A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Matthew 18:15-35
Lesson #45
ASPECTS AND REPERCUSSIONS OF FORGIVENESS
- Memory verse: Eph 4:32
- Read Mat 18:15-20
- Dealing with offenses between Christians: These are the necessary predominate attitudes:
- Forgiveness
- We should always strive to forgive others of their offenses against us.
- That means you go more than halfway to straighten out a relationship.
- That means you have an attitude of forbearance to overlook the minor offenses of another person’s personality.
- Reconciliation
- We should always work to encourage repentance from sin and the establishment of a godly life style among other people.
- That means your objective is not one of judgment and condemnation, but one of reconciliation.
- That means your attitude is what is best for your brother/sister in the Lord rather than your own hurt feelings.
- Forgiveness
- What is an offense? Trespass means = to miss the mark, fall short of.
- The correct Biblical pattern:
- =1= The offense should be put into words.
- If it is buried and not dealt with, it causes a root of bitterness, resentment, and hatred to grow in one’s heart. (Heb 12:15)
- The first act of love is one of privacy (15).
- Go to your brother/sister and confront him/her face to face.
- This is the most frequently violated concept.
- Why? It is always easier to tell someone else rather than deal with it yourself one on one with the person involved.
- Why is privacy so important in God’s eyes? Expanding the circle of the offense, allows Satan to get a foothold in the situation. (Pro 26:17)
- =2= If the private confrontation fails, take 2 or 3 witnesses.
- This principle is based on Deu 19:15.
- Who is qualified to be a witness?
- A witness is someone who knows of the offense first hand.
- This is not someone who knows of the offense just because you told him about it.
- This is someone who observed the conflict and is interested in seeing reconciliation occur and can act as a mediator.
- =3= What should you do if there are no other witnesses?
- After attempting to reconcile the offense face to face, you must forgive and forget the offense even though you feel as though you have been greatly wronged.
- For the purposes of love and unity in the body of Christ, you must be willing to bear the loss of your rights.
- You use your faith, love, and prayer to permit God to handle it.
- You drop the matter and do nothing more.
- After attempting to reconcile the offense face to face, you must forgive and forget the offense even though you feel as though you have been greatly wronged.
- =4= If the confrontation fails with 2 or 3 witnesses, take the offense to the church fellowship.
- What is the church fellowship?
- The pastor and the elders of the church should be called upon to deal with the situation in hopes of reconciliation between 2 believers.
- Frequently a believer tells the pastor the situation to influence him to his side of the controversy. This purpose is wrong and against the Biblical model.
- The purpose:
- Offenses between Christians should not be taken to a court of law where you have non-believers judging Christians.
- Read 1Cor 6:1-8
- Therefore, the pastor and elders serve as arbitrators between two Christians.
- =5= The resulting consequence and judgment of the matter:
- If #2, #3, and #4 have failed to bring repentance and reconciliation, the pastor and elders are to determine the seriousness of the offence as to whether it affects the entire congregation.
- If it affects the entire congregation, the pastor and elders must inform the congregation of the offense, the lack of repentance and reconciliation, and the resultant judgment.
- Note: The offense must be serious enough and an on-going offense to reach this level.
- =6= To inform the whole congregation:
- The purpose:
- To set the example and pattern of righteous living before the congregation.
- To emphasize God’s plan of redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
- To head off gossip and false speculation.
- To bring congregational pressure upon the offending person to repent and reconcile to God.
- The judgment:
- What does it mean to treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector? (17)
- The purpose:
- =1= The offense should be put into words.
- Dealing with offenses between Christians: These are the necessary predominate attitudes:
While the Gentiles and tax collectors were hated by the Jews, Jesus does not mean we are to hate this offending person.
We are to love the sinner but hate the sin.
The Jews avoided contact and fellowship with Gentiles and tax collectors.
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- Therefore, the pastor and elders are to determine that a person is not welcome in the church fellowship. Other members of the church should also avoid contact and fellowship with the offending person. This is an extreme situation.
- The purpose:
- The protection of God and the protective fellowship of believers are removed from that person’s life so as to put pressure to bring him to repentance.
- Read 1Cor 5:5
- The overall spiritual well-being of the body of Christ is important because God will judge the church that does not discipline members. (Rev 2-3)
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- Notice Mat 18:18 again mentions binding and loosing in relation to the forgiveness of sin and church discipline. What does it mean?
- God sanctions and uses church discipline to deal with the hearts of people.
- In the context of the chapter, the church congregation should be praying for the Christian who has been disciplined and cast out of the church.
- Keep in mind the whole purpose is repentance and reconciliation, not judgment and condemnation.
- We see the power of unity in prayer that demonstrates God’s kingdom principle of unity.
- When there is unity and agreement, power is loosed and God accomplishes great things.
- God desires unity in the church so as to release His power.
- The authority of binding and losing in this context: (See Lesson #41)
- We studied previously in Matthew how Jesus gave authority to Peter as the head of the church.
