Matthew 18:15-18
“And if he shall neglect to
hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto THEE as an
heathen man and a publican. 18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye
shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.”
None argue
that this passage deals with PERSONAL offences. Many question the phrase “a
heathen man and a publican” and what Jesus intends by it. However, there are some clear facts that no one
can deny:
First, this response by the offended toward the offender is due solely to the
fact that the offender obstinately refuses “to hear” them, others and the
church.
“if he will not hear thee”
“if he will not hear them”
“if he will not hear the church”
Hence,
the real basis for church discipline is always “obstinate resistance” whether
it is personal offence, doctrinal offence or moral offence.
Second, the intended application of this phrase is first
PERSONAL
“let him be unto THEE
as an heathen man and a publican”
Jesus is instructing the offended one to
respond like this to the offender. This
is to be the PERSONAL response of the offended toward the offender. How would a
Jew understand such instruction in the day of Christ? We have a Biblical example to show us:
For before that certain came from
James, he did eat with the Gentiles:
but when they were come, he withdrew and
SEPARATED himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. – Gal. 2:12
Before these Jews came, Peter
fellowshipped and ate with the gentile believers. However, after they came he
responded differently to these gentiles. His different response reflects what
Jesus meant when he instructed the offended one to “let him be unto thee as a
heathen and a publican.” Peter “withdrew” and “separated himself” from the gentiles. Obviously, this withdrawing
and separating cannot be understood to mean these gentiles were forbidden to
partake of the Lord’s supper and other privileges of
church membership. It clearly means that Peter stopped fellowshipping with them
outside the church meeting on a social level.
Think about it! If someone has greviously
offended you and has been confronted three times and obstinately refuses to
repent but continues in that offence then you have one
of two choices. (1) you can continue to put yourself
in a personal situation of continued offence; (2) you can separate yourself
from the company of the offender. Jesus clearly directs the offended to
personally withdraw fellowship from the offender.
This PERSONAL application proves that Jesus
is not directing the offended to just treat the offender as a “lost” person.
Paul makes this clear when he says of the offender – “Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
2 Thes. 2:15. Hence,
Jesus cannot mean in Matthew 18:17 to treat the offender as a “lost” person but
rather as a chastened “brother.”
Third, the next instructions are directed toward the church
as he changes from the singular pronoun “thee” to the plural pronoun “ye” in
verse 18. Jesus has directed the offended person to take a clear PERSONAL
position toward the offender. Now Jesus addresses the church and directs it to
exercise the authority He has given it.
“Whatsoever YE (plural) shall bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven”
What is He directing them to do here? I
believe He is telling them to “bind” the response he has just given the
offended one “Let him be unto THEE as a heathen man and a publican” upon the
whole membership so that the church stands together with the offended one in
their response to the offender. In other words, there is a complete withdrawal
of fellowship that extends to social fellowship, otherwise, the offended one
stands alone. It is Jesus intent that the church gives full support and takes
the same stand as He directed the offended person to take.
Fourth, this is why all other related scriptures regarding
church discipline use the terms for PERSONAL SEPARATION and withdrawal from the
disciplined members:
(1) “let him be unto thee
as a heathen man and publican” – Mt.
personal obstinacy
(2) “have no company with
him” – 2 Thes.
(3) “avoid them” – Rom.
(4) “not to
keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a” – I Cor.
moral obstinacy
(5) “with such a one, no
not to eat” – I Cor.
in regard to eating with heathen) – public obstinancy
It
should not be surprising that any form of discipline is designed to be somewhat
harsh or it ceases to be discipline – Heb. 12:11
Consequences of
Disobedience to Divine Instruction
Members who do not obey this clear precept
concerning social withdrawal will always suffer certain consequences. First, if
they attempt to compromise and obey only the command to rebuke the sinner (2 Thes.