| Matt. 18:15-20 |
马太福音18:15-20 |
| 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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 be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” |
15 “如果你的弟兄得罪你，你趁着和他单独在一起的时候，要去指出他的过失来。如果他肯听，你就得着你的弟兄。 16 如果他不肯听，就另外带一两个人同去，好使一切话，凭两三个证人的口，可以确定。 17 如果他再不听，就告诉教会；如果连教会他也不听，就把他看作教外人和税吏吧。 18 “我实在告诉你们，你们在地上捆绑的，在天上也被捆绑；你们在地上释放的，在天上也被释放。 19 我又告诉你们，你们当中若有两个人，在地上同心为甚么事祈求，我在天上的父必为他们成全。 20 因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，我就在他们中间。” |
| Introduction |
引言 |
| Last Month/This Month: |
上个月/这个月： |
| February - What Leaders Do 9 (Key Texts on Shepherding) |
二月 - 领导者应做的（关于牧养的关键经文） |
| March: What the People Do (Key Texts on the Three Marks of a True Church) |
三月 - 会众应做的（关于真教会三标记的关键经文） |
| What is a church? A church is a gathered assembly of the citizens of heaven on earth. What happens when a church gathers – that is, what does a church do? Christians throughout church history have highlighted three marks of a true church gathering. A true church is a gathered assembly where at least three things happen: (1) the word is rightly preached, (2) the ordinances are rightly administered, (3) discipline is rightly exercised. |
教会是什么？一个教会是天国公民在地上的聚会。一个教会聚会时会发生什么呢？或者，一个教会做什么呢？教会历史上的许多基督徒强调过一个真正教会聚会的3个标记。一个真正的教会在聚会当中至少会发生3件事：（1）正确传讲真道，（2）正确施行圣礼，（3）正确执行纪律。 |
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| The Last Two Weeks: His Love For Us (John 10); Our Love for Him (Rev. 2) |
前两周：祂对我们的爱（约翰福音10章）；我们对祂的爱（启示录2章）
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| Two weeks ago, Pastor Steven’s sermon focused on Christ’s love for us and last week’s sermon focused on our love for Christ – returning to him as our first love. |
司提反牧师两周前讲道的重点为基督对我们的爱。上周讲道的重点为我们对基督的爱 –– 回到我们对耶稣最初的爱。 |
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| The Connection between Last Week and This Week |
上周与这周讲道的联系 |
| Jesus had a terrifying warning for us as a church if our love for him grows cold and dead: |
要是我们对耶稣的爱渐渐冷淡甚至灭没，祂给我们作为整个教会的严厉警告为： |
| If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent (Rev. 2:5) |
你若不悔改，我就要来到你那里，把你的灯台从原处移去。（启示录2:5） |
| When the love runs out, the church dies out. Jesus snuffs it out – he removes it. We are going to talk about church discipline and removing a member from the assembly – Jesus is the one who carries out the discipline here by removing the entire assembly. Today we are going to talk about what happens if one of the members of the assembly abandons their love for Jesus. What do we do? Jesus has left us with a process and a promise for such cases in Matthew 18. |
当我们对耶稣的爱消亡时，教会就会彻底灭亡：耶稣会把它吹灭，把它移走。我们会讲到关于教会纪律，把一个会员逐出——这里耶稣执行纪律，把整个教会拿掉。今天我们要谈谈如果一个会员离弃了对耶稣的爱要怎么办。我们要做什么？耶稣在马太福音18章中给我们为这种情况留下了一个程序和一个应许。 |
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| The Second Mark: Discipline is Truly Exercised |
第二个标记：正确执行纪律 |
| 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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 be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:15-20) |
15 “如果你的弟兄得罪你，你趁着和他单独在一起的时候，要去指出他的过失来。如果他肯听，你就得着你的弟兄。 16 如果他不肯听，就另外带一两个人同去，好使一切话，凭两三个证人的口，可以确定。 17 如果他再不听，就告诉教会；如果连教会他也不听，就把他看作教外人和税吏吧。 18 “我实在告诉你们，你们在地上捆绑的，在天上也被捆绑；你们在地上释放的，在天上也被释放。 19 我又告诉你们，你们当中若有两个人，在地上同心为甚么事祈求，我在天上的父必为他们成全。 20 因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，我就在他们中间。”（马太福音18:15-20） |
| 1. The Process |
1.程序 |
| There is a process: one to one, two or three witnesses, tell it to the church, treat like an outsider. |
这有个程序：一对一，然后是两三个证人，再告诉教会，最后待他/她如同外人。 |
| A. one to one |
A.一对一 |
| B. 2 or three witnesses |
B.两三个证人 |
| C. Tell it to the church |
C.告诉教会 |
| D. Treat like an Outsider |
D.待Ta如同外人 |
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| 1. Flow - The flow of the process: expand and escalate |
1.流程——扩大和升级 |
| The thing to notice first is the flow of the process: start small (one to one) and then expand (take 1 or 2 others), and then expand further (tell it to the gathered assembly). |
首先要注意的是流程：从小范围开始（一对一），然后扩大（带上另外一两个人），再进一步扩大（告诉教会）。 |
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| 2. Focus - The focus of the process: repentance – the process expands and escalates only if there is no repentance |
2.焦点：悔改——只有当不悔改的时候才扩大和升级 |
| The second thing to notice is that there is a confrontation concerning some sin and the process expands and escalates only if the person does not respond with repentance. |
第二件需要注意的是处理罪的问题时，只有对方没有悔改的反应，才会进入扩大和升级的流程 |
| A. One to one: If he listens to you… (v. 15), But if he does not listen (v. 16) |
A.一对一：如果他肯听（15节），如果他不肯听（16节） |
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| B. 2 or 3 witnesses: If he refuses to listen to them (v. 17) |
B.两三个证人：如果他再不听（17节） |
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| C. Tell it to the church: And if he refuses to listen even to the church (v. 17) |
C.告诉教会：如果连教会他也不听（17节） |
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| In other words, the church discipline process puts the spotlight not merely on sin, but unrepentant sin (“refuses to listen). The process only expands and escalates if the person refuses to listen to the call to repent of sin. The process stops when the person listens (takes the call to repent to heart, turns away from sin in confession and trust and there is forgiveness and restoration. |
换句话说，执行教会纪律关注的不只是罪，而是不肯悔改的罪（“不听”）。只有在当事人拒绝悔罪的劝告时程序才会扩大和升级。当那人肯听（把悔改的呼召放在心里，在忏悔和信靠中转离罪，然后就有赦免和复原。 |
