Guest Post by Kevin
D. Johnson
Originally published at
Reformed
Catholicism.com
June 2008 and April 1,
2012
(emphasis added to
original text by blog host)
No one doubts that Matthew 18 is a
relevant passage in dealing with resolving offenses between brothers,
but the procedure outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 is set in a very
specific context that is often overlooked. In churches where
spiritual abuse is occurring particularly at the hands of ministers
and pastors who rule by fear, intimidation, and the inordinate and
inappropriate use of Scripture–passages like this can become a very
powerful weapon to accomplish and maintain abuse instead of
legitimate repentance and reconciliation.
Much of the time, people find
themselves caught in a web of spiritual abuse and don’t find out
about what’s really going on until it is too late and much damage
has already been done. By that time, families are divided. Husbands
and wives in disagreement. Maybe even close to or already in
separation or divorce. Children who don’t immediately understand
the concerns of their parents and just want to see their friends at
church again and never want to hear another word about what’s going
on. Friends may even stare in disbelief at what you say and do in and
out of this sort of abusive church world. Emotions and temperatures
run high in an environment where the spiritual authorities in your
life already have too much of a hold even after you break free from
their grasp. All of this can lead to people being more impressionable
than they might otherwise and it also lends itself to taking
something like the above passage and allowing someone to outline and
manipulate others based off a procedure rather than follow the higher
principles that the procedure itself was designed to follow.
People caught up in this sort of
spiritually abusive environment often have mixed feelings and may
find it difficult to know who to believe when presented with clear
evidence that their leaders lie and manipulate people–even when it
happens right before their very eyes. It’s easy to look at
something small and say, “Well, he wouldn’t really think of it
that way, or he certainly didn’t mean it like that”. Or, “Maybe
we’ve misunderstood him.” And on it goes. There comes a point
however in almost every person who has found himself abused like this
that he recognizes that this is a pattern and that unless something
is done about it–it will never stop.
Sometimes efforts are made by
well-meaning people trying to break out of a spiritually abusive mold
to make their ministers conform to the Word of God in their practice
and life and church members often don’t always go about it in a way
which many people think it ought to be done. So the procedure
goes…You have to confront the person privately first. If
that doesn’t work, take some few with you and confront him
again. If that doesn’t work–then and only then–take
it to the church (and really you may generally be told that it
shouldn’t ever get that far, will likely be unsuccessful, or that
it’s really not your place as a believer to challenge those in
authority over you). The tragedy is that if you don’t follow a
procedure like this in many abusive church environments, you will be
called on the carpet for disobeying our Lord’s words, acting
against his ministers wrongly, and encouraging division in the
covenant community.
As usual, however, there’s always
more to the story and especially so than the one which abusive church
leaders press before you. And, it can be quite the shocking thing to
reach out to denominational officials only to be told that nothing
really is wrong and this is likely just due to differences in opinion
or your own overly concerned scruples in the matter. What many people
fail to realize is that their abusive ministers likely received their
understanding, practice of ministry, and even their corrupting abuses
from others equally abusive and any notion of a real
appeal in the church over and above an abusive session or consistory
then becomes almost impossible. When you sit down and think about
this for a couple of years or more it one day comes to you that men
who press you on how to properly confront sin in your church are
merely using these things to justify their own misdeeds much like the
Pharisees of old took advantage of the differences in vows and other
laws to give themselves an advantage in disobeying God’s Word and
thinking they could get away with it.
We find out that a truly high view of
the law of God is especially interested in the morality behind the
law and not all the details presented to us in procedures and
preferences. The moral law was the key to living God’s way even in
the Old Covenant and that is no less true in our own days of the
exercising of the New Covenant. It is this moral law that is written
on our hearts and not the way in which men think we ought to exercise
it. These moral principles take wisdom to exercise aright and it
ought to tell us something that Jesus frequently criticized the
wooden ways in which the Pharisees took the legitimate law of God and
their traditions both to oppress others and to exercise their own
undue privileges. It’s funny how certain wood is extremely bendable
for certain purposes (like a minister’s preference about issues)
and resolutely like oak in other instances (particularly where your
obedience is concerned).
But, look how our Lord confronted
these men who bore the marks of spiritual abuse in their own day.
Did he go privately first? Then take
two or three? Then confront them in the temple or the synagogue? For
that matter, did the prophets do likewise? The same prophets who
these men who stood condemned by our Lord were the ones which were
killed by their fathers. No. Our Lord called them out publicly.
He laid their private deeds out for all to see in the open square of
the day. When you realize how small of a world Israel at that time
was (unlike our nation of some 300 million people) it was very
obvious who he was speaking about and it is this very reason that the
Pharisees and others put together plans to literally get rid of him.
He exposed their wickedness for what it was. He made their
insecurities and shortcomings plain. He said the things they never
wanted said. He put light to the darkness. Effectively, he really did
nothing less than name names. Interestingly enough, apostolic
practice continued the prophetic tradition and followed our Lord in
this when necessary.
