Matthew 18:15-17 (NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Many of Jesus’ sayings might not be very palatable to Christians in developed nations today. Along with material wealth and education comes pride. Not only do they feel entitled to say what they want and do what they like, but they think they are free from accountability for their words and actions. They are easily offended by service standards, intolerant of mistakes, impatient with people, and feel they can choose when to submit to authorities. This has resulted in many strained relationships.
So, what is the biblical way of dealing with offences?
In the opening passage, Jesus has taught us a three-step approach to confronting someone who has wronged or sinned against us.
- We should talk to the person personally. It would be wise to avoid indirect forms of communication such as letters, emails, text messages, or phone calls. Instead, we should meet the person face to face so that we can witness, feel, and sense their sincerity.
- If the talks fail after this first attempt, we should bring one or two persons to reiterate what we have communicated to the person during the first step. These witnesses will establish what was spoken and the other party’s response.
- The last resort is to inform the church of the wrongdoing so that the church can intervene. If that person refuses to listen to the pastor, we have to treat them as a heathen. We should not bring the person to court unless we have taken these steps to restore the relationship and grant them a chance to repent and correct the wrong.
This biblical process is established on grace, peacemaking, and sincerity of heart. Through the story of redemption, God has set a perfect example for us regarding how to regain friendship with those who have sinned against us. Therefore, we should follow this biblical practice whenever someone has sinned against us. Any other means of dealing with each other in the family of God are carnal, which will allow the devil to steal, kill and destroy while giving a flawed testimony to the world. Following Jesus’ way is the best way to deal with and triumph over offences.
Sermon Series：What Is Seventy Times Seven Times?
如何向冒犯夸胜
马太福音 18:15-17 倘若你的弟兄得罪你，你就去趁着只有他和你在一处的时候，指出他的错来；他若听你，你便得了你的弟兄。他若不听，你就另带一两个人同去，要凭两三个人的口作见证，将每一句话都实告他. 他若不听他们，就告诉教会；他若仍不听教会，就看他像外邦人和税吏一样。
耶稣许多似乎严厉的话语可能不太受现代基督教徒的欢迎。伴随着物质上的财富和受教育而来的是骄傲。他们不仅觉得自己有权力想说就说，想做什么就做什么，而且认为不必为自己的言语和行为负责。他们很容易因为服务标准而生气，不能容忍错误，对人没有耐心，并认为他们可以决定何时才需要服从权威。这也造成了很多紧张的关系。
所以，我们如何按照《圣经》的原则来处理所有的冒犯？
在开篇的段落中，耶稣已经教导我们三个步骤来处理冤枉或得罪我们的人。
- 我们应该亲自与那个人交谈。避免间接形式的沟通是明智之举，如避免发送信件、电子邮件、短信或打电话。相反，我们应该与这人面对面交谈，这样我们就能够当场看到、感受到并感觉到那人的真诚。
- 如果第一次尝试后谈判失败，我们应该另带一到两个人来重申我们在第一次交谈中与该人沟通的内容。这些证人将实告双方谈话的内容和对方的回应。
- 最后一步解决方式是将这个人的不当行为告知教会，并由教会进行干预。如果这个人拒绝听从牧师的劝诫，那么我们就应该把他当作外邦人对待。除非我们已经采取了这些步骤来恢复关系，及给予他们悔改和弥补错误的机会，而不是我们直接把他告上法庭。
这个符合圣经的过程是建立在恩典、使人和睦和内心真诚的基础上。通过救赎的故事，神为我们树立了一个完美的榜样，告诉我们如何与那些得罪我们的人重新建立友谊。因此，每当有人得罪我们时，我们都应该遵循这符合圣经的做法。在神的家中，任何其他彼此打交道的方式都是属肉体的，这将允许魔鬼偷窃、杀害和毁坏，同时向世界展示有缺陷的见证。跟从耶稣的方式就是处理和向冒犯夸胜的最佳方式。
讲章系列：七十个七次的意义
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