Matthew 18 may be the most abused and misused passage of Scripture in occasions of abuse in the church. Such a beautiful passage about interpersonal reconciliation is often used as a club by abusers and their enablers to silence, shame, and further abuse their victims.
Matthew 18 is neither the exclusive method of dealing with sin (see how Jesus and Paul publicly confront sin in their ministries) nor is it an exclusive requirement for all church sin matters to be handled "in house." In fact, there are certain sins that either by its grievous
nature (e.g. Sexual abuse) and/or its deep systemic impact (e.g. Church leadership covering up or justifying sinful actions) that must be handled externally and independent of the local church, fulfilling legal requirements of the civil magistrate and alerting the public and
other Christian entities of the troubling matters that are being mishandled and perpetuated in the name of Christ.
This is where the rubber hits the road: I have personally heard Christian leaders claiming that victims of abuse should not speak publicly about their abuse unless
This is where the rubber hits the road: I have personally heard Christian leaders claiming that victims of abuse should not speak publicly about their abuse unless
they privately meet with their abuser and that they are in sin until they do so. These same leaders often posture themselves as "concerned about your spiritual wellbeing," but end up doing more damage and side with the abusers by twisting Matthew 18 into a power tactic. Instead
of standing with the abused and wanting to root out heinous and systemic sin at its fount, they strain gnats at all they consider "wrong procedures" and "not in good order" that the abused committed. They make it seem as though the greater sin committed was not following
arbitrary protocol rather than the clear breaking of God's law in love of neighbor.
The church needs more leaders who are more than willing to side with the vulnerable and speak truth to power within the church, even at great cost. The church needs leaders who are willing to
The church needs more leaders who are more than willing to side with the vulnerable and speak truth to power within the church, even at great cost. The church needs leaders who are willing to
see that their true life calling by Jesus is to lose all reputation for the sake of righteousness and the love of the least of these.
It is Jesus who will say on that day, "as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
It is Jesus who will say on that day, "as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
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