What is the structure of the assembly?

[aron]

Originally Posted by Igzy

What Matthew 18 is discussing is the progression of taking a complaint about a person to larger and larger groups of people, first just to the person, then to more, then to all. The point is to establish two things: (1) that a reliable representative of the church agrees that you are in the right, and (2) that the offender has been given fair warning to repent.

But if you ask me, using that passage [in Matthew 18] to establish that two or three cannot be a church is a cockeyed misuse of scripture.

Jesus is saying, "Once two or three of you are agreed that this person is opposed to My heavenly teachings and ways, then it is established. Tell it to the church(es).. tell it to all."

The establishment is clearly from the harmony of two or three in His name. The Lord's presence is with the two or three. The authority is clearly with the two or three. The publishing (to all, i.e. "to the church[es]"), is from the two or three. Yet the LSM dismisses the two or three by saying, "They are not the church"... see the RcV footnote in 18:20.

The more I look at it, the more I see a serious disconnect here. Someone clearly doesn't get it: either them or me. Because to me, what they are taking from that passage of scripture borders on the absolutely bizarre.