There's only ONE Moses

Moses views the land from Mount Nebo.

One of the saddest pictures in the Torah is that of Moses coming to the border of Israel, at the edge of the wilderness, and then dying. Although he was specifically selected by God for the task of leading the people out of slavery in Egypt and into a land flowing with milk and honey, Moses was not allowed to complete his mission because of his sin. His forty year journey would end in the wilderness at Shittim, in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, just opposite Jericho.

In our parashah this week Adonai tells Moses to go up on a mountain and view the land. After he sees it, he would die. Before he ascends the mountain Moses is moved, once again, to intercede for the people. This time he prays that Adonai would not leave the people leaderless, or shepherd-less. Moses loved the flock in his care. Adonai then appoints Joshua, the son of Nun, as Moses' successor. It's not a surprise that Joshua replaced Moses; but, although he would now lead the people, Joshua's role would not be identical to Moses'.

The Torah tells us that Adonai only spoke with Moses face-to-face (Ex 33:11, Nu 12:6-8). Nobody else had this privilege. In fact, before the ordinances regarding the Kohen Gadol were in place, and possibly even afterward, Moses would enter into the Holy of Holies to speak with Adonai who would meet with him from above the mercy seat (Ex 25:22). Remember, only the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on Yom Kippur, to atone for the sins of the nation. But Moses had special access to Adonai that nobody else did, not even his successor, Joshua. Regarding Joshua, the parashah says, "...he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD." (Nu 27:21) In other words, Joshua would hear from God through Eleazar, the High Priest. Joshua would be a mediator between the High Priest and the people. He would convey to the people the words from Adonai that were given through the High Priest. Although Joshua was called a prophet, he was not the Prophet (Du 18:15-18) that would come after Moses. While Joshua was a great leader, he was not equal to Moses. Joshua's main task was to see that the mission of Moses came to fruition. This is why he is exhorted to "be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded..." (Jos 1:6-9) Joshua did not add to the Torah, he followed it.

Last night as we read this passage as a family, my children already knew that Joshua was not like Moses. I was amazed at their understanding of this fact because this is not something that we've talked about before; not in our devotional time anyway. But they understood that only Moses spoke with Adonai face-to-face because only he had a special relationship with Him. Nobody had a relationship with Adonai like Moses did.

It is important to understand that Moses had a unique role in Israel's history. He was not given a specific title and/or responsibilities like Aaron, his brother the High Priest; nor was his job established as a perpetual postion. Aaron's job, on the other hand, was a position that was supposed to continue, from generation to generation, through his sons (Ex 40:12-15). Although Moses' role was not ongoing, his mission needed to be completed, hence the appointment of Joshua. Here's another important fact—since Moses and the High Priest were the only two men who could come into the presence of Almighty God in the Holy of Holies, both Moses and the position of the High Priest were types of the Messiah-to-come, Yeshua. Knowing this, it is safe for us to establish the following two points:

1. Moses, the prophet, is a type of the Prophet, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jn 6:14; Ac 3:22-23).
2. The role of the High Priest is a type of the High Priest, Yeshua HaMashiach (Heb 5:1-10).

Today, we do not have a leader like Moses and our High Priest is currently serving in the heavenly tabernacle (Heb 8:1-6). Nevertheless, it is the practice of some congregations to base their hierarchical structure of church government after the Levitical priesthood (Nu 18:1-7) or the shoftim, the judges of the cities in Israel (Du 16:18), with the Senior Pastor serving in the role of the High Priest or Moses. But remember, Moses and the High Priest were types of Yeshua, so equating the modern day position of the Senior Pastor with that of Moses and/or the High Priest would be a dangerous and potentially heretical and blasphemous stance. To equate the Senior Pastor to the shoftim is not as bad, it's just not accurate. The reason is that Torah is not the law of the land today, here in the US or in Israel; and Senior Pastor does not have the same authority in a persons life that a judge did in Biblical times. Be careful if they tell you that they do.

It has been my experience that churches that lean toward a Levitical priesthood or shoftim model of church government (also known as the Jethro model or Moses' ecclesiastical government) are authoritarian in nature and therefore, heavy-handed in their leadership style. This results in the abuse of authority over the laity, time and time again. This stance is not the position of Messianic scholars but rather the position of fringe Torah teachers.

The Biblical model for the government of Israel was for the nation in the land with a functioning Temple and priesthood. This model was never intended to be used in small church communities outside of Israel under foreign governments. Sure we may see some parallels between the Levitical priests and the church leadership and we may see some parallels between the common Israelite people and the church members; but these are only parallels; similarities. We may also find wisdom in Jethro's model of delegation for Moses because it makes sense; it's the inspired Word of God. But we need to remember, there's only one Moses and the Senior Pastor is not functioning in his role.

We are not in Israel with a functioning Temple and Levitical priesthood. We are in the Diaspora, without a Temple and without a Levitical priesthood. So how should we govern our churches? In some of Paul's epistles we can find his God-inspired, Torah-based instructions on church government that he gave to the churches in the Diaspora. If you already have a knowledge of Torah, this would be a good place to start. For a clear explanation of how to run and establish a Messianic congregation, I recommend the TorahResource course "I Will Build My Ekklesia" – An Introduction to Ecclesiology. In this important teaching, Tim Hegg explains the necessity of a plurality of leaders (elders) which was the foundation of the governmental structure in the early church.

Related Articles:

Elders, be an Example to the Flock
Set Your Heart, June 9, 2011

Who owns your Church?
Set Your Heart, July 8, 2010

"I Will Build My Ekklesia" – An Introduction to Ecclesiology
By Tim Hegg, TorahResource.com

Bet Din
By Jacqueline Shields, The Jewish Virtual Library

Synagogues, Shuls and Temples
Judaism 101



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Self-Excommunication and Matthew 18

In this blog post I will examine two comments made by Senior Pastor Mark McLellan in his Pastor's Corner commentary found on his congregation's website. The entry in question is titled In The Beginning... (The publication date was not provided. The link was sent to me on Tuesday, October 26, 2011.) In this essay McLellan comments on the two couples and the one single person who have been disfellowshipped from his congregation in the 17 years of his leadership. He also explains his understanding of the basis for congregational disfellowship in Matthew 18:15-20.

As a former elder of the Harvest I take issue with this commentary because I was part of one of these disfellowships and I do not recall the same outcome. I would be remiss not to address it. In addition, I find his understanding of the Matthew 18 passage flawed and believe that this errant understanding goes beyond the halakah of a local community and it will have ramifications that effect other Messianic communities. I believe that a proper understanding of the passages in Scripture that instruct us how to disfellowship are vitally important.

