In last Friday’s post I introduced this series, which seeks to answer the question: “What should I do if someone in the church sins against me?” With no further ado, let’s examine the basic teaching of Jesus:<\/p>\n
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17, NRSV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Literary Context of Matthew 18:15-17<\/b><\/p>\n
Before examining this passage in detail, I want to say a word about its context in Matthew. In the first part of Matthew 18, Jesus is instructing his disciples on how they are to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. Here’s a summary of what comes immediately before our passage:<\/p>\n
Jesus calls his disciples to humility and to welcome children into his kingdom (18:1-5).
Jesus warns his disciples not to put “stumbling blocks” in the way of those who would believe in him (18:6-7).
Jesus says that if a body part causes you to stumble, you’re better off without that body part. (18:8-9)
Jesus says that the Father in heaven is like a shepherd with a hundred sheep who seeks even one that is lost and rejoices with he finds it. Therefore we should be like God in our attitude toward the “little ones.” (18:10-14).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nNotice that the thread running throughout these passages is the question of how we are to relate to each other in the Kingdom of God. We are called to think of each other with humility, to welcome into the kingdom those who are lowly in worldly terms, and to be like the God who seeks even the one who is lost. This context, as we’ll see later, helps us to grasp the point of Jesus’ teaching on what to do if someone sins against you. <\/p>\n
Following our passage we find:<\/p>\n
A statement about binding and loosing (18:18-20).
A question from Peter to Jesus on how many times he must forgive a member of the church who sins against him, and Jesus surprisingly generous answer (18:21-22).
The parable of the unforgiving slave, by which Jesus strongly underscores the importance of forgiveness (18:23-35). <\/p><\/blockquote>\nTo summarize the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18, citizens of the kingdom of heaven should relate to each other with humility and forgiveness. The emphasis is upon inclusiveness and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
A Question About the Original Text<\/b><\/p>\n
The English translation I quote above begins, “If another member of the church sins against you . . .” (18:15). Yet almost all English translations include a footnote or some other indication that the words “against you” were not necessarily in the original text of Matthew. The problem is that, among the dozens of very ancient manuscripts of Matthew, some have “against you” and some do not. Some very early scribe either added “against you” to the original that lacked it or took it out. (Photo: a page from a fourth-century manuscript of the Bible. It’s
\ncalled Sinaiticus because it was found at St. Catherine’s Monastery on
\nMt. Sinai. This page contains Matthew 18:15 without the words “against
\nyou,” EIS SE<\/i> in Greek.) <\/p>\n