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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 18:15

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Moreover 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.

15. go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone ] See Lev 19:17, where the words “not suffer sin upon him,” mean “thou shalt not incur sin through him,” i. e. by letting him go on unrebuked in his sin. Tell him his fault, rather, convict him; the same Greek word is translated rebuke, Levit. loc. cit. St Luke has a different Greek word with a similar meaning.

gained ] i. e. won over to a better mind, to Christ. Cp. 1Co 9:19-22, and 1Pe 3:1.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15 35. Forgiveness of Sins. Luk 17:3-4

God’s forgiveness of sinners suggests the duty of forgiveness among men.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Moreover, if thy brother – The word brother, here, evidently means a fellow-professor of religion. Christians are called brethren because they belong to the same redeemed family, having a common Father – God; and because they axe united in the same feelings, objects, and destiny.

Trespass against thee – That is, injure thee in any way, by words or conduct. The original word means sin against thee. This may be done by injuring the character, person, or property.

Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone – This was required under the law, Lev 19:17. In the original it is go and reprove him. Seek an explanation of his conduct, and if he has done wrong, administer a friendly and brotherly reproof. This is required to be done alone:

1. That he may have an opportunity of explaining his conduct. In nine cases out of ten, where one supposes that he has been injured, a little friendly conversation would set the matter right and prevent difficulty.

2. That he may have an opportunity of acknowledging his offence or making reparation, if he has done wrong. Many would be glad of such an opportunity, and it is our duty to furnish it by calling on them.

3. That we may admonish them of their error if they have done an injury to the cause of religion. This should not be blazoned abroad. It can do no good – it does injury; it is what the enemies of religion wish. Christ is often wounded in the house of his friends; and religion, as well as an injured brother, often suffers by spreading such faults before the world.

Thou hast gained thy brother – To gain means, sometimes, to preserve or to save, 1Co 9:19. Here it means thou hast preserved him, or restored him, to be a consistent Christian. Perhaps it may include the idea, also, thou hast reconciled him to thyself – thou hast gained him as a Christian brother.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Mat 18:15; Mat 18:18

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee.

How to meet offences

Observe the method Christ has laid down-

I. The trespass supposed, whether accidental or designed. Whether it regards reputation, or property, or feelings, etc. Then, the direction given-

II. Seek a private interview. That he may explain, if possible. Better adapted for him to confess. More faithfully and affectionately admonished.

III. If this fail, take one or two more. Let them be unobjectionable, peaceable, prudent persons. These are to witness and aid by their counsel and influence. If this fail-

IV. Bring it to the church. Do so for these reasons:

1. For the offenders sake. He may hear the Church.

2. For Christianitys sake.

3. For the worlds sake, that they may see we are neither indifferent or malevolent. If he refuse to hear the Church, then he must-

V. Be removed from christian communion. This is the last act, and if this is rightly done, it is ratified in heaven (Mat 18:18). Do not let us neglect this order. You object He is not worthy of all this, etc.; This is troublesome, etc. But it is your duty; Christ demands it. (J. Burns, LL. D.)

Tell the offender his fault

A person came one day to see Mr. Longdon, of Sheffield, and said, I have something against you, and I am come to tell you of it. Do walk in, sir, he replied; you are my best friend. If I could but engage my friends to be faithful with me, I shall be sure to prosper. But, if you please, we will both pray in the first place, and ask the blessing of God upon our interview. After they rose from their knees, and had been much blessed together, he said, Now I will thank you, my brother, to tell me what it is you have against me. Oh, said the man, I really dont know what it is; it is all gone, and I believe I was in the wrong! (Anon.)

Private reproof

A reprover is like one that is taking a mote out of his brothers eye-now this must be done very tenderly. For this purpose it would be convenient, where it may be, that reproofs be given privately. If thy brother offend thee, tell him his fault between him and thee. The presence of many make him take up an unjust defence, who in private would have taken upon him a just shame. The open air makes sores to rankle-others crimes are not to be cried at the market. Private reproof is the best grave to bury private faults in. (Swinneck.)

Brotherly reproof

I. Whom are we to reprove? Our brother. This term, in general, comprehends all mankind.

II. For what are we to reprove our brother? It is for trespassing against us.

III. How we are to reprove.

1. Be sure that the person whom you are about to reprove is really guilty of the sin.

2. See that the sin, which you are about to reprove, be that heinous sin which you have taken it to be. We are not for every trifle to fly in the face of our brother, and to hale him before our tribunal.

3. When you are about to reprove a brother, you should consider whether there is any probability of your doing him any good by your reproofs. If the goldsmith were persuaded that his toil and sweat at the refining pot would answer no good but to injure his health, and perhaps to shorten his days, he would sooner break his utensils in pieces, and burst his bellows apart than engage in such unprofitable and unhealthy employment. Equally fruitless ii is to reprove some men. To reprove successfully requires no small degree of dexterity and penetration. It must be the combined work of a cool head, and a gracious compassionate heart.

4. When you are about to reprove a brother, go to him yourselves. Do not wait until he comes of his own accord to you.

5. He who would reprove with success, should be as unblemished as possible in his own conduct.

IV. For what end we are to reprove him. Not to please ourselves, or to gratify our private resentments-not to triumph over his infirmities or to display our superiority to him; not to insult him, or to make ourselves merry with his faults; but that we may win him over from the camp of the aliens, and restore him to his rightful owner. (Daniel Rowland.)

The necessity of ecclesiastical discipline

I. The gospel cannot be preserved without salt; nor-

II. Fraternal love without frankness; nor-

III. A particular Church without discipline; nor-

IV. The Church in general without a spirit of discipline. (J. P. Lange.)

Correction of fault a duty

He who sees his brother commit a sin and keeps silence, is equally in fault with him who does not forgive him who repents. The very elements teach us the benefit of this correction. For so fire chastises, and by burning purifies the air. The air by the blasts of winds chastises and purifies the water. In like manner, so does the water the earth. There can be no Christian charity in any one unless he afford the medicine of correction to an erring brother. (Anon.)

Private admonition best

It is true open sinners deserve open censures; but private admonitions will best suit private offences. While we seek to heal a wound in our brothers actions, we should be careful not to leave a scar upon his person. We give grains of allowance in all current coin. That is a choice friend who conceals our faults from the view of others, and yet discovers them to our own. That medicine which rouses the evil burnouts of the body, and does not carry them off, only leaves it in a worse condition than it found it. (Archbishop Secker.)

Do not parade other peoples faults

They are fittest to find fault in whom there is no fault to be found. There is no removing blots from the paper by laying upon them a blurred finger. What do you get by throwing stones at your enemys windows while your own children look out at the casements? He that blows into a heap of dust is in danger of putting out his own eyes. (Archbishop Secker.)

Test of friendship

It is one of the severest tests of friendship to tell your friend of his faults. If you are angry with a man, or hate him, it is not hard to go to him and stab him with words; but so to love a man that you cannot bear to see the stain of sin upon him, and to speak painful truth through loving words-that is friendship. But few have such friends. Our enemies usually teach us what we are at the point of the sword. (H. W. Beecher.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 15. If thy brother] Any who is a member of the same religious society, sin against thee, 1. Go and reprove him alone, – it may be in person; if that cannot be so well done, by thy messenger, or in writing, (which in many cases is likely to be the most effectual.) Observe, our Lord gives no liberty to omit this, or to exchange it for either of the following steps. If this do not succeed,

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Our Saviour very appositely addeth this to his former discourse concerning avoiding offences, that none might think that by the former doctrine he had made void the law, Lev 19:17, which commanded all in any wise to rebuke their neighbour, and not to suffer sin upon him, pretending that it was their duty in some cases to offend any person by that law. He here telleth them that he would not be so understood, as if they might not tell offenders of their sins for fear of offending them, this had been to have withheld charity from their souls under a pretence of charity. Only in these reproofs we must keep an order, which order he here prescribes.

1. Doing it privately, between them and him alone.

2. If that had not its effect, then taking two or three with them.

3. If that also proved ineffectual, then telling it to the church.

4. If that he would not hear the church, then, let him be unto thee (saith Christ) as an heathen and a publican.

If thy brother shall trespass against thee. By brother here he meaneth any Christian; for what hath the church to do to judge those that are without? 1Co 5:12.

Trespass against thee. Some interpret this of offences done so privately, that none else knoweth them but one single person; but it is objected, that then there needed no going to him, much less were there need of any witnesses, for they could prove nothing. Others therefore understand the precept of private injuries, which are in mans power to forgive, Luk 17:3. Others think such injuries are primarily intended, but yet the precept is not to be restrained to them, but to be understood of all offences, whether against God, ourselves, or our neighbours; and that our Saviour useth this term against thee only to distinguish the offences he is here speaking of from public scandals; for, 1Ti 5:20, it appeareth to be the will of God, that public and open sinners should be rebuked before all, that others may fear. The rule therefore seemeth to be given concerning private miscarriages; not such only as are done in the sight or hearing of a single person, but such as are not the matter of public fame, nor openly committed before a multitude, but being committed more secretly, are come only to the knowledge of some particular person or persons. In such cases it is the will of God, not that we should blazon and publish them, but, being certain that any Christian hath so offended, it is our duty first to go to him, and tell him of it; that is, not only tell him what thou knowest, or hast heard in matter of fact, that he hath spoken or done, but show him also the sinfulness of it.

If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; that is, if he confesseth the sin, and be brought to a sight of it, a sorrow for it, and a resolution against it for the time to come, thou hast gained the soul of thy brother.

But if he will not hear thee, if he either denieth the matter of fact, that he did such a thing, or (admitting that) standeth to justify the fact, as what he might do, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established: one or two more, either such as may be of more authority with him, whose words may probably be of more weight than thine with him, or who may witness the matter of fact if it be denied, or at least witness by charitable admonition of him, and his contumacy, if he refuseth to hearken to thee, and to repent and reform. What was the law of God in civil and judicial causes, Deu 19:15,

God would have observed in ecclesiastical causes: One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. And so the words in Matthew should be translated, or at least understood; every word, that is, every matter, be confirmed.

And if he shall neglect to hear them; either refuse to speak with them, or to suffer them to speak with him; or, hearing them with his ears, if he persists to deny the fact, or to justify the fact, as if it were no sin, or go on still in the same course; (all these things are to be understood by the term of not hearing); if he shall not hear them, tell it to the church. That the term church is a noun of multitude is evident, and therefore cannot be understood of any particular person. Some would by the church here understand the political magistrate; but as this sense is embraced by very few, so it is very improbable that our Saviour should send Christians in that age to the civil magistrates, when they were all great haters and persecutors of the Christian religion, especially in cases that were not punishable by the judges; for no deliberate person will say, that the offences mentioned in this text were all of that nature as a civil judicature might take notice of them. Others say, that by the church is here meant the Jewish court called the Sanhedrim, which had a mixed cognizance, both of civil and ecclesiastical causes. There are three prejudices against this:

1. That the Jewish court was never in Scripture called Ekklhsia.

2. That it is not probable that our Saviour would direct Christians to go to the Jewish courts in such cases.

3. That the Sanhedrim was too great a court to be troubled with all scandals, though they did take cognizance of some things in religion, which were of a grand concern; such as blasphemy, idolatry, false prophets, &c.

Others therefore understand it of the Christian church. Against this opinion there is this great prejudice, that there was no such thing in being at that time; but I take this to be a lighter objection than those against the two other opinions:

a) Because we need not understand our Saviour speaking with relation to the present time, but the time to come, and giving laws which should take place and abide from the gathering of the Christian church to the end of the world.

b) Nor is it necessary that we should take the term church here in the strict sense, in which it is most generally used in the Scriptures of the New Testament for the general notion of the word is only a company of people called together; and in this sense, Tell the church, is no more than, Tell the multitude, make his crime more public: now what that multitude was which our Saviour meant, would easily be understood when the churches came to be formed.

But the next verse will make it more plain; Mat 18:18, Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, &c. By the church then must be meant those who had power to bind and loose. Now though at this time there was no particular church formed, yet there were some who had a power to bind and loose. Christ had given such a power to his apostles. These were the present church, and at this time in being. They were afterwards to constitute particular churches, to whom, (when constituted), in force of this precept, such offences were to be told. There are yet further disputes, whether this offence and contumacy be to be told only to the rulers, or to the multitude. I say, to the whole church, but first to the rulers, then by them to the multitude, not to judge of it, but for their consent in casting a person out of the communion of the church. Thus the incestuous person was first accused to Paul, then cast out by the consent of the whole church, 1Co 5:3-5. For it is unreasonable to think that people should deny communion to any without knowing a justifiable cause; and to no purpose for rulers in a church to cast one out of its communion with whom the members will have communion.