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| 3. Function - The function of the witnesses: This focus on repentance explains the function of the witnesses |
3.作用——证人的作用：关注于悔改解释了证人的作用 |
| This focus on being repentant or unrepentant explains the function of the witnesses. Why the mention of “take 1 or 2 others” so that it becomes “2 or 3 witnesses”? To answer this question we have to go back to the Old Testament guidelines for a valid judicial process. Any charge of unrepentant sin requires 2-3 witnesses to be established as valid before punishment ensues (Deut 19:15 – quoted in Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1). The charge someone brings in church discipline is not merely that someone has sinned, but that someone has not repented. Therefore, the witnesses do not function as those who witnessed the original act of sin, but the person’s response of repentance or lack of repentance. They add their voice to the process: “yes, I can confirm that this person did repent or that person did not repent.” |
关注悔改或不悔改解释了证人的作用。为什么要提到“另外带一两个人”变成“两三个证人”？要回答这个问题得回到旧约关于有效司法程序的教导。指控任何不肯悔改的罪，要有两到三个证人确认有效才能施行惩罚（申命记19:15——被马太福音18:16及哥林多后书13:1所引用）。不是说某人只要一犯罪就要指控他进入教会管教程序，而是只有当他不肯悔改的时候。因此，证人不是作为他原先罪行的人证，而是见证此人悔改还是不悔改。他们在司法程序中加上他们的声音：“是的，我确认这人悔改了，或这人不悔改。” |
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| 4. Function - The function of the church: join the pursuit of repentance |
4.作用——教会的作用：一起促成悔改 |
| “Tell it to the church” commissions the church to participate in the process of seeking someone’s response of repentance. In other words, the step of telling it to the church seeks to serve and empower the pursuit of repentance. The pursuit of repentance kicks into a higher gear as it expands and escalates. The whole church gets involved in praying for and pleading for repentance. We can infer this from the second half of verse 17: And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
“告诉教会”是委托教会加入到促成某人悔改的程序中。换句话说，告诉教会这一步骤是为了加强寻求悔改的力量。寻求悔改的努力扩大并升级，挂上高速档。整个教会都来祷告和呼吁悔改。我们可以从17节的下半段来作此推断：如果连教会他也不听，就把他看作教外人和税吏吧 |
| In other words, the church is pleading for repentance and the person continues in a stubborn state of “refusing to listen.” |
换句话说，教会在呼吁此人悔改，此人依然顽固“不听”。 |
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| 5. The Meaning of the Message: The Unified Message Conveyed by the Act of Discipline |
5.信息的意思：执行纪律的做法所传达的统一信息 |
| let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (v. 17). |
就把他看作教外人和税吏吧（17节） |
| If the person refuses to repent, then the church will conclude that they are regarding that person in a totally different way. There has been an act of transfer and now they see the person as outside the assembly of Jesus. If they no longer belong to the sphere of the church of Jesus and the kingdom of heaven, then they belong to the only other sphere there is: those outside the kingdom of God and the people of God. The terms Gentile and tax collector were short-hand terms that Jews used for those who did not belong to the people of God. Gentiles were not Jews and tax collectors were Jewish, but they worked for the hated Romans so they were traitors and basically were no longer regarded as true Jews. It is this mindset that Paul talks about in Ephesians 2:12: Gentiles were once strangers to the people of God and the promises of God and thus were “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). |
如果那人拒绝悔改，那么教会就会下结论说他们要以全然不同的方式对待那人。这有个移交的程序，现在他们视他为耶稣会众之外的人。如果那人不再属于耶稣教会或天国的疆域内，那么就只属于另一个疆域：在神的国与神的民之外。教外人和税吏的名词是犹太人用来指不属于神子民的人。教外人不是犹太人，而税吏虽然是犹太人，却替他们所恨恶的罗马人效劳，所以他们是他们是叛徒，基本上不再被当作是真正的犹太人。基于这样的观念，保罗在以弗所书2:12中说教外人曾经于神的子民与神的应许无份，“在世上没有盼望，没有神”（以弗所书2:12）。 |
| The other major New Testament text on church discipline reflects this same unified message about the sphere to which the person has been transferred. |
新约中另一处关于教会纪律的主要经文反映了与这一致的思想，就是要把这人移交到另一个疆域中。 |
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| 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. |
4 就是当你们奉我们主耶稣的名聚集在一起，我的灵在那里，我们主耶稣的权能也同在的时候， 5 要把这样的人交给撒但，败坏他的身体，使他的灵魂在主的日子可以得救。（哥林多前书5章） |
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| Notice that they deliver the person “to Satan.” What does that mean? The Bible says that Satan is the ruler of this fallen world (John 12:31) and that the whole world lies in the grip of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The person is cast out of the sacred assembly of Jesus (the citizens of heaven, children of God) and is now considered to be in a different sphere – he belongs to the world and the ruler of this world. |
注意他们把这样的人交给“撒但”。这是什么意思？圣经说撒但是这个堕落世界的统治者（约翰福音12:31）整个世界落在恶者的手下（约翰一书5:19）。那人被逐出耶稣圣众（天国的公民、神的儿女）之外，现在被认为是在另一个疆域里——他现在属于世界及这个世界的统治者。 |
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| Here is another way to say it. The Bible pictures conversion as a transfer. |
这里还有另一种说法。圣经把归信形像地比喻为迁移。 |
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| 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:12-14). |
12 并且感谢父，他使你们有资格分享圣徒在光明中的基业。 13 他救我们脱离了黑暗的权势，把我们迁入他爱子的国里。 14 我们在爱子里蒙了救赎，罪得赦免。（歌罗西书1:12-14） |
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| The act of church discipline conveys a de-conversion message: they have transferred from the kingdom of Christ and the saints in light back to the dominion of darkness. |
教会执行纪律的行动表达了逆归信的信息：他们从基督和圣徒的光明国度迁回到黑暗的权势之下。 |
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| 6. How the Members Send that Message: They Vote and it is Majority Rule |
6.会员如何发出那信息：他们投票，少数服从多数 |
