What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Navigating Church Conflicts and Forgiveness in Matthew 18
Forgiveness isn't just a nice idea—it's the heartbeat of authentic Christian living. Join host Isaac Carroll as we dive deep into Matthew 18:15-35, where Jesus provides his disciples with practical wisdom on handling conflict and the radical nature of forgiveness.
What exactly should you do when someone wrongs you? Jesus outlines a clear, progressive approach that begins with private conversation and escalates only when necessary. This blueprint for conflict resolution shows us that accountability and restoration can coexist beautifully within the church community.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Peter asks about forgiveness limits. "Seven times?" he suggests, probably feeling quite generous. Jesus's response—"seventy-seven times"—completely reframes our understanding of forgiveness as something without numerical boundaries. The powerful parable that follows drives home an uncomfortable truth: our unwillingness to forgive others directly impacts our relationship with God.
"Anger has the ability to fester. "If we're allowed to stew on it, it becomes resentment. And resentment leads to hatred." This progression reveals why Jesus takes forgiveness so seriously—it's not just about being nice; it's about preventing spiritual blindness.
Perhaps most compelling is the realization that when we truly comprehend how much Christ has forgiven us, the offenses others commit against us suddenly seem insignificant by comparison. This perspective shift makes forgiveness not just possible but natural. As Carroll puts it, "Because of that joy that you feel, that thankfulness, it makes it impossible to hold on to anger."
Have you experienced the freedom that comes from releasing a grudge? How might your relationships transform if you approached forgiveness with this Christ-centered mindset? Listen now and discover how forgiveness can become less of a burden and more of a blessing in your spiritual journey.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll and this is what Do I Know. In today's Bible study we are going to be back in Matthew 18 and we're going to pick up in verse 15. It reads Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you so that, on the testimony of two or three witnesses, every matter may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you a Gentile and tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to. Again, I say to you if two of you agree on earth about anything that you may ask, it shall be done for them by my father, who is in heaven, for where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst. All right, let me stop here at verse 20 and talk about verse 18 real quick Now.
Speaker 1:Verse 18 says Now binding and loosening is a Jewish tradition by the elders to declare something as lawful or unlawful. They're basically making a law and Jesus allowing the disciples this authority is key Now, I don't know if you remember, but talk about Peter being the rock at which Jesus builds his church. And then, later on in Acts, peter reminds the disciples that Jesus had chose him. Jesus had chose him to take the good news to the Gentiles, and that God had bestowed on them the Holy Spirit regardless of circumcision or them holding to the law. And because at this point the idea of circumcision was still being pushed onto the Gentiles, that they had to be circumcised to be actually a follower of Christ. And Paul says this can't continue. The people who were given the Holy Spirit when he brought the good news to them were not circumcised. So why are we trying to hold the new Gentile church to the old order, which they had themselves not been able to follow? And so Peter was given the authority to make this decision and bring it to the other disciples, and they all agreed and they bound this as law that circumcision was no longer a requirement to be a Christian. And those are the same disciples that come up with a certain number of things that was required for of us to continue in Christianity, but we were no longer to be under the law, and that was huge for us as Christians.
Speaker 1:Now I don't believe that this practice was allowed to continue after the disciples. I don't think the church was given the authority to keep you know every time that they have a new idea to be able to change the law and either add things or take things away. Could you imagine over the centuries, the last thousand years, how different the church would look and how different the law would look if they were allowed to change it every time they felt the need? I believe that's why the disciples have their books wrote down in the Bible. These things that were of importance to us were given to us in Scripture so that we have them. To direct our lives, all right, let's continue in verse 21. To direct our lives, all right, let's continue in verse 21.
Speaker 1:Then Peter came up and said to him Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times. Jesus said to him I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 77 times. For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves, and when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and everything that he owned, and repayment be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying have patience with me and I will repay you everything. And the master of the slave felt compassion and he released him and forgave him his debt. But the slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and he seized him and began to choke him, saying Pay me back what you owe. So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying have patience with me and I will repay you. But he was unwilling and he went and threw him into prison until he would pay back all that he owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what happened, they were deeply grieved and they came and reported to the master all that happened. Then, summoning him, his master said to him you wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had the same mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you, and his master moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that he owed him? My heavenly father will do all the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from the heart. All right. That concludes chapter 18.
Speaker 1:Jesus was very clear on how important it is to forgive from the heart. He goes on to tell us that our forgiveness, that God forgives us, is directly related to how we forgive others, and that alone should inspire us to be forgiving, to not hold grudges. Now, this doesn't mean we can't be angry. Ephesians 4, verse 26, says Be angry and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger 27. And do not give the devil an opportunity. Anger has the ability to fester. If we're allowed to stew on it, it will fester, and that anger, when it's festered, becomes resentment. And resentment leads to hatred.
Speaker 1:And the Bible is very clear about hatred. 1 John 2, starting in verse 9, says the one who says that he is in the light, yet he hates his brother or sister, is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light and there's nothing in him to cause stumbling. But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. It's saying here that no one who claims that they walk in the light, no one who claims they walk with Christ, can hate his brother or sister.
Speaker 1:And I'm a firm believer that if someone truly has come to know the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, it makes it almost impossible to have hatred in your heart.
Speaker 1:And why I say this is because if you think and dwell on the forgiveness of Christ in your life because of your offenses, that he loves you and he forgave you and he's going to be a part of your life, dwelling on this, while thinking about an offense that was done to you, it's almost like it doesn't even matter anymore. You know what I mean. Thinking about an offense that was done to you, it's almost like it doesn't even matter anymore. You know what I mean. You can't hold on to that anger because you know what You've done way more than that against Christ, and yet he's forgiven you, and because of that joy that you feel, that thankfulness, it makes it impossible to hold on to anger, at least in my opinion. All right, I'm going to end this one here. I don't believe we have enough time to start another chapter, so we'll pick up in chapter 19 in the next Bible study. Until then, guys, love you guys, goodbye.