I find these two statements in this public commentary quite alarming and deserving of closer examination and questioning; especially in light of recent events.

Self-Excommunication

In his commentary, McLellan states the following regarding the single person who was disfellowshipped from the Harvest:

“The single person had excommunicated herself and we simply acknowledged and upheld it.”

How does an individual excommunicate herself?
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, excommunication is 1) an ecclesiastical censure depriving a person of the rights of church membership and 2) exclusion from fellowship in a group or community. So self-excommunication would mean excluding oneself from fellowship in a community. This is a general description based on the latter definition. But in an ecclesiastical sense, self-excommunication would mean that the individual has deprived herself of church membership. How does that work?

How does someone perform a self-excommunication?
In the Catholic Church self-excommunication can be 'automatic' if a member of the church commits a sin, like having or even approving an abortion. By willfully committing a sinful act, a person could instantly cut themselves off from the Catholic Church. Also, people who choose to 'officially' leave the Catholic Church and renounce their faith can go through a process of de-baptising themselves. This is also a form of self-excommunication. I do not believe that either of these examples is what is being referred to in McLellan's statement.

What is self-excommunication in a Torah Community?
The woman who 'excommunicated herself' remains a believer in the Body of Messiah today. She has not renounced her faith like the example above. It has been common knowledge that she joined another Messianic Community in the Metro Denver area. So, what is self-excommunication? How did she excommunicate herself? And how was this 'simply acknowledged and upheld?' Are self-excommunications only binding to the local kehilat? Should every local kehilat have self-excommunication as part of it's halakah? All of this is a very puzzling enigma that begs for further clarification.

Matthew 18:15-20

In his commentary, McLellan explains his understanding of the basis for congregational disfellowship in Matthew 18:15-20:

“…the basis of congregational disfellowship found in Matt. 18:15-20 is not the initial sin being brought to (or attempting to be brought to) the attention of the respondent(s), it is the on going and stubborn refusal of the respondent to simply meet with the petitioner/witnesses from the congregation they are a part of, to hear the initial concerns.”

According to Mark McLellan’s understanding of Matthew 18:15-20, the sin of the individual is not the basis for congregational disfellowship, it is the refusal to meet. With this rationale, an individual can continue in their sin and avoid disfellowhip by simply meeting with the person or people who are concerned about their sinful behavior. I do not see 'simply meeting' as the goal of the passage. While a meeting is a vehicle for communication, it is not the basis for disfellowship. Matthew 18:15 says 'go to your brother', it doesn't say 'call a meeting and have him come to you.' Nowadays 'going to your brother' can be in the form of a personal visit, a phone call, or even a letter; but it must be done 'in private.' Announcing to the entire community or Cc-ing everyone on your email list that you are beginning 'Step One' of the Matthew 18 Process is not private. It has to be one-on-one, in private.

The basis for congregational disfellowship in Matthew 18:15-20 is the refusal of the sinning brother or sister to repent of their transgression after it has been brought to their attention. The point is to save them from his or her immoral behavior and if they refuse to repent, to protect the body from their leavening sin (1 Corinthians 5:1-6).

The steps of Matthew 18:15-20 are clear:

1. Go to the sinning brother in private, one-on-one, and show him his sin so he will repent (v.15).
2. If he doesn’t listen to you, then take one or two other people with you, as witnesses, and confront him again (v.16).
3. If he still refuses to listen to you and your witnesses, then tell the entire ekklesia (local community) (v.17a).
4. If he refuses to listen to the entire community then disfellowship (excommunicate) him (v.17b). This includes contacting other local congregations and alerting them to this situation encouraging them to point the sinning brother back to the ekklesia so he can make amends.

A few side notes: When initiating the steps of Matthew 18:15-20, whether you are a church leader or church member, if you intentionally manipulate the process, you might be guilty of sin. Also, Step One is not a summons to come and stand before a board of directors, but a private one-on-one confrontation to win a brother from his sin. And finally, Step One should never be announced to the entire community.

In conclusion, after reading Senior Pastor Mark McLellan's In The Beginning... commentary I am left wondering—how does an individual excommunicate herself? Is it even possible? And then I am left hoping that nobody has been disfellowshipped for not attending a meeting. Excommunication and disfellowship are reserved for immoral, unrepentant, leavening sin within a community.

Below is a well balanced and practical teaching on this issue:

Excommunication and Church Discipline (00:21:00)
By Kevin Swanson of Reformation Church in Castle Rock, Colorado 8/22/2010

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Related Articles:

In The Beginning...
By Mark McLellan

Bishop Says Nun is Automatically Excommunicated for Rubberstamping Hospital Abortion
From LifeSiteNews.com, By Peter J. Smith, May 17, 2010

Debaptise Yourself - Making It Official
National Secular Society

What Every Roman Catholic Should Know about Self-Excommunication
by Robert Schutzius, September 15, 2009




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The D6 Conference

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

- Deuteronomy 6:4-9, (ESV)

"Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us three things: Love God, treasure His Word, and teach this to the next generation. The vision of the D6 Conference is to champion a movement of parents who disciple their own kids and teens in partnership with their local church. The D6 Conference is dedicated to helping churches, leaders, parents, and volunteers to develop a generational discipleship model based on Deuteronomy 6." Learn more about D6: d6conference.com

I sure do wish I could have made it to the D6 conference this week. It looks like it's going to be a good one. Below is a video from last year's D6 conference. The experience this pastor describes is very, very similar to my experience when I saw the light.

D6 Conference
September 21-23, 2011
Dallas, TX

Other relevant, upcoming conferences:

Reunited Conference
December 10-11, 2011
Wake Forest, NC

Teach Them Diligently Convention
March 15-17, 2012
Spartanburg, SC



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Restoring The Hearts Of The Fathers To Their Children

D6 Conference 2011 from D6 Conference on Vimeo.

I was speaking with an acquaintance this past week who said to me, "I would consider visiting your congregation but, you see, I don't like children." This was probably one of the saddest, most appalling statements that I've ever heard from a believer in Yeshua. Unfortunately, this is the reality of how many senior adults feel about children. They'd rather not be around germ-infested rug rats. They don't want to hear the disturbing cry of an infant or see a snot-nosed toddler throwing a fit. They will put a pro-life bumper sticker on their car, but they want nothing to do with children at all. They don't understand that these are the sites, the sounds, and yes, the smells of life! Children are our hope. Children are our future. If we don't have children, we will have no future.

