Category: Discipline

Parenting can provide the greatest blessings or the bitterest of failures. Children are free-moral agents and can rebel despite the best efforts that are put forth by the best of parents. However, parents cannot ignore the fact that they play an important role in the raising of their children.

What’s the difference between being wayward and being a false teacher? The beer drinker is sinning for sure, but he sins without directly involving another person in his sin. It’s possible he may even admit that he’s sinning and should quit. The false teacher, on the other hand, defends the drinker in his sin and causes other Christians to drink or to approve of drinking (Romans 1:32).

The ultimate basis of Christian fellowship is our standing with God. If we stand with Him, then by extension we stand with one another. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). When one who claims to be one of His children persists in sin, we who are spiritual have a responsibility to judge him. He no longer is walking in the light, and he is to be marked and avoided as one unworthy of our fellowship.

It’s a shame that Matthew 18:15-20 is one of the most misused and misapplied passages of Scripture: its true purpose is saving souls!

Some brethren remark that the matter of withdrawing from the disorderly is a difficult one, but how much more difficult is this subject than the Bible teaching on divorce or any other subject? When God’s Word is preached “…in season and out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:2) and we “…reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and teaching…” (2 Timothy 4:2), then we will recognize how plain this subject is and how forthright we are to be in obeying it.

The teaching of our Lord in Matthew 18 must be followed by all Christians. It is our responsibility as children of God to rebuke our sinning brother, in an attempt to restore him to standing. We do not have the right to ignore his sin, and we do not have the right to embarrass him by disregarding the prescribed steps of the passage.

However, the passage is limited contextually to private offenses between a sinner and the one he has wronged. The Lord never intended that his instructions to the Disciples be applied with such a broad and unsuitable stroke. A proper understanding of the passage, and the nature of public sin will go far in correcting this present destructive error.

It is assumed that our readers understand that earlier forms of discipline should have been expended before actually withdrawing from a brother or sister. Such things as Bible study, gospel preaching, personal appeals, prayers and much patience should characterize faithful brethren seeking to “restore” the fallen (Galatians 6:1). But having done all these things, let us not fail to trust God’s way to the final measure: withdraw from the disorderly. Trust God that this is the best way and do not question nor seek to circumvent the counsel of God. Souls hang in the balance — and ours may be included.