Are We Missing the Point of Matthew 18?

[Disir]

A pastor learns that a married man is having an affair with a married woman in the same small group Bible study. The fallout is only just beginning. According to Scripture, how should the pastor address this?

Or imagine this: A copastor of a church plant has been increasingly erratic. He’s showing signs of classic narcissism, leaving a wake of damaged people who’ve run afoul of his overbearing leadership. How should his co-pastor handle this?

Or bring it down a level: Two high schoolers in the youth group began showing romantic interest in each other. The boy’s parents were anxious about the situation, so they worked hard to shut it down. As a result, the girl’s parents were hurt and upset. Now there’s escalating tension between the parents, and accusations of wrongdoing are flying from both sides. The pastor is brought in to negotiate. What steps should the pastor take?

Are We Missing the Point of Matthew 18?

www.christianitytoday.com

Has anyone seen this in action at their local church?

 

[Votto]

Matthew 13:24

24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

For those that don't know, it was common practice back then to sow "tares" in the crops of a field that gave you produce that was beneficial. This way, you can't tell the real thing from the fake until you went to harvest it.

But Jesus warns, if you try to uproot the tares instead, you will also uproot some of the good seed as well.

The way I see it, this means that going after tares in the church will cause good seed to fall away.

At the same time, open sinfulness needs to be dealt with swiftly.

 

[Disir]

I didn't know. That seems like it would be difficult to navigate because people don't do what (I think) they should be doing. There is this uncontrollable element to situations because there are x amount of people involved.

 

[Cougarbear]

Matthew 13:24

24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

For those that don't know, it was common practice back then to sow "tares" in the crops of a field that gave you produce that was beneficial. This way, you can't tell the real thing from the fake until you went to harvest it.

But Jesus warns, if you try to uproot the tares instead, you will also uproot some of the good seed as well.

The way I see it, this means that going after tares in the church will cause good seed to fall away.

At the same time, open sinfulness needs to be dealt with swiftly.

We see this in many Churches that teach to keep the Commandments. Romans Chapter one teaches the homosexual acts are evil and vile sins that goes against nature of human beings. Yet, because of the tares in our society that have turned this upside down, young people mostly are falling away along with some of their parents as well. Churches that quickly deal with persons with LBTGQ issues are attacked the most and we see this happening. The question is, do we do nothing and allow the Church to become evil too by allowing this to go on inside the Church. How do we delay the harvest inside the Church but keep the Commandments as well?
In our Church, we welcome LGBTQ people as long as they do not act out any sinful acts inside the Church. But, it's clear that it is a sin and they do know this. We have same-sex attracted persons that remain celibate as well, which is the best outcome.
But, with this issue and abortion, this is the time of the Wheat and the Tares Harvest. We are close to the 2nd Coming of Christ.