- Peter was given the power of binding and loosing.
- What is this power?
- To loose and to bind were very familiar Jewish phrases.
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It meant = to declare something forbidden or to declare something allowed.
Peter had the responsibility of making decisions regarding what would be forbidden and what would be allowed for the infant church.
In legal terms it means to declare the terms of a contract.
Binding: binding the worldly situation to God’s heavenly will
Loosing: loosing God’s covenant provision and God’s sovereignty in the situation
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- What God wills, the believer has the authority to call forth upon earth. It is like Jesus’ model prayer in Mat 6:10. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
- Peter would be the steward of the household of God holding the keys of responsibility and decision making for the new church. He would have spiritual power.
- This power and authority is passed down to pastors of Christian churches.
- In the context of the passage in Mat 18, the pastor and church elders have the power and authority from God to declare judgment in the matter of an offense.
- In other words, binding the person to God’s judgment if he does not repent and loosing forgiveness to him among the congregation if he does repent.
- God says in verse 20 that He is in the midst of the two or three witnesses that bring the accusation against an offending believer.
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- Read Mat 18:21-35 Forgiveness
- Because of Jesus’ teaching that deals with offenses, Peter asks how often should a believer forgive his brother or sister in Christ.
- Peter knew that in the past forgiveness was on a three-fold basis. (Amos 2:6) “for three transgressions of Israel…I will not turn away punishment.”
- Peter thought he was being overly generous when he said 7 times. However, Jesus said 7 times was not enough. Remember that 7 is God’s number of completeness.
- Therefore, 70 times 7 is the ultimate of God’s completeness. In other words, there is no limit to your need to forgive. Forgiveness is not a question of heavenly arithmetic, God’s forgiveness is unlimited. Our forgiveness of others must be like His toward us.Why?
- To be forgiven, you must forgive.
- Read Mat 6:14-15
- The Parable of Forgiveness and the Unmerciful Servant (Mat 18:21-35)
- Who is the king? (23) God
- Who are the servants? (23) Believers
- What does the debt of the servants represent?
- The debt of believers to God is one of sin.
- It is an unbelievably high debt.
- In the parable the debt is 10,000 talents:
- According to Roman calculation, if it’s a talent of silver = $3,000,000. It represents the human estimate.
- According to Jewish calculation, a talent = $10,000,000. It represents the legal estimate.
- According to God’s calculation, if it’s a talent of gold = $150,000,000. It represents the divine estimate.
- Why was the one servant called “wicked servant“? (32)
- He failed to forgive the $12.00 debt.
- The word forgive actually means “forth-give” = to dismiss absolutely from thought.
- Heb 10:17
- Consider it as so unimportant that it’s not worth thinking about.
- What do you think the “inquisitors (tormentors)” represent? (34)
- Satan and his demons.
- The means of dealing with a debtor was that he was imprisoned, sold, all assets, even wife and children were sold as slaves (2Kin 4:1 Neh 5:8) until the debt was paid in full.
- In other words, a lack of forgiveness means spiritual bondage, a lack of blessing in this life.
- Notice that both the debtor and the one to whom the debt was owed are in prison. (34)
- There is spiritual bondage for both persons when an offense is not reconciled and forgiveness is not extended.
- It is because of this spiritual bondage that Jesus spoke again about binding and loosing.
- Forgiveness brings freedom from spiritual bondage.
- Satan and his demons.
- What is the central truth of the parable?
- Because God has been so merciful to us by forgiving us of our sins, we should quickly forgive others.
- Verse 35 says the Lord will do to us, likewise.
- Discussion: Explain how the Lord does this today.
- Spiritual bondage comes from a root of bitterness and unforgiveness.
- If you do not have a forgiving, forbearing heart, you will find others not forgiving you of your faults.
- Heb 12:15 A root of bitterness.
- Mat 6:14,15 A loss of reward in the judgment.
- 1Joh 1:9-10 God easily forgives us.
- Application:
- Jesus commended a child-like spirit. Now he commends a forgiving spirit.
- The more innocent we are in the wrong done, the more power we have to heal the problem, and the more responsibility we have for doing so.
- When we use the Biblical pattern for settling our differences with other believers, the more unity and power of God we will see in our lives.
Homework
Mat 19:1-12
- Application of Mat 18:15-35
- Is there any situation in your life that you have not extended forgiveness to someone who has offended you?
- If there is, write the offense here.
- Write a detailed plan you will use to correct the situation.
- Pray for God’s blessing on the person who has offended you.
- Ask God to help you forgive him/her.
- Is there any situation in your life that you have not extended forgiveness to someone who has offended you?
- Preparation for Mat 19:1-12
- Read Mat 19:1-12
- For background read Deu 24:1-4
- Write what you learned:
- What do you think is the Biblical justification for divorce?
- For background read Deu 24:1-4
- Read Mat 19:1-12
- Memory verse: Mat 19:5
