Essay Sample on Matthew 18: God's Guide for the Church

Introduction

Matthew 18 focuses on the reality of the church and serves as an instructing guide to the future church. This chapter guides how the church ought to live until the return of Jesus Christ. He evaluates various dimensions of a virtuous Christ-like life, including guidelines on how to exercise leadership, avoidance of scandals, settling of disputes, and how to treat the weak in the community (Elwell & Yarbrough, 2013). As such, the chapter is critical in evaluating the problem that Matthew asserted would affect church life and the recommended solutions.

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One of the problems was the leadership in the church. There was a contention amongst the disciples on who would be the greatest in Jesus' kingdom. Matthew 18: 1 states, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' As such, everyone sought means to gratify their pride and was evaluating how the power would benefit them (Building on the Word, 2014). Conversely, Matthew was unafraid in pointing out weaknesses, and in chapter 16:22 shows that even Peter, the rock, can be rebuked. He stresses that the church must remain faithful to its calling and stay humble (Elwell & Yarbrough, 2013). He further emphasizes that the church does not offer a chance for self-pride or glorification.

In resolving the issue of leadership, Matthew advocates for humility, particularly among those holding positions of authority. When disciples enquired who would be the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus states that they must become like children. (Matt 18: 3) In Jewish society, a child was the property of the father; hence, their education and status depended on his will. Subsequently, in the church, those charged with leadership should recognize their dependence on God and let God's presence take the lead instead of their embellishments and pride.

Besides, some Christians led others to sin, which is considered a scandal. Scandal, in this context, means causing to stumble. Both outward and inward concerns deceived and misled those in the church, weakening their faith. Matthew recommends that Christians should abandon things that cause them to sin lest they lose their souls (Elwell & Yarbrough, 2013). He states, 'you should enter life with one eye than have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.' (Barker, 2011) Hence the church is instructed to abandon things that could lead them away from the kingdom lest they lose eternal life.

Further, the poor were often scandalized in the church. During the time, poor people were not considered equal to the rest and were often looked down upon. Besides, the rich often took advantage of them, which further worsened their plight. Matthew encourages the church to be more responsive towards the people who need the support of Christians (Building on the Word, 2014). In chapter 18:16, the little ones that Jesus talks about are the marginalized people who did not influence society. Matthew stresses that taking care of such people represents the connection between one and Christ. Further, he advocates against being indifferent to their needs (Elwell & Yarbrough, 2013). He states that it would be better for one to be drowned in the sea if their indifference causes the poor ones to stumble.

Another issue was the settling of disputes, which has been an issue of great concern. Disputes were a barrier to the togetherness and internal purity that is integral to the church's discipline. Also, people would opt to share about grudges with others instead of confronting those who had offended them. Matthew saw this tendency as a stumbling block in the church and advocated for a three-step conflict resolution process in chapter 18:15 (Barker, 2011). He recommends that one first goes and confronts the other party alone. If that fails, one should take two witnesses and if he does not heed to them, they should go to the church before a priest (Building on the Word, 2014). As such, Matthew calls for members of the church to try different means to resolve conflicts amicably amongst themselves.

The last issue that Matthew addresses is forgiveness. People often held grudges against each other, yet being members of the church, they are obliged to forgive each other. Matthew uses the parable of the unforgiving servant between verses 23 and 25 (Barker, 2011). It stresses that God has shown Christians more forgiveness, and they must always be willing to extend it to others. The servant was punished because he refused to extend forgiveness to someone who owed less (Elwell & Yarbrough, 2013). This concept is further emphasized in Matthew 17, where he states that Christians should forgive seventy times seven times. He insists that the only way that the church can appreciate the mercy shown to it by God is by extending it to others.

Conclusion

Overall, the problems that were affecting the church during Matthew's time are the same ones that he predicts will affect the future church. These issues include unforgiving attitudes, mistreatment of the less fortunate, pride among those charged with leadership, and holding grudges in church. He recommends a set of solutions to overcome these problems, including being responsive to the needs of others and forgiving one another. While these issues are still evident in the current church, Matthew presents clear instructions on how to overcome them to ensure the church upholds its core virtues.

References

Barker, K. (2011). NIV Study Bible. Zondervan Pub. House.

Building on the Word. (2014). The Gospel of Matthew. Building on the Word. https://buildingontheword.org/bible-study/the-gospel-of-matthew/.

Elwell, W. A., & Yarbrough, R. W. (2013). Encountering the New Testament (Encountering Biblical Studies): A Historical and Theological Survey. Baker Books.