Matthew 18: By the Book – Part 4
September 28, 2009
Dear Friends,
The Matthew 18 instructions begin with "if your brother sins [against you]." The "against you" is not in the original. This is borne out in the <em>Emphatic Diaglot </em>and is footnoted in most translations. The context also bears this out very well. This chapter's content leads us down the path of recovering lost sheep of all kinds regardless of whether or not they have done something to us or not. Another proof that this is the correct way to look at it is alluded to in 1 Corinthians 5 that we have already considered. If it was just people that sinned against someone personally, the Corinthian ecclesia would be out of line in addressing the brother who was fornicating with his stepmother. The only person who could address that in his circumstance would have been his stepfather. The more you think about it, the "sin against you" translation just doesn't hold water. The idea is not if someone sins against me, but if someone is sinning in such a way as to keep themselves from being in the Kingdom. You don't follow Matthew 18 to set someone straight that has offended you in some way; you do it to save them.
There are other considerations when engaging someone in Matthew 18. First, anyone can initiate a Matthew 18 conversation, but they need to keep in mind that the third step resides with that brother or sister's home ecclesia. As such, it helps to bear in mind that different ecclesias may have slightly different standards for fellowship. Different ecclesias have different policies for marriage to an unbeliever or marriage, divorce and remarriage by way of example. It wouldn't make sense if you are in an ecclesia that has one standard to initiate Matthew 18 in an ecclesia that clearly wouldn't agree with your own position. You will not be able to complete the process and therefore will find yourself needlessly disrupting a meeting in the process.
It seems to me that if you have a good relationship with someone and are aware of their issues, you might initiate the first step of Matthew 18 even if they are not in your ecclesia. Because your goal is to save them, the circumstances may dictate that you get involved. Just keep in mind that the second step should include someone from their ecclesia. The key here is not to meddle in another ecclesia's affairs unless you find yourself in a unique position to help save that person whether that is a personal relationship or a unique skill set. Too many times, Matthew 18 is initiated in other people's ecclesias by self-appointed "guardians for the Truth" whose ability to meddle far outstrips their spiritual capabilities and who decidedly lean toward condemnation rather than salvation.
Another thing to consider before initiating Matthew 18 is your own standing before God. We are all sinners so there is no requirement to be perfect. At the same time, it is critical that you have some credibility. If you are going to correct someone for drunkenness and are yourself addicted to drugs, you might want to defer to someone more consistent in their walk that will not so obviously be subject to the charge of a double standard. I am not saying that you can't approach a friend with whom you share a common sin and both work together to overcome your fault, but this is not Matthew 18. This advice has a practical application. You will find that one of the most common tactics of the offender in Matthew 18 cases is to attack the person that approaches them. This means that someone who meets the qualities defined in Scripture for a deacon or bishop will therefore be the most qualified to perform Matthew 18, but that doesn't mean that no one else can also perform it.
We cannot emphasize this enough, but it is vital to keep in mind why you are doing this – to save them. If their salvation is not in jeopardy, you can still talk to them about the matter, but it is not Matthew 18. Matthew 18 is a matter of reconciliation, but all acts of reconciliation are not Matthew 18. If someone offends you in some incidental manner and you can talk to them about it in a Christ-manner to resolve this offense, by all means do so. At the same, don't make this a case of Matthew 18. How will you know beyond reading the Scriptures if the sin is incidental? One indicator is that you know that your ecclesia in the third step is overwhelmingly going to disagree with your position.
Have a great week,
