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NASB | Matthew 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 18:17 "If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector. [Lev 19:17; Deut 19:15] |
Bible Question (short): The church involved? |
Question (full): Good answer! Tell me, does the above scripture also say 1) what kind of sin is punishable by banishment? and 2)would the whole church be privy to the information leading to this judgment? I am not being petulant, it simply seems to me that the verse is fairly clear that this is 1) a pretty bad sin, and 2) the church should be made aware of the circumstances of their brother's demise. It appears that the whole point of going through 4 steps (vs.15-17) is to do whatever possible to 'win your brother,' but if it doesn't work, all must know why, in order to cleanse the church without causing division. It seems that this also works as a Biblical safeguard to protect the church from ministers who might abuse their authority to boot out someone they disliked for personal reasons. Your answer implies that 1) the person is apostate, outside the Kingdom (even salvation?), and 2) the church officers wield the authority of judgment, AND forgiveness, and that the congregation is not privy to the reasons. Thoughts? In Jesus' name. |