Restoring the Covenant Assembly: How Matthew 18 Redefines Church, Justice, and Community
What if Yeshua’s vision of ekklesia was never about hierarchy—but about a Spirit-filled covenant people?
Restoring the Covenant Assembly
How Matthew 18 Redefines Church, Justice, and Community
Earlier this month, white smoke rose from the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV became the 267th pontiff in a succession that, according to Catholic tradition, begins with the Apostle Peter and his confession in Matthew 16:
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”
But the word we read as church is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia—a word Yeshua Himself likely never used. Speaking to His disciples in a Hebraic context, He would have pointed them back to the ancient concept of the qahal—the assembly of Yah’s covenant people, gathered not under hierarchy or empire, but under His kingship.
When the Gospel writers translated His words for a Greek-speaking world, they used ekklesia to convey what Yeshua was restoring: not an institution, but a people—called out, set apart, and bound by covenant.
Shortly after Peter’s confession, Yeshua gathered His disciples privately in a house—likely Peter’s—and answered a very different question:
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
His answer wasn’t a lesson in leadership succession. It was a blueprint for a Kingdom community—one marked by humility, restoration, mercy, and righteous judgment. Not church policy. Covenant life.
Ekklesia and the Ancient Qahal
The Greek word ekklesia means called-out ones. It mirrors the Hebrew word qahal (קָהָל), the term used in the Torah for the gathered people of Israel—especially when gathered for covenant, justice, or worship.
Yeshua didn’t speak Greek to His disciples. He spoke the language of the prophets. When He said, “On this rock I will build My ekklesia,” He was restoring what Israel had lost—a community led not by religious hierarchy, but by the presence of the King.
And in Matthew 18, we see exactly how that community should live.
Six Foundations of the Covenant Assembly
What follows isn’t a sermon for the crowd—it’s a masterclass for the called. Yeshua lays out six vital teachings that define the life of His restored ekklesia.
👶 Be Child-“ish” (Matthew 18:1–6)
When the disciples asked about greatness, Yeshua brought a child into the room.
“Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom…”
Childlikeness is the gateway to covenant community. Humility, dependence, joy, and trust—not knowledge or power—are what Yeshua honors. Then comes the warning: if you cause one of these to stumble, judgment will follow.
The Greek word for “stumble” is skandalizō—to trap, corrupt, or spiritually mislead. The assembly must protect the humble, not exploit them.
✂️ Cut It Out (Matthew 18:7–9)
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off…”
Yeshua is calling for radical covenant integrity. In a holy assembly, sin can’t be managed—it must be removed. If your actions, habits, or influence lead others into sin, He says: cut it out before it spreads.
This echoes the Torah theme of karet—cutting off unrepentant sin from the camp (see Leviticus 18). Yah’s holiness is not optional—it’s protective.
🐑 Lost and Found (Matthew 18:10–14)
“It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish.”
Yeshua tells of a shepherd who leaves the 99 to rescue the 1. This is not just a story about personal salvation—it’s a rebuke of communal neglect. A covenant assembly pursues restoration with joy, not reluctance.
This fulfills Ezekiel 34:11–16, where Yah promises to seek His scattered sheep. In Yeshua, that Shepherd walks among us.
⚖️ Correctional Facility (Matthew 18:15–20)
Yeshua lays out the framework for covenant correction:
Confront the sin privately
Bring one or two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15)
Tell it to the ekklesia
If no repentance, treat them as outside the covenant
Then He adds:
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven…”
The authority once given to Peter is now extended to the whole faithful assembly. This is not clerical power. It’s the righteous authority of a Spirit-led community where Yeshua Himself stands among two or three gathered in His name—not for comfort, but for justice.
🔁 Unlimited Forgiveness (Matthew 18:21–22)
Peter asks if forgiving someone seven times is enough.
“Not seven... seventy times seven.”
In the Kingdom, forgiveness isn’t counted—it’s embodied. The ekklesia isn’t just a place of truth. It’s a place of unceasing mercy. Because we’ve been forgiven more than we’ll ever be asked to forgive.
💔 Forgiven Must Forgive (Matthew 18:23–35)
Yeshua tells a parable: a man is forgiven an enormous debt, but refuses to forgive a small one owed to him. The result? Judgment.
“Shouldn’t you have had mercy… as I had mercy on you?”
Mercy is the litmus test of covenant understanding. If we don’t extend it, we haven’t received it. Forgiveness isn’t optional—it’s proof we know the King.
🛠️ Practical Applications
1. Reimagine “Church” as Covenant
Stop thinking of church as an event. Start seeing it as a covenant people marked by humility, justice, and mercy.
2. Start the Hard Conversation
If you’re avoiding someone who sinned against you—or who you hurt—begin the Matthew 18 process: private, humble, and redemptive.
3. Forgive Like You’ve Been Forgiven
Don’t just forgive verbally—do it spiritually. Bless them. Release the debt. Ask Yah to soften your heart.
🧠 Discussion Questions
How does Yeshua’s childlike model for greatness contrast with church leadership today?
Why does He place justice and forgiveness side by side?
What makes His conflict-resolution process uniquely communal and covenantal?
How can we recover the spiritual authority of ekklesia without becoming rigid or legalistic?
Which of the six teachings is most challenging for you to live out this season—and why?
🙌 7-Day Practice: Living Covenant Together
Day 1 – Be Child-“ish”
🪞 For Yourself: Confess pride. Ask Yah for a teachable, dependent heart.
📖 Matthew 18:1–6, Psalm 131
Day 2 – Cut It Out
🙏 With Yah: Identify one habit that’s causing spiritual harm. Cut it off.
📖 Matthew 18:7–9, Romans 6
Day 3 – Lost and Found
🤝 For Others: Reach out to someone who’s drifted from community.
📖 Matthew 18:10–14, Ezekiel 34
Day 4 – Correctional Facility
🤝 For Others: Begin a restorative conversation.
📖 Matthew 18:15–20, Galatians 6:1–2
Day 5 – Unlimited Forgiveness
🪞 For Yourself: Write the name of someone you need to release. Pray for them.
📖 Matthew 18:21–22, Colossians 3:12–15
Day 6 – Forgiven Must Forgive
🙏 With Yah: Meditate on the mercy you’ve received. Ask to extend it.
📖 Matthew 18:23–35, Micah 6:6–8
Day 7 – Reflect and Recommit
🪞 For Yourself: Reread Matthew 18. Journal what Yah is calling you to change.
📖 Matthew 18
Coming Next Week…
Which commandment is truly the greatest?
Next week, we step into the dramatic final days of Yeshua’s ministry in Jerusalem, where religious leaders put Him to the test with one of the oldest debates in Israel: Of all the commandments in the Torah, which comes first? We’ll explore the meaning and history behind this challenge, the tradition of “613 commandments,” and why Yeshua’s answer—quoting the Shema—remains the unshakable foundation of biblical faith.
Don’t miss this journey into the heart of loyalty, love, and what it really means to put Yahweh first.