Matthew 18: By the Book – Part 3
September 21, 2009
Dear Friends,
As with most things, if we see legalism in the Matthew 18 process – and we will– we will also see the opposite of legalism manifested. Because people wrongly assume that this is a process to withdraw from someone rather than recovering them or saving their lives, they see the process as mean-spirited, hypocritical or judgmental. Brethren often times try to thwart the process to the detriment of the person being recovered because they think that simply dismissing the wrong is "nicer" or "kinder" or "more Christ-like" than a faithful adherence to the process that Jesus himself set in place. This is a worldly mindset and ultimately what the brother is doing is putting their own feelings ahead of the commands of Christ and the salvation of the individual in question. This is not kind, nice or Christ-like; it is misplaced zeal, apathy or ignorance.
One of the common missteps by not understanding our goal of recovery is that we often don't finish the process. For example, we approach someone according to Matthew 18 and they say to us that they will withdraw themselves from fellowship. This is acceptable; however, it does not relieve us of our responsibility to carry out Matthew 18. If our goal was simply to get rid of them, their self-withdrawal would certainly make things easy. Withdrawal is not our goal. Recovery is our goal. That being the case, we must continue down the path of Matthew 18 until they are recovered or until it is completed.
Our second goal in Matthew 18 is to keep this error from spreading in the ecclesia. In 1 Corinthians 5, we have a case of Matthew 18 gone awry. The brethren in Corinth had a brother fornicating with his stepmother and were doing nothing about it. Paul uses the metaphor of dough with yeast to illustrate the danger of their approach of allowing sin into their ecclesial "loaf." He warns them, "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?" (1 Cor. 5:6 NIV) We let this grossly immoral sin into our midst and before too long we are not a lightstand of Jesus at all. If we allow the brother to fornicate with his stepmother, how are we going to fairly address the drunk, or the thief or the murderer?
Let's be honest. Few people want to go to an ecclesia where an unrealistically high standard is set and forgiveness is not forthcoming for truly repentant individuals. At the same time, very few want to go to an ecclesia where there is no standard at all. In neither environment is Christ honored.
The concern as it regards "leaven" here is not contamination by association or legal defilement. The issue here is keeping God's standard of morality or doctrine for the good of the brother in question and for the ecclesia's sake. In addition to saving the person already so engaged, we need to teach and hold to God's commands as set forth in Scripture. If we set a moral or doctrinal standard lower than what the Lord has set in place, we are setting people up for failure.
This brings us to an extremely important question – "what constitutes a trespass worthy of Matthew 18?" In principle, a Matthew 18 offense is one, in principle, that if continued in, will keep that person from being in the Kingdom of God. This comes into three general categories.
- Gross, unrepentant immorality. 1 Cor. 6:9-10
- Creating schism in the ecclesia. Titus 3:10, Rom. 16:17
- Teaching false doctrine. 1 Tim. 3
This also begs the question of what Matthew 18 is not set in place to handle. It is NOT for:
- Disputable matters. Rom. 14
- Revenge or to "get even." Rom. 12:19
- Because they have "offended" you or someone else in some incidental way. 1 Cor. 6:7
Speaking to the last point, you will sometime hear brethren suggest that Matthew 18 is for when people offend you. The concept of "offend" in the Bible does not carry the same meaning as it does today. To Biblically "offend" someone is to cause them to sin and keep them from being in the Kingdom. If someone offends you in the modern sense of the word (i.e. annoy you, bother you, aggravate you), you can always talk to them about it. Matthew 18 does not preclude this as it doesn't address this situation at all. Nine times out of ten, the offended just needs to get thicker skin and get over it. If you really feel the need to speak out, try to be kind and Christ-like, but don't say you followed Matthew 18 because you didn't. Matthew does not apply in this instance.
Have a great week,
