Plantation SDA Church

Deeper Theme: Forgiveness is a divine gift that we have to give to others the same way God gave it to us!

Who should make the 1st step toward reconciliation?

• You – the offender (?)

• You – the offended (?)

Why should I involve anybody in my contention?

• If reconciliation cannot happen, the conflict may go to the next level.

• Truth cannot be established unless there are witnesses.

• How many times? (70x7 = there’s no limit!)

What does it mean “like a heathen and a tax-collector”?

• What was Jesus’ attitude toward the heathen and the tax-collectors?

• Start over and introduce Jesus to them – the basics of the Gospel…

Are things bound or loosed in heaven according to what we bind or loose?

• …whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens (YLT).

• The other way around: the church executes what has been decided in heaven!

Doesn’t this passage refer to the forgiveness of sin offered by the church?


• Confessional

• Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

• Personal offense – the offended can forgive

•…in whom (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:14)

How about this passage?


John 20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

If of any ye may loose the sins, they are [have been] loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.' (Jn. 20:23 YLT)

Forgive what God has forgiven!

Don’t invent a different methods or criteria…

Is this for real?

• they ask…???

• Continue the phrase…

Take Away

• So that forgiveness and reconciliation will happen, I have to go!

• It is our privilege to execute God’s will; we shouldn’t expect Him to execute our will…