THE LIFE OF CHRIST - MINISTRY OF WITHDRAWALS
Fourth Withdrawal
-Approaching a Brother Who Sinned / Church Discipline / Willingness to Forgive
-Matt 18:15-35
-In these verses, we find a process that has, unfortunately, been greatly neglected. The church
would be (and will be) stronger if we did a better job of following the steps instructed in this
passage.
-If one feels that he has been wronged by another, he should go directly and privately to that
individual. Of course, one should do so with proper Christian character - with love, meekness,
kindness, gentleness, etc.
-This step prevents the issue from growing and spreading.
-This also allows for direct communication between the two. Often times, when going
directly to the person, it is discovered that a misunderstanding/miscommunication took place
and the issue is easily resolved. Even if one was wronged, this step provides an opportunity
for a peaceful, private solution.
-If a person was indeed guilty of an offense and is willing to correct it with repentance, then
the process ends here.
-If a person was guilty of an offense but exhibits no willingness to repent of it, then the
process continues to the next step.
-Why, in so many cases, do we seem to want to talk to everybody else instead of talking to
the other person involved? Small issues have grown much larger and more damaging as a
result.
-In the second step, the one who was wronged tries again with the accompaniment of one or two
others.
-The purpose remains the same - the well-being of the offender’s soul.
-The purpose of the others now involved is probably two fold: 1. hopefully the exhibition
of their love and concern will bear a greater impact and motivate the person to repent and/or
2. to help establish the facts of the situation so that it is not just one person’s word against
another.
-If the offender is willing to properly respond in repentance, then the process ends here.
-If the person is still unwilling to repent, then the process continues.
-In the third step, the situation is then made known to the church.
-“There is to be a prayerful, sympathetic, and united effort on the part of the church to restore
him, but if the church fails, the Lord has given no other means to be used or steps to be
taken” (Boles, 1936, pg 376).
-If the person still exhibits the unwillingness to repent, he is to “be unto thee as an heathen
man and a publican” (Matt 18:17). This clearly indicates that the relationship involving this
man is affected. At this point, faithful Christians are to withdraw their fellowship from him.
-The withdrawing of fellowship seems to also have a two-fold purpose: 1. to motivate
the erring Christian to return to faithfulness and 2. to keep the church pure.
-The withdrawing of fellowship should be carried out by all in the church. Any such
refusal to do so would be rebellious toward the authority of the congregation’s elders
and the instructions of the scriptures. “It would be disastrous to the unity of the church
when the offender has been scripturally dealt with for any member to refuse to concur
in the discipline. Blood relation or other interest should not prevent one from
cooperating with the church in its act of discipline. To do so would be to rebel against
God” (Boles, 1936, pg 378).
-Unfortunately, some Christians are so little involved with fellowship one with another
that there would scarcely be any difference realized if fellowship was withdrawn.
-Let’s never forget that Christian fellowship is to be an important part of our lives.
-Matthew 18:18-20
-These verses can be somewhat challenging in regards to their exact meaning/application. The
following information will first eliminate a common but improper use of these verses and will
then present some of the possible meanings/applications.
-Many times, these verses are cited in reference to worship. However, such an application is not
consistent with the context of Matthew 18. This chapter is not discussing worship.
-Additionally, if this was applied to worship, could an individual not worship in an
acceptable manner? Would a widowed shut-in have to have another person present if she
wanted to offer acceptable worship to God?
-Some have referred to these verses in an attempt to alleviate their responsibility of gathering
with the saints. We should gather to worship with our fellow Christians whenever possible
(see Heb 10:25). However, if circumstances left an individual isolated on the Lord’s day,
that individual could still offer worship to God. But again, worship is not the context of
Matthew 18.
-In these verses, Jesus reiterates what He had already spoken in Matthew 16:19 regarding
apostolic authority.
-In Matthew 16, Jesus was speaking directly to Peter and spoke in the singular (“thou”,
KJV). Although Jesus was speaking directly to Peter in that context with the use of a
singular pronoun, it would not have necessarily excluded the other apostles. In Matthew 18,
Jesus speaks in the plural pronoun (“ye”, KJV) making it clear that the authority spoken of
applied to all of the apostles.
