Bible Study for Today~ How Much of an Effort Are We Supposed to Make to Resolve Problems With Someone Who Has Abused, Betrayed, Or Otherwise Done Us Wrong? 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.... Matthew 18:15-18. Is Jesus telling us to try several times? And to bring witnesses and tell the church (impossible, of course, if we are to keep silent about the wrongdoing)? Well, that depends. On what, you say? On who the perpetrator is. Taken in context, Jesus is talking specifically about disagreements between brothers and sisters in Christ, giving instructions for mediating between the brethren and keeping the church from having divisions. He says, if THY BROTHER trespasses against you. He does not say, if ANYBODY trespasses against you. He is NOT talking about problems we have with people outside the church who are not our brother or sister in Christ, people outside the faith, or the children of Satan. Think about it. Why would we take church witnesses to talk over problems with our abusive parent or sibling who is not a believer? Why would we take unresolved problems between us and heathens to the church? The church cant discipline a heathen. Why would we treat an unremorseful, unrepentant abuser as a heathen if he failed to heed our words, when he is ALREADY a heathen and we should ALREADY be treating him as one? Keep in mind that not everyone who goes to church is an actual brother or sister in Christ. Jesus warns of the Pharisees and the wolves in sheeps clothing. They sit in our pews but they belong to the devil. The Bible does not tell us to try and resolve whatever problems we have with them. We are never to live in peace with the children of Satan. We are told many, many times to stay away from the wicked and not associate with them. Holier-Than-Thou Phony Christians love to quote this scripture to pressure US into taking the responsibility for resolving mistreatment we have endured. But they are in error. These verses are ONLY talking about disputes between two godly believers, brethren in Christ. If the person who hurt or betrayed us is not a truly righteous believer (and the truly righteous do not abuse other people), regardless of whether they go to church or not, then they are not our brother or sister in Christ and this passage does not apply to them. We are not supposed to do ANY of this with outsiders. We have absolutely NO obligation to fix things with them at all. Jesus never tells us to try and make up with the evil or to have anything to do with them at all. To claim otherwise is to defy logic. I think its also valuable to take special note of verse 18. If we bind it on earth, its bound in heaven, and if we loose it on earth, its loosed in heaven. If we are UNABLE (NOT unwilling) UNABLE TO forgive a perpetrator because of her own refusal to repent, then she is NOT FORGIVEN in heaven, either, despite what she so sanctimoniously thinks. Thank you Lord, for your holy Word. Praise you Holy Ghost for insight and understanding. May this Word go out and bless all who need it, in Jesus Name, Amen.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 20:56:17 +0000
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