Discover The Word

Wednesday, May 6, 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: To understand the passage we have to give credit to the author for being as reasonable as we are as we read it.

PURPOSE: To help listeners see that the flow of thought often helps us as we study the Bible.

Have you ever gotten a card from a child who has been off at camp?

It reads something like this: “Dear Mom, It’s hot today. I captured a frog. I like swimming in the lake. My mosquito bite itches. Please send some money for the canteen. Love, Jeff.”

What is it about that kind of writing that strikes you as being childish?

It has a broad subject like what’s going on at camp, but Jeff writes whatever pops up in his mind in no particular order.

I. If we take this card from camp approach, we may come up with several warm thoughts but miss what the passage is about.

If we assume that Jesus was being quoted by Matthew, and that he talked good sense, then we must assume that the first part of the passage that deals with restoring a brother or sister relates to the last part of the passage which seem like various and sundry comments about prayer.

Putting it another way, reading the last part of the passage will make sense only in the light of what the first part of the passage says.

II. The bird’s-eye view of the passage tells us two major truths:

We must restore a sinning brother or sister in a very careful manner, Matthew 18:15-17.

Why we must restore a brother or sister in a very careful manner, Matthew 18:18-20:

When we act in a careful manner to restore a brother or sister, we are acting in the place of God the Father and we are assured of the presence of Jesus Christ.