Matthew 18: By the Book – Part 7
October 20, 2009
Dear Friends,
The third step of Matthew 18 is “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
People often ask “where does the arranging board come into Matthew 18?” The answer is at this step. This may come as a surprise to many because by our traditions most of us don’t follow the commands of Christ in this regard. In some ecclesias, the board is responsible for Matthew 18 so step one is tell it to the board. In some ecclesias, the board meets and then decides whether to follow Matthew 18. In still other ecclesias, it never comes before the entire ecclesia, but ends at the board. Plain and simple, all of these options are a subversion of the Lord’s command. The elders of the ecclesia, if they are not involved in the process, should learn after the second step of Matthew 18 has taken place. Even then, the board should learn of this in the process of calling the ecclesial meeting.
Now, IF a board is truly comprised of elders who meet the qualifications set out in the Scriptures AND are performing the job of shepherds, most instances that involve offenses that are “Matthew 18 worthy” will be known by at least someone on the board early on. The Scriptures are clear in their admonition to ecclesial elders,
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds. (Prov. 27:23 NIV)
If elders of an ecclesia are constantly blindsided by these happenings, they need to examine their qualifications to shepherd. A brother may provide many valuable contributions to the body such as being a good Bible student or gifted speaker, but if he doesn’t have the ability or the willingness to keep watch over the flock of God, he is not fit for the role of shepherd.
In my ecclesia, the board has to be notified to call an ecclesial meeting. The entire board finds out about what is going on only when the ecclesia meeting is called. In our case, we meet in between the calling of the ecclesial meeting and the actual meeting to discuss the case in question and make sure that everything has been done decently and in order. We also make sure that we have considered everything and see if we are in a position to make a recommendation to the ecclesia. As ecclesial shepherds, we feel that this is proper. There is probably no greater time when good shepherding is required that in step three of Matthew 18. The ecclesia needs to know that their elders have done the right thing and have considered this important step carefully.
When the ecclesia comes together in the third step, here are a few suggestions on how to handle the meeting:
- Pray for the brother or sister and pray for Divine guidance in deliberations
- Counsel people that the heart is deceitful and to try and think spiritually/Biblically, not leading with emotions
- Counsel people to stick to the case at hand and not to drag other issues into it
- Discuss the goals of Matthew 18
- Lay out the facts and history of the case
- Hear from the accused (if present)
- Ask any clarifying questions
- The elders give their recommendations
- Make a decision
- Warn everyone about the sin of gossip
Remember, if we have done this properly up to this point, this will be the first time that the vast majority of the ecclesia has heard about this. People are going to be shocked. Emotions may run high. It seems that it would be acceptable to do this in two meetings and still keep the spirit and letter of the third step of Matthew 18. The first meeting lays out the issue. The second meeting is where the brethren come together after a week or two of prayer and seeking God’s counsel in His word to make a decision (step #9). You don’t want people to feel rushed to judgment. Prayerful consideration seems a better choice than a snap judgment.
Have a great week,
