Matthew 18:7-35.
This chapter begins with the question by the disciples, who would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. As we have demonstrated repeatedly, the four Gospels are not about the church of this dispensation, but are about the Kingdom of Heaven Church. This would be clear to all, where it not for centuries of tradition, and the lack of right division of the Scriptures.
The Lord warns all who stand in the way, or become a stumbling block to little children who would enter the Kingdom. If the foot, the hand, or the eye is a means by which a child is hindered from entering the Kingdom, it would be better to remove these, than to have one’s self cast into hell. Since angels are “ministering Spirits” to all would enter the Kingdom of Heaven, (Heb. 1:14) offences will not go unnoticed. These little ones are God’s sheep. His purpose for coming to Israel, was to save them.
We have discussed the need to settle disputes before they end up before the judges. Thus, in the Kingdom of Heaven, one should seek personal reconciliation. If that fails, then the final recourse is to take it before the disciples who will be judges in the Kingdom Church. There is more than one “church” in Scripture. There was a church in the wilderness. That church, though in apostasy, existed in the time of Jesus and the disciples. There is the church today, which was a mystery. There will also be the Tribulation church, which will become the Kingdom of Heaven church.
The Twelve will be judges and whatever their request or decision is, will be approved by the Father. Those rejecting the judgment of these Judges, are to be shunned as a Gentile sinner. The “binding” and “loosening” is the decisions made by the Judges. Any two or three of the disciples who agree on a judgment, will be sufficient. If they need added wisdom, the Lord promises to promises to grant whatever they request. They are assured of His answer, and His presence.
The binding and loosening is taken as a prayer promise by the charismatics. Thus, you hear such silly commands from them that they are “binding” Satan. Again, this context, and the text has nothing to do with the church today, which was a mystery. The church can’t bind or loosen anything.
Our Lord’s teaching, prompted Peter to ask the following question. “…Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?” Although, the Lord said, until seventy times seven, it implies unlimited forgiveness to those who repent and ask for it. Then He used a parable to illustrate the necessity of forgiving others. They were required to forgive in order to be forgiven. The believer in Christ today, ought to forgive because he has been forgiven. One can see that this is a works based salvation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
We are well aware how strange all this is to most Christians. The fault lies in several false assumptions. The greatest of these is the failure to rightly divide the Word of God. This leads to the belief that Jesus came to establish a Gentile church. Another fault lies in reading the Church epistles, Romans through Philemon, back into the Kingdom of Heaven gospels. Although, there are many applications of Scripture, there is only one correct doctrinal, and dispensational interpretation. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.