The quickest way to get thrown out of the church is by plugging your ears.
Matthew 18:15-18 (NIV)
15 “If your brother or sister sins [against you], go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 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.’ 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.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 32: The Order and Discipline of the Church
We also believe that
although it is useful and good
for those who govern the churches
to establish and set up
a certain order among themselves
for maintaining the body of the church,
they ought always to guard against deviating
from what Christ,
our only Master,
has ordained
for us.
Therefore we reject all human innovations
and all laws imposed on us,
in our worship of God,
which bind and force our consciences
in any way.
So we accept only what is proper
to maintain harmony and unity
and to keep all in obedience
to God.
To that end excommunication,
with all it involves,
according to the Word of God,
is required.
Summary
Jesus knew His sheep that He would give His life for. He knew that those who would follow Him would often wander away (which is what the parable right before this passage in Matthew 18 is about). As we wander, we not only put ourselves in danger, but we often hurt the sheep closest to us.
Jesus' words here are properly translated "If your brother or sister sins...," but it could just as accurately be rendered "When your brother or sister sins... ." Jesus knew we'd hurt one another, and so here He gives instructions to handle such issues as they arise.
However, His instructions cut against our instinct. Instead of silently stewing over it our own minds, or even worse, griping about it with other people, Jesus here tells us to confront the situation head on. Talk directly to the person, pointing out their fault. Your goal here, Jesus says, isn't just to let them know how they hurt you, but to win them over so that they can repent of their actions and find forgiveness, most importantly from the Lord, but also from those they hurt.
If the initial, private confrontation doesn't solve the problem, Jesus passes on the Old Testament's advice to slowly escalate the situation by bringing in more people (Deuteronomy 19:15). Ultimately, if there's no repentance, the person's sin must be told to the entire church, and if the sinner still remains defiant, the rest of the church should withhold fellowship as they would with pagans or tax collectors.
Dig Deeper
The idea of church discipline and ultimately excommunication is distasteful. We all know of instances in which it went horribly wrong, resulting in lifelong wounds. Nobody begins their term on council hoping to get to try out this part of church order.
But as Jesus explains the process here in Matthew 18, notice who the primary active agent is. Jesus puts the ball squarely in the court of the sinner. It's the sinner who initiates the discipline in the first place and then determines the length and the outcome of the process. If they listen, Jesus says, then they've been won them over. But then Jesus repeats the same phrase three times: But if they refuse to listen... . Success or failure is determined by whether or not sinners listen.
Jesus teaches us two things in this short passage. First, church discipline is critical to maintain healthy, thriving churches. It's never pleasant, but always necessary. The goal of church discipline at every stage is restoration; to win them back over. Secondly, be reminded how important it is for you to listen to the Godly people you've been placed among. God uses them to keep you from following your instincts and wandering off.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who commands us to listen to Him;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will listen to the Lord and those He's placed around you, and pray for the courage to confront those who sin against you so that you might win them over;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 9
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