The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1300, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

What should be our attitude and action toward brethren who walk consistently disobedient to God’s Word, such as legalists, compromisers, the worldly, or the deceived?

Answer

Now, that’s a very important question. Our attitude towards those who continue to walk disorderly is very clearly indicated in the Scripture. But let me pull one word out of that question: the concept “legalist.” If, by the idea of legalist, you mean a Christian who is somewhat legalistic, the Bible very clearly tells us what our attitude is to be toward them. If you’re talking about an unbeliever who’s trying to work his way to heaven then that’s a whole different matter; you’re to tell him the truth of the gospel.

But I will assume that by “legalist,” you mean a Christian who is still living under the law. The answer to the question “how you treat a legalist” is in Romans, chapters 14 and 15. The legalist is called in Romans 14 and 15 “the weaker brother.” He is the legalist. He is unable to really understand his liberty in Christ, he is unable to exercise that liberty; he is easily offended by what a more liberated brother does.

In the early church, for example, there were many Jews that were saved. But when they became Christians, they still found it very difficult to do some of the things they were free to do, such as eat certain foods, such as violate certain feast rituals, such as do certain things on the Sabbath that they never had been able to but now were free to do, of course, in Christ the Sabbath was no longer a binding thing to them. But they could not exercise these freedoms. They were weaker brothers in that they were too weak to understand their own liberty. And they were very easily offended.

Some of the stronger brothers--some of those either Jewish Christians who had been saved for a longer time or Gentile Christians who never understood what legalism was anyway--were exercising all of their liberties in the face of these weaker brothers and causing them to stumble. And the weaker brothers were evaluating their testimony by saying, “Those people are not godly people, those people are not following God because they do this and this and this,” even though those things were not binding, in their conscience, they still were.

In Romans 14 and 15, he simply says, “There’s going to be difference. The weaker brother is going to have problems and the stronger brother is to take those to his attention.” Verse 6 opens it up to us: “He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord.” For example, if a guy wants to keep the Sabbath and he feels that’s right towards God, that’s his prerogative--he regards it to the Lord. “He that eats, eats to the Lord for he gives God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord, he eateth not and gives God thanks.” In other words, the guy who’s free to eat anything thanks God for it and eats it. The one who’s not, doesn’t, and thanks God he doesn’t eat it.

But the point is we are not to cause division in the body or stumbling in the body over such issues. It says in verse 12, “Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.” Verse 13 says, “Let us not, therefore, judge one another any more, but judge this rather: that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” If you have a weaker brother who doesn’t understand his liberty and he is somewhat legalistic and he wants to maintain certain legalistic laws, you are to be sure that you do not cause him to stumble.

In fact, in verse 15, it says, “If your brother is grieved with what you eat, then you’re not walking in love toward him.” Stop eating what you’re eating if it offends him. “Don’t destroy him, with your food, for whom Christ died and then your good would be evil spoken of for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Verse 21: “It is good neither to eat meat, drink wine, nor anything by which thy brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak!” Verse 1 of chapter 15: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak”--and here it comes--“and not to please,” whom? “Ourselves.” We never exercise our liberty to the detriment of somebody who doesn’t understand that freedom.

So, toward the legalistic brother, we have the obligation to be very loving, to be one, to be united with him. Verse 6 says that God wants us with one mind and one mouth to glorify him.

Now, on the other hand, what about a disobedient, worldly brother who continually, continually disobeys, continually compromises--what are we to do to him? Matthew, chapter 18 is the first passage. We’re going to look at these briefly so that we can move on. But Matthew, chapter 18, tells us how we regard a brother who is disorderly or who is continuing to be disobedient. Matthew 18:15 says, “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”

Now, you’ve got a sinning brother; the first thing to do is privately to go to him and tell him of his fault and if he listens to you and changes his behavior, you’ve gained a brother. Verse 16: “If he won’t hear you, take one or two more so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established.” Take two or three witnesses and again confront him with his sin. If he doesn’t hear, doesn’t alter it, the third procedure, verse 17, “If he neglects to hear, tell it to the church,” the highest court, the local assembly, “and if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man.”

You see what happens to somebody who fails to submit to the authority of the church? They actually render themselves as a pagan, outside the authority of the church. So there it tells you what to do with such a person: you are to go to him, then you are to go to him with two or three witnesses, then you are to bring it to the church. If he doesn’t hear, you are to treat him as an outsider.

To carry this a little bit further, turn to II Thessalonians 3:6. It says this: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that continues to walk disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us.” If somebody will not repent--he has been brought to the church, he does not accept the discipline of the church--you put him out, he is rendered as a pagan, you are to separate or withdraw yourselves from that brother, that walketh disorderly, for you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we behave not ourselves disorderly. In other words, you are to follow our example.

Verse 11: “We hear there are some who walk among you disorderly”--you say, “Oh boy, I wonder what kind of gross sins they’re doing… They had to be put out”--“they don’t want their busybodies.” You say, “Is that gross?” Gross enough to put them out of the church. Somebody who’s a lazy busybody. Wow. “Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread,” earn their own living, stay home, and eat their own meals. “You brethren, be not weary in well-doing, and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, have no company with him that he may be ashamed, yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him,” or warn him gently, “as a brother.”

Somebody who continues to walk disorderly, you are to go to that individual. If he doesn’t hear you, you and two others or one other are to go to him. If he still doesn’t hear you, you are to bring that to the attention of the leaders of the church. If the church cannot get out of him a change in behavior, the church is to dismiss him and treat him as a pagan who is outside the authority of the church. When that occurs, you are to sever your relationship with that man that he may be ashamed of his behavior.

You say, “But what’s going to happen to him?” Don’t worry about that; if he’s God’s child, God will take care of him.” He may, according to I Corinthians 5, come to the destruction of the flesh, but his soul will be saved because he belongs to God.

“Now, when you have no company with him, you count him not as an enemy yet, but you admonish him as,” what? Your warnings are always loving and gentle.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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