| We just stated that the members send a unified message in church discipline about being transferred back to the dominion of darkness. How do the members send that message? They are together agreeing to regard the person as outside the assembly, but how did they decide to do that? 2 Corinthians 2 takes what is implicit in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 and makes it explicit. |
我们刚才说了会员在执行教会纪律中发送一条意见统一的信息，把犯罪不肯悔改之人迁回到黑暗权势之下。那么会员如何发送这条信息？他们共同认定那人是属于会众之外的，但他们如何作决定？哥林多后书2章把马太福音18章及哥林多前书5章中隐含的意思表明清楚。 |
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| 5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. |
5 如果有人使人忧愁，他不是使我忧愁，而是使你们众人都有一点忧愁；我只说有一点，是避免说得过分。（哥林多后书2:5） |
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| Paul pleads for them to see that this sin caused a blow of pain to the whole body – not just to him. Therefore, the sin of one member was against the whole body because this person was part of the body. |
保罗恳请他们看到这罪给整个身体带来痛苦的打击，而不仅仅是对保罗的打击。因此，一个成员的罪是在伤害整个身体，因为这个人是身体的一部分。 |
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| 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough |
这样的人受了许多人的责备，也就够了（哥林多后书2:6） |
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| Paul here says that the decision to cast this person out was a “punishment by the majority” (2 Cor. 2:6). This is the principle of plurality. The majority has to say it. It cannot be a decision for only the leaders. That authority could be abused if the keys of the kingdom were only given to a select few in the church. It cannot be a personality clash in which some people just can’t get along anymore. It must be the majority of the congregation and they must understand what they are saying. The congregation is saying, “we no longer feel able to affirm your profession of faith.” |
这里保罗说将此人逐出的决定是“受了许多人的责备”（哥林多后书2:6）。这就是多数票原则。多数人要表态。这不可能只是领导层的决定。如果天国的钥匙只交在教会中少数几个人手里，这样的权柄就可能被滥用。这不可能是个性上的冲突，就是有些人不能很好相处。作这决定的必须是会众的多数人，他们也必须知道自己在说什么。整个会众在说：“我们再也感觉不到我们能够确认你信心的告白。” |
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| 7. The Goal: The goal of discipline is always restorative, not punitive |
7.目标：执行纪律的目标总是挽回性的，而不是惩罚性的 |
| 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. |
6 这样的人受了许多人的责备，也就够了， 7 倒不如饶恕他，安慰他，免得他因忧愁过度而受不了。 8 所以，我劝你们要向他确实显明你们的爱心。（哥林多后书2:6-8） |
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| 2 Corinthians is also helpful because it shows that the goal of discipline is not punitive, but restorative. The decision to cast this person out was done with a certain heart and motive: we want them to repent and come back! And discipline had done its work in this text. The person had repented and so the church is to turn and forgive and comfort and reaffirm their love for him. |
哥林多后书这段经文有益之处在于它告诉我们执行纪律的目标不是惩罚性的，而是挽回性的。把那人逐出教会的决定是出于这样的心意和动机：我们希望他们悔改，回到我们中间来！这段经文中纪律已经产生了作用。那人已经悔改，所以教会回头饶恕他，安慰他，并重申他们对他的爱。 |
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| The same goal is stated explicitly in the church discipline text in 1 Corinthians 5:5. We do church discipline “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5:5). |
同样的目的也清楚地显明在哥林多前书5:5关于教会纪律的经文中。我们执行教会纪律“使他的灵魂在主的日子可以得救。”（哥林多前书5:5） |
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| 8. Situational Dynamics: 1 Corinthians 5 and Matthew 18 occupy different places in the discipline process even though they are based on the same process |
8.情境：哥林多前书5章和马太福音18章说明的是教会纪律程序中的不同阶段，尽管它们都基于同一个程序 |
| This text raises a question about process. Did you notice that 1 Corinthians 5 does not seem to follow the same process as Matthew 18? Why does 1 Corinthians 5 follow a different order than the steps of church discipline laid out in Matthew 18? |
这段经文提出一个有关程序的问题。你有没有注意到哥林多前书5章看起来好像没有跟从马太福音18章的程序？为什么林前5章的顺序跟马太福音18章的纪律执行程序步骤不一样？ |
| The 2-3 witness requirement represents the normative principle for a judicial process. Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 are both based upon it, but it plays out in two different ways because of the two different situations found in the texts themselves. The process of Matthew 18 keeps the circle small and slowly expands it outward so that it establishes 2–3 witnesses before telling it to the whole church. In other words, the situation set forth in Matthew 18 is necessary in order to establish the 2–3 witnesses. Establishing the witnesses in 1 Corinthians 5 is not necessary because Paul says that everyone already knows about the sin in question (in fact – part of the problem is that they are tolerating it and boasting about it instead of mourning over it). Because of the public and scandalous nature of this offense, the matter can go directly to community action and removal without going backwards to work back through the Matthew 18 process. |
两三个证人在场是一个司法程序的通则。马太福音18章和林前5章都基于这个原则，但它们表现方式不一样，是因为这两处情境不一样。马太福音18章先是保持小范围，然后才慢慢扩大，所以在告诉教会之前先要有两三个证人确认。换句话说，马太福音18章的情境需要先确立两三个证人。而哥林多前书5章的情境中，证人的确立就不是必需的，因为保罗说所有人都已经知道这罪了（事实上，问题部分在于他们容忍甚至夸耀这罪行，而不是为这罪悲伤。）因为这冒犯是众所周知的丑闻，可以直接进入会众的决议并且逐出此人，而不需要回到马太福音18章所说的程序。 |
| Now wisdom dictates a further comment. A person may apologize and claim to be repentant, but a church could proceed with discipline anyway when the church simply cannot automatically believe the person’s words. It may be habitual lying or deliberate (longstanding pattern of abuse or premeditated murder) or heinous (like rape or child abuse). Those things make any quick words of apology remain unbelievable – at least for a time. |
现在是智慧决定如何走下一步。一个人可能道歉并声称要悔改，但教会可能还是继续走执行纪律的程序，因为教会不可能简单地听信这人的话。他可能是惯于说谎，或罪行出于蓄意（例如长期虐待或预谋杀人），或性质恶劣（例如强奸或虐童）。那些事情如果只是简单的道歉很挽回信任——至少在短时间内。 |
