Mt 18:15-20, Church Discipline

[Greg Merrill]

Mt 18:15-20

This is a passage that I had memorized, all but verse 19. But now having studied it and added verse 19 it clarifies for me two things; first “binding and loosing”, and second “two or three gathered together” does NOT constitute a church as I sometimes hear, but have not believed.

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 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.

18 Verily 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.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.


When we bind someone physically, we take away their freedom. Mt 18:15-20 is about church discipline. In regards to this passage, when we bind someone spiritually, we are taking away their freedom as to having close fellowship in the church. This was a harder punishment in Bible days than today because of the persecution the early church faced, and the lack of local churches to choose from. The heathen and the publican were evangelized by the church, but their sinful activities and social fellowship was avoided. The purpose of the church discipline on the trespasser was to make them want to be restored to fellowship, loosed. Jesus was declaring that this system of church discipline would be approved in Heaven (bound in Heaven, loosed in Heaven).

“Where two or three are gather…” is not saying that this is constituting a local church. The “two or three” is referring back to the witnesses in v. 16, and Jesus is saying that He will be in agreement with their proper witnessing of this church discipline. The “two or three” do not constitute “the church”, for if the trespasser doesn’t listen to them…THEN…the church is to be told about the problem so that the church can step in with its authority to try to bring reconciliation or more effective church discipline. Jesus first addresses Peter on this teaching on church discipline in Mt 16:18,19, and then is speaking to those that will be the leaders of the church in Mt 18:15-20, and for churches everywhere that will come up in the future.

 

[frienden thalord]

Agreed its all about discipline.
their is another reason also why its so necessary to keep no company.
its also due to a lil leaven can cause the whole to go to the full.
we correct to esure the safety of the other memebers as well.
and we do so as you said with the hope the sinner will repent and be restored.
JESUS pattern is the one true pattern and HE is wiser than us all.
so I say, we should follow ONLY his pattern.
and yes, the two or three was about discipline.

 

[Greg Merrill]

Agreed its all about discipline.
their is another reason also why its so necessary to keep no company.
its also due to a lil leaven can cause the whole to go to the full.
we correct to esure the safety of the other memebers as well.
and we do so as you said with the hope the sinner will repent and be restored.
JESUS pattern is the one true pattern and HE is wiser than us all.
so I say, we should follow ONLY his pattern.
and yes, the two or three was about discipline.

Good point to remember about "a lil leaven."

 

[frienden thalord]

Speaking of discipline. Look at how serious the early church was about sin.
we need that back again.
correction , warning etc , we do in hopes godly sorrow is created within the person.
for godly sorrow works repentance to salvation , not to be repented of.
sin is serious. and Christ and the apostels, heck even this lil no one
is very grave when it comes to sin issues and just living the way JESUS said to.
and heck I am just a lil humble low regular man.
my point is the members are all supposed to be serious and grave when its needed.
and man, its needed . we have to do all for the sake of the brethren.

 

[frienden thalord]

Greg , be blessed and sing a mighty praise unto the LORD.........

 

[Greg Merrill]

Greg , be blessed and sing a mighty praise unto the LORD.........

Amen brother!

 

[frienden thalord]

real quick and then I will hush.
did you see what I posted about redistribution of wealth, if not go peek.

 

[Greg Merrill]

real quick and then I will hush.
did you see what I posted about redistribution of wealth, if not go peek.

I think I did, but was afraid to respond. I am not a socialist, or a communist, or a democrat. I believe people should be able to keep what they work for. If people need legitimate help, fine, but I don't think people should have to support other people that WON'T work by choice. Nough said from me. I don't want to open a can of worms, where worms are already eating away at our country.

 

[tadoflamb]

I've always found it intriguing that the the'two or three' gathered' verse comes directly after 'three petitions'. Oft times Christians advance these verses to legitimatize their not belonging to a concrete faith community but a further reading clearly proclaims that two or three witnesses do not constitute the authority of the Church, No, if a brother sins against us our third and final petition is to the Church. b

The problem arises with the question, which church?

If I sin against you and if I'm a good Lutheran and your a good Calvinist, and we won't listen to each other, to which church should we appeal? I don't recognize the authority of your church and you don't recognize the authority of mine, so which church?

I also find it interesting that our third and final petition is not to the Sacred Scriptures but to the Church.

So. again, the question arises, which church?

 

[Greg Merrill]

Mt 18:15-20

This is a passage that I had memorized, all but verse 19. But now having studied it and added verse 19 it clarifies for me two things; first “binding and loosing”, and second “two or three gathered together” does NOT constitute a church as I sometimes hear, but have not believed.

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 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.

18 Verily 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.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.


When we bind someone physically, we take away their freedom. Mt 18:15-20 is about church discipline. In regards to this passage, when we bind someone spiritually, we are taking away their freedom as to having close fellowship in the church. This was a harder punishment in Bible days than today because of the persecution the early church faced, and the lack of local churches to choose from. The heathen and the publican were evangelized by the church, but their sinful activities and social fellowship was avoided. The purpose of the church discipline on the trespasser was to make them want to be restored to fellowship, loosed. Jesus was declaring that this system of church discipline would be approved in Heaven (bound in Heaven, loosed in Heaven).

“Where two or three are gather…” is not saying that this is constituting a local church. The “two or three” is referring back to the witnesses in v. 16, and Jesus is saying that He will be in agreement with their proper witnessing of this church discipline. The “two or three” do not constitute “the church”, for if the trespasser doesn’t listen to them…THEN…the church is to be told about the problem so that the church can step in with its authority to try to bring reconciliation or more effective church discipline. Jesus first addresses Peter on this teaching on church discipline in Mt 16:18,19, and then is speaking to those that will be the leaders of the church in Mt 18:15-20, and for churches everywhere that will come up in the future.

As I was just working on memorizing Matthew 18:19, I was having trouble understanding what Jesus was referring to when He starts this verse with "Again" (or where did He first say it?) He said it Matthew 18:18 in different words, so is clarifying it here. But then I asked myself, then Him, "What are the 'two' supposed to be asking?" Answer: First they ask that the transgressor be bound, have the freedom to fellowship with the church taken away. Second, they are to ask that the transgressor be loosed (after the transgressor yields to the process of reconciliation).