Matthew 18:15-20

Question: Pastor John, what do you do if you confront a chuch member with an offense and they do not respond. You then get another witness to confront them and they will not respond. Then the two of you go to the church eldership with the whole matter because the offender will not respond. Then the elders take the position of the offender. What in the world do you do then?

Thanks for your question. In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus outlined the sequence of steps we are to take when there is an offence between an individual and a fellow brother or sister in the church. This process is something rarely enforced today, much to our shame. However, Jesus’ words still stand. He expects His disciples (including those privileged with the task of leadership) to follow His word in these matters.

Jesus, in Matthew 18:15-20 says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

If you have indeed followed Jesus’ protocol, once you have exhausted the biblical steps mentioned here, there’s really not much you can do. You have discharged your duty before God in doing all in your power to see the matter brought to justice. The Lord knows that.

The elders have then taken a position you do not agree with. Not knowing the situation, I do not know if the disagreement you have with the elders is because the they do not see enough proof that the other party is in violation of Scripture in their conduct, or whether the elders know of the violation but will not implement Church discipline. It is hard for me to comment further on the matter, not knowing any more than what you have revealed.

The only question that remains is whether you believe the matter to be so serious and such a violation of Scripture that your conscience will no longer allow you to submit to the leadership of the Church.
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Friday Round Up

(1) TRANSLATIONS: Please join with me in prayer regarding the exciting possibility of my new book “Twelve What Abouts – Answering Common Objections Concerning God’s Sovereignty in Election” being translated into two foreign languages. I have recently been approached by two Christian brothers, the other into French. Both projects are in the VERY initial stages so I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and guidance very much.

“Sometimes a single misapprehension or sticky question stands in the way of an honest believer’s examination of the doctrines of grace. John Samson answers those questions with a pastoral heart, yet with biblical fidelity.” – Dr. James White

Just a reminder – the book is in an eBook form now. The paperback edition should be published by the end of the month yet is available for pre-ordering through Solid Ground Books at the link to the right.

(2) Once again, Ligonier has some excellent deals today in this week’s $5 Friday sale. The online sale starts at 8 a.m. EST and goes on for 24 hours or until items are sold out. Check out the $5 Ligonier sale here.

(3) Would you consider taking 5 minutes of your day to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters? You can read and pray over the World Watch List of 50 countries where the church is persecuted.

Michael Horton writes:

Newsweek‘s current cover-story is “The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World,” by Ayann Hirsi Ali, who fled her native Somalia and served in the Dutch Parliament before taking a position at the American Enterprise Institute. As the article points out, widespread anti-Christian violence is exploding even in countries with Muslim minorities. How do we respond wisely as Christians to this growing threat?

Horton goes on to give three actions we can take and work for: (1) prayer; (2) faithful witness; (3) human rights, not just Christian rights. You can read the whole thing here. (HT: JT)

Recent Endorsements & Reviews

“Sometimes a single misapprehension or sticky question stands in the way of an honest believer’s examination of the doctrines of grace. John Samson answers those questions with a pastoral heart, yet with biblical fidelity.” – Dr. James White

“My friend John Samson has written a very valuable (and inexpensive) book called Twelve What Abouts: Answering Common Objections Concerning God’s Sovereignty in Election. The title is self explanatory… John answers the objections that many have regarding the Calvinistic doctrine of election such as ‘what about God’s love?’ and various passages that opponents of the doctrine use to attempt to disprove it. I’ve dialoged with John quite a bit and he’s a genuinely kind and gracious man, (even when we disagree) and those attributes come out in the way this book is composed and the arguments are presented. The book is written in an irenic and conversational manner without the heavy and dry attitude and terminology that usually accompanies such volumes. If you’re interested in, or have questions about the doctrines of grace in general and the doctrine of election in particular, I highly commend this book to you.” – Michael Newnham

“Whether you are new to the doctrines of grace or simply seeking greater clarity on the sovereign grace of God in salvation, this book will be beneficial. In ‘Twelve What Abouts’, John tackles common objections regarding the doctrine of election in a concise and biblical way. His charitable spirit coupled with his broad based biblical knowledge make for a joyful learning experience. As someone who teaches the doctrines of grace to the women at our church, I’ve turned to Samson’s teachings multiple times. Do yourself a favor and add this little gem to your library — it will be one of the best investments you’ve ever made!” – Christina Langella

“There is a new book out by a Pastor friend of mine named John Samson called Twelve What Abouts: Answering Common Objections Concerning God’s Sovereignty in Election. Now I don’t review a lot of books here, only the books that I have read and thought others can benefit from. The mature Christian reader who may be a Calvinist or Arminian might be asking themselves, “Why do I need to read another book on this topic when there are many out there that I have already read, and so many that I haven’t”? Likewise there might be others that feel they don’t understand a lot of the deep teachings of the Bible and shy away from what they see as complicated issues. Still others might say that this issue is not important in my walk with God and I will leave topics like this to the Theologians to fight over. Finally, you might just be someone who goes to church on Sunday and takes what is said on issues like these and doesn’t question it, or sadly, maybe you go to church and topics like this are not even brought up. Well if this fits you, or if there are other reason why you think you don’t want to read a book on this topic such as you don’t have time etc. I encourage you to pick this one up and read it. Let me tell you a little about the book…” here. – Larry Londy