Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Matthew 18 working out problems with a fellow Christian



A Response to a Recent Article
We received this email message in regards to a recent bulletin article:

. . .  (concerning) your article on Matthew 18. I appreciated it very much. I have been trying to teach these principles     . . . I agree with the idea that if (a sin) were a private matter, it fell under Matthew 18 and if it were a public matter, it could/should be approached publicly. A brother replied that he did not agree that a public matter would necessarily be approached as Paul did Peter and would require "an influential person who is a teacher of the gospel and has great influence on others" . . . What about the idea that he and other Christians have that since we are not Paul we can't do what Paul did?  Isn't what Paul did in Galatians 2 an example for us? Thanks for your help.

Here’s our reply:
I agree completely with you -- and I disagree completely with the brother you described.  If we can't imitate Paul in his handling of the situation with Peter, then in what matters can we imitate him?  I know you know these verses, but they actually COMMAND us to imitate Paul:
1 Corinthians 4:16 “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.”
Philippians 4:9 “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”


- by Greg Gwin

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