Matthew 18:15–20

¹⁵ “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. ¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Commentary

Vs. 15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”

The Lord Jesus now moves from the Shepherd seeking His lost sheep to instructing us on our responsibility when our brother (or sister) sins against us. Now the focus here is first and foremost on reconciliation; on our being willing to be reconciled to our brother. Which requires us being willing to go and tell our brother their fault and then our being willing to forgive their offense. However, in order for this reconciliation to take place our brother must also be willing to hear us. And so, in the next verses the Lord Jesus gives us instructions on what to do if our brother will not hear us.

The Lord Jesus now moves from the Shepherd seeking His lost sheep to instructing us on our responsibilities when our brother (or sister) sins against us. Now the focus here is first and foremost on reconciliation; on our being willing to be reconciled to each other. And so, when an offense occurs to us the Lord Jesus says that before we seek another believers’ intervention we must first go and tell our brother their fault alone. The idea being that settling a matter privately between us is much congruous with the Kingdom of heavens values then making it public issue if it need not be so, because it is a private matter between two brethren. Now in serious matters like a violent assault or rape having the immediate intervention of lawful authorities is quite obviously congruent with the kingdom of heavens values of upholding truth and justice, then trying to seek reconciliation with such a wicked person who has no right to call themselves a Christian if they commit such an act.

Vs. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’

Having then privately approached our brother (or sister) about their sin/offense, and yet if they are unwilling to hear us; that is, they refuse to acknowledge their offense; and or make restitution where needed; and thus, they remain firm that they have done nothing wrong. The Lord Jesus Christ says we are to go and take one or two more with us to them. Obviously, it is only at this point that we disclose the matter to another who having heard us is then willing to go with us to them. Now the reason for doing this is that in the Law of God a minimum of two witnesses are required before any word may be established. Therefore, in order to establish any word, one must bring one or two more brethren with them so that the Scripture is followed. Now reconciliation is still the goal, and is still available to the offender at this point, and so one still hopes that that this is the course of action that the offender will choose to take, to acknowledge their sin or offense, ask for forgiveness, and be reconciled to their brother.

Vs. 17 “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

Having then brought one or two more brethren with us to the brother (or sister) who committed the offense, and yet they refuse to hear them, it is only at this point that the matter is to be made known to the whole church; which itself then will act as a legal Body before God; in the matter. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ says, “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
Obviously, this is the most serious stage since in refusing to hear their church in regards to a matter in which they are a guilty party, they have by their own actions and hardness of heart put themselves outside of the fellowship of it. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ says if that is the case with such an individual, “let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” That is, they are to be considered an unbeliever and all church rights and privileges and fellowship is to be suspended from such an individual.

Vs. 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Here the Lord Jesus Christ establishes the church’s judicial authority and verdict in verse seventeen by saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Therefore, when such a verdict is rendered there is both earthly as well as heavenly consequences. For the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted His church to not only look out and care for His people, but when necessary administer His judgment. For it is the local church body that the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted with His judicial authority to govern its people and its affairs in all matters pertaining to the Kingdom of heaven until His return. Therefore, when a just verdict has been rendered by the church the Lord Jesus Christ says, “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Vs. 19-20 ¹⁹ “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Lord Jesus now established the churches authority which He defines as two or more believers, promising that, “… if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Now in verse twenty the Lord reveals His Divine Presence that is there with the church when two or three are gathered together in His Name; thus when the church either renders a judgment, or makes prayer to God, He is with us in these most critical and intimate moments.

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.