Peter Barnes: Matthew 18:15-17
(15 October 2017)
SERMON NOTES: DISCIPLINE IN THE CHURCH (Matthew 18:15-17)
– J. C. Ryle: ‘on no point have churches made so many mistakes – sometimes on the side of sleepy remissness, sometimes on the side of blind severity.’
- A private admonition.
– 18:15. Some manuscripts have ‘against you’ and some omit it. It cannot be referring to sins like pride and covetousness – 1 Peter 4:8.
(a) serious doctrinal error – 1 Tim.1:20; 2 Tim.2:17-18.
(b) serious moral failure – 1 Cor.5:1-2, 5-6, 13.
– the motive is loving – Lev.19:17; Gal.6:1. Chrysostom: ‘The one who is healthy must go to the one who is sick.’ Do not gossip, do not stew, do not resent.
- An admonition with witnesses.
– 18:16; Deut.19:15. This is to establish the truth of the sin. Augustine: ‘If you fail to do so, you are worse than he is.’
- The removal of membership.
– 18:17; Gal.2:14 is public and exceptional. If there is no repentance, the person is to be treated as one outside of Israel.
– ex-communicated, out of communion. We can make ourselves worse through misusing the Lord’s Supper – 1 Cor.11:27-29.
– James 5:19-20.