{"id":3827,"date":"2013-10-19T10:39:27","date_gmt":"2013-10-19T17:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/?p=3827"},"modified":"2014-08-23T15:28:35","modified_gmt":"2014-08-23T22:28:35","slug":"offense-versus-sin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/2013\/10\/19\/offense-versus-sin\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Up in Messiah: Offense Versus Sin \u2014 Are You a Spiritual Pouter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew 18:15, When your brother sins. <\/i><\/strong>Yeshua says that when your brother sins against you, you \u2018re to follow certain protocols to correct him in effort to restore him to spiritual relationship. Many people read this verse to mean that when your brother offends <\/i>you or hurts your feelings<\/i>, you\u2019re to go to him. This is not what Yeshua is saying here. He says, if your brother sins against you<\/i>. By biblical definition, sin is the violation of the law or Torah of Elohim (1 John 3:4). Therefore, if your brother lies to you, steals from you, or sexually violates your wife, you are to go to him, and possibly the church leaders \u2014 not if your brother offends you (hurts your feelings) in word or in deed. In this case, Yeshua instructs us elsewhere that we\u2019re to turn the other cheek, pray for our enemies, bless and not curse, and do good to them.<\/p>\n

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Here’s something my wife Sandi wrote that deals in more detail with this issue of offense among brothers.<\/p>\n

By Sandi Lawrence<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you heard someone say that they are claiming their Matthew 18 rights because they have been offended by this or that person? It\u2019s actually quite common and is often what is taught as how to handle offenses between brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are our Matthew 18 rights that we keep wanting to invoke? Let\u2019s look at this section that keeps getting called out…<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 18:15-17 (NASB) says…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 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. 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What does it address? Does this address if you are offended? Or does it address what to do if your brother is sinning; that is, he is going against Torah? Let’s not forget that the Bible defines sin as the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4).<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a common misappropriation of this instruction that every time we perceive that our brother (or sister) has offended us that we are to go and confront our brother about it. As an extreme (my opinion) but a real-life example, in our own congregation a couple brought to the elders that another man had tapped the husband on the opposite shoulder playfully and that it had been done too hard, so they were offended.<\/span><\/p>\n

How are we ever to get along as a body when we keep invoking our non-existent Matthew 18 \u201crights\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at how we are to respond when our brother sins against us (not necessarily just upsets us for some reason or another):<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen Peter came and said to Him, \u201cLord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?\u201d Jesus *said to him, \u201cI do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.\u201d Matthew 1:21, 22, NAS95<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. \u201cAnd if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, \u2018I repent,\u2019 forgive him.\u201d\u201d Luke 17:3, 4, NAS95.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. \u201cBut if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.\u201d Mark 11:25, 26, NAS95.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Often I have observed that when folks leave a congregation, usually in a huff, or when they are often upset and offended by others, that their spirit of offense is rooted in unforgiveness and lack of humility. Society teaches us to look out for \u201cme\u201d. Self is lifted up in importance and put before all others, and this is the real basis for squabbles and offense. Paul addresses this in his letter to the believers in Philippi:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore if there is any encouragement in Messiah, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, although He existed in the form of Elohim, did not regard equality with Elohim a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, Elohim highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Yeshua EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Yeshua HaMashiach is Master, to the glory of Elohim the Father.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is Elohim who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of Elohim above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Messiah I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.\u201d Philippians 2:1-18, NAS95.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And even with those not in the body, Yeshua instructs us in Matthew 5:38\u201339:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have heard that it was said, \u2018AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.\u2019 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In today\u2019s language, it might be said to just let it roll off your back or to just shine it on. And he continues:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. \u201cWhoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. \u201cGive to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. \u201cYou have heard that it was said, \u2018YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.\u2019 \u201cBut I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. \u201cFor if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? \u201cIf you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? \u201cTherefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.\u201d Matthew 5:40\u201348<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here’s what we are to do:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n