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| “It’s not that such sins cannot be forgiven, it’s just that some time needs to pass and the fruit of repentance displayed before a church can responsibly pronounce forgiveness (see the example in Acts 8:17-24). On the other hand, when a church becomes convinced that a person is genuinely repentant, it should not proceed with formal discipline (and I cannot think of a single exception to this principle). (Leeman, Church Membership, p. 114). |
“并不说这类罪不能得到饶恕，只是在教会能够负责任地宣布饶恕之前，需要有一些时间，并且要让人看到悔改结出的果子（参见徒8:17-24的例子）。另一方面，如果教会确信一个人是真心悔改，就不应该继续施行正式的惩戒（并且我想不出对于这条原则有什么例外）。”（李曼著，徐震宇译《教会成员制》中译本69页） |
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| Transition: What is Excommunication? A Mini-Stage Play of a Snapshot in Time |
过渡：什么是开除？反映末日审判的一出微型舞台剧 |
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| All we really do is enact a mini-stage play at a moment in time that represents our best attempt to represent what we believe the real Judge will say in the real judgment on the last day. As Leeman says, “A church does not enact God’s judgment through discipline. Rather, it stages a small play that pictures the great judgment to come (1 Cor. 5:5)” (Leeman, Church Membership, p. 110). |
这里我们所做的就像是一出小型舞台剧，尽我们最大的努力去表现我们所相信的末日审判中真正的审判者会说什么。如李曼所说：“一个教会不会在执行纪律中扮演上帝的角色，而是演一出微型舞台剧表现未来的大审判（哥林多前书5:5）。”（李曼《教会成员制》中译本67页） |
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| But what if we get it wrong? What if the assembly acts on its own and it says something different than Jesus would say?! That is where the promise of the passage comes into its own. |
但如果我们弄错了怎么办？如果会众自说自话，根本就不是耶稣将来要说的话，怎么办？这段经文解答了应许所在。 |
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| 2. The Promise |
2.应许 |
| 18 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. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” |
18 “我实在告诉你们，你们在地上捆绑的，在天上也被捆绑；你们在地上释放的，在天上也被释放。 19 我又告诉你们，你们当中若有两个人，在地上同心为甚么事祈求，我在天上的父必为他们成全。 20 因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，我就在他们中间。”（马太福音18:18-20） |
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| Jesus is clearly continuing the conversation, but he does so by advancing the conversation. He laid out a situation (idea) and now moves to an explanation that is an exclamation and intensification (“Truly, I say to you”). What is he doing and where is this language of binding and loosing coming from? The place to begin is actually two chapters earlier because Jesus is expanding on language he used there. Look at Matthew 16:18-19 |
耶稣接着讲，祂把话说得更进一步。祂先摆出一个情境，现在用强烈和强调的语气带出解释（“我实在告诉你们”）。祂这是在做什么？捆绑和释放的用语来自哪里？这要往回翻到16章，耶稣在那里用过的语言在这里展开。请看马太福音16:18-19 |
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| 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” |
18 我告诉你，你是彼得，我要在这磐石上建立我的教会，死亡的权势（“死亡的权势” 原文作“阴间的门”） 不能胜过他。 19 我要把天国的钥匙给你，你在地上捆绑的，在天上也被捆绑；你在地上释放的，在天上也被释放。” |
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| This text is so crucial to explaining the subtle shift we see between the Gospels and Paul’s Epistles. When one looks at the Gospel of Matthew, one notices that Jesus mentions the word “church” two times and “kingdom” forty-nine times. Paul’s letters, on the other hand, mention “church” forty-three times and “kingdom” fourteen times. Why this shift? |
这段经文对于我们解释福音书与保罗书信之间的微妙差别很关键。马太福音中，你可能会注意到耶稣只提到“教会”2次，而提到“国度”49次。保罗的书信，提到“教会”43次，而“国度”只有14次。为什么有这种差别？ |
| Matthew 16 and 18 provide the key. In Matthew 16, Peter makes a confession that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus goes on to declare who Peter is. He is the rock on whom Jesus will build his church. Now I do not go into complicated arguments that try to distance the rock from Peter. I simply acknowledge that the rock cannot be separated from Peter and Peter cannot be separated from his confession or his role as spokesperson for the apostles. Notice the connection between church and kingdom expressed in spatial terms as earth and heaven. Jesus gives his assembly the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Here is the promise he gives for when his assembly uses these keys: Heaven and earth will align together. Look at the symmetry between “on earth” and “in heaven.” Whatever is bound or loosed on earth will also be bound or loosed in heaven (no exception). |
马太福音16和18章提供了解释的钥匙。在马太福音16章中，彼得承认耶稣是弥赛亚。耶稣接着宣告彼得是谁。他是那磐石，耶稣将要在那上面建造祂的教会。现在我不想涉及把彼得与磐石分开的复杂争论。我只是简单地认为磐石不能与彼得分开，彼得也不能与他的认信或他作为使徒代言人的身份分开。请注意教会与天国之间的关系是用天与地这样的词语来表达。耶稣把天国的钥匙交给祂的会众。当祂的会众使用这些钥匙的时候，这就是祂赐予的应许：天与地将保持一致。请看“在地上”与“在天上”之间的对称关系。在地上无论捆绑或释放什么，在天上也照样捆绑或释放（没有例外）。 |
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| But here is the question: how does this alignment happen? Is it sequential? We act and then heaven responds? That sounds like heaven just rubber stamps the decisions of earth. The key observation here that unlocks the answer is the verb tense. The verbs are past perfect (“shall be bound in heaven” or “shall be loosed in heaven”). Earth and Heaven will align because what Peter binds and looses will already have been bound or loosed in heaven. Jesus, in other words, promises to so guide Peter and the apostles that what they bind and loose will accord with what Jesus wants. |
但问题是：这样的一致如何发生？有先后之别吗？是我们先做了，天上再照单全收吗？这听起来好像天国只是地上决议的橡皮图章。解答这个问题的关键在于观察动词的时态。这里的动词是过去完成时（“在天上也已被捆绑”或“在天上也已被释放”）。天与地保持一致是因为彼得捆绑与释放的，天上已经捆绑或释放了。换句话说，耶稣应许将要亲自带领彼得及众使徒，让他们所捆绑和释放的与耶稣的旨意保持一致。 |
