[ZNPaaneah]

Evangelical has raised a very important point, and a point I am very glad that he made since I will now not need to debate him on it.

On the one hand in Matt 18 Jesus says that "two or three" can bind on Earth. On the other hand in Matt 18 Jesus says they need to "tell it to the church and if" definitely proving that the church has the authority to accept, reject or modify this judgement. How do we reconcile these two statements, both given by the Lord, both in the same chapter, both in the same context?

So then we missed something. Jesus said that "what they bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven". Since he also said the church will decide whether or not to bind them this equates the church with "the kingdom of the heaven".

Witness Lee taught that in Chapter 18 it is a chapter about the Local church. But this is not true. The two or three (two or three hundred?) represent the Local church that has authority over a certain portion of the Earth. Whereas "the church" refers to the body of believers in totality.

When the Blendeds excommunicated Titus Chu they had the authority to do that. However, their goal was not that these 60+ believers would no longer have contact with Titus but that all the believers would cut him off. So they sent out the letter to the "church" so that what they had bound would be bound in the kingdom of heaven.

Now it is perfectly acceptable for the "church" to read the letter, consider the letter, ask to hear verification, hear witnesses, hear from Titus, etc. This is the practice that has taken place on this forum. However, I never once saw this practiced in the Lord's Recovery Church. I saw a roommate who was excommunicated and we were simply told that the elders made this decision, if you asked questions you would be immediately viewed as negative, poisoned, and would also fall under suspicion. There was no review, no "telling it to the church". They simply told us their decision without the slightest thought that we needed to hear the evidence as well.

Likewise with Max. They had numerous messages where Witness Lee and Benson would tell the saints the decision. Accusations were made. But you could not in the slightest feel that it was a "fair trial" in which both sides were given an opportunity to speak and respond.

Sister's rebellion was the same thing.

So I thank Evangelical for pointing out the error in Witness Lee's church. This has also resolved the burning question of locality. The two or three (and that could be two or three hundred) refer to any and all possible localities whereas the "church" refers to the body of believers universally that represent "the kingdom of heaven". The oneness of the two is also indicated. If they are both one in the decision so that what is bound is also bound in the Church and what is loosed is also loosed in the universal church then this indicates the two are in oneness.