The Church Part 2

5. A disciple must be willing to submit to the judgment of the church when it acts within the framework of its delegated authority. MAT 18:15-18. a. MAT 18:15-18 is Christ’s directive for dealing with perceived faults between brethren. It is not a formula for dealing with crimes against the law of God which demand separation from the offender even if he concedes or admits his error. ct/w 1CO 5:9-13. b. This responsibility of godly judgment between brethren in the church is the subject of Paul’s reproof in 1CO 6:1-8. c. A brother who considers himself to have been faulted has the option of pursuing remedy by following MAT 18:15-18 or, at any time, dropping the matter, per 1CO 6:7; PRO 19:11. d. The church does not have authority to manufacture law against brethren but only to operate within given law as set forth by Christ and the apostles. JAM 4:11; 1JO 4:6. e. A proper understanding of MAT 18:15-18 allows for conflict between brethren to occur and be settled by overlooking a matter (forbearance, forgiveness, longsuffering), by pursuing remedy personally, by pressing for adjudication by others, and even for admission of error: all without requiring the church to separate fellowship from a brother. (1) The separation by which one is to be deemed as a heathen and The Church 6-9-24 Page 3  publican is reserved for either brother who refuses the judgment of the church in personal conflict resolution. Such a one is guilty of variance or rebellion, which are works of the flesh. GAL 5:20. (2) Being deemed a heathen or publican implied someone in need of repentance and conversion, and not to be eaten with (MAR 2:16; ACT 11:3), which in a church context has relevance to the Lord’s Supper. More on this issue to follow. G. The local church is also held accountable for the discipline of its members who are commonly known to have violated God’s law for N.T. believers. 1CO 5:1-5; EPH 5:3-5. 1. God judges the corporate body for the sake of one or few offenders. JOS 7:1 c/w REV 2:14-16. 2. God promises to withdraw support and fellowship from the congregation if they do not execute judgment to purge the church. JOS 7:12-13. 3. God is not subordinate to the vote of a church in areas of publicly known sin which He has declared He will not tolerate in fellowship. Man is a fool to think that he by himself or in concert with others can disannul God’s judgment. JOB 40:8; EXO 23:2, 7. 4. Even when the church does execute judgment upon a member, its decision is only a ratification of what God has already decreed. 1CO 5:3. 5. “...The Lord shall judge His people” (HEB 10:30-31). a. God will take appropriate action to punish transgressors, regardless of what the church decides. b. He will judge His people if they will not judge themselves by repentance in timely fashion. 1CO 11:31 c/w REV 2:20-23. c. As with Joshua, if the church is not aware of an offense which needs to be addressed, God can bring it to light. 1CO 4:5; 1TI 5:24-25. d. God may cut the sinner off Himself. ACT 5:1-5; 1CO 11:28-30. 6. This system of examination, judgment and separation can only apply to the local church, not the general assembly/church comprised of all who have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. a. The members of that church still on earth would be expected to be accountable for the actions and beliefs of people they have never met or never (in this life) will meet, which would be an absurdity. b. Secondly, how would the corporate general church on earth exercise discipline from the born-again regenerate family? How would they form a consensus to formally excommunicate someone? Could they excommunicate a saint out of heaven because some sin was exposed after his death? How would someone’s name be stricken from the membership role of the general church: could living saints read of David’s sin and vote to cast him out of heaven? ct/w JOH 10:28-29. H. If “the church” is really multiple congregations which are considered collectively, like “the Methodist Church” or “the Presbyterian Church,” again, it would be impossible for an individual congregation to be held accountable for the actions and beliefs of people they do not know and with whom they do not commune as a body at the Lord’s Table. “Church” systems like that tend to fabricate false hierarchies which determine retention or excommunication of a system member rather than the matter being entirely in the hands of a local congregation. I. Thus, the accountability of fellowship to which God holds believers is restricted to the The Church 6-9-24 Page 4  membership of a single congregation, which, as already seen, is the “whole church” (ACT 15:22; ROM 16:23; 1CO 14:23) or “all the church” (ACT 5:11). 1. The local church's judgment concerns those of its own membership, no more. 2. Scripture knows nothing of one local church being accountable to another or for the sin of another. The regional churches of Asia which were in good order (Smyrna and Philadelphia, REV 2-3) were not praised for judging the membership of the five disorderly ones, nor were they tainted by the others’ disorders.