Does Matthew 18 Apply to False Teachers? (Grasping at Straws)

Hello, and thank you for listening to the Testing the Spirits podcast. I titled this episode, Grasping for Straws and Matthew 18. So what's that about?

Okay.

Why Matthew 18 Is Not a License to Silence Criticism

If there's one thing I've learned over the past six months, it's that compromised people only care about the Bible when it suits them. And then when they try to use a biblical text, try to prove their point because they don't know the Bible, they don't really care about sound and interpretation of the scripture.

They're just kind of grasping at straws. So I spoke to somebody recently. This is what inspired this podcast. I spoke to someone recently who is a worship leader of their church. And in that meeting, it came out that people had been flip-flopping on the whole LGBT issue.

They were questioning certain beliefs about the afterlife, not really sure what the Bible teaches, apparently scripture is not clear on those things, or then the extreme danger that heresy presents. You see, the person who's supposedly evangelical, they didn't really seem to care all that much about those issues that, again, are clear in scripture.

So denying hell, or maybe denying hell, or fellowshipping with heretics, or being gay affirming or whatever, you know, forget all that. But the one thing to this person that was very important is a statement from Matthew 18.

Okay, so what's Matthew chapter 18? Ironically, Matthew 18 is the passage where Jesus speaks about church discipline. And it's ironic because this person and the schismatics that they're defending, they don't actually want Matthew 18 followed.

I mean, they don't actually want church discipline where Jesus says you need to then consider someone, treat them like a heathen or a tax collector, which is basically a form of shunning. Like, they don't believe in that.

They don't want that. But they did kind of focus in on this one statement from Jesus in Matthew 18 where supposedly Christ says that you're not allowed to talk about someone unless you first go and speak to them directly.

Okay, now is that what Jesus said? Not really. Basically, they're just ignoring the context so they can kind of harp on this one idea because they think they can use this against their critics. So let's turn to Matthew chapter 18.

Let's try to just read it and understand it so we rightly handle the Word of God and not twist the meaning and take it out of context like people so often do. Matthew 18, we'll read verses 15 through 18.

Moreover, Jesus says, 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.

And then verse 18, Christ says, 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. Okay, now do I believe and affirm and uphold Matthew chapter 18?

Absolutely.

If there is a personal issue between two Christians, between two brothers, you should go to that person and try to talk it out. But notice the context here. This is about the person who sins against you.

That's the person you need to go and talk to. This isn't discussing doctrinal disputes, that there's false teachers out there or there's somebody uploading a podcast to the internet that's heretical and here's what you know.

It's not talking about that at all. It's talking about going to someone who has sinned against you personally. That's the first thing. Second, this is between brethren, so this is two Christians, heretics are not brothers in Christ.

And the third thing, the context suggests that this is between brothers who are part of the same local church because the final step would be to bring that person before the whole assembly. So being part of a local church, more specifically being part of the same local church, that's key in order for Matthew 18 to even work.

So I believe in Matthew 18, I try to follow Matthew 18. Usually, when people sin against me, it doesn't happen too often. If it's something little, I try to let it go. But if there was a real issue or somebody really did something to me, really wronged me within the church, absolutely.

Anyone who knows me knows I have no problem going to people. Just in general, I have no problem saying something to somebody. But that doesn't mean Matthew 18 is teaching that you can never mention someone's name, you can never talk about a situation unless you go to that person first.

It depends on the details. So in other words, an example I use, the Pope, Pope Francis, believes in a gospel of salvation by faith plus works. He's a false teacher. I don't need to call the Pope on the phone to avoid him.

Or if I do a podcast here and I say, hey, don't listen to the teachings of the Pope, he'll lead you astray. Did you call the Pope on the phone and talk to him like that? That wouldn't apply. Even if I could get him on the phone, which I couldn't, but that's not what Matthew 18.

Is.

Okay, so that's the issue. This is a personal matter, not doctrinal. It's between two brothers, so two Christians that are actually trying to work this out, hopefully, and then it's people that are within a local church, probably the same local church.

Here's another problem. Here's what we have today. Another reason why Matthew 18 is just not applicable. We have ministries today operating outside of and apart from the local church. Let me repeat that.

We have ministries today that are operating outside of and apart from the local church. Now, why would you have a Christian ministry that is not connected to a church? I don't know. That makes no sense.

You certainly never see such a thing in Scripture. So, let me just be clear on that. Every ministry that calls itself a Christian ministry ought to be, or really needs to be, connected to a local church and have a clear statement of faith.

Otherwise, where is the oversight? Where's the accountability? Okay, so back to Matthew 18. We read the passage. You saw that this is a way of solving personal disputes between Christians who, again, ideally would be part of the same local church.

This has nothing to do at all with heresy, heretics, false teachers, anything like that. If you take from Matthew 18 a principle of three strikes and you're out, you know, you could look at Titus 3 .10 and say, heretics only get two strikes, right?

The person in Matthew 18 is a Christian. He's a church member. He has certain rights afforded to him. He has some way of appeal. Bring it before the assembly. Let me tell you my side of the story. But when false teachers are just uploading heresy to the internet, you don't need to pick up the phone and call them before you mark and avoid them or warn the flock.

Okay, it's just two totally different things. So, before I explain how Matthew 18 would normally play out and maybe give some details, let me just explain what's not in view. I've sort of already done that, but let's just try to make it even more clear.

Okay, let's say I get an invitation in the mail asking me to attend an Amy Grant-Joyce Meyer event. I'm not sure if the two have ever worked together, but they would be good for each other, I think. So, let's just say I got an invitation in the mail.

