Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
The imperative of this section of Matthew chapter 18 is forgiveness of your brother.... 70x7 times (v22) is the number of times we are charged to forgive a brother and by not forgiving a brother completely as he was forgiven by His Master will result in the Heavenly Father (v35) delivering that evil slave (v32) to the torturers (v34) for a complete and thorough repayment.
Whatever other utility you derive from this scripture do not miss that!
Now, you’ve appropriated this verse to make a different point (justifying airing your grievances in a public chat forum) but the point you seek to establish is the very opposite point the scripture makes... that of forgiving your brother of what seems an endless number of times. If one has forgiven their brother then what accounts are left unsettled (v23)? That was the message to Peter (v21-22).... not just seven times forgiving but forgiving to the point you lose track as you were also forgiven by the Master.
Furthermore, the Master is the only One qualified to mete out justice and He does and so the servants leave the matter in His capable hands.
Drake
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I think Matthew 18 is quite applicable to a discussion forum of an abusive Christian sect. Witness Lee poisoned his captive flock by telling them over and over how "Christianity" (every other Christian ministry and group) was "deformed" and "satanic" and "fallen" and "twisted" and "darkened" and so forth. Everyone else was "fallen Babylon"; but the LC was supposedly the pure Church, spotless and waiting for the Bridegroom. God sees no iniquity in Israel [read: the LC].
So when Witness Lee put his sons on the flock and made it a family business, with the chaos that ensued, shouldn't someone say, "Hey, this looks just like Mystery Babylon to me!" Shouldn't we "tell it to the church" a la Matthew 18:17? Yes!
I think forgiveness in vv 21,22 is assumed to be corresponding to repentance. Without repentance, the telling of one or two then becomes a broadcast. (vv 16,17)
I'll never forget the Chinese brother who told the American brother, "You have to watch out for Witness Lee's family". Then he clapped his hand over his mouth & said, "Oh! I shouldn't have said that!"
No, he
should have said that. He should have said that, repeatedly, and loudly, until the problem was resolved. If you know of an evil, and don't warn others, you become responsible for the destruction that follows.