If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican; that is, esteem him as a vile person, for so they esteemed all heathens and publicans. How far this could reach beyond having an intimacy of civil communion with them, and a communion with them in the sacrament, I cannot understand; for as Christians were licensed to a civil commerce with heathens and publicans, so neither were heathens and publicans ever, that we read of in holy writ, denied the benefit of their prayers, and hearing the apostles preach. I am very well satisfied, that the primitive church did not deny to persons excommunicated liberty to be present at the prayers of the church, but it was long after the apostles times, and whether grounded upon any practice of theirs I much doubt. Christians had a liberty to pray for any who had not sinned the sin unto death: that they might not be present at such prayers I cannot learn from any thing in holy writ.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

15. Moreover, if thy brother shalltrespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and himalone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother,c.Probably our Lord had reference still to the late dispute, Whoshould be the greatest? After the rebukeso gentle and captivating,yet so dignified and divineunder which they would doubtless besmarting, perhaps each would be saying, It was not I thatbegan it, it was not I that threw out unworthy and irritatinginsinuations against my brethren. Be it so, says our Lord but as suchthings will often arise, I will direct you how to proceed. First,Neither harbor a grudge against your offending brother, nor breakforth upon him in presence of the unbelieving; but take him aside,show him his fault, and if he own and make reparation for it, youhave done more service to him than even justice to yourself. Next,If this fail, take two or three to witness how just your complaintis, and how brotherly your spirit in dealing with him. Again,If this fail, bring him before the Church or congregation to whichboth belong. Lastly, If even this fail, regard him as nolonger a brother Christian, but as one “without”as theJews did Gentiles and publicans.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee,…. This is said to show, that as on the one hand, if any of those that believe in Christ, should commit a trespass against his fellow Christian, his sin is not to be connived at, for fear of offending him; for what Christ has before said, is not to be taken in such sense, as to prevent private reproof, or public censures, when there is occasion for them; so on the other hand, he is not to be despised and ill used, and treated in the same injurious manner; but gentle reproofs are to be made use of, for his good. This is spoken not to the apostles as such, but as believers in Christ; and concerns everyone that stands in the relation of a brother, or church member to each other, and only such; for they that are without, do not fall under their notice, nor are they obliged to take, nor can they take altogether, the same methods with them. This rule respects sins committed by one brother against another, either in word or deed; or such as are of a private nature, and which one only, or at least but few, are acquainted with: in such cases the advice is,

go and tell him his fault between thee, and him alone; do not wait for his coming to thee, as being the aggressor, to acknowledge his fault, testify his repentance, express his sorrow for his sin, and ask pardon: but go to him, and freely and faithfully lay his sin before him; but do not aggravate it, and reproach him with it, and bear hard on him for it, but gently rebuke and reprove him: let this be done in the most private manner; let none be present, nor any know of it, even the most intimate friend and acquaintance:

if he shall hear thee; patiently, take your reproof kindly, acknowledge his offence, declare his hearty sorrow for it, and desire it might be overlooked, and reconciliation made:

thou hast gained thy brother; recovered him from the error of his ways, restored him to his duty, and secured his friendship, and interest in his favour; nor should any mention be made of this ever after, either to him, or any other, or to the church.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Removal of Offences.

15 Moreover 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. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 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. 18 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. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Christ, having cautioned his disciples not to give offence, comes next to direct them what they must do in case of offences given them; which may be understood either of personal injuries, and then these directions are intended for the preserving of the peace of the church; or of public scandals, and then they are intended for the preserving of the purity and beauty of the church. Let us consider it both ways.

I. Let us apply it to the quarrels that happen, upon any account, among Christians. If thy brother trespass against thee, by grieving thy soul (1 Cor. viii. 12), by affronting thee, or putting contempt or abuse upon thee; if he blemish thy good name by false reports or tale-bearing; if he encroach on thy rights, or be any way injurious to thee in thy estate; if he be guilty of any of those trespasses that are specified, Lev 6:2; Lev 6:3; if he transgress the laws of justice, charity, or relative duties; these are trespasses against us, and often happen among Christ’s disciples, and sometimes, for want of prudence, are of very mischievous consequence. Now observe what is the rule prescribed in this case,

1. Go, and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. Let this be compared with, and explained by, Lev. xix. 17, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; that is, “If thou hast conceived a displeasure at thy brother for any injury he hath done thee, do not suffer thy resentments to ripen into a secret malice (like a wound, which is most dangerous when it bleed inwardly), but give vent to them in a mild and grave admonition, let them so spend themselves, and they will expire the sooner; do not go and rail against him behind his back, but thou shalt in any ways reprove him. If he has indeed done thee a considerable wrong, endeavour to make him sensible of it, but let the rebuke be private, between thee and him alone; if thou wouldest convince him, do not expose him, for that will but exasperate him, and make the reproof look like a revenge.” this agrees with Pro 25:8; Pro 25:9, “Go not forth hastily to strive, but debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself, argue it calmly and amicably; and if he shall hear thee, well and good, thou hast gained thy brother, there is an end of the controversy, and it is a happy end; let no more be said of it, but let the falling out of friends be the renewing of friendship.”

2. “If he will not hear thee, if he will not own himself in a fault, nor come to an agreement, yet do not despair, but try what he will say to it, if thou take one or two or more, not only to be witnesses of what passes, but to reason the case further with him; he will be the more likely to hearken to them because they are disinterested; and if reason will rule him, the word of reason in the mouth of two or three witnesses will be better spoken to him” (Plus vident oculi quam oculus–Many eyes see more than one), “and more regarded by him, and perhaps it will influence him to acknowledge his error, and to say, I repent.“

3. “If he shall neglect to hear them, and will not refer the matter to their arbitration, then tell it to the church, to the ministers, elders, or other officers, or the most considerable persons in the congregation you belong to, make them the referees to accommodate the matter, and do not presently appeal to the magistrate, or fetch a writ for him.” This is fully explained by the apostle (1 Cor. vi.), where he reproves those that went to law before the unjust, and not before the saints (v. 1), and would have the saints to judge those small matters (v. 2) that pertain to this life, v. 3. If you ask, “Who is the church that must be told?” the apostle directs there (v. 5), Is there not a wise man among you? Those of the church that are presumed to be most capable of determining such matters; and he speaks ironically, when he says (v. 4), “Set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church; those, if there be no better, those, rather than suffer an irreconcileable breach between two church members.” This rule was then in a special manner requisite, when the civil government was in the hands of such as were not only aliens, but enemies.

4. “If he will not hear the church, will not stand to their award, but persists in the wrong he has done thee, and proceeds to do thee further wrong, let him be to thee as a heathen man, and a publican; take the benefit of the law against him, but let that always be the last remedy; appeal not to the courts of justice till thou hast first tried all other means to compromise the matter in variance. Or thou mayest, if thou wilt, break off thy friendship and familiarity with him; though thou must by no means study revenge, yet thou mayest choose whether thou wilt have any dealings with him, at least, in such a way as may give him an opportunity of doing the like again. Thou wouldest have healed him, wouldest have preserved his friendship, but he would not, and so has forfeited it.” If a man cheat and abuse me once, it is his fault; if twice, it is my own.

II. Let us apply it to scandalous sins, which are an offence to the little ones, of bad example to those that are weak and pliable, and of great grief to those that are weak and timorous. Christ, having taught us to indulge the weakness of our brethren, here cautions us not to indulge their wickedness under pretence of that. Christ, designing to erect a church for himself in the world, here took care for the preservation, 1. Of its purity, that it might have an expulsive faculty, a power to cleanse and clear itself, like a fountain of living waters, which is necessary as long as the net of the gospel brings up both good fish and bad. 2. Of its peace and order, that every member may know his place and duty, and the purity of it may be preserved in a regular way and not tumultuously. Now let us see,

(1.) What is the case supposed? If thy brother trespass against thee. [1.] “The offender is a brother, one that is in Christian communion, that is baptized, that hears the word, and prays with thee, with whom thou joinest in the worship of God, statedly or occasionally.” Note, Church discipline is for church members. Them that are without God judges,1Co 5:12; 1Co 5:13. When any trespass is done against us, it is good to remember that the trespasser is a brother, which furnishes us with qualifying consideration. [2.] “The offense is a trespass against thee; if thy brother sin against thee (so the word is), if he do any thing which is offensive to thee as a Christian.” Note, A gross sin against God is a trespass against his people, who have a true concern for his honour. Christ and believers have twisted interests; what is done against them Christ takes as done against himself, and what is done against him they cannot but take as done against themselves. The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me, Ps. lxix. 9.

(2.) What is to be done in this case. We have here,

[1.] The rules prescribed, v. 15-17. Proceed in this method:

First, “Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. Do not stay till he comes to thee, but go to him, as the physician visits the patient, and the shepherd goes after the lost sheep.” Note, We should think no pains too much to take for the recovering of a sinner to repentance. “Tell him his fault, remind him of what he has done, and of the evil of it, show him his abominations.” Note, People are loth to see their faults, and have need to be told of them. Though the fact is plain, and the fault too, yet they must be put together with application. Great sins often amuse conscience, and for the present stupify and silence it; and there is need of help to awaken it. David’s own heart smote him, when he had cut off Saul’s skirt, and when he had numbered the people; but (which is very strange) we do not find that it smote him in the matter of Uriah, till Nathan told him, Thou art the man.

“Tell him his fault, elenxon auton—argue the case with him” (so the word signifies); “and do it with reason and argument, not with passion.” Where the fault is plain and great, the person proper for us to deal with, and we have an opportunity for it, and there is no apparent danger of doing more hurt than good, we must with meekness and faithfulness tell people of what is amiss in them. Christian reproof is an ordinance of Christ for the bringing of sinners to repentance, and must be managed as an ordinance. “Let the reproof be private, between thee and him alone; that it may appear you seek not his reproach, but his repentance.” Note, It is a good rule, which should ordinarily be observed among Christians, not to speak of our brethren’s faults to others, till we have first spoken of them to themselves, this would make less reproaching and more reproving; that is, less sin committed, and more duty done. It will be likely to work upon an offender, when he sees his reprover concerned not only for his salvation, in telling him his fault, but for his reputation in telling him of it privately.

“If he shall hear thee” –that is, “heed thee–if he be wrought upon by the reproof, it is well, thou hast gained thy brother; thou hast helped to save him from sin and ruin, and it will be thy credit and comfort,” Jas 5:19; Jas 5:20. Note, The converting of a soul is the winning of that soul (Prov. xi. 30); and we should covet it, and labour after it, as gain to us; and, if the loss of a soul be a great loss, the gain of a soul is sure no small gain.

Secondly, If that doth not prevail, then take with thee one or two more, v. 16. Note, We must not be weary of well-doing, though we see not presently the good success of it. “If he will not hear thee, yet do not give him up as in a desperate case; say not, It will be to no purpose to deal with him any further; but go on in the use of other means; even those that harden their necks must be often reproved, and those that oppose themselves instructed in meekness.” In work of this kind we must travail in birth again (Gal. iv. 19); and it is after many pains and throes that the child is born.

“Take with thee one or two more; 1. To assist thee; they may speak some pertinent convincing word which thou didst not think of, and may manage the matter with more prudence than thou didst.” note, Christians should see their need of help in doing good, and pray in the aid one of another; as in other things, so in giving reproofs, that the duty may be done, and may be done well. 2. “To affect him; he will be the more likely to be humbled for his fault, when he sees it witnessed against by two or three.” Deut. xix. 15. Note, Those should think it high time to repent and reform, who see their misconduct become a general offence and scandal. Though in such a world as this it is rare to find one good whom all men speak well of, yet it is more rare to find one good whom all men speak ill of. 3. “To be witnesses of his conduct, in case the matter should afterward be brought before the church.” None should come under the censure of the church as obstinate and contumacious, till it be very well proved that they are so.

Thirdly, If he neglect to hear them, and will not be humbled, then tell it to the church, v. 17. There are some stubborn spirits to whom the likeliest means of conviction prove ineffectual; yet such must not be given over as incurable, but let the matter be made more public, and further help called in. Note, 1. Private admonitions must always go before public censures; if gentler methods will do the work, those that are more rough and severe must not be used, Tit. iii. 10. Those that will be reasoned out of their sins, need not be shamed out of them. Let God’s work be done effectually, but with as little noise as may be; his kingdom comes with power, but not with observation. But, 2. Where private admonition does not prevail, there public censure must take place. The church must receive the complaints of the offended, and rebuke the sins of the offenders, and judge between them, after an impartial enquiry made into the merits of the cause.

Tell it to the church. It is a thousand pities that this appointment of Christ, which was designed to end differences, and remove offences, should itself be so much a matter of debate, and occasion differences and offences, through the corruption of men’s hearts. What church must be told–is the great question. The civil magistrate, say some; The Jewish sanhedrim then in being, say others; but by what follows, v. 18, it is plain that he means a Christian church, which, though not yet formed, was now in the embryo. “Tell it to the church, that particular church in the communion of which the offender lives; make the matter known to those of that congregation who are by consent appointed to receive informations of that kind. Tell it to the guides and governors of the church, the minister or ministers, the elders or deacons, or (if such the constitution of the society be) tell it to the representatives or heads of the congregation, or to all the members of it; let them examine the matter and, if they find the complaint frivolous and groundless, let them rebuke the complainant; if they find it just, let them rebuke the offender, and call him to repentance, and this will be likely to put an edge and an efficacy upon the reproof, because given,” 1. “With greater solemnity,” and, 2. “With greater authority.” It is an awful thing to receive a reproof from a church, from a minister, a reprover by office; and therefore it is the more regarded by such as pay any deference to an institution of Christ and his ambassadors.