As I considered the comment made by this person -- and believe me, all week long I have not been able to get these words out of my mind -- I came to the conclusion that this individual has not been educated correctly in the faith. We, as believers in Messiah Yeshua, are all called to a multigenerational faith. We, as a people, are commanded to pass His Torah along to the next generation. One generation to the next; one collective group to the next. Whether you have children or not, this is a command to the community. Seniors who don't have young children should be teaching the younger generations; helping the young parents, sharing experiences with the young adults. This is what Paul teaches us in Titus 2; older teach the younger, younger learn from the older.

I believe that today, there is a move of the Ruach in the body of Messiah; a move back to a multigenerational faith. It started with the homeschool movement. Now, homeschooling parents are beginning to wonder, "Why am I homeschooling my children all week long but when we go to church, I put them in an age-segregated school?" Parents are beginning to open their eyes, God is moving in their hearts. Could this be the beginning of what was prophesied by Malachi? Are the hearts of the fathers being restored to their children? I believe more and more church leaders are realizing this movement of God. Earlier this year, a prominent leader in the Messianic Community of the Metro Denver area told me, "What you are doing is the right thing to do. I can't change what we are doing with our children because we've been doing if for so long. It's already established; but if I could do it all over again, I would keep the children in the service with the adults."

Then children were brought to him
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to me
and do not hinder them,
for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
And he laid his hands on them and went away.

- Matthew 19:13-15 (ESV)

Related Links:

Some churches cancel Sunday school, put parents in charge
By Adelle M. Banks, September 14, 2011

D6 Conference
September 21-23, 2011
Dallas, TX

Restoration The Right Way

“If your brother sins against you, 

go and tell him his fault, 

between you and him alone.”

- Matthew 18:15a (ESV)

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar 

and there remember that your brother has something against you, 

leave your gift there before the altar and go. 

First be reconciled to your brother, 

and then come and offer your gift.” 

- Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)

Tonight at sundown we will officially begin the 2nd week of the month of Elul, The Month of Repentance. During this time as we all seek to restore relationships with our brothers and sisters in Messiah, please seek to do this in a Biblical manner. There are really only two scenarios for restoration: 1) when we have been offended, 2) when we have offended someone.

1. If you have been offended, if your brother or sister has sinned against you—first go to them alone and try to work it out with them. Begin with prayer and explain to them how you feel. It would be inappropriate to announce to everyone that you know what they've done to you and how it has made you feel.
2. If you have offended somebody and they come to tell you how they have been hurt by you—listen to them and own up to your fault. Begin with prayer and listen with an open mind and a heart ready for restoration. It would be inappropriate to deny someone the opportunity to clear the air about an offense. 

Within these two scenarios there are many variations of how the meeting will be played out. When confronted, some people will deny the actions that they are accused of and some will brush them off as a misunderstanding or a joke that was not meant to be taken seriously; but sometimes it really may have been a misunderstanding or a joke. Sometimes the offense may have taken place years ago and the person confronted does not remember. Whatever the situation, try to make restoration the right way. What if, when you confront someone, they do not take responsibility for their actions? What if, when you are confronted, you are accused of doing something that you don't think you should apologize for? The Apostle Paul says, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7b, NAS) In other words, the goal is to be restored, not to be right.



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I'll Take Mine Well Done, Please.

Beef, it's what's for dinner and lunch and breakfast.

My wife and I had breakfast at America's diner the other day; I had the Prime Rib Skillet. Juicy prime rib, scrambled eggs, hash browns, fire-roasted peppers and onions. Served with warm tortillas, freshly made pico de gallo and sour cream. It was delish. After getting my grub on real-good-like and as I was pushing myself away from the table picking my teeth with my pinky-nail, I thought to myself, "Who slaughtered this cow?" and "Did they follow the proper slaughtering requirements found in the Torah?" and "Why didn't I ask myself this before I ate this meal?" Such things I pondered that morning.

This subject was discussed during Shabbat service recently and some very interesting points were made. After the discussion I felt compelled to research this further. I briefly examined the passages in the Torah regarding the slaughtering of animals for the purpose of sacrifice to Hashem and/or for consumption, and I also noted the handling of the blood. Below are my observations.

Lev 17:2-11 In the wilderness, all domesticated, kosher animals were for sacrificial use only (or so it seems in this passage). However, the flesh could be consumed if the sacrifice was a fellowship or peace offering (see: Lev 3 and 7). It was forbidden to sacrifice the animal to idols and the blood was not to be eaten; if it was, then Hashem would set His face against that person and cut him off from the people.
Geographic Location:	In the wilderness at the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated Animals: Sacrificially Authorized Cattle, Goats, Sheep
Purpose For Slaughter:	Sacrifice
Proper Blood Handling:	Sprinkle it on the altar of Hashem at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
Prohibitions:	Do not offer it to idols (i.e., goat demons). Do not eat blood.
Consequences For Disobeying The Prohibitions:	Cut off from the people. If you eat blood, Hashem will set His Face against you and cut you off from the people.

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Lev 17:13-14 In the wilderness when foul and/or wild game (i.e., undomesticated animals or animals that are kosher to eat but not kosher for sacrifice), were hunted and caught, their blood was not to be eaten but poured out and covered (with dirt basically). The blood was not to be eaten but if it was, then that person would be cut off from the people.
Geographic Location:	In the wilderness while hunting (i.e., outside the camp).
What Kind Of Animal:	Undomesticated Animals: Not Sacrificially Authorized; but Authorized for Consumption Certain Birds, Deer, Roebuck, Gazelle, etc…
Purpose For Slaughter:	Consumption
Proper Blood Handling:	Pour it out and cover it with earth (dust).
Prohibition:	Do not eat blood.
Consequence For Eating Blood:	Cut off from the people.

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Deut 12:5-14 In Israel domesticated, kosher animals were to be sacrificed at ‘the place in which Hashem will choose for His Name to dwell’. We know this to be HaMikdash, the Temple. The animals were not to be sacrificed in ‘cultic’ places and the blood was not to be eaten. If the animals were sacrificed at the Temple, the person offering the sacrifice would eat before Hashem and rejoice with his household. In other words, they would be blessed. No consequences are mentioned in this passage.
Geographic Location:	In the Land (i.e., Israel) at the place in which He will choose for His Name to dwell (i.e., HaMikdash - the Temple).
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated Animals: Cattle, Goats, Sheep
Purpose For Slaughter:	Sacrifice
Proper Blood Handling:	Offer it to Hashem at the place in which He will choose for His Name to dwell (i.e., HaMikdash).
Prohibitions:	Do not offer it up in cultic places Do not eat blood
Blessing For Properly Handling The Blood (Offerings And Sacrifices):	Eating before Hashem and rejoicing with household.