-Whatever they would (future tense) bind or loose on earth regarding disciplinary actions
(the current context) would have already been bound (past tense in the Greek grammar)
in heaven. They were not being given the freedom to make determinations based upon
their own will but would be guided into a proper decision in accordance with the will of
God.
- “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and
he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13, emp. add.).
-However, if the “two or three” of Matthew 18:20 applied only to the apostles, a question
would then remain: “Would one apostle, acting alone, be prohibited from making such
determinations?” The scriptures clearly show that this was simply not the case.
-Paul told the Corinthians, “…the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the
Lord” (1 Cor 14:37). Within the things Paul wrote to them were instructions regarding
church discipline (1 Cor 5:9-11). Paul did not have to confer with one or more of the other
apostles prior to giving these instructions to the Corinthians. He, on an individual basis,
could act with apostolic authority. (see also Rom 16:17; 2 Thess 3:6, 14; 1 Tim 6:3-5)
-So, it seems that the “two” of verse 19 and the “two or three” of verse 20 extends beyond the
apostles. Keeping within the context of the passage, this would seem to correlate with the two
or three of Matthew 18:16. In other words, when “two or three” are following these specified
steps of discipline, they are doing so with the authority of the scriptures and with the presence of
Jesus.
-“…The Lord concludes this discussion by suggesting that when the church is gathered
together for the purpose of formalizing a case of discipline (cf. 1 Cor. 5:4), he himself will
be there. He sanctions the action with his own presence (just as he joins his saints in the
communion service). Verse 19 may be designed to inoculate against timidity in carrying out
the courageous act of disfellowship. Perhaps the Savior is saying, ‘Even if only two or three
have the fortitude to implement this procedure, I will accompany them.’ Loving discipline
needs to be enacted when the circumstances dictate such, even if weak brethren will not
throw their support behind the action (cf. 2 Cor. 2:6, “majority,” ESV)...Christ is saying,
therefore: ‘Whenever two or three are gathered together, to do that which I have authorized
(specifically in the matter of discipline), I will stand by you’” (Jackson).
-“The binding and loosing here mentioned is limited by the context or the subject of which Jesus
now treats. Binding represents exclusion from membership. Loosing, the restoration to
fellowship in cases of repentance. The church’s act in thus binding or loosing will be
recognized in heaven if performed according to apostolic precept or precedent. Hence it is a
most august and fearful prerogative” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 436).
-Peter’s Question Regarding the Willingness to Forgive - Matthew 18:21
-Peter probably thought that he was being quite liberal with his willingness to forgive a brother
seven times. “His suggestion of forgiving seven times went considerably beyond the maxims
of the rabbis who admonished forgiveness three times but not four times, basing their position
upon the word of God to Amos, ‘For three transgressions of Damascus and for four, I will not
revoke the punishment’ (Amos 1:4). Even Peter’s relatively magnanimous forgiveness until
seven times, however, fell far short of Jesus’ requirement of unlimited forgiveness (see on Matt.
6:14, 15)” (Coffman, 1968, pg 283).
-Jesus’ response of “seventy times seven” must have been astonishing to Peter and the other
apostles. In His response, Jesus was not placing a literal limitation on forgiveness but was,
through these words, illustrating that Christians should maintain the willingness to forgive.
-“The duty of forgiveness has no limit, save in the want of penitence in the offender. As
often as the offender repents, we must forgive” (Boles, 1936, pg 379).
-To illustrate His point, Jesus gave the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt 18:22-35). As
mentioned previously in our study (pg 30), when considering passages containing parables, we
will not pursue the details of each parable. However, we will address the time in the life of
Christ when the parable was given, perhaps some general information regarding it and the main
point.
-In this parable we find that a king was settling accounts and discovered that a servant owed him a
very large sum of money. The indebted servant, who simply could not pay such a large debt,
begged for mercy and the king forgave the debt. The same servant then went and found a fellow-
servant who owed him a much smaller amount and tried to force him to pay the sum. The servant
who had received mercy was unwilling to show mercy. When the king heard of this situation, he
called for the servant that had been forgiven his debt and had him sent to the tormentors.
-The main point is made very evident in verse 35 - If we do not forgive one another, we cannot
expect our Heavenly Father to forgive us.