Fourthly, “If he neglect to hear the church, if he slight the admonition, and will neither be ashamed of his faults, nor amend them, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and publican; let him be cast out of the communion of the church, secluded from special ordinances, degraded from the dignity of a church member, let him be put under disgrace, and let the members of the society be warned to withdraw from him, that he may be ashamed of his sin, and they may not be infected by it, or made chargeable with it.” Those who put contempt on the orders and rules of a society, and bring reproach upon it, forfeit the honours and privileges of it, and are justly laid aside till they repent and submit, and reconcile themselves to it again. Christ has appointed this method for the vindicating of the church’s honour, the preserving of its purity, and the conviction and reformation of those that are scandalous. But observe, he doth not say, “Let him be to thee as a devil or damned spirit, as one whose case is desperate,” but “as a heathen and a publican, as one in a capacity of being restored and received in again. Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” The directions given to the church of Corinth concerning the incestuous person, agree with the rules here; he must be taken away from among them (1 Cor. v. 2), must be delivered to Satan; for if he be cast out of Christ’s kingdom, he is looked upon as belonging to Satan’s kingdom; they must not keep company with him, Mat 18:11; Mat 18:13. But when by this he is humbled and reclaimed, he must be welcomed into communion again, and all shall be well.

[2.] Here is a warrant signed for the ratification of all the church’s proceedings according to these rules, v. 18. What was said before to Peter is here said to all the disciples, and in them to all the faithful office-bearers in the church, to the world’s end. While ministers preach the word of Christ faithfully, and in their government of the church strictly adhere to his laws (clave non errante–the key not turning the wrong way), they may be assured that he will own them, and stand by them, and will ratify what they say and do, so that it shall be taken as said and done by himself. He will own them,

First, In their sentence of suspension; Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. If the censures of the church duly follow the institution of Christ, his judgments will follow the censures of the church, his spiritual judgments, which are the sorest of all other, such as the rejected Jews fell under (Rom. xi. 8), a spirit of slumber; for Christ will not suffer his own ordinances to be trampled upon, but will say amen to the righteous sentences which the church passes on obstinate offenders. How light soever proud scorners may make of the censures of the church, let them know that they are confirmed in the court of heaven; and it is in vain for them to appeal to that court, for judgment is there already given against them. They that are shut out from the congregation of the righteous now shall not stand in it in the great day, Ps. i. 5. Christ will not own those as his, nor receive them to himself, whom the church has duly delivered to Satan; but, if through error or envy the censures of the church be unjust, Christ will graciously find those who are so cast out, Joh 9:34; Joh 9:35.

Secondly, In their sentence of absolution; Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Note, 1. No church censures bind so fast, but that, upon the sinner’s repentance and reformation, they may and must be loosed again. Sufficient is the punishment which has attained its end, and the offender must then be forgiven and comforted, 2 Cor. ii. 6. There is no unpassable gulf fixed but that between hell and heaven. 2. Those who, upon their repentance, are received by the church into communion again may take the comfort of their absolution in heaven, if their hearts be upright with God. As suspension is for the terror of the obstinate, so absolution is for the encouragement of the penitent. St. Paul speaks in the person of Christ, when he saith, To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also, 2 Cor. ii. 10.

Now it is a great honour which Christ here puts upon the church, that he will condescend not only to take cognizance of their sentences, but to confirm them; and in the following verses we have two things laid down as ground of this.

(1.) God’s readiness to answer the church’s prayers (v. 19); If two of you shall agree harmoniously, touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them. Apply this,

[1.] In general, to all the requests of the faithful praying seed of Jacob; they shall not seek God’s face in vain. Many promises we have in scripture of a gracious answer to the prayers of faith, but this gives a particular encouragement to the joint-prayer; “the requests which two of you agree in, much more which many agree in.” No law of heaven limits the number of petitioners. Note, Christ has been pleased to put an honour upon, and to allow a special efficacy in, the joint-prayers of the faithful, and the common supplications they make to God. If they join in the same prayer, if they meet by appointment to come together to the throne of grace on some special errand, or, though at a distance, agree in some particular matter of prayer, they shall speed well. Besides the general regard God has to the prayers of the saints, he is particularly pleased with their union and communion in those prayers. See 2Ch 5:13; Act 4:31.

[2.] In particular, to those requests that are put up to God about binding and loosing; to which this promise seems more especially to refer. Observe, First, That the power of church discipline is not here lodged in the hand of a single person, but two, at least, are supposed to be concerned in it. When the incestuous Corinthian was to be cast out, the church was gathered together (1 Cor. v. 4), and it was a punishment inflicted of many, 2 Cor. ii. 6. In an affair of such importance, two are better than one, and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Secondly, It is good to see those who have the management of church discipline, agreeing in it. Heats and animosities, among those whose work it is to remove offences, will be the greatest offence of all. Thirdly, Prayer must evermore go along with church discipline. Pass no sentence, which you cannot in faith ask God to confirm. The binding and loosing spoken of (ch. xvi. 19) was done by preaching, this by praying. Thus the whole power of gospel ministers is resolved into the word and prayer, to which they must wholly give themselves. He doth not say, “If you shall agree to sentence and decree a thing, it shall be done” (as if ministers were judges and lords); but, “If you agree to ask it of God, from him you shall obtain it.” Prayer must go along with all our endeavours for the conversion of sinners; see Jas. v. 16. Fourthly, The unanimous petitions of the church of God, for the ratification of their just censures, shall be heard in heaven, and obtain an answer; “It shall be done, it shall be bound and loosed in heaven; God will set his fiat to the appeals and applications you make to him.” If Christ (who here speaks as one having authority) say, “It shall be done,” we may be assured that it is done, though we see not the effect in the way that we look for it. God doth especially own and accept us, when we are praying for those that have offended him and us. The Lord turned the captivity of Job, not when he prayed for himself, but when he prayed for his friends who had trespassed against him.

(2.) The presence of Christ in the assemblies of Christians, v. 20. Every believer has the presence of Christ with him; but the promise here refers to the meetings where two or three are gathered in his name, not only for discipline, but for religious worship, or any act of Christian communion. Assemblies of Christians for holy purposes are hereby appointed, directed, and encouraged.

[1.] They are hereby appointed; the church of Christ in the world exists most visibly in religious assemblies; it is the will of Christ that these should be set up, and kept up, for the honour of God, the edification of men, and the preserving of a face of religion upon the world. When God intends special answers to prayer, he calls for a solemn assembly, Joe 2:15; Joe 2:16. If there be no liberty and opportunity for large and numerous assemblies, yet then it is the will of God that two or three should gather together, to show their good-will to the great congregation. Note, When we cannot do what we would in religion, we must do as we can, and God will accept us.

[2.] They are hereby directed to gather together in Christ’s name. In the exercise of church discipline, they must come together in the name of Christ, 1 Cor. v. 4. That name gives to what they do an authority on earth, and an acceptableness in heaven. In meeting or worship, we must have an eye to Christ; must come together by virtue of his warrant and appointment, in token of our relation to him, professing faith in him, and in communion with all that in every place call upon him. When we come together, to worship God in a dependence upon the Spirit and grace of Christ as Mediator for assistance, and upon his merit and righteousness as Mediator for acceptance, having an actual regard to him as our Way to the Father, and our Advocate with the Father, then we are met together in his name.

[3.] They are hereby encouraged with an assurance of the presence of Christ; There am I in the midst of them. By his common presence he is in all places, as God; but this is a promise of his special presence. Where his saints are, his sanctuary is, and there he will dwell; it is his rest (Ps. cxxxii. 14), it is his walk (Rev. ii. 1); he is in the midst of them, to quicken and strengthen them, to refresh and comfort them, as the sun in the midst of the universe. He is in the midst of them, that is, in their hearts; it is a spiritual presence, the presence of Christ’s Spirit with their spirits, that is here intended. There am I, not only I will be there, but I am there; as if he came first, is ready before them, they shall find him there; he repeated this promise at parting (ch. xxviii. 20), Lo, I am with you always. Note, The presence of Christ in the assemblies of Christians is promised, and may in faith be prayed for and depended on; There am I. This is equivalent to the Shechinah, or special presence of God in the tabernacle and temple of old, Exo 40:34; 2Ch 5:14.

Though but two or three are met together, Christ is among them; this is an encouragement to the meeting of a few, when it is either, First, of choice. Besides the secret worship performed by particular persons, and the public services of the whole congregation, there may be occasion sometimes for two or three to come together, either for mutual assistance in conference or joint assistance in prayer, not in contempt of public worship, but in concurrence with it; there Christ will be present. Or, Secondly, By constraint; when there are not more than two or three to come together, or, if there be, they dare not, for fear of the Jews, yet Christ will be in the midst of them, for it is not the multitude, but the faith and sincere devotion, of the worshippers, that invites the presence of Christ; and though there be but two or three, the smallest number that can be, yet, it Christ make one among them, who is the principal one, their meeting is as honourable and comfortable as if they were two or three thousand.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

If thy brother sin against thee ( ). Literally, commit a sin (ingressive aorist subjunctive of ). Aleph B Sahidic do not have “against thee” ( ).

Shew him his fault (). Such private reproof is hard to do, but it is the way of Christ.

Thou hast gained (). Aorist active indicative of in conclusion of a third-class condition, a sort of timeless aorist, a blessed achievement already made.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Go [] . Do not wait for him to come to you.

Tell him his fault [] . Rev., shew him. The verb means, first, to test, try, search out; therefore, to cross – examine with a view of convincing or refuting; thence to rebuke or chide. The Rev. shew is better than tell, which implies merely naming the fault; whereas the injunction is, go and prove to him how he has erred. Wyc., reprove, with snub as explanation.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

Mat 18:15

. But if thy brother shall sin against thee. As he had discoursed about bearing the infirmities of brethren, he now shows more clearly in what manner, and for what purpose, and to what extent, we ought to bear with them. For otherwise it would have been easy to reply, that there is no other way of avoiding offenses, than by every man winking at the faults of others, and thus what is evil would be encouraged by forbearance. Christ therefore prescribes a middle course, which does not give too great offense to the weak, and yet is adapted to cure their diseases; for that severity which is employed as a medicine is profitable and worthy of praise. In short, Christ enjoins his disciples to forgive one another, but to do so in such a manner as to endeavor to correct their faults. It is necessary that this be wisely observed; for nothing is more difficult than to exercise forbearance towards men, and, at the same time, not to neglect the freedom necessary in reproving them. (552) Almost all lean to the one side or to the other, either to deceive themselves mutually by deadly flatteries, or to pursue with excessive bitterness those whom they ought to cure. But Christ recommends to his disciples a mutual love, which is widely distant from flattery; only he enjoins them to season their admonitions with moderation, lest, by excessive severity and harshness, they discourage the weak.

Now he distinctly lays down three steps of brotherly correction. The first is, to give a private advice to the person who has offended. The second is, if he shall give any sign of obstinacy, to advise him again in presence of witnesses. The third is, if no advantage shall be obtained in that way, to deliver him up to the public decision of the Church. The design of this, as I have said, is, to hinder charity from being violated under the pretence of fervent zeal. As the greater part of men are driven by ambition to publish with excessive eagerness the faults of their brethren, Christ seasonably meets this fault by enjoining us to cover the faults of brethren, as far as lies in our power; for those who take pleasure in the disgrace and infamy of brethren are unquestionably carried away by hatred and malice, since, if they were under the influence of charity, they would endeavor to prevent the shame of their brethren.

But it is asked, Ought this rule to be extended indiscriminately to every kind of offense? For there are very many who do not allow any public censures, till the offender has been privately admonished. But there is an obvious limitation in the words of Christ; for he does not simply, and without exception, order us to advise or reprove privately, and in the absence of witnesses, all who have offended, but bids us attempt this method, when we have been offended in private; by which is meant, not that it is a business of our own, but that we ought to be wounded and grieved whenever God is offended. And Christ does not now speak about bearing injuries, but teaches us in general to cultivate such meekness towards each other, as not to ruin by harsh treatment those whom we ought to save. (553)

Against thee. This expression, as is evident from what we have said, does not denote an injury committed against any one, but distinguishes between secret and open sins. (554) For if any man shall offend against the whole Church, Paul enjoins that he be publicly reproved, so that even elders shall not be spared; for it is in reference to them that he expressly enjoins Timothy, to

rebuke them publicly in presence of all, and thus to make them a general example to others, (1Ti 5:20.)

And certainly it would be absurd that he who has committed a public offense, so that the disgrace of it is generally known, should be admonished by individuals; for if a thousand persons are aware of it, he ought to receive a thousand admonitions. The distinction, therefore, which Christ expressly lays down, ought to be kept in mind, that no man may bring disgrace upon his brother, by rashly, and without necessity, divulging secret offenses.

If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Christ confirms his doctrine by its usefulness and advantage; for it is no small matter to gain to God a soul which had been the slave of Satan. And how comes it that those who have fallen do not often repent, but because they are regarded with hatred, and treated as enemies, and thus acquire a character of hardened obstinacy? Nothing, therefore, is more appropriate than meekness, which reconciles to God those who had departed from him. On the other hand, he who inconsiderately indulges in foolish flattery willingly places in jeopardy the salvation of a brother, which he had in his hand.