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Deut 12:15-19 Once in the Land, Hashem allows the people to the eat meat of domesticated, kosher animals without it being a sacrifice (see note above on Lev 17:2-11). The people are again instructed not to eat the blood of the animal but this time they are to ‘pour it on the ground like water.’ They are not instructed to bury the blood. Also, no consequences are mentioned in this passage however, Hashem warns the people not to ‘forsake the Levite’ as long as they are in the Land. This is because the Levites got their portion of ‘meat’ from the sacrifices that the people offered.
Geographic Location:	In the Land (i.e., Israel) within your gates.
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated and Undomesticated Animals: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Deer, Roebuck, Gazelle, etc…
Purpose For Slaughter:	Consumption
Proper Blood Handling:	Pour it out on the ground like water.
Prohibition:	Do not eat blood.
Warning:	Don't forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

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Deut 12:20-25 Hashem promised to expand the borders of Israel when they were in the Land. Once the borders were expanded, some of the people would inevitably be too far away to bring a sacrifice. If they were too far, Hashem allowed them to eat the meat of domesticated, kosher animals without it being a sacrifice. They are again instructed not to eat the blood but to ‘pour it on the ground like water.’ Like the previous passage, burying the blood is not prescribed. Hashem does mention, however, that if they refrain from eating the blood, ‘it will be well with them and their sons after them.’
Geographic Location:	In the Land but far away from the place in which He will choose for His Name to dwell.
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated and Undomesticated Animals: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Deer, Roebuck, Gazelle, etc…
Purpose For Slaughter:	Consumption
Proper Blood Handling:	Pour it out on the ground like water.
Prohibition:	Do not eat blood.
Blessing For Not Eating Blood:	It will be well with you and your sons after you.

There are no clear commands or requirements regarding the method of slaughtering animals for a sacrifice and/or for consumption. The Chumash concurs:

“...we find no explicit teaching in the Torah regarding kosher slaughter...”

(Chumash, p.1004—Comment on Deut 12:21)

After examining the passages above I found that in each one there is an emphasized command (e.g., don’t eat the blood) with a related secondary command (e.g., pour out the blood). The emphasized commands have either a consequence or a blessing connected to them (the emphasis), but the secondary commands do not. One last thought that I had after this exercise was this: is pouring out the blood synonymous to not eating it? If it's poured out, it's not being eaten. If it's eaten, it's not being poured out.

I will continue to chow-down on the bovine flesh as long as it was not offered to an idol or strangled; and I will also abstain from eating blood.



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Sermonettes Make Disciplettes

Listening to our positive and encouraging radio station yesterday, I heard a news clip about an article from the Christian Post called Would You Go to Church if Services Were Shorter? The premise of the article is this—some church leaders believe that church services are too time consuming. People nowadays have short attention spans and church leaders need to cater to this modern phenomenon.

What? Adonai, the King of the Universe, sets up a weekly, all day appointment with His people on Saturday (Lev 23:3). His people shorten the appointment to a 2-3 hour meeting in the mid-morning on Sunday. Now, they want to reduce this time with Him to no more than 50 minutes because they cannot focus their attention to hearing His Word. This is utter foolishness!

Short attention spans are the result of the world we live in, especially here in the US. This idea to shorten church services is nothing more than an excuse to get out of God's meeting and back into the world in order to partake in more of it's indulgences.

If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
— Isaiah 58:13,14

I think this week I'm going to teach for 2 hours!

You can read the entire article here:
Would You Go to Church if Services Were Shorter?, By R. Leigh Coleman



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Christ-Like Love Demonstrated At Mars Hill

Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church

Remember the passage in Scripture where the apostle Paul organized a protest against a church that he thought was sinning? Him, Barnabas and Timothy held up big bright colored signs, picketing in front of the entrance, yelling at the people as they entered the church. Remember that? Oh yeah—it didn't happen. As soon as I began reading this book about Biblical conflict resolution I coincidentally stumble upon an article about a recent conflict between two churches. This past Sunday in Seattle, Washington, the Westboro Baptist Church picketed Mars Hill Church because they believe that Mars Hill teaches lies about God. Mars Hill is the church of popular pastor, speaker and author Mark Driscoll.

If you've never heard of the Westboro Baptist Church, just do an Internet search and you will quickly find out who they are. Although they call themselves Baptists, this group is not associated with or accepted by any of the many Baptist denominations here or abroad. They have a history of protesting events wielding signs that contain crude messages of condemnation. According to the article Fred Phelps, the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, told CNN in 2006, "You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God." There is a lot that can be said about this statement and the actions and beliefs of the Westboro Church; but I'll just mention a few of my concerns about this statement. First, what exactly does God hate? We have to first identify in the Text what God hates and make sure we are not inserting our own pet peeves in this list. Secondly, did God call the church to focus solely on the things He hates? What is the purpose and the role of the pastor and the church? Are they supposed to be consumed and preoccupied with the sins of the heathen, rubbing transgressions in their faces? Finally, is this method of callous public ridicule displaying Christ-like love; a love that leads to repentance? How many people have actually repented and come to a saving faith in Messiah Yeshua as a result of these protests? This display of hatred is precisely what I see between denominations and churches today; of course not to the same degree of anger and ridiculousness, but it's still there.

If this happened at your church, how would you respond? If you had a few days notice, how would you prepare? Mark Driscoll was made aware of the planned protest through his facebook page. He had a few days to prepare and I applaud him for the way he reacted to the situation—he reached out with love. What a perfect opportunity for him to lead his community in demonstrating Christ-like love and character. He could have reacted in the same way that others have in the past by fighting-fire-with-fire, but instead, he applied a bit of spiritual-judo. This countercultural, Biblical, Christ-like response caught the attention of newspapers across the country. What a great testimony and example for the Body of Messiah.

Read the article here: Church welcomes Westboro protests, even though they deeply disagree



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Make Every Effort To Keep Unity

I am now starting yet another book on love. This one is called If You Bite And Devour One Another : Biblical Principles For Handling Conflict by Alexander Strauch. When I met with Alex back in April he told me the key to a healthy Church and healthy relationships is love, Christ-like love. Once we can grasp this concept and follow after the example of our Messiah, our communities and our families will thrive. He then gave me three of his books on love. This one is his latest book, which was released in May. He explained to me that years ago, when he was a young Christian, he saw conflict and anger, bitterness and fighting between mature Christians in his community. He could not understand how a believer in Yeshua Messiah could behave in such a manner. This experience is what sparked a desire in him to begin studying about Christ-like love. He's been studying and writing about love ever since.

