Friday, May 1, 2009, Part 2
"Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew18:15-20).
IDEA: When we decide what a passage does not mean, it's important to establish what it does mean.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that there is little value in being critical unless we can also be helpful.
We're doing a series of conversations about misinterpreted or misapplied biblical passages. What's the use of this?
I. There is a danger of being critical without being helpful.
We've been looking at Matthew 18:15-20 as a misinterpreted passage.
TEXT: Matthew18:15-20: [15] "Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. [16] But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. [17] And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. [18] Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. [19] Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
What have we said it does not apply to?
What does it apply to?
II. Jesus gives four steps that we should take when a brother or sister sins.
We should go to him directly and confront him in order to restore him (Matthew 18:15).
If necessary, on the second visit we take one or two witnesses to confront the person again (Matthew 18:16).
When that doesn't work, we are to tell it to the church (Matthew 18:17).
If a person refuses to hear the church, then he or she is to be treated like a heathen or a tax collector (Matthew 18:17).
CONCLUSION:
However we treat the passage that we think deals with prayer, we have to consider the context which deals with sinning brothers and sisters.