According to Luke, Christ expressly enjoins us to be satisfied with a private reproof, if the brother be brought to repentance Hence, too, we infer how necessary it is that mutual freedom of reproof should subsist among believers. For, since each of us in many ways commits daily offenses, it would be outrageous cruelty to betray, by our silence and concealment, the salvation of those whom we might, by mild reproof, rescue from perdition. Though it does not always succeed, yet he is chargeable with heinous guilt, who has neglected the remedy which the Lord prescribes for promoting the salvation of the brethren. It is also worthy of notice, that the Lord, in order to render us more zealous in performing our duty, ascribes to us that honor which is his own; for to him alone, and to no other, does it belong to convert a man; and yet he bestows on us this applause, though we did not deserve it, that we gain a brother who was lost.

(552) “ Que toutesfois on retiene tousiours ceste liberte de reprendre ce qui est a condamner;” — “so as at the same time to reserve always that liberty of reproving what is worthy of condemnation.”

(553) “ Lesquels nous devions plustost tascher d’amener a salut;” — “whom we ought rather to attempt to lead to salvation.”

(554) “ Mais pour distinguer et mettre difference entre les pechez secrets, et les offenses manifestes;” — “but to distinguish and put a difference between secret sins and open offenses.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

CRITICAL NOTES

Mat. 18:15. Moreover, etc.Better, and if thy brother shall sin. A twofold train of thought is traceable in what follows.

1. The presence of offences implies sin, and the question arises how each man is to deal with those sins which affect him personally.
2. The dispute in which the teaching recorded in this chapter had originated implied that the unity of the society which was then represented by the Twelve, had for the time been broken. Each of the disciples thought himself, in some sense, aggrieved by others. Sharp words, it may be, had been spoken among them, and the breach had to be healed (Plumptre).

Mat. 18:17. Church.The word church (Gr. ekklesia), is found only here and in Mat. 16:18 in the Gospels. Carr says the reference is either to:

1. The assembly or congregation of the Jewish synagogue, or to:
2. The ruling body of the synagogue (collegium presbyterorum, Schleusner). This must have been the sense of the word to those who were listening to Christ. But, as Dr. Morison points out, the Saviour had deliberately gone out of his way to avoid the employment of the word synagogue. The expression, he adds, just means the church. And yet, as assuredly, it determines nothing as to the arrangements which the church might be at liberty to make for the profitable, seemly, and efficient transaction of its discipline and other business.

Mat. 18:18. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, etc.What was spoken to Peter alone (Mat. 16:19) is now spoken to all the disciples representing the church (Carr).

Mat. 18:19. It shall be done for them.The promise is dependent on implied conditions. Those who pray must be gathered together in the name of Christ (Mat. 18:20), i.e. as trusting to His intercession, asking a prayer which is not the utterance of the natural but the spiritual man, asking it in entire submission to the will of their Father in heaven. In the absence of those conditions, as in the prayer of the sons of Zebedee, asking they knew not what (Mat. 20:20), that which they desired might be withheld from them, or granted in quite another manner than that on which they had set their hearts (Plumptre).

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Mat. 18:15-20

Collective grace.Occasions of stumbling cannot always be avoided (Mat. 18:7). When they do come how should they be dealt with? They should be dealt with by the church, in other words, by that general body of believers in Christ of whom He spoke under that name not long before, in reply to the confession of St. Peter (Mat. 16:18). This seems to be the general principle implied in this passage. The cautions to be observed in applying it, and the reasons which make these cautions necessary seem to be the chief further points here presented to our notice.

I. The requisite cautions.These may be regarded as three. The first is a caution against too great eagerness in applying this method at all. It is not the first thingit is rather the last thingto be thought of in such cases. The first thing to be thought of, if thy brother has offended thee, is the welfare of thy brother. The thing to be done, if it may be, is to bring him to a sense of his sin; and so, as it were, to gain him back again to his proper standing and place (Mat. 18:15). If this be accomplished there will be no necessity for appealing to the church. And this can best be done, it is evident on the face of it, by dealing with him alone. Let this, therefore, be the universal first rule in regard to such offences. Do not have recourse to any degree of publicity till you have seen what private dealing can do. The next caution is on similar lines. Do not go by one leap from the individual to the general. Even if strictly private remonstrance should fail entirely of obtaining a hearing (Mat. 18:16), there is a process far short of complete publicity which may be adopted with hope; and which you are bound to adopt, also, if you wish, as you ought, to make sure of your ground. In reality, the matter in question is one both of fact and of judgment. Has thy brother really done as you say? Is the character of that which he has done really that which you think? If he refuses to hear thee privately because he disputes these two things, endeavour to obtain the opinion of others about them; but only so in sufficient numbers for the occasion (Deu. 19:15). And then, with these to fortify you (if they agree with you), appeal to him again. In any case, till you have tried this, do not proceed to the extreme step of appealing against him to all. Ratherso the legitimate inference istry all other plans first. Finally, be careful if at last driven to this, not even then to push matters too far. Keep in view carefully what is the very outside of what you have to do in such matters. All that is asked of you, in regard to such offences, is to avoid complicity with the offender (cf. 1Ti. 5:22). And all that the church itself can do legitimately, in regard to such offenders, is to withdraw its countenance from them. Let that, therefore, be the very utmost that you yourself seek to attain in this way. Let the most obdurate brother be to you only as not a brother in truth (Mat. 18:17).

III. Why these cautions are so especially needed.Generally, we may say, because of the vast importance attaching to the idea of the church. Like an ironclad on the waters, the great body of believers has a momentum about it which makes its least movement momentous. This seems to be illustrated here in three separate ways. There is special weight, we are taught, in the first place, in the common judgment of those who believe. In a general way we may even say of that judgment that it is the judgment of God. Whatever difference of opinion there may be as to the best way of ascertaining this common judgment, and whatever undoubted and formidable difficulties there are in the way of so doing, it cannot be doubted, that, if ascertained, it is a thing of great weight. No true believer will readily venture either on setting it aside, on the one hand, or adding to it, on the other (Mat. 18:18). In a similar way, we are taught, next, that there is very great power in the common desires of those who believe. What God leads them to agree in (Mat. 18:19), He agrees in as well. We cannot doubt this if we really believe them to be led by His Spirit (Rom. 8:14). Neither dare we deny this even where the number of those thus agreeing together is the very least that it possibly can be in the nature of things. There cannot be agreement at all unless there are two at least to agree. If there are but two such, we are taught here, their prayer will be answered (Mat. 18:19). Judge, therefore, of the efficacy of the common prayer of all who believe. Lastly, these things are true because of the special honour which it has pleased God to put on common confession of Christ. This would seem to be the secret of all. Where two or three only are so far united as to be gathered together in the name of Jesus, they are doing open homage to Him. The fact of their being there with that objectthe fact of their having come there with that objectthe fact of their being there unitedly, with that objectall lend significance to their presence. That significance is not lost on their Master. So far from this He is with them in spirit to accept their homage. He is with them in power to honour them for it; He is with them in grace to give weight and authority and efficacy to all that they do in. His name. That is why these candlesticks give the light that they dobecause He Himself walketh in the midst of them (Rev. 1:13). That is why the blessed company of all Christian people is the thing that it isbecause it is the fulness of Him who filleth all in all (Eph. 1:23).

Two brief but not unimportant lessons seem to follow:

1. We shall be very careful how we allow ourselves to trust implicitly in all we hear on the subject.There are those who are always ready to speak in the name of the church. They are to be found in very diverse and very far apart ecclesiastical quarters. We shall be very careful how we admit so great a claim simply because it is claimed. Nothing comes more naturally to a partisan spirit and a self-sufficient judgment and a narrow nature, than the assertion of such a claim. All the more reason for not allowing ourselves to accept it without thought (1Jn. 4:1).

2. We shall be equally careful not to oppose ourselves rashly to what others think on this subject.So to do, in effect, would be little else than making a church of oneself. And that may safely be said to be, of all conceivable churches, the farthest of all from the truth. How is it possible for one mind to be a collection of many? (cf. also Jer. 7:4).

HOMILIES ON THE VERSES

Mat. 18:15-17. Brotherly love in dealing with injuries.If thy brother shall trespass against thee,what? Pay no heed to it? Since it takes two to make a quarrel, is it best simply to let him alone? That might be the best way to deal with offences on the part of those that are without; but it would be a sad want of true brotherly love to take this easy way with a fellow-disciple. It is certainly better to overlook an injury than to resent it; yet our Lord shows a more excellent way. His is not the way of selfish resentment, nor of haughty indifference, but of thoughtful concern for the welfare of him who has done the injury. That this is the motive in the entire proceeding is evident from the whole tone of the paragraph, in illustration of which reference may be made to the way in which success is regarded: If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. If a man sets out with the object of gaining his cause or getting satisfaction, he had better let it alone; but if he wishes not to gain a barren triumph for himself, but to gain his brother, let him proceed according to the wise instructions of our Lord and Master.J. M. Gibson, D.D.

Mat. 18:17. The offender and the church.

1. When more private means avail not to remedy a scandal, Christ hath appointed more and more public censure and discipline in His church. 2. Christ hath appointed a church of governors or rulers over congregations, and over all particular persons within the same, which must attend the complaints of the offended and remove scandals, and who have power to call before them and to examine and censure the offender for that end.
3. The church hath means and power to remove public scandal, which, being employed by the church and obeyed by the offender, excommunication is not to be used; for neglecting to hear the church presupposeth the churchs direction and order to be given forth for amendment of the offender and removing of the scandal.
4. When the church hath given sentence upon the offender and hath appointed the way to remove the scandal, then the offender should obey in the Lord, for Christ declareth it a censurable fault to neglect to hear the church. 5. If the offender disobey the churchs direction for removing the scandal, then the church may and should excommunicate the obstinate, i.e. declare him to be deprived of the honour of a Christian till he repent, and to be holden in such disrespect as the heathen and publicans were by the Jewish church in those days.

6. When the church declareth an offender contumacious or excommunicateth him as unworthy of the fellowship of the saints for his present abominable condition, then every believer must carry himself toward the excommunicate as toward a man disgraced and cast out of church-honour, to the intent the offender may be ashamed of his sin and repent.David Dickson.

Mat. 18:20. Christs church.This is the principle of the textwherever men come together for a common purpose, and that purpose represented by the name of Christ, there is in them a more than human powerthe power of an indwelling Christ, wise to guide, patient to endure, strong to achieve. I wish to apply this principle to three aspects of church life.

I. This is the principle which underlies and gives its chief value to ecclesiastical independency.We stand as Congregationalists, not for the principle that we will be free to do what we please, not merely for the principle that no other ecclesiastical organisation shall dominate us; we stand for a spiritual principle, that wherever men, whatever their form of creed, their method of worship, their organisation, come together, animated by a Christian purpose, there Christ is and there is a part of Christs church.

II. In this declaration is the secret and the inspiration of our faith in catholicity.There are but two conditions to the promisegathered together, and gathered together in My name. Go with me and take the round of the Brooklyn churches. Their creeds are not all correct. Possibly none of them are quite correct. Their formularies are not all correct, possibly. Not one of them is essential. But they are united in a common purpose, and they are united around a common Lord.

III. This text gives to us the secret of the power of the church.It is the power of Christ in His churchnot in a hierarchy, not in a definitely organised and established body, but in every body of faithful disciples united to worship Him and to work for Him.L. Abbott, D.D.

Christ in the church.The living presence of Christ in His church is:

I. The bond of its union.

II. The soul of its worship.

III. The power of its ministry.J. Branwhite French.

The power of combination.The chemist mixes his various elements together in the battery, and when they are brought together, and the conditions are fulfilled, electricity is there. He does not summon electricity from some remote distance; but already dormant in those elements was the electric power, and when they are combined, instantly the electric power springs into existence. So Christ says, In each one of you Christians there is a dormant power. I am in you, but there is more of Me in all of you together than there is in any one of you separate and individually; and when you have combined around My banner and My name to do My will, there springs into existence, not merely the strength that comes from union, but the Diviner help that comes from this, that I am in the midst of that organisation, the spirit that inspires the body. It becomes at once more than humanit becomes Divinethe body of Christ.L. Abbott, D.D.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

V. YOUR HUMILITY AND SENSITIVITY TO OTHERS IS MEASURED BY YOUR CONCERN ABOUT OTHERS SINS: DOES IT REALLY MATTER TO YOU IF A BROTHER IS LOST TO THE KINGDOM? (18:1520)

A. MAKE A PERSONAL EFFORT TO GAIN HIM. (18:15)

Although some believe that Matthew is collecting together in this chapter paragraphs out of other incidents, the following considerations show that Jesus is presenting one very tightly connected discourse:

From His discussion of an unforgiving mercilessness toward whatever in ourselves is the cause of others stumbling (Mat. 18:6-9), He moves to discuss the merciful seeking of a little one who wanders away (Mat. 18:10-14), and now He pauses to discuss a forgiving mercifulness toward a sinning brother whose stumbling must always excite our patient attempts to bring this little one back. (Mat. 18:15 ff) Now, He must instruct His disciples on how to act when they are not the cause, but the victim, or even the witnesses, of wrongs.