If You Bite And Devour is about conflict resolution within the body. In the book Strauch explores God's way of handling conflict so congregations may experience peace and unity. The goal of the book is to provide a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about conflict and to help believers learn how to respond to conflict according to biblical principles. At this point I've only read the introduction during my lunch break; but I am eager to start digging into this book this evening. Another thought that Alex shared with me is that the more we study and teach Christ-like love, the more we will begin to love like Christ did.

"We must recognize that every conflict is an opportunity to display Christlike character, the wisdom from above, and the reality of the gospel in our lives. Every conflict is a test: Will we respond according to the Spirit, displaying its beautiful fruit, or will we react in the ugliness of the flesh? Every conflict reveals whether we practice what we preach, whether we are doers of the Word or hearers only. Every conflict indicates the genuineness of our faith."
-- Alexander Strauch from If You Bite And Devour 

Download sample chapters of this book here: Bite And Devour



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Have You Left Your First Love?

I just finished another short book about love called Love Or Die : Christ's Wake-Up Call To The Church by Alexander Strauch. The book is based on Revelation 2:4 and is an encouragement for churches to begin to study about, pray for, teach on, model, guard and practice love, Christ-like love. Stauch explains that today, we don't hear enough about love in the Ekklesia of Yeshua. This is true. We need more of it; not just taught but demonstrated. In order to understand what Christ-like love is, we have to first study it in the Scriptures. In the back of the book there is a study guide that digs deeper into the examples of Chirst-like love (here is the teachers guide). This is another book that I would recommend for leaders who desire to have their communities and families overflowing with Christ-like love.

Download sample chapters of this book here: Love or Die



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Elders, be an Example to the Flock

Behold, how good and pleasant it is

when brothers dwell in unity!

Pslam 133:1, ESV

My blog entry last Wednesday has got me thinking about the disunity within the Greater Body of Messiah. Why is unity lacking within the Body? This problem goes back centuries, so I don't think it will be solved anytime soon; but we can at least try to address it.

R.C. Chapman, the pastor, teacher, and evangelist known as the Apostle of Love, said that "Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division." In other words, the proud do not have much fellowship because of their pride; while the humble do not experience much division because of their humility. It is said that "humility makes the avenue to glory." This phrase is a reference to the path of humility that Messiah took for our sake. He humbled Himself for us and in His humility, Yeshua demonstrated His love for us (Phil 2:6-8).

The ability to maintain unity within the Greater Body of Messiah is an indication that love abounds; love for our fellow brother. We must have love in our personal relationships if we are going to maintain unity. We must have love in our marriages if we desire to maintain unity in this special, holy relationship. We must have love within our families, between parents and children, in order to have unity within our homes. Paul tells us that we, the members of the Body, are to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph 4:3) We must be eager to love our fellow brother in Messiah. So how can we achieve and maintain this unity within the Greater Body? I believe it needs to be taught and demonstrated by the leadership.

Teaching and demonstrating unity within the Greater Body of Messiah is the responsibility of the Elders in the Ekklesia, or the Local Body of Messiah (1 Peter 5:1-11).
Note: Because of the variations in titles used within the Messianic Community, I will simply say Elders when referring to the leaders of a Local Body and I will use the term Ekklesia to refer to a Local Body.

What is the Ekklesia?

The Ekklesia is the body of believers in Messiah Yeshua, Jewish and non-Jewish. In Biblical times each city had a local assembly of believers or an ekklesia also called a church (e.g., the churches in Ephesus, Galatia, Corinth, Colasse, etc...). Today in our modern society we have many, many churches or ekklesia in our cities comprised of many, many different Christian denominations. Most of these modern, local ekklesia do not associate with one another because of their differences in beliefs.

Who are the Elders?

The elders, like shepherds, protect their flock.

The Elders are the leaders and overseers of the local ekklesia sometimes called the under-shepherds (this is because Messiah Yeshua is the Chief Shepherd over the Greater Body of Messiah). Like a shepherd, the Elders guard, protect, care for, and feed their flock. Elders are men of integrity and spiritual maturity from within the local body. They are not imported or transplanted but homegrown. They are not given a test to take in order to qualify but rather their character makes it evident that they are worthy of this high calling. (For more on the qualifications of the Elders see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.)

The Focus of the Elders

The elders are called to focus on their own flock.

The Elders are called to shepherd the flock that is among them (1 Peter 5:1-5). In other words, their responsibility is for the flock or the local church whom Adonai has put under their care. Like a good shepherd, an Elder will focus on the sheep in his flock, pushing them toward Adonai and helping them to develop their gifts (Eph 4:11-16). It is their responsibility to help the people in their local church develop faith in Hashem. To put it plainly, the focus of the Elders is inward, toward their own communities. They are called to be examples (1 Peter 5:3) to the local ekklesia and the ekklesia are called to emulate their own Elders (Hebrews 13:7).

When Elders lose their Focus

When elders lose their focus, their flock is not being cared for.

Believe it or not, like it or not, the flock is watching and emulating their shepherd. Really, they do. I once attended a gathering of men from a community where the Elder/Pastor told off-color jokes; he was also present at this meeting. At one point the jokes from these men got so bad and inappropriate, the Elder/Pastor had to put a stop to it. I attributed this incident to the fact that these men would see their Elder/Pastor behave in this manner so they felt comfortable behaving this way in front of him. They were emulating their shepherd, their elder.

One problem that I've seen today in the Greater Body of Messiah is that some Elders are losing their focus on their own communities. Rather than having an internal focus on the spiritual growth of their flock, they focus on matters outside of their own communities. This can happen with syndicated Shabbat Services and online teaching ministries, but this becomes most harmful when the focus of the Elders, and therefore the community, becomes the problems and shortcomings of other churches and denominations. It would be more understandable to have a parachurch ministry with this kind of mission but this is not the call of the Elder and/or the Church. When Elders belittle and berate the beliefs of other denominations they breed dissension within the Greater Body of Messiah. The members of communities like this will in turn belittle and berate the beliefs of their extended families, their friends, their coworkers and their neighbors. They bash the Christians in their life with the Torah and then tell them that the Torah is a blessing.

The Messianic Community has come out of the Christian Church to embrace the Hebraic Roots of their faith. Many new Messianics feel duped by the Christian Church and have feelings of resentment, this is understandable; but Christians are not our enemies. They are our brothers and sisters in Messiah and we should approach them with love and humility if we are going to reach them with the truth of the Torah. This love and humility must to be demonstrated by the Elders so the individuals within their respective communities can and will emulate them.

