Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
Without a legitimate expression, I can't see how anyone can follow Christ's words in Matthew 18:17: If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Suppose a Presbyterian brother sins against a Baptist brother. The Baptist brother applies Matthew 18:17 (after exhausting the other avenues described in prior verses), and tells whose church, the Presbyterian one or the Baptist one? Which church, Presbyterian or Baptist, is "the church" in this instance? Suppose he tells the Baptist church, but what can they do? The Presbyterian brother is not a member. Likewise, he could tell the Presbyterian church, but what would they do? The Baptist brother is not a member of the Presbyterian.
|
This is just nonsense.
If a Presbyterian brother seriously sins against a brother who meets with Baptists, then the offended brother should take a brother from his Baptist congregation and go to the elders of the congregation that the Presbyterian meets with.
It's not that complicated bro. It's no different than a brother in Gahanna sinning against a brother in Bexley. The Bexley brother takes a mature brother with him and goes to the elders of the church in Gahenna with his grievance. It's not like this has never happened.