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Originally Posted by Pressing-On
If the Word had not said, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20, I might have agreed with you... |
Why this one little phrase uttered by the Lord gets twisted to mean all sorts of things is beyond me.
Matthew 18 is regarding church discipline and how to handle sins and offenses, and if two or three people in the church agree on how to handle such things, the Lord is with them to help them bring about righteousness in the assembly.
Matthew 18:15-20,
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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.
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Trespass between members of God's church, right? Handled discreetly, without anyone else's influence or interference. Be hopeful for reconciliation.
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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.
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Step One in the process failed. Now, others in the church have to be involved for the sake of unity.
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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.
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If Step Two fails, and no reconciliation between the two member of the church is achieved, then the entire assembly has to get involved to have a hearing on the matter. Whoever is found to be the guilty party, he is to no longer be considered a member of the covenanted community of God (i.e. a heathen).
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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.
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Whatsoever we bind on earth in terms of church discipline
ONLY, will be bound in heaven, that is, if the church determines against someone, and decides that the person originally involved in the trespass is a heathen and a publican, then heaven will look at that person the same way.
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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.
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The two or three here are the two or three witnesses originally called upon to seek and restore reconciliation. But when their counsel is denied or rejected, and they have to, on account of the Lord's teaching here in
Matthew 18, initiate a church wide hearing against the offending brother, and the church rules against him, then the Lord is with them in what they are doing, and will respond positively to their petition to guide them in the actions they are undertaking to either restore or ex-communicate the offending member.
Now finish
Matthew 18 with the parable about the unjust, unforgiving steward, who was delivered into prison to be tortured. This is the destiny of the heathen/publican who offended earlier and above.
The Lord said our Heavenly Father will do the same to us, should we not forgive. Bound in heaven, remember?
When the church has to legitimately remove one of it's own, God Himself, agrees with the actions of the church, and so, delivers the removed member into torments, i.e. a backslidden, no longer saved state, eventually culminating in eternal damnation, should true repentance never occur.
Hybrid Mode
