In order to deal with such an offending brother, we must exercise the kingdom authority. Because the church today is weak, it does not realize its need to exercise this authority. The brother mentioned in this portion of the Word is first offending and then rebellious. First he offends someone. Then because he will not listen to the one he has offended, to two or three witnesses, or even to the church, he becomes rebellious. Because he rebels against the church, the church must exercise its authority to bind and to loose. It binds when he is rebellious and looses when he repents. In verse 18 to bind means to condemn, and to loose means to forgive. Because such a rebellious brother will not listen to the church, the church must exercise the kingdom authority to bind him until he repents. But when he repents, the church must exercise the kingdom authority to forgive him and to restore him to the fellowship of the church.
The dealing with the offending brother must be carried out by prayer in one accord. Verse 19 says, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything, whatever they may ask, it shall come to them from My Father Who is in the heavens.” Strictly speaking, in verse 19 “ask” refers to prayer which deals with the brother who refuses to hear the church. If we pray according to the Lord’s promise, our prayer will be answered, and the offending brother may be recovered.
All this should be done in the Lord’s presence. If you attempt to exercise the kingdom authority without His presence, it will not work. Verse 20 points out the need for the Lord’s presence: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”
Verse 17 says, “But if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.” The church revealed in 16:18 is the universal church, which is the unique Body of Christ, whereas the church revealed here is the local church, the expression of the unique Body of Christ in a certain locality. Chapter sixteen relates to the universal building of the church, whereas chapter eighteen relates to the local practice of the church. Both indicate that the church represents the kingdom of the heavens, having authority to bind and to loose.
In order to be in the kingdom of the heavens in a practical way, we need to be in a local church. According to the context of verse 17, both the reality and the practicality of the kingdom are in the local church. In a chapter dealing with relationships in the kingdom, the Lord speaks eventually of the church. This proves that the practicality of the kingdom today is in the local church. Without the local church, it is impossible to have the practicality and reality of the kingdom life. Many Christians today talk about the kingdom life, but without the practical local church life, this talk is in vain.
In chapter sixteen the Lord revealed the universal church. But the universal church requires the practicality of the local church. Without the local church, the universal church cannot be practiced; rather, it will be something suspended in the air. The local church is the reality both of the kingdom and of the universal church.
Many Christians think that as long as two or three meet in the name of the Lord and have His presence, they are the church and the reality of the church is there. However, if you read this portion of the Word carefully, you will see that the two or three mentioned in verse 20 are not the church. These two or three are the two or three in verse 16. They may gather together in the Lord’s name, but they are not the church; for if there is some problem, they need to tell it to the church (v. 17). If those two or three were the church, there would be no need for them to take the problem to the church. The fact that they need to “tell it to the church” proves that they are not the church, but rather part of the church. They belong to the church and they are members of the church, but they are not the church.
Do not think that two or three meeting in the name of the Lord with the Lord’s presence are the church. If we believe this, then it is possible for a church of three hundred members to be divided into one hundred churches, with every group of two or three thinking that it is a church. What a mess this would be! Two or three may meet in the name of the Lord and the Lord may truly be in their midst, but this does not mean that they are the church.
The church has the authority, and we must listen to the church and submit to the church. If we do not submit to the church, we are through with the kingdom, for the kingdom life is a life of submission to the church.
The context of Matthew 18 indicates that the reality of the church is the Lord’s presence. The Lord’s presence is the authority of the church. The church must be certain that it has the presence of the Lord as its reality; otherwise, it has no genuine authority. The real and practical authority of the church is the Lord’s presence. If anyone does not listen to the church, he rebels against the Lord’s presence. The church has the ground to exercise authority in the presence of the Lord over any case of rebellion.
The basic factor that causes trouble in the church is pride. Pride is what causes a brother to offend the one who comes to him in love, it is what makes him unwilling to listen to two or three or even to the church, and it is what causes him to rebel against the church. We all must kill the “gopher” of pride. Let us humble ourselves and always listen to the church and submit to the church. May the Lord grant us mercy for this.