I'll end with a few quotes by R.C. Chapman:

"Humility is the secret of fellowship,
and pride the secret of division."

"Pride nourishes the remembrance of injuries;
humility forgets as well as forgives them."

"When mutual intercession takes the place of mutual accusation,
then will the differences and difficulties of brethren be overcome."

~

Learning About Love

I finished a book yesterday called Agape Leadership, Lessons in Spiritual Leadership From the Life of R.C. Chapman by Robert L. Peterson and Alexander Strauch. It's a challenging little book (80 pages) about love and humility, forgiveness and self-sacrifice. R.C. Chapman (1803-1902) was an elder at Ebenezer Chapel in Barnstaple, England who decided early on in his ministry that he was not going to only preach Christ, he was going to live Christ. His life is an example of how to live as a disciple of Jesus. I would recommend this book to any Church Leader who is eager to promote love within his community. I may even get a copy of this for every family at FRMC.

Download sample chapters of this book here: Agape Leadership


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Appreciating the Foul Poles in my life

Foul Pole, a photo by Michael David Gonzales on Flickr.

I had coffee with a good friend of mine this morning and it really made my day and my week. I haven't met with him in a long time so it was good to catch up. When we first started Front Range, back in 2009, I would meet with Jarrod on a weekly basis for coffee and a bagel at Einstein's. How we met was a God directed appointment and we continued to meet because of a common interest. We were both in the process of planting a 'Family Integrated' church. Ours–Messianic, and theirs–Christian. He shared with me his wealth of knowledge about Biblical and historical family integration in the church and ancient Israel. He had recently graduated from Denver Seminary where he wrote his master's thesis on this topic. In addition to all the information he shared, Jarrod was also very encouraging which was what I really needed at the time. Starting a church is not easy and it can get intimidating and overwhelming at times; a lot of the time.

What I noticed about our meeting today was that Jarrod holds me accountable in my thoughts and actions. I don't think I've noticed this in the past like I did today. I don't remember asking him to hold me accountable, he just does it. Why? Well, this is what a godly friend is supposed to do. As believers, we should be challenging each other spiritually because Adonai is part of our friendship. Proverbs 27:17 says Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. This means that when we come together as friends and as we share our ideas and our thoughts, we should be encouraging and admonishing each other in the process. This back and forth challenging each other in areas of weakness, encouraging each other in new pursuits will continually push us toward Adonai and strengthen our relationship with each other.

A godly friend is like a foul pole at a baseball park. When a ball is hit over the centerfield fence it's obviously a homerun. But when the ball is hit over the fence straight up the foul line, depending on where you are standing, it is hard to determine if it is a good ball or a foul ball. The foul pole is there to make it clear, no matter where you are, if the ball went foul or not. Sometimes when we pass our ideas and thoughts by our friends, we may think they are homeruns; But after meeting and talking it over with them, we discover that our thoughts or past actions were actually foul balls.

Thank you, Adonai, for putting foul poles in my life; friends who push me back to You and Your Word.

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Psalm 1:1

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20

~

Hermeneutics Class at Agape Bible Church

Class 4 of 10 with Dr. Darrell Ferguson of Agape Bible Church in Thornton.

Although my schedule this week is totally jam packed preparing for the upcoming MSI Classes, Shabbat Service, and the Passover Seder(s) and Service for next week; I still made time to take a class in Hermeneutics tonight. Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures. Bible Study classes charge me. Especially good ones; and Dr. Darrell's class is downright awesome!

I first heard Darrell Ferguson back around 2001/2002 on FM 94.7, KRKS. He had a show called Food For Your Soul and at the time, he led a church called Creekside in Louisville. The show went off the air for a while and I stumbled upon it again about a year ago on AM 560, KLZ. Evidently Darrell started another church about 3 years ago in his living room. When they outgrew the living room, they met in a high school gymnasium and then they moved to a small church building and now, they are in their own building on the corner of 84th and Huron in Thornton. The church is called Agape Bible Church. The radio show is still called Food For Your Soul but it is no longer on AM 560, KLZ but you can hear it weekdays on FM 94.7, KRKS at 5:30am and 12:00pm.

I like Darrell's teachings because he is so thorough in his studying. He told me he spends 35 hours in Bible study each week preparing for his Sunday sermon. That's a lot of time and I'm sure this is why his teachings are so awesome. He is also a proponent of Expository Bible teaching. If you are familiar with Expository Bible Study/Teaching, you know it takes time and effort.

The radio show rocks but the live class is better. I'm glad he has allowed me, an outsider, to join his class and learn from him. I greatly appreciate pastors and teachers who freely share their knowledge and experiences.

_

Lunch with Alex Strauch...

How often do you get to have lunch with a hero in the Faith?

I had lunch with Alexander Strauch today. He is a former Elder at Littleton Bible Chapel, where he still preaches once a month. He is also the author of Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership, one of the few books that thoroughly examines Bible-based Church Government.

When Thomas and Caroline Graumann came to visit our community a few weeks back, they heard that we were trying to establish elders. They asked me if I had heard of Alex Strauch and that I should meet him; so they hooked us up! I was encouraged and inspired with all that he had to share with me. I am so grateful that he took time out of his busy schedule to meet with me. I am overwhelmed by all the leaders in the local Body of Messiah (Christian and Messianic) who are willing to assit me and share their experiences, information, and advice as we try to establish this community. Baruch Hashem!

Here is a FREE abridged version of the book online:
Biblical Eldership: Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Church
You can find more books by Alexander Strauch here: Amazon.com

Loose Cannons in the Pulpit

The phrase “Loose Cannon” comes from the idea (made popular by Victor Hugo in his novel Ninety Three, 1874) that if a cannon was not tied down and left loose on a ship, it can cause great damage and potentially sink the vessel. This was thought to be true especially during battle or in a severe storm. When cannons were used in battle they had to be secured with large ropes (pictured above) because of the recoil caused by the blast of a round. If this heavy piece of artillery was not tethered when fired, it had the potential of launching itself across the deck and damaging the ship structure or killing someone. Likewise, in a severe storm when a ship was tossed about by the waves and wind, all heavy objects had the potential to cause harm if they were not secured.; especially the heavy metal cannons that were mounted on wheels.

