Matthew 18:15-20 “Due Process”

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 20 Jan 2013

Translation

18:15 Now, if your brother happens to sin in regards to you, go on and lay out a case to him – between you and him alone.
If he happens to heed you, you gained your brother.

18:16 But if he doesn’t take heed, bring along with you one or two more, in order that upon the testimony of two witnesses (or three) every statement may be established.

18:17 But if he disregards them, talk to the church.
And then if he disregards the church, let him be to you like the Gentile and the tax-collector.

18:18 Really I’m telling y’all,
whatever things you might bind upon the earth will be so, having been bound in heaven, and whatever things you might release upon the earth will be so, having been released in heaven.

18:19 Again, really I’m telling y’all
that if two of you happen to consent upon the earth concerning any matter,
whatever they may request will happen for them alongside my Father in the heavens.

18:20 For where two or three are who have been gathered into MY name,
I am there in the midst of them.

Introduction

Jesus begins with 5 Conditional clauses (and ends the paragraph with a 6th conditional), each of which might be the case or might not be the case (ean + subjunctive verb in the protasis of each). In the case of the first 5 “if” clauses, we hope, in ascending order, that these will NOT be the case in our personal and church relationships, but these ascending instructions give us rails to run on for due process if there is a problem in the church, a pattern from Jesus himself as to how to address sin and conflict and how to achieve the desired result of a true condition of agreeing with one another (in the last “if” clause in v.19).

Exegesis

18:15 Now, if your brother happens to sin in regards to you,
       go on and lay out a case to him – between you and him alone.
If he happens to heed you, you gained your brother.

Εαν δε ‘αμαρτηση εις σε[1] ‘ο αδελφος σου ‘υπαγε και[2] ελεγξον αυτον μεταξυ σου και αυτου μονου.
Εαν σου ακουση εκερδησας τον αδελφον σου.

 

18:16 But if he doesn’t take heed, bring along with you one or two more in order that upon the testimony of two witnesses (or three) every statement may be established.

Εαν δε μη ακουση παραλαβε μετα σου ετι ‘ενα η δυο ‘ινα επι στοματος δυο μαρτυρων η τριων σταθη παν ‘ρημα.

 

18:17 But if he disregards them, talk to the church.
And then if he disregards the church, let him be to you like the Gentile and the tax-collector.

Εαν δε παρακουση αυτων ειπε τη εκκλησια.
Εαν δε και της εκκλησιας παρακουση εστω σοι ‘ωσπερ ‘ο εθνικος και ‘ο τελωνης.

 

18:18 Really I’m telling y’all, whatever [things] you might bind upon the earth will be so, having been bound in heaven, and whatever [things] you might release upon the earth will be so, having been released in heaven.

Αμην λεγω υμιν οσα εαν δησητε επι της γης εσται δεδεμενα εν [τω[7]] ουρανω
και οσα εαν λυσητε επι της γης εσται λελυμενα εν [τω] ουρανω

1) One interpretation was that “binding” and “loosing” is talking about allowing entry to the kingdom of heaven by preaching (or not preaching) the Gospel[9].

2) A second interpretation is that “binding” and “loosing” has to do with the legislative[10] power to rule that certain things are morally good and other things are morally evil.

3) The third interpretation is that “binding” and “loosing” had to do with the judicial power of accepting church members or excommunicating them.

 

18:19 Again, I’m really telling y’all that if two of you upon the earth happen to consent concerning any matter, whatever they may request will happen for them alongside my Father in the heavens.

παλιν αμην[12] λεγω ‘υμιν ‘οτι εαν δυο [13] ‘υμων συμφωνησωσιν επι της γης περι παντος πραγματος οὗ εαν αιτησωνται γενησεται αυτοις παρα του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις

 

18:20 For where two or three are [who] have been gathered into MY name, I am there in the midst of them.

οὗ γαρ εισιν δυο η τρεις συνηγμενοι εις το εμον ονομα εκει ειμι εν μεσω αυτων

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



[1] eis se is not found in א, Β, or f1, thus some (but not all) Critical editions omit it.

[2] Not in Critical editions. No explanation given in the Nestle-Aland critical apparatus.