Jesus knows that recovering the lost and straying and maintaining the unity of the Church is the most difficult, most demanding job in the Kingdom, so He judges His disciples greatness (Mat. 18:1), not by their ability to expose the inferiority of others, but by their demonstrated ability to restore and edify them! So, He is still discussing the criteria of true greatness.

What follows is the practical application of the Good Shepherd Parable. There is a natural tendency, if thy brother sin against thee, to consider him as less worthy of our attention and care. But his offense is but proof that he is the one sheep that has gone astray, the very alarm that sends one who has a shepherds heart out to find him. His sin causes him to be looked down upon (deposed, Mat. 18:10) as an inferior (one of these little ones Mat. 18:6; Mat. 18:10; Mat. 18:14) by the brother against whom he has sinned. Nevertheless, Jesus intends that even our temptations to despise someone should become the signal to recognize him as one of these little ones for whom Heaven shows the tenderest concern. Then, guided by our heavenly Fathers example, encouraged by the angels humble ministry and stimulated by Jesus loving concern, and sharing His shepherds heart, we hurry off in search of our brother.

The original dispute out of which this discourse arises was one which could not help but be marked by a loss of fellowship among the Apostles, by sharp words and angry looks. Irritated, each Apostle no doubt felt that, in varying degrees, the others had sinned against him. They all need instruction on how to deal with offences that touch them personally. To this point they could all see how the Lords stern warnings against offending others would apply to the others, since others had offended them, but now they must learn how to heal the broken fellowship by removing the offense in the other.

The disciples must also learn how to forgive. They cannot even begin rightly to gain their brother unless they are moved by a generous spirit of forgiveness. Without the ability to forgive, no one can ever hope to be great, because greatness and forgiveness are intimately connected. Look at Gods magnanimity to pardon our sins. (Mat. 18:23-35) It is the glory of the truly great to forgive. (Pro. 19:11) But mans ambitions to be great leave him usually too busy with self-interested pursuits to care much about the deepest needs of those who sin.

If the disciples have sensed the depth of Gods wrath against those who cause others to stumble, they must now see that no hatred on their part can be harbored against those who have severely hurt them, Rather, love must send them to seek and save their lost brothers.

So, Jesus is not introducing new material, but developing ideas already expressed.

Mat. 18:15 And if thy brother sin against thee. If he is your brother, then he is bound to you by the closest ties of love and loyalty. (1Jn. 3:16; Gal. 6:10) Your brother, contextually, means your fellow Christian (Mat. 18:17), but must never be thought to exclude from your love and desire for reconciliation your fleshly kin. (Rom. 12:18) In fact, how far would a merciful, reconciling spirit on our part help toward bringing our unconverted neighbors and kinfolk to long for the secret power that moves us, and desire to surrender themselves to our Lord too? (Cf. Mat. 5:44-48)

And if thy brother sin . . . Significant ancient manuscripts do not include the words against thee, but their loss to the text does not seriously affect Jesus meaning. Morgan (Matthew, 232) rightly sees that Our responsibility (for) our sinning brother is not created by the fact that he has wronged us, but by the fact that he has sinned and harmed himself, and, let us add, wronged God. The presence or absence of this phrase in Greek manuscripts makes no real difference, since a disciples every sin dishonors his Lord and makes it difficult for his fellow Christians to live a constantly holy life. (Cf. 2Sa. 12:14 : You have given the enemies of the Lord occasion to blaspheme . . .; Rom. 12:15; 1Co. 12:26) Nor does against thee have to be in the text to enforce our personal, individual duty to be responsible for every other Christian. (See Eph. 4:25; Heb. 3:13; Heb. 10:24 f; Heb. 12:14 f; Rom. 14:19) The Lord is concerned about our attitude toward sin as such, since, too often where someone elses sins do not wound us personally, we can live so easily, so loosely with them. This criminal tolerance of his sins that stands by in silence while he goes down for the third time, disclaiming all the while to be a self-appointed fault-finder, cannot be a true representation of the spirit of Jesus! (Cf. Eph. 5:11; Gal. 6:1-3) There is no psychological virtue or social grace in refusing to find fault, since many cannot see their own faults. (Cf. Psa. 19:12; Jer. 17:9) Jesus wants to develop in us a love for taking care of others, a love that is superior to the sterile orthodoxy that is only concerned to save itself. (1Th. 5:11; Php. 2:4)

If thy brother sin . . . go. The great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20; 1Pe. 5:4) commissions every single disciple to act at once. Whereas the Twelve had been motivated by wrong ambitions, Jesus redirects their ambition, lifting them up to the level of His own ministry to save the lost, and makes them truly great! (See notes on Mat. 9:36 to Mat. 10:6; Joh. 4:35) How liberating is this order! When we are burdened down with the problem of frustration caused by sins, both our own and those of others, wondering what to do, Jesus shouts: Take the initiative!

Earlier He had said, If your brother has something against you, take the initiative to restore fellowship with him. (Mat. 5:23 ff)

Now He says, Although you are innocent, take the initiative anyway. The responsibility to correct the situation does not rest only on him but also on you. You, my peace-making disciple (Mat. 5:9) are in the business to bring about reconciliation, and no logic is good enough to shift onto him your responsibility for getting results.

In other words, when in doubt, attack! (Rom. 12:21) Jesus releases us from the frustrating doubts of stalemates by furnishing practical steps to eliminate the barriers that separate one Christian from another and reunite them in a congregation that loves and cares for each of its members. The Master knew that many of us would be fearful and double-minded, wavering between mountains and molehills, real sins and imagined offenses, fearful that we blunder and fail to produce the desired result. His go puts holy boldness into us by giving us the confidence that what we do or say will bring lasting good to everyone concerned. His go gives us that decisiveness that moves out despite these difficult choices, because He has already decided for us what our course shall be.

If he is your brother, then you are a brother to him. Your brotherly spirit involves:

Making it plain to him that you have no desire to make him suffer unnecessarily for his offense. (2Co. 1:23 to 2Co. 2:4)

Showing your willingness to keep his fault private will do much to persuade him to confess and abandon it, making it as easy as possible to admit his fault and request reconciliation and forgiveness. (Pro. 17:9)

Your desire to know accurately the facts and the ground for his attack on you shows him your sense of fairness and that loyalty which seizes adversity as an opportunity to prove your moral obligation to him. (Pro. 17:17)

Humility (cf. 1Ti. 5:1 f especially in private relations.)

At this point many are tempted to withdraw into their shell and hope to stop any quarrel by refusing to talk about it, especially with the offending party. Among worldlings that procedure might be the only way to handle wrongs, but what a miserable shortage of brotherly love it would be for Christians to take this route with their brethren! Overlooking affronts is indeed better than harboring resentments, but Jesus intends to show us a still more excellent way (1Co. 12:31 to 1Co. 13:13) He desires to unveil a method that will bypass this stoic indifference and eliminate grudging resentment, by inspiring us to intelligent, active concern for the offenders welfare.

If thy brother sin, go, show him his fault. There is in the commentaries a carefulness to note that only real sin is referred to here, i.e. only what can convincingly be shown to be such. It must be something that would endanger Christian fellowship, hence not merely some weakness or fault, not mere, trivial irritations, some personal slight or embarrassment, which would be better off simply ignored, swept aside, excused and forgotten. In fact, other Scriptures seem to suggest that there is a class of petty grievances which would be better resolved outside of the disciplinary measures stated in our text.

Pro. 10:12 :

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.

Pro. 12:16 :

The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent man ignores an insult.

Pro. 17:9 :

He who forgives (covers) an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter alienates a friend.

Pro. 19:11 :

Good sense makes a man slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

1Co. 13:5 (TEV)

Love does not keep a record of wrongs. 1Co. 13:7 affirms that love bears and endures them.

The very notion of Christian forbearance and tolerance implies the existence of minor irritations that strain good fellowship.

It should be pointed out, however, that ignoring an insult, forbearance and tolerance, in Scripture, are not antithetical to action as such. They are the contrary of violence and vengeance, not synonyms of inaction. Loving tolerance and patient forbearance do not ignore petty irritations in every sense, but rather choose wise courses of action to deal with them. The virtue of tolerance is not inaction, but refusal to strike back, harming the offender with self-defensive anger. Wisdom and self-mastery, backed up by these positive qualities, is able calmly to choose the intelligent approach, rather than let the situation degenerate through instinctive brute reactions. This is why Jesus, in wisdom, indicates the one right way to meet the difficulty.

Lives there a Christian or a local congregation that has not faced the dilemma of deciding whether they were being over-sensitive about a triviality or indifferent to a major problem? How trivial must a thing be to justify our calling it an excusable weakness, or how injurious must it get before we think of it as sin? And, the question cannot be decided simplistically by saying, Let the Bible define sin: whatever it calls sin is worth being concerned about. Everything else is a matter of opinion. Such over-simplifying merely ignores the fact that, while the Bible is final, definitive and authoritative, it covers far more complicated factors than are intended in the quoted suggestion above. The Bible is clear in furnishing long lists of sins. (Mat. 15:19; Mar. 7:21-23; Rom. 1:28-32; Rom. 13:13; 1Co. 5:10 f; 1Co. 6:9-10; 2Co. 12:20; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:31; Eph. 5:3-5; Col. 3:5-9; 1Ti. 1:9 f; 1Ti. 6:4 f; 2Ti. 3:2-9; Tit. 3:3; 1Pe. 4:3; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15 AND many more besides.) Sin is transgression of the law (1Jn. 3:4), true, but the Christian law is not merely a new code, but a question of attitudes, a government of the Spirit by the law of love. (Gal. 5:5 f ) Any failure to love perfectly is sin. (See notes on Mat. 5:44-48.) So, the sins of commission are not the only cause for concern, but every instance where love has been omitted is sin. Again, would anyone dare fail to admit that the more subtle sins of the spirit are no less serious than overt acts of the flesh? What about self-satisfied cocksureness that is confident it has nothing more to learn? What about the imperturbable cool certainty of ones superiority over his fellows? Is blindness to ones own faults not culpable? Should we be irritated at others loving the limelight and delighting in the deference shown them as if it were their natural right? Is moral blindness which stresses ritual over ethics, the letter more than the spirit, the traditional custom over truth, somehow less blameworthy than stealing chickens or a sex scandal? The point is that some things appear on the surface to be but irritations, but in reality there may be root causes far more deadly and serious. It may be criminal negligence to overlook some things that seem trifles. because the wounds we feel which are caused by someone elses offense may be our only way of recognizing that they need help. Cannot their irritating ways be Gods way of drawing our attention to the stress they are under, the pain they bear, the frustrations, the hopelessness, in order that we might mercifully minister to them in the way He will indicate? Thus, the Lord would have us show even greater concern for our offending brother AFTER he hurts us than before!

By what criteria do we decide to do something about what appears to us as sin? Jesus answers: Show him his fault. (lenxon autn) If the problem is as serious as you think, prove it.

Elncho is a vigorous word with a wide range of classical meanings:

1. To shame someone, to despise; to reject, to nullify. 2. To convict someone of his crime, mistake or error; to unmask; reprove, criticize or accuse; confute, refute; make ridiculous; furnish proofs, demonstrate, prove; to beat or conquer; to inquire, investigate; put to the test; bring a charge against; decide a question. (Rocci, 598)

Even though many of these definitions flatly contradict the spirit of Christ, there is a core of meaning that is comprehended in them all, and is essential to do successfully what the verb denotes: to demand an explanation from someone for his actions by proving satisfactorily that he has actually done that of which he is accused. (See Arndt-Gingrich 248f and Thayer, 202f) If it is not the sort of thing that can be demonstrated to be sin either to the offender himself or to objective observers (Mat. 18:16), then, no matter how much pain his action has caused you, he cannot repent of that about which he has no conviction. (He could certainly regret the pain and seek to heal your hurt, but he has no basis for repentance if he has not objectively sinned.) Show him his fault, thus, requires objective proof of fault presented in the spirit of tender love. This may include a rebuke that has real character (Luk. 17:3 f), because tenderness in treating him does not mean weakness and uncertainty. Readiness to forgive must always be present, but actual forgiveness cannot occur until the sinner arrives at the point of wanting to be forgiven. Nor can he actually wish to be forgiven until he admits his guilt and repudiates his action, for without repentance, forgiveness is impossible, and, if granted, absurd and immoral.

Some of the worst outrages have occurred because of what someone has said, unaware of the meaning their words had for others. Therefore, if we give him the opportunity to learn what effect his expressions produced on us, not only would he be assisted in enlarging upon his original statements but would also see the need to be more careful and precise as he talks to others. To assume without proof from the person himself that he intended to produce the negative effect on our mind that he did, and then tear into him on this basis, is unjust.