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| Do you see the promise? The promise is that Jesus will guide their decisions to accord with his. They will not govern heaven’s decisions; he will guide and govern their decisions with his presence and power. |
你看到应许了吗？这应许就是耶稣要引导他们的决定与祂保持一致。他们不会掌管天国的决定；而祂将以祂的同在与权能来引导并掌管他们的决定。 |
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| Then, once again in Matthew 18, this binding and loosing activity come up again. This time it is in the context of church discipline. Private attempts at correction have failed and so have corporate attempts from the church and therefore the person is treated as being outside the covenant community – not part of Jesus’ assembly. Jesus again promises his presence will guide them into the right decisions on these occasions. |
然后，在马太福音18章，捆绑和释放再次出现。这次是在教会纪律中出现。私下的纠正已经无效，教会集体的努力也没用，因此这人就要被当作圣约团体之外的人。耶稣再次应许祂的同在会引导他们在这些事上作出正确的决定。 |
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| 18 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. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” |
18“我实在告诉你们，你们在地上捆绑的，在天上也被捆绑；你们在地上释放的，在天上也被释放。 19 我又告诉你们，你们当中若有两个人，在地上同心为甚么事祈求，我在天上的父必为他们成全。 20 因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，我就在他们中间。”（马太福音18:18-20） |
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| The promise is Jesus’ presence – but not only his presence alone – but that his presence will guide and thus govern their decision. This is exactly the same pointed promise that Paul gives the Corinthians in the other major New Testament text on church discipline: 1 Corinthians 5. The apostle Paul commands the assembly to do the act of casting out the person (not Paul). But the will of the assembly is not isolated and independent from heaven’s will. Paul will be there in spirit, but Jesus will be there in power. He wants them to know that they have the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose, but what they do will have been done in heaven because Jesus will be there and his power will be present (1 Cor. 5:4). |
应许的是耶稣的同在——但不仅仅是祂的同在——而是祂的同在会引导从而掌管他们的决定。这正是新约另一处关于教会纪律的主要经文，就是哥林多前书5章中，保罗所指出的应许。使徒保罗命令会众（不是保罗）逐出那人。但会众的意志并不是隔离或独立于天国的意志。保罗在灵里与他们同在，而耶稣会以权能与他们同在。他要他们知道，他们拿着天国的钥匙捆绑或释放，但他们所作的是天上已经作了的，因为耶稣会在那里，祂的权能也在那里（哥林多前书5:4）。 |
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| 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan |
4 就是当你们奉我们主耶稣的名聚集在一起，我的灵在那里，我们主耶稣的权能也同在的时候， 5 你们要把这样的人交给撒但（哥林多前书5:4-5） |
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| This verse in 1 Corinthians (in my judgment) is one of the clearest texts on congregationalism in the Bible. He attempted to persuade this church that this work of discipline was their direct responsibility. The church used the keys of the kingdom. The keys were not a special gift that only the apostles could use in the church of Jesus Christ. |
哥林多前书中的这节经文（在我看来）是圣经中支持会众制最清楚的经文之一。他尽力要说服这个教会了解教会纪律是他们的直接责任。教会在使用天国的钥匙。这些钥匙在耶稣基督的教会中，并不是只有使徒才能使用。 |
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| Cumulative Point: Matthew 16, 18, 1 Cor. 5 (the church and church discipline): The church is a gathered assembly of Jesus that has the keys of Jesus’ kingdom, the promise of Jesus’ guidance, and the power of Jesus’ presence. |
综合要点：马太福音16和18章及哥林多前书5章（教会及教会纪律）：教会是耶稣会众的聚集，拥有耶稣国度的钥匙、耶稣引导的应许，以及耶稣同在的权能。 |
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| Application: Membership, Discipline, and the Calling of the Congregation |
应用：会员制、纪律以及对会众的呼召 |
| In application, let us work our way to a more practical job description when it comes to the calling of the congregation. What do we gather to do? What are the members pursuing with one another? It will become clearer if we get really practical on the interplay between (1) church membership, (2) church discipline, and (3) the calling of the congregation. |
在应用部分，我们来厘清会众实际的职责。我们聚集是要干什么？会员们彼此寻求什么？在我们考查（1）教会会员制、（2）教会纪律，以及（3）对会众的呼召三者之间互相关系的实际应用时，问题就会清楚一些。 |
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| 1. Membership |
1.会员制 |
| “Church membership is the church’s public affirmation of an individual Christian’s profession of faith in Jesus, and it’s the individual’s decision to submit to the oversight of the church.” (Leeman, Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus, p. 128). |
“教会成员制度就是教会对于一个基督徒认信耶稣的公开确认，也是基督徒个人将自己顺服在教会督责之下的决定。”（李曼著，梁曙东译《教会纪律：教会如何保护耶稣的名声》中译本91页） |
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| A Christian is someone who has a new name, a new nature, and a new family. Sometimes people forget that they have been adopted into a new family. Jesus has given local churches the authority to exercise the keys of the kingdom through giving and withholding baptism and the Lord’s Supper, thereby doing the work of marking off God’s people from the world. The local church has heaven’s authority for declaring who is a kingdom citizen and therefore who represents Jesus’ name on earth. |
一个基督徒就是一个有了新名字、新性情，和新家庭的人。有时人们忘了他们已经被收养到一个新家里。耶稣已经赐予地方教会权柄使用天国的钥匙，就是通过授予或收回洗礼和圣餐，从而将神的子民从世界里分别出来。地方教会拥有天国的权柄宣告谁是天国的公民从而在地上代表耶稣的名。 |
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| A church does not make someone a citizen of the kingdom; it has responsibility for declaring who does and who does not belong to the kingdom. An individual citizen does not have the authority to stamp their own passport; the embassy of your country is the one that renews your passport stamp. A person can profess to be a Christian, but they cannot baptize themselves or give themselves the Lord’s Supper. |