Today the phrase “Loose Cannon” is usually defined as an unpredictable person or thing, liable to cause damage if not kept in check by others. There are all sorts of scenarios in life where people can be considered a loose cannon. For instance, the belligerent spouse at a get-together with the in-laws, or the Hollywood actor or actress who lacks discretion in a televised interview. How about the business partner who makes off color jokes during important client meetings. The examples are endless because people are not perfect. But what about those loose cannons in areas where we expect self control to be exemplified? What about loose cannons in the pulpit?

I once heard of a pastor who was a loose cannon. When members would bring Christian guests to this particular Messianic congregation, they found themselves on the edge of their seats. They sat hoping that the pastor would not go off and offend their friends giving them a bad impression of Messianic Judaism. They didn’t wanted the pastor to ‘soften’ the message of the Word of God but rather that he would not make inappropriate jokes and remarks. Evidently this pastor lacked judgment in determining what constituted an appropriate joke for Sabbath Service and didn’t care who was offended by it. When confronted, he would usually excuse his way around the incident and not apologize for it or he would shrug off any mention of this harmful character flaw. There was no way to stop him and no mechanism in place to keep him in line because he was not tethered by the accountability of peers. Actually, he had no peers. He was the Senior Pastor. He was a loose cannon.

This is not to say that every Senior Pastor is a loose cannon. There are some Senior Pastors who are godly, self controlled, and disciplined enough to run a congregation single-handedly; but this is rare. Besides, the concept of a single Senior Pastor is not Hebraic or Biblical for that matter. In the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) Paul instructs Titus to establish Elders (plural) in every town (singular). There were to be multiple leaders with equal authority in every town or congregation. One reason for this is accountability.

In his article Who Should Run the Church? A Case for the Plurality of Elders, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Professor of New Testament Studies at the Dallas Theological Seminary, explains it like this:

Many churches today have a pastor and several deacons. This is based on a model of ecclesiology in which it is assumed that there was one elder in the ancient church. But even those churches that have more than one elder (the pastor being one of them) usually regard the pastor as the de facto head of the church. This is due to two basic reasons: (1) he is the one with biblical training, and (2) he is the one who speaks before the entire congregation every Sunday.

It seems to me that this model (either the philosophical single-elder model or the pragmatic single-leader model) misses the mark of the New Testament teaching on this topic. The early church had, I believe, multiple elders. The pastor would have been counted among them, but was not over them. Indeed, all would have taught, not just one. If we can get back to this model, I think that churches will be stronger in many ways. They will be less idiosyncratic, less dependent on one person, more accountable.

The case for plurality of elders can be argued along four lines: biblical, historical, theological, and pragmatic. At bottom, I would say that the reason the scriptures teach multiple eldership is at least twofold: (1) mutual accountability is necessary if leaders are to avoid falling into sin; and (2) a church takes on the personality of its leader/s: if there is just one leader, the church will inevitably take on that man's personality, including his quirks and faults. But if more than one person leads the church, there is the greater chance that the church will be balanced.

Accountability is the rope that keeps the ‘pastoral cannons’ from wrecking the church. But is accountability for congregational leaders that necessary? Are they not godly men above reproach? Speaking about leadership accountability, Alexander Strauch states:

English historian Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Because of our biblical beliefs in the dreadful realities of sin, the curse, Satan, and human depravity, we should understand well why people in positions of power are easily corrupted. In fact, the better we understand the exceeding sinfulness and deceitfulness of sin, the stronger our commitment to accountability will be. The collective leadership of a biblical eldership provides a formal structure for genuine accountability.

Shared, brotherly leadership provides needed restraint concerning such sins as pride, greed, and “playing god.” Earl D. Radmacher, chancellor of a Baptist seminary in America, writes, “Human leaders, even Christian ones, are sinners and they only accomplish God’s will imperfectly. Multiple leaders, therefore, will serve as a ‘check and balance’ on each other and serve as a safeguard against the very human tendency to play God over other people.”

– from the free online booklet by Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership : Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Church, 1997 (Revised - Booklet)

It is the practice of some communities to only hold the Senior Pastor accountable in certain areas of their responsibilities. These areas are usually outlined in their secular bylaws that were written by secular lawyers. This is because this model is not Biblical and cannot be backed by Scripture. In the Biblical Elder Model, leaders are held accountable in all areas of their lives, submitting themselves to each other. This is true accountability. Although leaders of a community, elders and deacons, are required to meet a Biblical standard before they are appointed (Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3), in order to keep them on this path of righteousness and away from the pitfalls of sin, they need  true accountability. They need to be accountable in all areas of their lives.

If the Senior Pastor described above had true accountability in place, he would have been confronted by his peers and made accountable to address this loose cannon character flaw. Had he submitted, he would have been stretched in this area, forced to grow and he would have come out a more godly man in the end. If a Senior Pastor is not submitted to his peers in all areas of his life, he has the potential of becoming a loose cannon.

Is your pastor a loose cannon? Does he spout off during services making remarks that would offend your grandmother? Does he make jokes that are inappropriate for your children to hear? Does he chase people out of your community with course language and brutish letters or emails? If he does, find out who he is accountable to. Make sure he is accountable in all areas of his life. If he is not, he is a loose cannon who has the potential of sinking your church and hurting your family and friends in the process. Pray for him.

“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue

keeps himself out of trouble.”

- Proverbs 21:23

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Divided : Is age-segregated ministry multiplying or dividing the church?

I don't know how this one got past me. It looks like The National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC) came out with this documentary sometime last year. This vimeo video was posted on July 19, 2010. I need to get on their mailing list. Anyway...

Even though they took us off of their church network list because we are Messianic (i.e., Torah observant), I still think that the NCFIC puts out some pretty good stuff. I continue to look to them for information on family  integration. This video looks pretty good to me. They've got Kevin Swanson and Voddie Baucham in the trailer. If Jarrod Michel and Mark Fox are in the documentary, then I know it's going to be good.

We will have a screening at FRMC very soon. Stay tuned...

Purchase Divide Here: www.ncfic.org



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The "Matthew 18" Principle: A Quick Look

Probably the most cited passage in resolving disputes is Matthew 18:15-20. At a congregation that we attended in the past this passage was known simply as the Matthew 18 Principle. The principle went something like this:

If someone in your congregation sins against you:

1. Talk to him alone and explain to him how he has offended you.
2. If he listens to you and apologizes to you, then you've been reconciled.
3. However, if he does not admit his fault then bring a witness or two with you and confront him again.
4. If he still doesn't apologize in the presence of the witnesses, then go and tell the Church Leadership.
5. If he still doesn't admit his fault and apologize in the presence of the Church Leadership, excommunicate him.