Sometimes the wrongness of a brother does not involve wicked acts, but impure or incorrect ideas. (Cf. Rom. 16:17 f; 2Ti. 3:5 ff; Rev. 2:14-16; Rev. 2:20) Again, private, painstaking presentation of the proper proof is perfect for promoting perception. It is not necessary to confute publicly mistaken concepts that were aired publicly, until every effort has been made privately to correct those who made them. (Cf. Act. 18:24-28; Act. 19:1-7) After this, of course, we must evaluate publicly doctrines proclaimed publicly. (1Ti. 4:6; 1Ti. 4:11; 1Ti. 5:20; 1Ti. 6:2 b-5; 2Ti. 2:14; Tit. 1:9; Tit. 1:13; Tit. 2:15) Confutation of those who contradict sound doctrine is proper. (Tit. 1:9; 2Ti. 2:25)

Division or separation from a brother for anything less than disobedience to Christ is itself sinful. (Rom. 16:17 f) Therefore, personality clashes and disagreeableness (agreeing to disagree) which violates Christian tolerance and unity of spirit are themselves sins, hence no excuse for disregarding the Lords order to go show him his fault. Not even prayer can replace obedience to do this.

Showing him his fault, when done properly, is proof of your love and loyalty to him; failure to do so, of hate. (Lev. 19:17; Pro. 24:23 b Pro. 24:26; Pro. 25:12; Pro. 28:23)

Putting our accusation before him saves us from poisoning our lives by silent suffering and brooding. Stating it openly, courageously to the accused may reveal our complaint to be insignificant and trivial. We may not be able to prove it: it may be nothing after all but a case of over-sensitiveness on our part. At this point, since we have no case, because our brother is able to convince us, we may rejoice that he had not sinned after all. Our goal was not the barren triumph of winning a cause or getting satisfaction. Our own personal sense of injury or embarrassment was secondary. What really counted was losing the joy of fellowship with our brother.

So, Jesus premise, If thy brother sin, includes everything that erodes fellowship and may include what would seem to be petty grievances and trivial irritations as well as graver matters. In fact, lack of consideration for the offended can be evidence of deeper insensitivity elsewhere. This is not to make a mountain out of a molehill, but to begin treating a small problem in a manner consonant with its relative gravity. A small shovel is a proper tool for removing a molehill, while only dynamite can blast away a mountain. Drastic action is unnecessary to remove petty problems, but decidedly friendly reproof is in order to nip the problem in the bud. (Luk. 17:3; Lev. 19:17) The others carelessness may be the tip of the iceberg. True discernment helps us to realize that our brothers visible actions are decided by causes further down inside him and it is these problems which may be the real sins we need to be dealing with.

Between you and him alone. God has warned that to share damaging information about another with those who are neither part of the problem nor of the solution creates more problems. (Study Lev. 19:15-18!)

To narrate it to others at this point is to involve people who would perhaps never have needed to know about his sin. (Study Eph. 5:3 f, Eph. 5:11 f.) To expose the offender before granting him the privilege of personally explaining his actions or of confession and repentance, is to convince others that he is not genuinely loved and is, rather, just a thing to be hated and exposed, rather than a brother to be gained. (Pro. 10:12; 1Pe. 4:8)

To relate his sin publicly would perhaps incite the hearers to feel menaced by him too. There is also the danger of undermining a long-standing friendship between him and those who hear about his sin. (Pro. 16:28)

NOTE: Pauls rebuke of Peter at Antioch was never a private question but a public landslide involving a number of Christians. (Gal. 2:11-14)

It unnecessarily exposes you to being thought of as a slanderer and a betrayer of secrets of everyone involved, especially by the one who offended you. (Pro. 11:12 f; Pro. 25:8-10) Our plainest, most objective tale of his offense, told to a third person, becomes, in that persons mind, an automatic exaggeration of the reality, merely because we are telling primarily the offense and he may be unaware of the others virtues and certainly his motives. Then, when the truth later comes out, all who passed on the supposedly objective facts will be exposed as guilty of slanderous gossip.

To fail to discuss the offense privately with the interested party means to rush into court with partial information and superficial, one-sided views, whereas the supposedly offending brother may be in the right and present valid objections and irrefutable arguments we never thought of. (Pro. 25:8-10; Pro. 18:13) So, to ask him in private for explanations is to do ourselves the favor of rightly understanding the situation before going off half-cocked, causing untold damage to ourselves, our brother and possibly others. It is true justice to look at a question from the point of view of everyone involved; any other approach is partial.

The only possible justification Jesus gives for informing others about the situation is when asking them to join us as witnesses of our second effort to redeem our brother. (Mat. 18:16)

If he hear you, several results are yours:

You have gained your brother. This is the fundamental purpose. Surprisingly, the motivation Jesus now places before His listeners is not merely or only the salvation of a man for his own sake, as noble a goal as this is. Rather, He pleads with His disciples to imagine the value to themselves involved in restoring a brother to righteousness. Morgan (Matthew, 232) feels this keenly:

When presently we have done with the shadows and mists of the little while, we shall understand in the light of the undying ages that if we have gained one man we shall be richer than if we have piled up all the wealth of the world and never won a human soul. What a blessed thing to gain a man, to possess him for oneself, for the fellowship of friends, for the enterprises of the Church, for the programme of high heaven.

If he hear you, it will mean you used true words fitly spoken. (Pro. 25:11 f. Pro. 25:15) Your success in bringing this dangerous situation to a happy solution means you are growing toward that greatness Jesus longs to see mature in you! Your persuasiveness helped guide vital truth around any mental roadblocks he might have had.

Your problem is settled, no one else has been hurt by it, and you are at peace.

If he hear you, he will prove his conviction of sin by admitting it and sorrowfully begging your pardon. His repentance will be apparent as he seeks to make amends as far as possible (Luk. 19:1-10) as well as in the fruits of a penitent life lived thereafter. (Luk. 3:7-14) Unless he accepts repentance and restitution as the conditions of forgiveness, forgiveness is a morally spineless farce. However, Jesus offers no blanket guarantee he will not sin against you again. (See further notes at Mat. 18:21; cf. Luk. 17:3-4)

Therefore ALL PROBLEMS based on a personal offense involving only two people are to be solved at the person-to-person level.

If you are successful in recovering the brother at this level, the problem is solved.

Only if you are not successful at this level are you then justified in involving other helpers.

It may well be that the definition of what is petty and what is major is only relative to this success or failure at the personal level. Any failure of love is serious, but may not be serious enough to justify bringing in others until the single disciple is no longer able to cope with it alone, i.e. he cannot get the offender to recognize, regret and repudiate his sin.

See Mat. 18:22-35 for Fact Questions.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(15) Moreover if thy brother shall trespass.Better, and if thy brother shall sin. A twofold train of thought is traceable in what follows. (1.) The presence of offences implies sin, and the question arises how each man is to deal with those sins which affect himself personally. (2.) The dispute in which the teaching recorded in this chapter had originated implied that the unity of the society which was then represented by the Twelve, had for the time been broken. Each of the disciples thought himself, in some sense, aggrieved by others. Sharp words, it may be, had been spoken among them, and the breach had to be healed.

Go and tell him his fault.The Greek is somewhat stronger, convict him of his fault, press it home on him in such a way as to reach his reason and his conscience. (Comp. Joh. 16:8.) But this is to be done between thee and him alone. Angry words spoken in the presence of others would fail of that result. It is significant that the substance of the precept is taken from the passage in Leviticus (Lev. 19:17-18) which ends with Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Thou hast gained thy brother.The words in part derive their force from the subtle use of a word in one sense which men associated commonly with another. Gain of some kind, aimed at, or wrongfully withheld, was commonly the origin of disputes and litigation. A man hoped to reap some profit by going to law. In the more excellent way which our Lord points out, he would by sacrificing the lower gain, attain the higher, and win for God (see 1Co. 9:19, 1Pe. 3:1, for this aspect of the word) and for himself the brother with whom he had been at variance.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

15. Moreover Jesus still continues, in strict sequence after the preceding, to lay down laws for the body of his childlike followers. How is one of them to deal with another who trespasses against him? From this it is to be seen that our Lord does not teach that the Christian is one who has no regard to his own right, or who sits passively under any trespass whatever. Yet in our dealing with such a trespasser, the leading object should be to gain our brother. To restore him to a right state of mind, and thereby to bring back the former state of childlike harmony, as well as save his soul is the first aim. If you succeed in these results, the highest objects will be gained all round. If he prove obstinate, the result will be that you and the Church will be righted, and he will not only be condemned by the Church below, but the sentence will be ratified by God in heaven.

If thy brother If in this community of Christ’s little ones there shall be one who trespasses against thee, who art also one of the same childlike brotherhood. Tell him his fault Not so much to gain thy own rights as to gain his soul and thy peace and the purity and peace of the Church. Alone So that there shall be no motive of pride to induce him to make out a good case before a witness. Thou hast gained thy brother Thou hast prevented one of Christ’s little ones from perishing. Thou hast delivered thy own soul. Thou hast vindicated the purity of the Church.

We append Mr. Wesley’s notes on this passage:

“If thy brother Any who is a member of the same religious community: Sin against thee, 1. Go and reprove him alone If it may be, in person; if that cannot so well be done, by thy messenger, or in writing. Observe, our Lord gives no liberty to omit this, or to exchange it for either of the following steps. If this do not succeed, 2. Take with thee one or two more Men whom he esteems or loves, who may then confirm and enforce what thou sayest; and afterward, if need require, bear witness of what was spoken. If even this does not succeed, then, and not before, 3. Tell it to the elders of the Church Lay the whole matter open before those who watch over your and his soul. If all this avail not, have no farther intercourse with him, only such as thou hast with heathens. Let him be to thee as the heathen To whom thou still owest earnest good will, and all the offices of humanity.”

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

“And if your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

Here Jesus emphasises the responsibility that each disciple has for his ‘brother’ disciple. We are all responsible for each other! We must remember that this is spoken to those who have been warned that they must be as little children in their approach to their spiritual lives, humble, lowly and not self-seeking or self-opinionated. They must be concerned not to cause another to stumble. They must be dealing sternly with sin in their own lives. They must be concerned with their Father’s desire to restore any who have gone astray. It is to such that Jesus gives this task, where a brother is known to be sinning. It is thus not a charter for trying to pick holes in people or get them into trouble. We must ‘consider ourselves, lest we also be tempted’ (Gal 6:1).

And the disciple who discovers sin in another disciple will try to deal with the matter discreetly and personally. He is to go to him person to person to seek to show him his fault privately without drawing the attention of others to it. Then if he listens the brother has been ‘gained’. He can still be treated as a brother. The straying sheep has been restored. The stumbling little one has been bolstered up. The congregation is still complete. Paul describes how it is to be done, ‘in a spirit of meekness, looking to yourself lest you also be tempted’ (Gal 6:1). For there is nothing more likely to cause a man to sin than when he seeks to help another who has sinned. The danger is that he might become censorious or complacent, self-exalting or privately self-conceited, petty minded or over-magnanimous. He treads a difficult path. And the hope is that the whole matter will be dealt with lovingly and amicably, without drawing anyone else’s attention to it.

One principle lying behind this is Lev 19:17. ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbour honestly so that you will not share in his guilt.’ The idea is that we all have a responsibility towards each other so as to preserve the purity of God’s people.

‘Against you.’ The manuscripts are divided as to whether this should be in the text. Aleph, B, f1, 1582 exclude it, while D, W, Theta, f13 28 and many others include it. As it is difficult to see why it should have been excluded (unless it was being misused) the former is probably more likely. But it does not really make much difference. In either case the point is not to get one over on someone, but to honestly and genuinely, spiritually and humbly, help them in dealing with their sin. And every disciple who sins has sinned against every other disciple.

The sin in mind here is a blatant open sin whose effects are still felt, or which is still going on, and the purpose is the forgiveness of the individual and the restoration of fellowship in the discipleship circle, and the individual restoration of the disciple involved. The need for the prayerfulness of all who are involved can be assumed from Mat 18:19.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Practical Application of This Love And Humility In Dealings With The New Congregation of God’s People (18:15-20).

Having expressed the concern that His true disciples must have to walk as humbly as a little child; to prevent others from stumbling; to themselves deal severely with sin in their own lives; and their need to share His Father’s concern over those who go astray; Jesus now make a practical application which not only brings this out but emphasises the responsibility in the matter of the whole of the new ‘congregation’, the new community of the people of God. There is to be a unity and oneness among them which will not only benefit all, but will also make them effective as a unit together. Note especially the repeated emphasis on two or three working together. The chiasmus suggests that the whole of this passage must be seen as dealing with the question of someone who has stumbled and needs restoring in all humility and graciousness, although that need not discount a wider application. Note that the emphasis is on restoration. Judgment may finally be necessary, but that is not the primary aim. The thought is that His congregation should be a ‘self-maintained’ unit with Him at its heart.

There is an interesting parallel to these instructions in the regulations of the Qumran community, ‘let him rebuke him on the very same day lest he incur guilt because of him. And furthermore, let no man accuse his companion before the congregation without first having admonished him in the presence of witnesses’.

Analysis.

a “And if your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (Mat 18:15).

b “But if he does not listen to you, take with you one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established” (Mat 18:16).

c “And if he refuse to listen to them, tell it to the congregation (ekklesia – church)” (Mat 18:17 a).

d “And if he refuses to listen to the congregation also, let him be to you as the Gentile and the public servant” (Mat 18:17).

c “Truly I say to you, whatever things you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Mat 18:18).

b “Again I say to 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 who is in heaven” (Mat 18:19).

a “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mat 18:20).