I can pay $100 and I can listen to Amy Grant open up in concert, and then Joyce Meyer will give the sermon. Well, here's the thing. I know, based on her track record and prior statements, that's just common knowledge.

I know that Amy Grant is pro-LGBT. She supports gay marriage and all the rest. And I know for a fact that Joyce Meyer preaches a false gospel. It's called the prosperity gospel. So, I don't need to call Amy or Joyce on the phone or try to arrange a meeting to sit down with them.

And talk to them.

I don't need to do any of that. Again, not that I could, but even if I could, that's pointless because I already know what time it is. I already know what's what. So, I can just say, no, I'm not going to attend.

I don't recommend that you attend. And I can say all of that and I can say it openly because they've been open. And this is, again, all common knowledge. So, I don't need to call them on the phone. That is not a personal dispute.

That is a doctrinal dispute. It's nothing personal between me and someone else. If it was something personal, yeah, you go to the person because it's between the two.

Of you.

If it's someone teaching heresy or corrupting the body of Christ because they have this lofty position where they have influence and all that, it's just not the same thing. It's not a Matthew 18 situation, is the bottom line.

Besides, plenty of people have tried to correct Amy Grant and Joyce Meyer in the past. They have not changed. Why do I think I would be any different? Again, even if I could get through to them. You say, well, that's a ridiculous comparison.

Not really.

While they're celebrities, they would never, you're not seeing the point. The point is, it's not what Matthew 18 is about. Matthew 18 is about two brothers in a local church. One sins against another.

Let's go to them and try to work it out. Bring in two or three and then bring it before the church. That's what that's about. Not false teaching and bad doctrine and all the rest.

Okay.

Two totally different things. So, how would Matthew 18 play out? What would it look like? If you had an issue with another church member, let's say you hired a church member, he's a plumber and you hired him to do a job and he did the job.

He was at your house all afternoon and he said, okay, that'll be $250 and you just don't.

Pay him.

And he comes to you and talks to you and say, I'm not going to pay you. I don't have the money or I want to spend it on something else. Get lost. Okay, see them going to you and then bringing two or three.

That's the type of situation Matthew 18 would be about. So, one person sins against another church member. You go to them. You try to resolve it. If they don't listen, you bring along two or three witnesses, right?

Ideally, people who witnessed the transgression. If that's not possible, just two or three people there. That's biblical. It's part of the Mosaic law and how to go about establishing truth. So, that's how you do it.

Go to the person. Take two or three. This is the church discipline process and if they still will not repent or if they have another side of the story, you bring that person before the entire church assembly.

And then if they still refuse to repent and they are found to be in the wrong, they are, according to Jesus, they are to be excommunicated. Let them be to you like a heathen and a tax collector, Jesus says.

So, what does that mean, that term excommunication? It means you separate from them. You stop hanging around with them. 2 John 7 -11, 1 Corinthians 5, along with other passages, they tell us we should not eat with.

Them.

We should not greet them. We should not welcome them into our house or our church house. Excommunication is what it sounds like. Ex, you know, you are put outside of. You are put out of communication.

Excommunication. It's true that most churches today, they don't practice this. Most churches today refuse to follow Jesus and his disciples regarding this teaching. But that's their problem, not mine.

As for me and my house and as for me and the church that I pastor, we will serve the Lord. Other churches might serve the zeitgeist, the spirit of the age, but we will serve the.

Lord.

The Problem of Ministries Outside the Local Church

But as you can tell, the reason I'm doing this podcast is because there are people who are either, you know, misunderstanding this teaching. They're ignoring it. They're intentionally twisting it. Others are simply, like I said, grasping at straws, trying to find any little thing, sort of like the Pharisees.

They like to throw around that word Pharisees, so I'll invoke the term Pharisees. They're sort of like the Pharisees in this regard. They're trying to find any little thing and how they can try to pin, you know, any little thing on someone they disagree with.

And in the process, they strain at a gnat and yet swallow a camel. Well, you didn't call this person on the phone while you're fellowshipping with heretics.

Really?

That's what you're going to get upset about?

Okay.

So, that's sort of the situation, more of the same, and that's to a large degree what this podcast is about, sort of working through these issues and hopefully people that are listening can help equip you to understand what the Bible actually teaches, what people are saying.

You know, what people are saying in the name of God, we're going to compare it to the word of God. We want to know the truth. We want to know not only what the Bible says, we want to know how to rightly apply it.

So, Matthew chapter 18. Do I believe in Matthew chapter 18?

Absolutely.

And I believe in church discipline. Does this other person that I talked to believe in Matthew 18?

No.

No, they don't. There's just this one little part that they misconstrue, and yeah, that's the way it.

Goes.

Compassion, Repentance, and Restoration

So, before we close, let me just say, because this is a serious subject, church discipline, we do want to have compassion on people who fall into sin and transgression. Lest anyone think the grace of God is not available, there are two types of people.

We'll close with this. There's two types of people. There are those, because everyone has sinned. All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. That's me, that's you, that's everybody. But there's two types of people and how you react to that, what you do from there.

There are those people who are stiff-necked. Up until now, you know, in this podcast, that's sort of who I've been addressing. People who just refuse to admit they're wrong. They have been walking in error for so long, they can barely recognize it anymore.

And if someone brings it up to them, they just freak out and fly off the handle. And yeah, they're twisting the Word of God, not rightly applying it. And that's what has led me to do this podcast. But there's a different type of person, because only God can change their hearts.

But for the person who's done wrong, and they know it, and they're actually sorry, and they just want God's forgiveness, and they want restoration, that's possible. I'll just close with this. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 6, verses 1 and 2, Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted, and bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

There is always forgiveness at the foot of the cross. Thanks for listening, and until next time, may the Lord be with you, and have a great day.