[3] Sometimes preemptively before the wrong is done – Psalm 105:14

[4] “For those who take pleasure in the shame and disgrace of their brethren are surely motivated by hatred… it would be more than cruel to abandon by our silence and insincerity the salvation of those whom we should rescue from destruction by a friendly reproof. For although it does not always succeed, yet he is very guilty who neglects to use the remedy prescribed by the Lord for looking after his brother’s salvation.” ~Calvin

[5] Chrysostom: “He showed that both the one and the other were losers before this, the one of his brother, the other of his own salvation. Cf. Matt. 5:24 &. 6:12 for Jesus’ priority on righting relationships.

[6] The only other places this verb parakouw occurs in the Bible are three places in the Septuagint book of Esther, where it speaks of Jews not heeding a command of the king and Esther not acting upon Mordecai’s advice. It is also found another time in Critical editions of Mark 5:35-36, which follow the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus reading, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?" But Jesus, ignoringNIV/not heedingASV,RV/overhearingNAS what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, "Do not fear, just believe.”

[7] This definite article is omitted in B, Θ, and f13 in two places in this verse and thus is omitted in Critical editions. Interestingly א and L include it, but in the plural the first time, but א omits the second one alltogether. It all means the same thing, though.

[8] The Greek of 16:19 is και εαν δησης επι της γης εσται δεδεμενον εν τοις ουρανοις και εαν λυσης επι της γης εσται λελυμενον εν τοις ουρανοις – 18:18 is different only in switching singulars for plurals in the relative pronouns and verbs and participles referring to the subject(s) and objects, and curiously, in switching plurals for singulars referring to heaven(s).

[9] “…Christ, by setting us free by His Gospel from the guilt of eternal death, looses the snares of the curse by which we were held bound… [L]oosed by the voice and testimony of men on earth, we may in actual fact be loosed also in heaven… Christ pronounces that it is by the preaching of the Gospel that there is revealed on earth what God’s future and heavenly judgment will be…” John Calvin, Harmony of the Gospels
Matthew Henry, in his commentary added, “When ministers preach pardon and peace to the penitent, wrath and the curse to the impenitent, in Christ's name, they act then pursuant to this authority of binding and loosing.”

[10] “Binding” and “loosing” (meaning “forbidding” or “allowing”) were familiar terms in the laws of the Jewish rabbis. “They represented the legislative and judicial powers of the Rabbinic office. These powers Christ now transferred… to his apostles; the first, here, to Peter, as their representative, then second, after his resurrection, to the church (John 20:23 – Jesus says to His disciples “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive [αφητε] the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain [κρατητε] the sins of any, they have been retained.” ~ Marvin Vincent, Word Studies

[11] “The one who has the keys … determines who should be admitted and who must be refused admission… Discipline was… exercised by The Twelve, and here again the role played by Peter is emphasized (Acts 5:1-11). Somewhat later Paul, too, very effectively used both keys: the preaching of the gospel and the exercise of discipline… (1 Cor. 5:1-5 and 2 Cor. 2:8)… If a person continued to do or to believe what was forbidden, refusing to repent, he would be disciplined… Hence, indirectly the passage also has implications with respect to the good standing, or lack of good standing of church members… [but] only when this is done in thorough harmony … with the Word of God. Jesus definitely condemned any arbitrary binding and loosing.” ~Wm. Hendriksen

[12] Not found in א, D, L, Γ, or f1, and replaced with de in N, W, and Δ, so some (not all) Critical editions omit the Amen. It solemnizes the statement, but does not essentially change the meaning.

[13] Critical texts insert the word εξ “out of” here, following א, Β, D, L, Θ, and f13, but not found in the Majority or Textus Receptus editions. Is already implied by the humwn, so not necessary. Although the Majority and Critical editions agree on the Present Subjunctive spelling of this verb, there are several notable ancient Greek manuscripts (א, D, L, N, and Δ) which render the verb in the Future Indicative, a common synonymous grammatic device which is not necessarily different in meaning.

[14] In English, our word “by” can mean “beside,” but in English, “by” can also mean “by the agency of,” and an English reader might assume that that is what this word means here: “whatever they ask will be done by the power of God the Father,” but I think that interpretation would be a mistake. I am not denying that God is the prime mover in causing things to happen, I am just saying that it would be a real imposition upon this particular Greek preposition to make it mean that here.

[15] “God often promises elsewhere that He will be favorable to the prayers of individuals, so Christ here honors public prayers with a special promise and so invites us more earnestly to apply ourselves to them.” ~Calvin