Note that in ‘a’ two come together to resolve a spiritual problem, and in the parallel two or three gathered in His Name can be sure that Jesus is among them. In ‘b’ one or two more are called on, and in the parallel, agreement between two ensures God’s cooperation. In ‘c’ the whole congregation is brought in, and in the parallel what they bind on earth shall have been bound in Heaven, and what they loose on earth shall have been loosed in Heaven. Centrally in ‘d’ the one who rejects the ministration of the whole congregation is to be dealt with as an unbeliever in need of mercy.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Discipline and Forgiveness in the Kingdom of Heaven – Mat 18:15-35 focuses upon how to exercise discipline and forgiveness in the community of faith as a remedy to offenses. Jesus gives His disciples some guidelines on how to deal with offences within the Church (Mat 18:15-20). Peter asks a practical question about the practice of forgiveness, and Jesus responds by teaching the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, explaining a spiritual truth by telling an earthly story; for this is the key to overcoming offences (Mat 18:21-35).

Here is a proposed outline:

1. Dealing With Offences Within the Kingdom of Heaven Mat 18:15-20

2. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Mat 18:21-35

Mat 18:15-20 Dealing With Offences Within the Kingdom of Heaven ( Luk 17:3 ) In Mat 18:15-20 Jesus gives His disciples some guidelines on how to deal with offences within the Church. This passage will be followed by Jesus teaching His disciples the importance of forgiveness (Mat 18:21-35).

Mat 18:15-17 defines the role of the Church in bringing sin to judgment, while Mat 18:18-20 defines the power of the New Testament church to bring sin unto judgment. Note that these verses are often used in regards to believers praying together. In this context, it specifically refers to dealing with sin in the church. These prayers for believers who come into agreement are to be used to judge the body of Christ.

Mat 18:15 Moreover 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.

Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

Mat 18:16 Scripture Reference – Note:

Deu 19:15, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”

Mat 18:17 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 an heathen man and a publican.

Mat 18:17 Comments Matthew is the only Evangelist that uses the Greek word (Mat 16:18; Mat 18:17). Many scholars view the use of as Matthew’s efforts to write a practical document for ecclesiastical use as much as to record the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. [502]

[502] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, in The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 468.

Mat 18:18 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.

Mat 18:18 Comments – In his book The Authority of the Believer Kenneth Hagin uses Mat 18:18 to show how Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples about taking spiritual authority over the powers of darkness on this earth. [503] He quotes another translation by saying, “Whatsoever things you refuse to be permitted on earth will be refused to be permitted in heaven.” In other words, Jesus Christ delegated to the Church His name in Mat 28:18-20 just before His Ascension so that the Church can continue His work of destroying the works of the devil on this earth.

[503] Kenneth Hagin, The Believer’s Authority (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1984, 1992), 48.

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 18:19 “if two of you shall agree” Comments – Note in verse 16 that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every work may be established. Therefore, it only takes two to agree in order to establish a request. Rod Parsley notes that we only want two individuals in the process of agreement, but rather, two or three is the least common denominator for this divine principle to work within the local congregation. [504]

[504] Rod Parsley, Breakthrough (Columbus, Ohio: Rod Parsley Ministries), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.

Mat 18:19 Comments – It is important to note that Mat 18:19 says that when two people pray the prayer of agreement, their will is united in faith towards God. They must in agreement in prayer. Sometimes we have made the mistake of praying the prayer of agreement for God to change someone else’s will, such as agreeing for God to put two people back from a broken marriage. But when two people are asking for a third person’s will two come into agreement with their will, then it is not a prayer of agreement; for one party’s will is not in agreement. You cannot change a person’s will by praying the prayer of agreement; for God has given every human being the freedom of their will. However, we can pray for God to work in someone’s life by the power and operation of the Holy Spirit. But we cannot be certain of what someone else will decide to do.

Now, I have seen my mother stand in faith and prayer for the salvation of her brother for forty years and he come back to the Lord. She stood in faith for her son, my brother to return to the Lord after twenty-five years of being away from church. So, faith and persistence does work when another person’s will is involved.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Mat 18:20 “in my name, there am I” – Comments – Jesus’ name being used by believers is equal to His presence being there. Note:

Mat 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway , even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Mat 18:20 Comments – Everett Harrison says that in the Pirke Aboth, or Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, there is a quote from the rabbis that says, “When ten men sit together and are occupied with the Torah, the Shekinah is among them.” [505] Harrison suggests that the words of Jesus in Mat 18:20 may have been a reference to this quote. [506]

[505] The entire verse reads, “R. Chalaftha of Kaphar-Chananiah said, When ten sit and are occupied in words of Thorah the Shekinah is among them, for it is said, God standeth in the CONGREGATION of the mighty (Ps. Ixxxii. 1). And whence (is it proved of) even five? Because it is said, He judgeth among gods. And whence even three? Because it is said,…and hath founded his TROOP in the earth (Amos ix. 6). And whence even two? Because it is said, Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another ( 3). And whence even one? Because it is said, In all places where I record my name I will come unto THEE, and I will bless thee (Ex. xx. 24).” ( Pirke Aboth 3.9) see Charles Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers Comprising Pirque Aboth in Hebrew and English with Notes and Excursuses (Cambridge: University Press, 1897), 46-48.

[506] Everett F. Harrison, Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c1964, 1971), 172.

Mat 18:21-35 Jesus Teaches on Forgiveness (The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant) In Mat 18:21-35 Jesus responds to Peter’s question by teaching on the importance of forgiving one another in the Kingdom of Heaven; for this is the key to overcoming offences. He explains this spiritual truth by telling an earthly story in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. This passage of Scripture well illustrated to Peter and the other disciples the value of forgiving offences.

Illustration – Regarding this parable the Lord once gave me a taste of how this unforgiving servant felt. In July 2000, I was managing Lighthouse Television in Kampala, Uganda. On Saturday, July 1, I had cut off a local preaching program without notice for non-payment of US$ 1,800 for the previous month. At this same time, the Minister of Information was trying to collect US$ 19,000 for arrears in tower rentals from my TV station. Our attorneys were protesting this payment and were not cooperating with this Ministry. The following day, Sunday, July 2, I was sitting at the kitchen table typing Bible notes, when this parable was quickened to me very strongly. Then, within an hour, our TV station was cut off due to non-payment. It took a payment of US$ 10,000 and two days of being off of the air in order to resolve this issue. What a lesson I learned in this parable. I quickly restarted this local minister’s program that I had cut off, and handled this client with more patience, the kind of patience that I would have expected from someone.

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Mat 18:22 Word Study on “seventy times seven” – In the Greek, this means seventy-seven (77) times, and not seventy multiplied by seventy.

Mat 18:22 Comments – We find the numbers seventy and seventy seven used in one other verse in the Scriptures.

Gen 4:24, “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

Jesus was essentially saying that we must not live with unforgiveness in our hearts. We must turn wrongdoings over to the Lord and let him work them out without us holding anger and unforgiveness.

Mat 18:21-22 Comments – The Significance of the Number Seven – Seven is a common number used for judgment in the Scriptures. Note:

Gen 4:15, “And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold . And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”

Lev 4:6, “And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD , before the vail of the sanctuary.”

Lev 26:18, “And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins .”

Lev 26:21, “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins .”

Lev 26:24, “Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins .”

Lev 26:28, “Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins .”

Deu 28:25, “The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them : and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.”

Psa 79:12, “And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.”

Pro 6:31, “But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold ; he shall give all the substance of his house.”

Dan 3:19, “Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated .”

Also, seven of Saul’s sons died for the sins of one man:

2Sa 21:6, “ Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us , and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.”

In the New Testament, Jesus said that a man who backslides will have seven more demons enter him after being delivered from one demon.

Mat 12:45, “Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself , and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it e also unto this wicked generation.”

God uses seven years to judge nations and kings of major sins:

Gen 41:30, “And there shall arise after them seven years of famine ; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;”

2Sa 24:13, “So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land ? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.”

King Nebuchadnezzar was judged for seven years:

Dan 4:16, “Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him .”

God uses seven days to judge individuals of minor sins and uncleanness in the Scriptures.

Lev 12:2, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days ; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.”

Lev 15:24, “And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days ; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.”

God’s judgment on the earth in the book of Revelation comes in sevens:

Rev 15:8, “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled .”

Peter sought an answer from Jesus for forgiveness in the place of judgment. Peter suggested seven times because he knew from the Scriptures that God’s judgment is sevenfold. Therefore, God’s mercy must be sevenfold. But Jesus tells Peter that God’s judgment may be sevenfold, but His mercy is without measure.

Mat 18:35 Comments – When reading Mat 18:35 we ask the question of how our Heavenly Father is going to turn over those who do not forgive to “the tormentors.” We find this mentioned in the New Testament Apocrypha writing The Revelation of Paul. In this ancient document it tells of a poor sinner who has died and is turned over to Tartarus to be tormented until the Day of Judgment.

“And I heard a voice of one saying: Let that soul be delivered into the hands of Tartarus, and led down into hell: he shall lead him into the lower prison and he shall be put in torments, and left there till the great day of judgment. And again I heard a thousand thousand angels saying hymns to the Lord, and crying: Thou art just, O Lord, and just are thy judgments.” ( The Revelation of Paul 17) ( ANF 8)

It tells of a church elder who did not perform his ministry well being turned over to be tormented.

“I further observed the fiery river and saw there a man being tortured by Tartaruchian angels having in their hands an iron with three hooks with which they pierced the bowels of that old man: and I asked the angel, and said: Sir, who is that old man on whom such torments are imposed? And the angel answered and said to me: He whom you see was a presbyter who did not perform well his ministry: when he had been eating and drinking and committing fornication he offered the host to the Lord at his holy altar.” ( The Revelation of Paul 34)

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

How to Deal with an Erring Brother.

v. 15. Moreover, 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.

v. 16. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

v. 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 an heathen man and a publican.

Note the connection: God does not want a single one to perish, to be lost, especially not the weak and erring, whose weakness might make them a comparatively easy prey in case they are tempted. The purpose of this entire passage is to show how a weak and erring brother or sister may be won back to Christ, even if it be a matter of some difficulty, of hard work. “Against thee”: not referring mainly to personal offenses, but rather to sins about which one has a first-hand knowledge, which have drawn attention and are sure to offend Christ and the Christian religion. Sins they must be, not personal peculiarities. The latter may make a person unfit for some office in the Church and come into consideration only in that connection. But the Lord is concerned about the former only in this passage. “Christ now says: ‘If thy brother sin against thee,’ that is, if he bears himself thus that he publicly lives against God and His Word. For that means to sin against thee and all Christians, which is done against God’s honor, or which is done and sinned against God, as when one despises God, blasphemes His Word, or sins against the Second Table, as in stealing, robbing, hurting, lying, and deceiving. Now if this comes to thee, if thou noticest it, then tell him his fault between him and thee. Thou shalt not publicly expose him on the market or where thou art, before everybody, but remember that he is still thy brother, therefore keep silence in the presence of others and go to him, take him alone before thee, in a kind manner admonish and rebuke him, say: This I have heard of thee, see that thou desist there from, lest God punish thee. Then it may well be that he will gladly hear thee and thou gain thy brother and bring him back to the right path. ” The entire manner of speaking and acting must be kindly, but emphatic, yet dignified. The hatred of sin, but the love of the sinner, must be evident. Note also: It must be a brother, a fellow-Christian, for whom this work of love is done, 1Co 5:10-11.

If this first attempt at serving the brother and gaining him back from his error should fail (and it may be a matter of Christian wisdom to repeat the private admonition several times), then the second measure must be adopted. A careful selection of these witnesses is also a matter of loving judgment. The injunction is based upon Deu 19:15. For a second time every effort should be made to have the erring one submit to the admonition. Patience and the object of gaining the erring brother must dictate every word, without, however, derogating from the dignity of the Word of God. Truth and righteousness must be upheld at all costs.

