Matthew 18, like Galatians 3:28, is a passage that is often appealed to, but in more cases than not, the appeal is misplaced because the text is misapplied. Strange how this continues to take place even though the fallacy has been pointed out time and again. When we want to use the Bible for our own purposes, sin lies at the door.
You know Matthew 18, of course: If your brother sins against you, go to him by yourself. If that does not have the desired effect, take two or three witnesses along. If even that fails, tell it to the church. In the latter step, a sin that was private becomes public. But the point is that private sins ought to remain private. Only if there is no repentance will it eventually become public. Matthew 18 spells out the procedure for private sins. It does not apply to public sins. That is so obvious that one wonders why it seems to be misunderstood by so many.
Example: The Board of Trustees of Calvin College and Seminary appoints Dr. H. De Moor as lecturer in the Dept. of practical theology. The views of De Moor regarding women in office, etc., have been widely publicized and are well known.A consistory or individual protests this appointment to the Board. A board member responds: you must first correspond with De Moor himself and with his consistory. And then you must go to your own classis before taking it further. Grounds: Matthew 18 (believe it or not!).
Example two: A professor at one of our institutions writes an article in The Banner to which several object. They take their objection to the institution at which he teaches and to the governing board. Response: You must go to the individual and his consistory. Ground: Ibid.
As everyone can see, this is patent nonsense and everybody knows it is. It is simply a way to silence a protest by giving one the run-around. Hopefully that will discourage the objector.
Consistories and individuals should not be sidestepped by such arguments, but should proceed to deal with the matter as a public sin, to which the rules of Matthew 18 do not apply. And our Boards and executive committees should have the integrity to stop using spurious arguments to avoid dealing with proper protests. Matthew 18 applies to private sins and personal grievances. It does not apply to ecclesiastical decisions of a public nature nor to writings in the church press which are by their very nature public. Then one may and must protest to the body which is responsible for the action, and to the institution which employs him. Here we can follow the example of Paul who rebuked Peter “in front of them all” (Gal. 2:14). Public sins call for a public rebuke and a public apology.
