they have to follow the Church. There is something about their innocence and simplicity that is absolutely glorious. What do Jesus words in Matthew 16:18 mean with respect to his Church never being defeated by the powers of hell? All you have to do is to make that contact of faith with Him. 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. Most times if a Christian leader is living in sin but that sin is not against you, the appropriate step is not Matthew 18:15-20. In the next scene, then, we have the disciples as a whole tried by a sudden danger to which their sleeping Master paid no heed. This made it to be plainly and only a difficulty for God to solve. Whatever the time may have been, whatever the incidents added by others, the account is given here for the purpose of showing, that as Israel's case was desperate, even unto death, so He, the Messiah, was the giver of life, when all, humanly speaking, was over. Jesus says that whoever receives one such little child in his name receives himself. But, from first to last, what a trial of spirit, and what triumph! And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents [about sixteen million dollars]. 17 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. There were two; but the Spirit of God chose out, in Mark and Luke, the more remarkable of the two, and traces for us his history, a history of no small interest and importance, as we may feel when we come to Mark; but it was of equal moment for the gospel of Matthew that the two demoniacs should be mentioned here, although one of them was in himself, as I gather, a far more strikingly desperate case than the other. Surely, had he seen this, everything was there; but he saw it not, and so the Lord spread out His actual portion, as it literally was, without one word about the unseen and eternal. Reviewing, then, these closing incidents of the chapter (ver. He could and did form His instruments according to His own sovereign will. 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. It is not enough that Israel be awakened from the sleep of death, and see aright. How New is the New Covenant? 18:15-18 "If your brother sins against you, go, and try to convince him of his error between you and him alone. Let none suppose that, in giving my own convictions, I have the presumptuous thought of putting these forward as if they were the sole motives in God's mind. - Rev. We are not meant to pray only for our own needs, thinking of nothing and no one but ourselves; we are meant to pray as members of a fellowship, in agreement, remembering that life and the world are not arranged for us as individuals but for the fellowship as a whole. Do not stay till he comes to thee, but go to him, as the physician visits the patient, and the shepherd goes after the lost sheep." It was necessary to complete the picture. 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. If this be a sound judgment, the comparison of the first chapter of Mark affords decisive evidence that the Holy Ghost in Matthew has taken the leper out of the mere time and circumstances of actual occurrence, and has reserved his case for a wholly different service. At this point, Jesus is on a road trip to Jerusalem for Passover. "Their angels," said Jesus, "always behold the face of my Father who is in Heaven." 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? (Matthew 1:22-23; 2:5-6,17,23; 4:14-16). The servant fell on his face and besought him: 'Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay you in full.' [2.] This, then, I apprehend to be the reason why we End two demoniacs mentioned; whereas, in Mark or Luke for other purposes, the Spirit of God only draws attention to one of the two. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. In Matthew 15:1-39 we have another picture, and twofold. You're talking about motivation, and the disciples were not pure in their motivations. It can poison the whole mind and life, until we can think of nothing else but our sense of personal injury. What then did he mean? And the fellowservant fell down at his feet, and he begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. Where note, 1. And you'll just realize, hey, it isn't a matter of numbers, it's a matter of spirit. one witness. But, yes that question is the basis for wanting to ask the question I have here. "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. In this passage there may well be stressed both the necessity of self-renunciation for the Christian individual and discipline for the Christian Church. "The foxes," says He, "have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." 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. Verse Matthew 17:3. What is the case supposed? I am sure that he was stretching in his own mind his knowledge of his own ability to forgive. It would have saved me years of heartache. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. God I am bitter. This is an unfortunate and illegitimate understanding and application. 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." The steps of church discipline are outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. as if it were a just action, take one or two others along with you, The forgiveness is from the heart. for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! detestable thing has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out woe unto thee, Bethsaida! And if your eye proves a stumbling-block to you, pluck it out and throw it away from you. The motives of the natural heart are laid bare. It ought to be so with every forgiven soul. Thus Matthew, called at the very receipt of custom, follows Jesus, and makes a feast for Him. The Christian realizes that God cares for him individually, and that he must reflect that individual care in his care for others. This is one of the accusations against Jesus: He eats with sinners. 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. 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. Though but two or three are met together, Christ is among them; this is an encouragement to the meeting of a few, when it is either, First, of choice. With them they had no religious contact or communion. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my Father who is in heaven.". Some issues do not require Matthew 18. 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. This, too, we ascertain from Mark 1:1-45, where there are clear marks of the time. Failure to do so robs the church not only of mature believers but also robs us of the opportunity to be used by God.
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