一间教会并没有让某人成为天国的公民；它有责任宣告谁属于谁不属于天国。一个公民无权在自己的护照上盖章；你自己国家的大使才可以给你的护照盖上新印章。一个人可以自己声称是基督徒，但他无法给自己施洗或给自己领圣餐。 |
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| A local church is a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to officially affirm and oversee one another’s membership in Jesus Christ and his kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances (Leeman, Church Discipline, p. 41). By the way, did you see both “gospel preaching” and “gospel ordinances”? Those are the first two marks of a true church. Church discipline is the third. So what is excommunication in relation to church membership? |
一间地方教会是一群基督徒，定期奉基督的名聚集，通过传讲福音和施行福音的圣礼，正式确立和监督彼此在耶稣基督以及祂国度里的成员身份（李曼著，《教会纪律》中译本第25页）。顺便提一下，你有没有看到“传讲福音”和“福音的圣礼”？这两样是一间真教会的头两个标记。教会纪律是第三个标记。那么开除与教会成员制有什么关系？ |
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| 2. Discipline (Excommunication) |
2.纪律（开除） |
| Church discipline is the act of removing an individual from membership in the church and participation in the Lord’s table. It does not forbid them from attending the church’s public gatherings. We would still encourage that (except in criminal cases where their presence puts others in danger). It is a statement of the church that it can no longer affirm the person’s profession of faith by calling him or her a Christian. Paul refers to this as a punishment carried out by at least the majority of the congregation (2 Cor. 2:6). |
教会纪律就是把某人从教会成员中除名并禁止其领圣餐的做法，但并不禁止他们参加教会的公开聚会。我们仍然鼓励他们参加聚会（除非是刑事罪犯可能危及他人安全）。这是教会在宣告说它无法再确认此人所声称的信仰，无法再称他或她为一个基督徒。保罗说这是由会众大多数人执行的惩戒（哥林多后书2:6）。 |
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| We should hasten to add that the sin in question should be outward (something seen with the eyes or heard with the ears; heart sins like greed and pride cannot be verified apart from external manifestations), serious (a sin you would not expect a Christian to commit and remain unrepentant), and unrepentant. Discipline should take place when “the sin crosses the line from expected to unexpected” (Leeman, Church Discipline, p. 54). |
我们应该赶紧补充说所处理的罪必须是外显的（被人看见或听见；内心的罪如贪婪或骄傲无法从外部取证），严重的（就是一种你没有料到一个基督徒会犯的罪而且不思悔改），而且是拒不悔改的。（李曼著《教会纪律》中译本34页） |
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| One thing that Jonathan Leeman mentions in his excellent book on church discipline is what is the difference between two Christians at a coffee shop that are from two different churches and two Christians at a coffee shop that are from the same church? The simplest answer is that the two Christians from the same church have a different relationship because they have different obligations to each other. Members of a church body say “we recognize your profession of faith, baptism, and discipleship to Christ as valid. Therefore, we publicly affirm and acknowledge you as belonging to Christ and the oversight of our fellowship.” The individual, as a member, acknowledges something similar. They say, “Insofar as I recognize you as a faithful, gospel-declaring church, I submit my presence and my discipleship to your love and oversight. |
约拿单·李曼在他那本关于教会成员制的杰作中提到一件事，就是在一家咖啡馆坐着的两位基督徒，如果他们是来自两间不同的教会，与他们是来自同一间教会，在关系上有什么不同？最简单的答案是，来自同一间教会的两位基督徒与来自两间不同教会二者之间的关系是不一样的，因为他们彼此有不同的义务。同一个教会身体的成员说：“我们承认你的信仰告白、洗礼和基督门徒的身份是有效的。因此我们公开确认宣布你属于基督，也在我们团契的监督之下。”个体作为成员也承认同样的事。他们说：“以我的认识，我承认你们是一间忠信、传讲福音的教会，我把我自己和自己的门徒资格交托在你们的爱和监管之下。” |
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| He then gave an illustration. “Coyle and I receive the affirmation and oversight of one embassy, while Mike receives these things from another. It’s as though two of us get our passports authorized at the US Embassy in Brussels, while the other gets it done at the US Embassy in Paris” (Leeman, p. 65). |
接着他打了个比方。“柯毅和我接受 了一个大使馆的确认和监督，而麦克则从另一个大使馆接受了这些。就 好比我们两个人是在美国驻布鲁塞尔大使馆办理了护照，而另一个人则是在美国驻巴黎大使馆办理了护照。”（李曼著《教会成员制》中译本37页） |
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| Do you see what a church assembly is and what part you play? You as an assembly are covenanting together to oversee one another’s Christian confession and kingdom passport. You are a kingdom outpost or embassy that affirms or revokes someones’ passport as a kingdom citizen. |
你看到一间教会是什么以及你在其中起什么作用了吗？你作为聚会的一员，一起立约彼此监督基督教的信仰告白和国度护照。你们是天国的前哨或大使馆，确认或吊销某人作为国度公民的护照。 |
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| Revoking someone’s passport is a big deal. A community says, “we can no longer vouch for you as a Christian. You are not part of the saints in light, you are walking in darkness. You are not walking in repentance and fighting the fight of faith – you have made peace with sin. You do not share the glorious future for which we are eagerly awaiting. You are not abiding in the vine as a branch. On the last day, we believe that Jesus will separate you from the rest of the sheep and he will identify you as a goat. We are doing our best today to represent what we believe He will say on that day. |
吊销某人的护照事关重大。一个社群说：“我们再也无法证明你是一个基督徒。你不是光明圣徒中的一员，你行在黑暗中。你没有行在悔改中，并为信心而战——你向罪投降求和。你不同享我们热切等候的荣耀前程。你不是留在葡萄树上的枝条。在末日，我们相信耶稣会将你和其余的绵羊分开，而把你定为山羊。我们今天尽我们的努力来表达我们相信祂会在那天说的话。” |
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| 3. The Calling of the Congregation: Formative Discipline before Corrective Discipline |
3.对会众的呼召：教导先于惩戒 |
| A local church is a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to officially affirm and oversee one another’s membership in Jesus Christ and his kingdom through gospel preaching, singing, praying together, and ordinances for the purpose of worship. |
