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A little while not too long ago I was trying to write a series of blogs out of Matthew 18. That was where How Long Can You Hold Your Breath Underwater? and Would You Cut off Your Hand If Your Life Depended On It? came from. I had started to draft another post specifically on verses 15-20, but got stuck, busy, and so on and it sat idle in my drafts folder.
But then one day, there was a post on Jesus Needs New PR, that dealt specifically with this subject. In one of his two-part blogs posts about it, he shared the very documents themselves that an excommunicated member of Mars Hill church was required to sign in order to remain in fellowship, and other such silly and bizarre stuff, that to my surprise, most bloggers and commenters were defending and claiming was a proper application of Matthew 18:15-18!
I’m still kinda shocked that that’s the case after just writing that paragraph, but anyway.
I was intending on writing at least one post Scripturally defending why it’s not, and that just because the majority in a large mega church are happy about something and not complaining does not validate an incorrect interpretation of Scripture.
So, Dave Edwards, my usual partner in crime graciously agreed to join me on the podcast again after a nearly 7-month hiatus (the last one I recorded was while I was visiting him in his home in August).
With all the much ado being made about a certain large mega-church having made members sign documents for ‘discipline’ in the name of adherence to Matthew 18, and all the opinion being spouted online in blogs and some news articles about the subject matter, we thought we’d give our two cents worth and spend time interpreting the whole of the chapter of Matthew 18 for its context and ask if people properly apply the principles laid out in this chapter of the Gospels.
Please be sure to share it with any excommunicated or disgruntled current or former Christians you know. It might change their life!
That being said, as I said in a Google+ note about it a few weeks ago;
I think since this is a more prominent church body, but an awful lot of people go through or have gone through similar heavy-handed “discipline” (aka insecure leadership). I’ve been ostracized for my choice of friends before and told “submit and be loyal” in the absence of actual relationship with those lording authority over me. I’ve had friendships ended because of the sides we fell on in church splits over, of course, authority/structure/”spiritual covering”/whatever else you want to call it.
That being said, reading this article brings a tear to my eyes because I know people personally who live their lives just like the followers at this church and believe they will be under a curse if they “leave the covering” of their pastor/apostle/elder/whatever leadership title, or question anything. I’m sorry, but you won’t lose your ticket to heaven from asking questions or not agreeing with the board members of your social club!
We steer clear of judging or taking sides in the Mars Hill situation and the stories of people showing up on blogs lately because we wanted to focus on just the issues and Scriptures. Besides, if you download this podcast episode in a few years, nobody will remember why we were discussing it anyway.
Related Articles:
Church or Cult? The Control-Freaky Ways of Mars Hill Church by Brendan Kiley