I remember hearing exhortations from the 'pulpit' to apply the Matthew 18 Principle when trying to reconcile with another member of the congregation. However, I don't remember this principle being taught from the 'pulpit' by looking at the passage in context. This principle was not taught, really, but rather passed along from member to member.

So let's take a quick look at this passage in context in order to define the principle. First, a quick background: Chapter 18 begins a section in Matthew that is a collection of Yeshua's teachings. You can study the chapter as a whole or study the shorter passages that are stand alone teachings. We will only be looking at a portion of this chapter. If you have a Red Letter Bible, you will notice that the majority of this chapter is Red that's because Yeshua is doing most of the talking. Anyway...

Let's read our text:

Matthew 18:15-20 (NAS)
15 If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.

Right away we see in verse 15 an if / then scenario:

IF you know that a brother is in sin;
THEN go confront him in private.

Some translations say "If your brother sins against you" (ESV) specifically. However, I believe that this is talking about more than just a personal offense. That's why I used the NAS translation; but we'll address that later.

Let's clarify a couple of things:

• "your brother" - this is a reference to a fellow believer, someone who is part of the Ekklesia, the remnant of Israel who believe that Yeshua is Messiah. It's not talking about a sibling although a sibling could be a believer. You get the idea.
• What is sin? - "Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." - 1 John 3:4 (AKJV) Law = Torah. Torah means instructions or teachings. These 'instructions' are for the Children of God and can be found in the first five books of the Bible.

Okay, the first thing we have learned about this passage is: if a fellow member of the Ekklesia is transgressing the Torah and you know about it, it is your duty to talk to him in private and show him his fault. This isn't a choice, it is actually a command. Turning a blind eye to a fellow believer's sin is not LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, it is not being YOUR BROTHERS KEEPER. Let's continue...

Another clarification:

• "listen" - this is the Greek word pronounced akouo (ak-oo'-o); if Yeshua was speaking Hebrew, the word used would have been sh'ma. This word sh'ma means listen but it implies action. So a more accurate definition for sh'ma is 'listen in order to do.'

If your brother 'listens to you', it doesn't mean that he just heard you out and continued sinning. No. It means he was moved to repentance. He heard your words, saw his error, and changed his ways. You've won him over, you've helped him make t'shuvah; a return to the Torah and Adonai.

Now, if he did not listen to you (v 16) and continued sinning, this is a problem. He is a member of the Ekklesia. He knows Hashem. He knows Torah. He knows Yeshuah. He knows what sin is. He is backslidden and is now in a bad place. He is unrepentant. At this point you take two or three witnesses with you to see his sinfulness. Witnesses witness, they report what they have seen. When the witnesses see the sinful actions of this brother, they too will call him to repentance. Maybe he didn't understand your plea. Maybe he thought he was right and you were wrong. Now with more believers present to dialogue with, hopefully he will see his fault and change his ways.

But if he still does not repent (v 17) then you, along with the witnesses, are to tell the 'church' or Ekklesia. But what does this look like? Do you run into congregation on Shabbat, grab the mic from the cantor, and start giving the report? Probably not. At this point in the Book of Matthew, Yeshua was in the process of building His Ekklesia. His ministry was still active. There were no believing communities in the diaspora or in Jerusalem for that matter. So how do we know how to handle this and what it means to 'tell it to the Ekklesia'? I have a suggestion: we can look in the Book of Acts and see, as an example, how disputes were handled in the early Ekklesia of Yeshua. For instance, in Acts 15 when the men came down from Judea and began teaching circumcision (conversion) to the Gentiles, what did Paul and Barnabas do? They went to the leaders, the Elders, of the Ekklesia in Judea, in Jerusalem, and let the them handle it. Consider your community today. Wouldn't you bring a matter like this to the Elders of your community and allow them to communicate it to the local body? Isn't that their job? Yes! It is the Elders, the appointed leaders, who can make a judgement to excommunicate someone from the Ekklesia. When someone is excommunicated from the Ekklesia they are then treated like a non-believer because the Ekklesia is a place for believers only. Also, when Elders come together in order to make a judgement (v 18) they bind and loose, they forbid or permit. In other words, they make the hard, governmental decisions here on the earth in their communities. They seek the Wisdom of Adonai in prayer and apply their understanding of the Torah to form their decisions. They do this as a group in order to hold each other accountable and compliment each other. Whatever their decision is, Adonai is in agreement with them (v19). Not only is He in agreement; He is also there with them (v 20) in their meeting!

Now, notice that all of these actions are one way - from you to your sinful brother. It doesn't say anything about the brother apologizing; although an apology is implied when talking about repentance. However, the point is this, the goal is to win the brother and ultimately protect the community. He's got three chances to change his ways or he's out. If one person can't help him then three or four might be able to. If these three or four can't help him then they bring in the big guns, the Elders. If the Elders can't help him, then he is out of the community. Again, the Ekklesia is a place for believers only; a little leaven will leaven the whole dough. We must purge the sin from our midst in order to protect the community, the Ekklesia of Messiah Yeshua.

So, are the steps of the Matthew 18 Principle given for personal offenses? Since the goal is to win a brother from sin, I do not think that this passage is addressing 'personal offenses'. Keep in mind that a personal offense can come about because of someone's sinful behavior so then, what are we to do about personal offenses? If we continue reading in Chapter 18 we find out...

Matthew 18:21-22 (NAS)
21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

In the verses following this passage Yeshua tells a parable about a servant who was in debt to his master. The master extended mercy to the servant but the servant did not extend the same mercy to a person who was indebted to him. If you are harboring an offense, if someone has 'done you wrong', and you want justice; I encourage you to read this parable: Matthew 18:21-35. This parable helps us understand what we are expected to do when we have a personal offense, when someone has sinned against us.

Okay, so let's redefine the Matthew 18 Principle based on what we found:

1. If you find a believing brother in sin, address him alone in order to win him from that sin.
2. If he will not listen to you, bring two or three more brothers to witness the sin and then address the sinful brother. Hopefully they can win him.
3. If he will not listen to you and the witnesses, take the matter to the community leadership, the Elders, and allow them to address the wayward brother. Hopefully they can win him.
4. If he will not listen to the Elders, as a group they are to decide a judgement for the sinning believer, even excommunication.
5. The goal is to win the brother from the sin and ultimately to protect the community.

After reviewing this passage more closely it is my understanding that Yeshua taught this principle for cases in which the sin is obviously punishable by excommunication. Of course this principle can be used in addressing lighter sins; but more importantly, it shows us how to deal with the unrepentant brother and it reassures the Elders that He will be present in their Beit Din (House of Judgement).

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