一间地方教会是一群基督徒，定期奉基督之名聚会，藉着传讲福音、一起歌唱和祷告，以及为敬拜而行圣礼，目的是正式确认并监督彼此在耶稣基督及其国度里的成员资格。 |
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| This is the calling of the congregation: we are affirming and overseeing one another’s membership in Christ Jesus and his kingdom. What about your role as a church – how does discipleship relate to discipline? |
这就是对会众的呼召：我们确认并监督彼此在基督耶稣及其国度里的成员资格。作为一间教会你的角色是什么——门徒训练与教会纪律是什么关系？ |
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| Discipleship is formative discipline. Church discipline is corrective discipline. You have to do formative discipline before you do corrective discipline. Or to use last week as an example: we need to make a lot of observations with one another before we make a major joint declaration together against someone. Another way to say it: you need to practice formative correction on a small scale before you do collective correction on a large scale. Someone needs to know what they are joining and what they are inviting. You don’t get a new member and then bring church discipline the first time that they get angry or say something mean spirited. You have to have formative discipline before corrective discipline. |
门徒训练是正面教导的纪律。教会惩戒是纠正性的纪律。在执行纠正性的纪律之前必须先做正面的教导。或者，用上周讲过的例子：我们需要彼此多方观察才能一起宣告反对某人。换个方式说：你需要先在小范围进行教导性的矫正，然后才能在大范围中执行集体性的矫正。一个人需要先知道他受邀加入的是什么。你不会刚收了一名新会员，然后他第一次发怒或说些刻薄的话就给他施行教会纪律。在进行矫正性的纪律之前，你先要进行正面的教导。 |
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| Let’s connect this point back to the first mark of the church: the word truly preached. The undershepherds are charged to preach the word and be faithful in season and out of season. But that ministry of the word should cultivate a context in which the members speak the word to one another. Listen to Hebrews 3:12-14. |
让我们把这一点联系回教会的第一个标记：正确传讲真道。牧者负责传讲真道，得时不得时都要忠信。但真道的事工应该培养出一个成员之间彼此说真道的环境。请听希伯来书3:12-14 |
| 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. |
12 弟兄们，你们要小心，免得你们中间有人存着邪恶、不信的心，以致离弃了永活的 神； 13 趁着还有叫作“今天” 的时候，总要天天互相劝勉，免得你们中间有人受了罪恶的诱惑，心里就刚硬了。 14 如果我们把起初的信念坚持到底，就是有分于基督的人了。 |
| Don’t you see the danger? We could abandon our first love and fail to hold our original confidence in Christ firm to the end. Our love for Christ could grow cold. We could be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. |
你看到危险了吗？我们可能离弃我们起初的爱，起初对基督的信心没能坚守到底。我们对基督的爱可能变得冷淡。我们可能被罪的欺骗性蒙蔽变得心硬。 |
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| Sin is deceptive. It promises pleasures that only satisfy for a season (i.e., passing pleasures) and then kill you. They are like drinking salt water when you are famished. It may taste wet and refreshing but it will be worse for you. |
罪是有欺骗性的。它许诺一时满足的快感（即，转瞬即逝的快乐）然后杀了你。它们就像在你饥渴时给你喝盐水。盐水尝起来可能又湿又爽，但只会让你更渴。 |
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| So why would we do church discipline? We have not joined a club; we have entered a kingdom. If we do not believe that a person has entered Jesus’ kingdom, then the most loving thing that we can do is tell them plainly that they have permanently left the path of joy. They may be pursuing other things that they love and believe that it will bring them joy, but it will be only the passing pleasures of sin, not the permanent pleasures that are found in the presence of God. |
所以我们为什么要执行教会纪律？我们不是加入一个俱乐部，我们是进入一个国度。如果我们不相信一个人进入了耶稣的国度，那么我们能作的最有爱的事就是坦率地告诉他们，他们永久性地离开了喜乐的道路。他们可能正在追求别的事情，是他们所爱的，并相信它会给他们带来快乐，但那只是罪所带来的转瞬即逝的快感，不是在神的同在里才能找到的永恒的快乐。 |
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| Discipline tests how seriously we take the danger of the deceitfulness of sin. Engaging in unrepentant sin sensitizes the individual to sinning against Jesus in a way that says rebellion against Jesus and lack of love for Jesus is no big deal. That person becomes desensitized. If nothing is done about it, then the whole assembly becomes desensitized. |
教会纪律检验我们有多严肃认真地对待罪欺骗性的危险。卷入到拒不悔改的罪中就是让人更容易对耶稣犯罪，这相当于说背叛耶稣和缺乏对耶稣的爱没什么大不了的。那人就对罪脱敏了。如果对此不采取任何措施，那么整个会众就会对此脱敏。 |
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| Conclusion |
结语 |
| I was listening to a BBC radio show and they had a segment on business. They asked why people put up with jobs that they hate? They started talking about hostile workplace situations that become so familiar that people no longer are shocked by the dysfunction, injustice, and hostility. |
我常听BBC广播节目，他们有一个商业时段。他们问，人们为什么忍受自己所讨厌的工作？他们开始谈不友善的工作环境变得司空见惯，以致人们不再震惊于其中的弊病、不公和敌意。 |
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| The broadcaster gave an example: in a certain business, they would meet together and share ideas for how to grow the business. If someone shared an idea that the boss did not like, he would come over and tape their mouths shut. Can we agree that is dysfunctional? But it became so common that people thought it was normal. |
广播员举了个例子：在某项业务中，他们要聚在一起分享如何发展业务的想法。如果有人分享了一个想法，老板不喜欢，那他可能会过来让他们都闭嘴。我们能同意那是弊端，不是吗？但它是如此普遍，人们都习以为常。 |
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| She gave another example. One workplace situation was so hostile that people would regularly get into each other’s faces and even push each other. One time a person was in an argument with a coworker and the person bit their co-worker. Several people witnessed it, but then went back to their routine. What! That is crazy! |
她又举了个例子。有一个工作场所充满敌意，人们常常怒目相对，甚至推推搡搡。有一次一个人与同事吵架，那人咬了同事。好几个人目击了此事，但他们后来都各自回到自己的日常工作中去了。天啊！这太疯狂了！ |