But, the goal of the 18th chapter of
Matthew concerning personal reconciliation of brothers is found in
the context of Christian leadership. Both before and after the verses
in question our Lord is talking to his disciples and to Peter. It has
been noted by more than one that quite likely this passage about
going to a brother privately and then taking two or more and then to
the church is a process which is primarily concerned with dealing
with sin in and among a circle of leadership that you are a part of
since our Lord was talking to the would be leaders of the church as
he outlined these things. These are the men who are to treat little
children with the dignity they deserve granted to them by our Father
in heaven, the ones who ought to be going after the one instead of
the ninety-nine, and the ones who have received forgiveness at the
hands of our Lord and should not forget that same graciousness when
dealing with those under their charge who also owe them as well. That
is the context of Matthew 18 and we find our Lord’s words about
offenses in and among this context.
There is nothing in the passage that
says that this is how a layman must approach a pastor or session in
confronting sin. Wisdom should tell you that the deck is already
stacked against you and to think this is the way to proceed in every
case is to go well beyond what the basic outline of Matthew 18
proposes. Nor is there anything here in this 18th chapter as to how a
person must confront their leadership at all with sin. It may very
well be that the wisest thing to do in that type of situation is to
leave as quietly as possible and not utter a word to the leadership
or others that you have issues with what they have done.
To the extent that elders are
faithfully teaching the Bible, you are to do as they say but as our
Lord said, “do not do what they do” (Matthew 23:2). Do not think
that you must follow a set of procedures that they demand to be
followed while ignoring the greater principles involved in handling
these things. Not everyone is called to be an Elijah, Nathan, or
Jeremiah that works to bring down the corrupt leadership in the
church or state today and it may be best for your family to
graciously and quietly remove yourself from their abusive tendencies.
On the other hand, it may very well be that God is calling you to
take a stand against them and if so again the question is not how
because God will help you with those details and things will likely
progress naturally. The question is, “What is the right and just
way to make sure the moral principles of the law of God and His grace
for His people is uttermost in our concerns?”. In short, what is
the wise way to proceed as our Lord leads you?
Astoundingly difficult to answer in a
blog post. But the one thing you must keep in mind is that the Holy
Spirit is within you and He will guide you. Lies and manipulation can
have no power when you abandon the fear that corrupt elders project
and have confidence that your understanding of the matter really is
right. Think of our Lord’s words in Psalm 119 and consider its
relevance to what I’ve outlined above:
121 I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Be surety for Thy servant for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail with longing for Thy salvation, And for Thy righteous word.
124 Deal with Thy servant according to Thy lovingkindness, And teach me Thy statutes.
125 I am Thy servant; give me understanding, That I may know Thy testimonies.
126 It is time for the LORD to act, For they have broken Thy law.
127 Therefore I love Thy commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I esteem right all Thy precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.
129 Thy testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them.
130 The unfolding of Thy words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
131 I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Thy commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Thy manner with those who love Thy name.
133 Establish my footsteps in Thy word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Thy precepts.
135 Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant, And teach me Thy statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Thy law.
137 Righteous art Thou, O LORD, And upright are Thy judgments.
138 Thou hast commanded Thy testimonies in righteousness And exceeding faithfulness.
139 My zeal has consumed me, Because my adversaries have forgotten Thy words.
140 Thy word is very pure, Therefore Thy servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Thy precepts.
142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Thy law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me; Yet Thy commandments are my delight.
144 Thy testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live.
145 I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will observe Thy statutes.
146 I cried to Thee; save me, And I shall keep Thy testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Thy words.
148 My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Thy word.
149 Hear my voice according to Thy lovingkindness; Revive me, O LORD, according to Thine ordinances.
150 Those who follow after wickedness draw near; They are far from Thy law.
151 Thou art near, O LORD, And all Thy commandments are truth.
152 Of old I have known from Thy testimonies, That Thou hast founded them forever.
153 Look upon my affliction and rescue me, For I do not forget Thy law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Thy word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Thy statutes.
156 Great are Thy mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Thine ordinances.
157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, Yet I do not turn aside from Thy testimonies.
158 I behold the treacherous and loathe them, Because they do not keep Thy word.
159 Consider how I love Thy precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy lovingkindness.
160 The sum of Thy word is truth, And every one of Thy righteous ordinances is everlasting.
161 Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in awe of Thy words.
162 I rejoice at Thy word, As one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Thy law.
164 Seven times a day I praise Thee, Because of Thy righteous ordinances.
165 Those who love Thy law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.
166 I hope for Thy salvation, O LORD, And do Thy commandments.
167 My soul keeps Thy testimonies, And I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep Thy precepts and Thy testimonies, For all my ways are before Thee.
169 Let my cry come before Thee, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Thy word.
170 Let my supplication come before Thee; Deliver me according to Thy word.
171 Let my lips utter praise, For Thou dost teach me Thy statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing of Thy word, For all Thy commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Thy hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Thy precepts.
174 I long for Thy salvation, O LORD, And Thy law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live that it may praise Thee, And let Thine ordinances help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant, For I do not forget Thy commandments.
Psalm 119:121-176
