Message of Warning and Entreaty
203
thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to
hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church,
let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto
you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew
18:15-18
.
To the Corinthian believers who had lost sight of this plain counsel,
Paul wrote in no uncertain terms of admonition and rebuke. “Dare any
of you,” he asked, “having a matter against another, go to law before
the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints
shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye
[305]
unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall
judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then
ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge
who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it
so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall
be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with
brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly
a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do
ye not rather take wrong? ... Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that
your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God?”
Satan is constantly seeking to introduce distrust, alienation, and
malice among God’s people. We shall often be tempted to feel that our
rights are invaded, even when there is no real cause for such feelings.
Those whose love for self is stronger than their love for Christ and
His cause will place their own interests first and will resort to almost
any expedient to guard and maintain them. Even many who appear
to be conscientious Christians are hindered by pride and self-esteem
from going privately to those whom they think in error, that they may
talk with them in the spirit of Christ and pray together for one another.
When they think themselves injured by their brethren, some will even
go to law instead of following the Saviour’s rule.
Christians should not appeal to civil tribunals to settle differences
that may arise among church members. Such differences should be
settled among themselves, or by the church, in harmony with Christ’s
[306]