Heathen

Is there a place in the Bible where Jesus referred to a synagogue member as a heathen or a pagan? What is a heathen?  What is a pagan?

While attending the 2013 Jerusalem Conference, I was truly blessed by Professor Roy Blizzard as he shared on the biblical meaning of what believers refer to as the “church” in the New Testament writings. The modern-day church lacks in the description of the early church as the Bible mentions.  The believers of old were as one body. Today’s churches are fractured into over 4,000 organizations and denominations. Professor Blizzard stated that today’s messages are mostly going to Heaven, but a relationship with humankind is missing.  Emphasis placed on pleasing God, without a balanced teaching on building relationships with each other leaves much to be desired. The church’s number one goal should be to show the world the Christ-like love for each other. The world has seen how, church names separate us, denominations divide us, and our competition with one another keeps us from being effective witnesses of what we teach. Worse, is that Church competition is not about winning souls, but rather how much better we are than the other.

According to Professor Blizzard, almost everything Jesus taught his disciples related to repairing relationships.  Jesus taught them the proper response to their relatives, to strangers, and even their enemies. Professor Blizzard also pointed out during this time; religious leaders were more focused on building wealthy empires for themselves.  I believe that the Greek concept of “going to heaven” has preoccupied the church so much so that we have forgotten about the earthly mission.

Http://www.biblescholars.org/2013/04/about-dr-blizzard.html

Dr. Roy B. Blizzard is President of Bible Scholars, an Austin-based corporation dedicated to biblical research and education. He has a Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. A native of Joplin, Missouri, Dr. Blizzard attended Oklahoma Military Academy and has a B.A. degree from Philips University in Enid, Oklahoma. He has an M.A. degree from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico, an M.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Most Believers probably know what the following Scriptures have in common with each other:

“Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

Or

 “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Moreover, they may know whom Jesus was referring to when He used the term”???????” ethnikos {eth-nee-kos’} pagans, alien to the worship of the true God, heathenish 3a) of the pagan, the Gentile.

When these verses are placed back into its context, they tell a far different story than what many assume.

First of all, when a church brother or sister breaks fellowship and refuses to be reconciled.  Something is wrong with that person’s understanding of Christ’s teachings. The Scriptures call such a person, a heathen.

¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. (Mat 18:17 KJV)

Some in the Body of Christ may think that when they walk away from an offensive situation, God leads them away without any attempt for the matter to be settled. Has the Body of Christ become a network of broken relationships?  Does the Body of Christ still have wounds that are bleeding because no one wants to work through the Matthew, Chapter 18 process?

Now, here is the answer to the questions above. When placed back into its proper context, the Bible tells us who Jesus was referring to when He called that person a heathen.

In paraphrasing, “just leave that heathen and treat him/her as a pagan or as a corrupt tax collector.”

In other words, this individual was a member of the synagogue, but would not respond to any attempt of reconciliation.

Jesus is saying, “If you can get together in agreement with each other, He is there in the midst, as a third cord holding everyone together. Because, whatever is agreed upon in the Earth is echoed in Heaven.  The decision to lose a brother or bind up a sister on Earth is also opened to Heaven’s view. The narrative, here in the 18 chapter of the book of Matthew, was about a story of a synagogue member, who refuse to be reconciled. Jesus was teaching about the sin of holding grudges and the sin of resisting reconciliation.

The final answer to the first question is found in the entire chapter of Matthew 18. Jesus is teaching His disciples about the dangers of an unforgiving heart.

¹⁵ “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

¹⁶ But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

¹⁷ If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

¹⁸ “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

¹⁹ “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

²⁰ For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

²¹ Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! (Mat 18:15-22 NLT)

Here is the dreadful conclusion of body members who holds Un-forgiveness over the head of another body member. Matthew 18 says that that person awaits torment. While the fate of the person who refused to come together to be reconciled is clearly addressed in Matthew 18: 32-35, both characters of Jesus’ story awaits some type of judgment.

³² Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.

³³ Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

³⁴ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

³⁵ “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” (Mat 18:32-35 NLT)

So then, a heathen, may not be a person who just doesn’t believe in God, but perhaps, the heathen can also be a person who does not follow the instructions of God.