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| The same is true of an assembly that begins to think that rebelling against Jesus is no big deal. Obviously, the sin or sin pattern must be outward, serious, and unrepentant. Outward in the sense that we are not in the domain of sins of the heart like greed or pride. These are sins that can be seen with the eyes and heard with the ears. The sin must be serious – serious enough to say that we would not expect a Christian to commit such a sin or a pattern of such a sin. Finally, the person must be unrepentant. The person has been confronted with God’s commands in Scripture and how it appears they have left the path of joy in Jesus to pursue their love affair with sin. By all appearances, the person looks they love their sin more than Jesus. |
这对一个教会来说也是一样的，他们会开始以为背叛耶稣没什么大不了的。显然，罪或罪的习性必须是外显的、严重的，且拒不悔改的。外显指的是我们不论断别人心里的罪，如贪婪或骄傲。外显的罪是能被眼睛看见，被耳朵听见的。罪必须是严重的——严重到我们会说料不到基督徒会犯这样的罪，或有这种罪的习性。最后，那人必须是拒不悔改的。那人已经被神写在圣经中的诫命当面对质过，看来他已经离开了耶稣里的喜乐之道，去与罪苟且偷欢。凭着所有这些表现，这人看来爱罪更甚于爱耶稣。 |
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| Discipline seeks to protect the body because sin will spread like leaven through a lump of dough or like cancer through the whole body. Listen to 1 Cor. 5:6-7. |
纪律用来保护教会身体，因为罪就像酵母一样会在面团里扩散，或像癌细胞扩散全身。请听哥林多前书5:6-7 |
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| 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened |
6 你们这样自夸是不好的。你们不知道一点面酵能使全团面发起来吗？ 7 你们既是无酵的面，就应当把旧酵除净，好让你们成为新的面团 |
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| The leaven – do not repent = sin is not a big deal. The opposite effect is for the people to stand in fear = sin is a big deal (judgment does not lead to smugness). I am afraid that we are in constant danger of losing an awe for the sacred. We read about Uzzah being struck down because he tried to keep the ark of the covenant from falling off the cart. We think to ourselves: isn’t that a little severe? We read about Aaron’s sons offering an authorized sacrifice and they were consumed with fire. We read about Ananias and Sapphira lying to the Holy Spirit and being struck down dead. We read about people in Corinth not celebrating the Lord’s Supper rightly and some getting sick and some being struck dead. We only think these things seem like an overreaction because we so drastically underappreciate, undervalue, and underestimate the awesome holiness of our God. John the apostle sees the risen Christ and falls down at his feet as though dead. We need to be re-sensitized to God’s great holiness and not allow the deceitfulness of sin to desensitize us and deceive us into thinking that sin is no big deal. There is a holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Let’s exhort one another every day to hold fast to our original confidence firm to the end and hold fast to our first love! Church discipline cleanses out the leaven of sin so that Jesus will not come along and remove the whole assembly (Rev. 2:5). |
面酵——拒不悔改 = 罪没什么大不了。相反的效果是让人们站在敬畏之中 = 罪是大事（审判不会让人沾沾自喜）。我害怕我们持续陷在对圣洁失去敬畏的危险之中。我们读到乌撒被击杀因为他试图扶住约柜以防它从车上掉下来（见撒母耳记下6:6-7）。我们扪心自问：这是不是有点过分严厉？我们读到亚伦的两个儿子献上凡火，就被火烧灭了（见利未记10:1）。我们读到亚拿尼亚和撒非拉对圣灵撒谎被当场击杀（见使徒行传5:1-11）。我们读到哥林多教会的人以不合适的态度领圣餐，有些就得病有些就死了（见哥林多前书11:20-34）。我们只会觉得这些事好像是过度反应，因为我们如此严重地低估、轻看、藐视我们神的圣洁。使徒约翰见到复活的基督，俯伏在祂脚下，就像死了一样（见启示录1:17）。我们需要对神伟大的圣洁重新敏感起来，不允许罪的欺骗性让我们脱敏，引诱我们把罪当作没什么大不了的。有一种圣洁，没有了它就没人能见到主。让我们天天彼此劝勉持定我们起初的信念坚持到底，坚持我们起初的爱！教会纪律清除罪的面酵，这样耶稣才不会来把整个教会拿掉（启示录2:5）。 |
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| Sermon Discussion Questions |
讲道讨论问题 |
| Sermon Text: Matthew 18:15-20 |
讲道经文：马太福音18:15-20 |
| Sermon Title: 20/20 Vision and Matthew 18 |
讲道标题：20/20异象与马太福音18章 |
| Main Point: The church is a gathered assembly of Jesus that has the keys of Jesus’ kingdom, the promise of Jesus’ guidance, and the power of Jesus’ presence. |
要点：教会是耶稣会众的聚会，拥有耶稣天国的钥匙、耶稣引导的应许，以及耶稣同在的权能。 |
| Outline |
纲要 |
| 1. The Process (v. 15-17) |
1.程序（15-17节） |
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| 2. The Promise (v. 18-20) |
2.应许（18-20节） |
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| Discussion Questions |
讨论问题 |
| 1. What is the process of church discipline in verses 15-17? What is the flow and focus of discipline? What is the function of the witnesses and the church? |
1.15-17节中教会纪律的程序是什么？执行纪律的流程和焦点是什么？证人和教会的作用是什么？ |
| 2. What is the unified message that the members convey in church discipline? |
2.在教会纪律中成员们传达的统一信息是什么？ |
| 3. How do the members send that message? |
3.会员们如何传递这个信息？ |
| 4. What is the goal of church discipline? |
4.教会纪律的目标是什么？ |
| 5. What is the promise of Jesus in church discipline? |
5.耶稣在教会纪律中的应许是什么？ |
| 6. What is the calling of the congregation in terms of overseeing one another’s confession of faith according to Hebrews 3:13? |
6.根据希伯来书3:13,在彼此监督信仰告白上会众的呼召是什么？ |
| Application Questions |
应用问题 |
| 1. What was your understanding of church discipline prior to the sermon? What are your thoughts now? Were there some new observations made or new questions raised? |
1.在这讲道之前你对教会纪律的理解是怎样的？你现在的想法是怎样？有没有得到什么新的观察或有什么新问题？ |
| 2. How firm is your hold on your original confidence (Hebrews 3:13)? Have you been exhorted by anyone this week? If so, what did they say? If not, what do you wish someone would say to you? |
2.你对起初的信念有多坚定（希伯来书3:13）？在这周有谁劝勉过你吗？如果有，他们说什么？如果没有，你希望有人对你说什么？ |
| 3. What part of this message do you need to share with someone this week? Is there someone you need to exhort? |
3.这篇信息的哪些部分你需要在这周分享给别人？有谁需要你来劝勉？ |
| Prayer Focus |
祷告聚焦 |
| Pray for a grace to watch over one another’s profession of faith in Christ Jesus. |
祈求恩典彼此监督在基督耶稣的信仰告白。 |
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