Question about Matt 18:18-20

[scrappergirl]

I have a friend who was told by someone that Matthew 18:18-20 can not be taken out of the context of the scriptures that it sits between and that it only refers to the texts above it about a brother sinning against you.

does anybody study notes or guides that can shed some light on this? This person also said that each scripture only has ONE meaning and therefore this is why this scipture can only be used in the context of Matt 18.

help???

[Wally]

Many scriptures have a literal and spritual meanings. That is why it is critical to examine the context of the verse to get it correct.

Some verses are quite clear all by them selves: John 14:6, Romans 3:23
Others need examination, but then we need to study every word in order to perform good stewardship.

Who are we talking to, What is the place- time
What is happening - verses before and after
What does the rest of scripture say.


Context, Context, Context.

Often a verse is used: For him who has ears to hear....

If it applies to you, listen up! If not, keep listening for something else may.

[jldance]

I have a friend who was told by someone that Matthew 18:18-20 can not be taken out of the context of the scriptures that it sits between and that it only refers to the texts above it about a brother sinning against you.

does anybody study notes or guides that can shed some light on this? This person also said that each scripture only has ONE meaning and therefore this is why this scipture can only be used in the context of Matt 18.

help???
It is very true that scripture has only one INTERPRETATION, but what many people today choose to ignore is the fact that it has many APPLICATIONS. What Christ is saying is nothing that is not already found in Deuteronomy and Leviticus about eye witnesses and proving guilt. That is the context, but we must also remember that today the same is taught to the church and has application for discipline in the church.

May I ask what meaning you apply to the verses?

[Wally]

Matthew 18
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.”

Context - Who, What: The disciples discussing who is the greatest

Context - Other verses: How are you to behave: Be like a child - Humility.
Humility in your own conduct, to children, to new believers, to unbelievers, towards each other. Furthermore if you (disciples-brothers) misbehave, there is a method to restore. And if we do it in the Spirit of Christ - He will help us.

But there is a limit. And keep in mind that what you do here effects what happens in Heaven.

Then good ole Peter boasts shall I forgive 7 times?
Jesus responds 490 (70 x7) followed by the parable of the wicked servant. He then ends with, so you shall be dealt with (suffer loss) if you do not forgive.

Context of rest of scripture - Bema seat. We already know about works salvation - not! Instead we are told about suffering loss in Heaven by our conduct in this life. This sheds some light and other scripture adds clarity.

How and what we do here effects US and OUR future in Heaven. This is what the disciples were takling about - who would be greatest. So even though some verses stand out on their own, Vs 18-20 do loose something if taken out of context.


Warren Wiersby has some excellent commentaries on the Bible.

And I've no doubt others have gleaned some slightly different nuggets from these verses.

[Sing4Him]

Go to Your Brother in Private Matthew 18

As mentioned earlier, the admonition in Matthew 18 to go to your brother in private if he has sinned is often used to suggest that public teachings should be adjudicated privately. However, Matthew 18 does not address debate about the orthodoxy of someone's public teaching but how to deal with one of Christ's sheep who have strayed into sin. Let us examine the passage in context.

Matthew 18 begins with the disciples discussing who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus saw a danger in their attitude that could be very harmful to the church. The rest of Matthew 18 deals with relationships in the church, particularly how the "little ones" (meaning believers not young children - Matthew 18:6) are treated. The problem Jesus foresees in the discussion of who is greatest, is that "little ones" (believers who may appear unimportant to those concerned about their own "greatness") would be mistreated by those whose motives are wrong. Matthew 18 contains teachings to insure that every believer is seen as important and every effort is put forth to preserve their spiritual well-being.

In this context, we read this:

And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. (Matthew 18:15-17)
At issue is a "little one" who has become a straying sheep (Matthew 18:12). The tendency is for people who are seeking greatness in the kingdom to allow the sinner to wander off and perish rather than put forth the effort to preserve him or her. Jesus said, "Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish" (Matthew 18:14). As we have seen, the little ones are believers, and it is not God's will that a believer perishes. So the "lost sheep" that is rescued is a straying believer.

Given the immediate context, reproving in private someone who sins shows a willingness to take steps to keep one of the Lord's flock from perishing. It is not specified what particular sin may be at issue, but rather what the motives of the church members (i.e., disciples of Jesus Christ) are. They are to care about the well being of the little ones who may not appear important to others, but who are important to God.

The entire process outlined in Matthew 18 is about preserving church members from perishing. If the process does not result in the person repenting, they are to be assumed to be a lost sinner (a Gentile and a tax-gatherer). Lost sinners are the subject of gospel preaching. Any true Christian who has been confronted by this process will seek repentance and restoration. Those who claim a right to sin however they see fit show no evidence of regeneration. They are not "little ones" but targets for the gospel.

So, does this passage tell us that public false teaching should never be corrected or judged without first gaining the permission of the false teacher? No. As we shall see in many other passages, false teaching cannot be allowed into the church for precisely the reason Jesus tells us to care for the flock. The spiritual well-being of His "little ones" is more important than that aspirations of those who deem themselves "greatest in the kingdom." The flock must be protected and preserved. Allowing wolves into the congregation under the guise of Matthew 18 would be a horrible abuse of the passage.

Notice that verse 16 says that two or three witnesses should confirm "every fact." This is important, because someone could falsely accuse another of sin. What is being confirmed by the witnesses is that the person in question is guilty of the sin and refuses to change. In the case of publicly broadcast and published teachings, there is no need for this process because the "facts" are already public knowledge. What is needed is to compare the teachings to Scripture, not determine if the person is committing a sin and hiding it. At issue in public teaching is the integrity of the faith once for all delivered to the saints, not sin in the local fellowship.

http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue94.htm

[scrappergirl]

thank you for all your replies.
i guess i should have clarified the conversation so you would understand why i was asking. the comment was specifically toward the verse that says 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.. Honestly, the only time I ever hear that verse is in the context of praying with others. My understanding of the conversation (not having been there) was that this was how the verse was used, which was how the disagreement began.

as for what I believe about it, not that it matters (lol), i have mostly heard that scripture in the context of prayer... I don't have an opinion (intelligent or otherwise) on the application of it, which is why I am here asking.
=)

[scrappergirl]

sing, thank you for that posting. even outside of the realm of this question it is very helpful.

[Obadiah]

scrapper:

I think the person who's limiting the presence of Jesus among us to a church discipline context is not reading the text carefully enough.

In v.20 He says, "for where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst."

The way I interpret this "for" is that it introduces a background explanation. The reason that what Jesus says in vv.18-19 works is because He is in our midst when we meet in His name. Because of the general truth that He is regularly among us when we convene in His name, we can be confident that He is informing the decisions we're making.

[scrappergirl]

obadiah (whenver i think of your name i think of obadiah masterson in guys and dolls. lol)--

thank you.
that makes alot of sense to me.

does anyone know if this concept is stated anywhere else in scripture?