If, now, the full application of this measure also fail in spite of all efforts, in spite of all kindness and patience, then the last measure must be resorted to; there is no alternative. If the erring brother pays no attention to your admonition, if he shows no evidence of realizing his sin, if he refuses to be convinced in spite of clear passages of Scripture condemning his manner of acting, then the matter must be brought to the attention of the whole congregation. This is not the Church in its totality, but, according to common Jewish usage of the word, and also according to Christ’s own explanation, verse 19, the local, visible congregation. And again shall appeal and admonition be employed with the object of winning the brother. The length of time is not prescribed and may vary in different cases, if only the erring one may be brought back to knowledge. But finally, if all efforts are of no avail, the condition of facts must be stated. The former brother must be declared to be as an heathen man and a publican, as one that is outside of the Christian Church, by his own fault and in spite of the most painstaking care and loving search.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Mat 18:15-17. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass, &c. Our Lord, having thus spoken to the persons offending, now addresses his discourse to the persons offended, shewing them in what manner they ought to behave towards an offending brother; and whosoever shall closely observe this threefold rule, will seldom offend others, and never be offended himself. “If any, more especially one who is a member of the same religious community, do any thing amiss, of which thou art an eye or ear-witness, first, go and tell him alone: if it may be, in person; if that cannot so well be done, by thy messenger, or in writing: If this succeed, thou hast gained thy brother; hast recovered him to God, who rejoices at the repentance of a sinner; and to thyself, with whom he was at enmity; and so hast saved him from perishing.” See Pro 28:23. Observe, our Lord gives no liberty to omit this, or to exchange it for either of the following steps: “If this gentle method do not succeed, Secondly, Take with thee one or two more men whom he esteems and loves, who may then confirm and enforce what thou sayest, and afterwards, if need require, bear witness of what was spoken. (See Deu 19:15.) If even this do not succeed, then and not before, tell it to the church, or to that particular congregation of the faithful to which he belongs; whose sentence being declared, will shew him, that in the judgment of all good men, thou hast done thy duty, and he is to blame. If all this avail not, you will do well to enter into a protest against him, by forbearing any intimate friendship with such a person; and let him therefore, in this case, be unto thee as an heathen and a publican, or other most notorious sinner, to whom you would perform only the common offices of humanity, but would avoid his intimate society, as scandalous; and to whom you are not under those peculiar obligations, whereby Christian brethren are bound to each other.” Can any thing be plainer than this? Christ here as expressly commands all Christians who see a brother do evil, to follow this method, not another, and to take these steps in this order,as he does, to honour our father and mother.But if so, in what land do the Christians live? See Doddridge, and Bengelius.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Mat 18:15 . The connection with what precedes is as follows: “ Despise not one of the (Mat 18:10-14 ); if, however, one offends against thee, then proceed thus.” The subject changes from that of doing injury to the , against which Jesus has been warning (Mat 18:10-14 ), to that of suffering injury, in view of which he prescribes the proper method of brotherly visitation. However, in developing this contrast, the point of view becomes so generalized that, instead of the , who were contemplated in the previous warning, we now have the Christian brother generally , therefore, the genus to which the as species belongs.

] The emphasis is not on , but on : but if thy brother shall have sinned against thee, which he is supposed to do not merely “ scandalo dato” (Bengel), but by sinful treatment in general, by any unbrotherly wrong whatsoever. Comp. Mat 18:21 . Ch. W. Mller in the Stud. u. Krit. 1857, p. 339 ff., Julius Mller, Dogmat. Abh. p. 513 ff., reject the reading , Mat 18:15 , though on internal grounds that are not conclusive, and which might be met by stronger counter-arguments against the use of without modification of any sort. How can it be supposed that the procedure here inculcated was intended to apply to every sin without any limitation whatever? Would we not have in that case a supervision omnium contra omnes ? The reference can only be to private charges, to offences in which the one sins against the other ( ), and which, as such, ought to be dealt with within the Christian church. Comp. 1Co 6:1 ff.

] do not wait, then, till he himself come to thee.

. ] so that except him no one else is to be present along with thee, so that the interview be strictly confined to the two of you . We must not therefore supply a after as well. But the rebuking agency (Eph 5:11 ) is regarded as intervening between the two parties. The person who reproves mediates between the two parties, of which he himself forms one.

] if he will have listened to thy admonition, will have complied with it. But Fritzsche and Olshausen connect the preceding with this clause: “ Si tibi soli aures praebuerit .” This would imply an arrangement that is both harsh and foreign to New Testament usage.

] usually explained: as thy friend; , , Euthymius Zigabenus. But what a truism would such a result imply! Therefore it should much rather be explained thus: thou hast gained him for the eternal blessedness of my kingdom , to which, from not being brought to a state of repentance, he would otherwise have been lost (Mat 18:17 ). But the subject who gains is the party that has been aggrieved by the offence of the brother, because the successful result is understood to be brought about by his affectionate endeavours after an adjustment. Comp. 1Co 9:19 ; 1Pe 3:1 .

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

B. The Discipline of the Church Mat 18:15-20

15Moreover [But] if thy brother shall trespass [sin, ]16 against thee,17 go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gainedthy brother. 16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established []. 17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church:18 but if he neglect to hear the church [also, ], let him be unto thee as a heathen man [heathen] and a publican. 18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; 19and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again [verily]19 I say unto you, That if [only] two of you shall agree20 on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which [who] is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Logical Connection.Meyer denies the existence of such a connection with the preceding context, and objects to the construction of Beza: Ubi de iis disseruit, qui sunt aliis offendiculo, nunc quid sit iis faciendum declarat, quibus objectum est offendiculum, The connection lies in the condemnation of hierarchical practices. Hence the view of Beza is substantially correct. Give no offence to your neighbor, but rather overcome by love the offence which he gives to you. Or, in the special form in which it is expressed in the text, Put no stumbling-block in the way of your neighbor by hierarchical offence, but rather assist the Church in removing such offences.

Mat 18:15. Against thee.Not merely referring to personal offences, but rather to sins, which, being done in presence of others, cannot but excite attention and give offence. Viewed in the context, it might be paraphrased: Sin not against thy brother by giving him offence. Again, on the other hand, overcome by the discipline of love the offence which he has given thee.

Between thee and him alone.First measure. Brotherly admonition, or private entreaty. Meyer: The administration of reproof is here represented as intervening between the two parties. But this critic is mistaken in supposing that the text refers to party disputes. Of course, the expression implies that the guilt rests with our brother.

Thou hast gained thy brother.Euthym, Zigab.: In respect of brotherly fellowship. Meyer, more correctly: For the kingdom of the Messiah. Both ideas, however, seem combined in the text. The person who has been gained for the kingdom of the Messiah becomes the brother of him who has thus gained him. He has been gained by wisdom and cautious dealing, when serious loss seemed impending. Such private expostulation implies self-denial and courage, while it gives our brother the impression that we feel for him, that we love him, and would willingly spare him. Such an assault of love upon his heart may gain him. The opposite course, of hastily divulging his fault, is an evidence of pride, harshness, cowardice, want of love and of prudence. In all probability, it will only tend to embitter, and thus further to alienate our brother. Besides, in our personal dealings as individuals, we are not entitled to go beyond this private expostulation, unless we know that we act in the spirit of the whole Church (Acts 5; 1 Corinthians 5).

Mat 18:16. One or two more.This is the second measure to be adopted. One or two witnesses are now to be called in. The law of Moses enjoined the judicial examination of witnesses (Deu 19:15). In this instance, the final judgment of God is supposed to be already commencing, and witnesses are called in, because the guilty brother is to become his own judge.

The question has been asked, whether the word here means, be established, or else, stand still, rest, depend. The latter meaning seems to be preferable, as the guilt of the offending brother is apparently admitted. The fault of our brother is not to be prematurely published. Hence, while in the first clause of the verse we read, Take with thee one or two, the last clause speaks of two or, three witnesses. If our brother confesses his fault, he becomes himself the third witness, and there are no longer merely two, but three who know of the fault.

Mat 18:17. To the church (congregation).Third measure. From Mat 16:18, the term must always be understood as referring to the Christian Church, or to the meeting of believers, whether it be large or small. Calvin, Beza, and others mistake equally the meaning and the connection of the passage in applying it to the Jewish synagogue. In opposition to this, de Wette remarks, 1. That the term is never applied to the synagogue; 2. that Jesus could not have meant to direct His disciples to apply to a community which was estranged from them in spirit, for the purpose of restoring brotherly relations among themselves; 3. that Mat 18:18-20 evidently refer to Christian fellowship, and to its power and quickening by His presence. But when de Wette suggests that both this passage and Mat 16:18 were a historical prolepsis, he must have wholly missed the connection of the gospel history in the mind of Matthew. Similarly, Roman Catholic interpreters are entirely in error in explaining the passage: Tell it to the bishops. Even de Wette and Vitringa go beyond the text, in supposing that it applies to the function of the rulers of the Church as arbitrators or judges on moral questions. On the contrary, the is in this passage put in antithesis to the question touching the . Hence this would have been the most unsuitable place for anything like the sanction of a hierarchy. It is indeed true that the Church is, in the first place, approached and addressed through its officials. But then we must also bear in mind, that there is an entire accordance between the views and dealings of these officials and those of the Church, and not anything like hierarchical assumption on their part (comp. 1Co 5:4). [Alford: That cannot mean the Church as represented by her rulers, appears by (from) Mat 18:19-20,where any collection of believers is gifted with the power of deciding in such cases. Nothing could be further from the sprit of our Lords command than proceedings in what were oddly enough called ecclesiastical courts.P. S.]

Let him be unto thee.The Jews regarded heathens and publicans as excommunicated persons. As such we are to consider a Christian who perseveres in his offence: he is no longer to be acknowledged as belonging to the fellowship of saints. The accord of the Church in this step is implied. Still the verse reads, Let him be to theenot, to the church; the personal impulse being in this case a prophetic manifestation of the gift of discerning the spirits. Viewing it in this light, we cannot imagine how Meyer could infer that it did not apply to excommunicationall the more so, that he himself refers it to the cessation of all fellowship with such a person. However, we question the correctness of the latter statement. In our opinion, the text only implies the cessation of ecclesiastical fellowship, not of civil or social intercourse. In point of fact, it was the mistake of the Jews to convert what was intended as an ecclesiastical censure into a civil punishment. Perhaps this might be excusable under the ancient theocracy, when State and Church were not yet distinct. Nay, when the theocracy was first founded, it was even necessary under certain conditions, and for a season (see the laws against the Canaanites). But under the New Testament dispensation this confusion of civil and sacred matters has entirely ceased. Christ did not regard the publicans and heathens, viewed as such, as belonging to His communion; but He considered them the objects of His mission. Accordingly, we must take the idea of excommunication in this light. The Roman Catholic Church has, on the question of discipline, again lapsed into Judaism. Regarding those who are excommunicated as heretics, if not as heathens and publicans, it hands them over to the civil tribunals.

Mat 18:18. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth.It is very remarkable that Christ should have employed a solemn adjuration, when according the power of the keys to all His disciples, and with them to the Church generally, or rather to the Church along with the disciples. For, evidently, while Mat 18:17 lays down the rule for the conduct of the Church, Mat 18:18 shows that the Church is warranted in this conduct. This right is again solemnly confirmed by the amen in Mat 18:19. The similarity of expression with Mat 16:19 shows that this passage also refers to the office of the keys; and hence that both Mat 18:17-18 referred to its exercise. The privilege therefore of Peter only consisted in this, that he was the first to make confession and to bear witness (see Acts 5, 8, 11), in accordance with the Church generally, to which he also was subject. But whenever he occupied a separate position, he also subjected himself to the discipline and reproof of the Church (Gal 2:11).

Mat 18:19. Again, verily I say unto you.The reading is very fully attested. This amen was afterward omitted from the text, probably from an apprehension that it might be quoted in support of separatism.That if [only] two of you shall agree.The smallest number which could form a fellowship. They shall agree on earth, i.e., in forming a social and visible fellowship. This, however, does not imply that two believers will always suffice to form a church. The emphasis rests on the word . Such a full agreement of two persons could only be wrought by the Holy Spirit. Hence it represents in principle the catholicity of the whole Church. The smallest fragment of a straight line may be closely and homogeneously joined to all similar fragments. Suffice it, that the Church may commence, continue and be reformed with two individuals. The prayer of these two humble individuals on earth brings dawn the gracious answer of the Father who is in heaven, thereby attesting and confirming the character of the Church.

Mat 18:20. For where two or three are gathered together.A confirmation and explanation of what had preceded. The two individuals must not stand aloof in a sectarian spirit, but seek to become three. Similarly, their must consist in being gathered together in the name of Jesus. If such be the case, Himself is in the midst of them by His Spirit. It is this presence of the Shechinah, in the real sense of the term, which forms and constitutes His , or Kahal. Hence it also enjoys both the blessings and the protection of our Father who is in heaven. Lightfoot: Simile dicunt Rabbini de duobus aut tribus considentibus in judicio, quod Schechina sit in medio eorum.

The statement in Mat 18:19 must evidently be regarded as primarily a continuation of the second measure prescribed in cases of offence, when two or three witnesses were to be called in. It is as if the Lord hoped that, by their earnest continuance in prayer, these witnesses would prevent the necessity of extreme measures. But if they should be obliged to assemble in His name in order to lay a formal accusation before the Church, the Lord promised to be in the midst of them. The fact that the phraseology of the text so closely resembles that of Mat 18:16, seems to imply, in a certain sense, an antithesis. Probably the meaning is: The two or three who form a true Church shall not be entirely dependent upon the large majority of a larger , nor upon the possible abuse of the power of the keys. Their outward minority is compensated by the blessing of the Father, and by the presence of Christ, or by an inward and real excess of power. Thus the Lord points to the circumstance, that the essential characteristics and the power of the Church lie not in the existence of an outward majority, or in the presence of great masses of people. Christ intervenes between the first and the third measure of discipline.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. According to the direction of the Lord in the passage under consideration, ecclesiastical discipline should above all things rest on the basis of brotherly faithfulness in the private intercourse of Christians. This is the first condition for the proper exercise of Church discipline.
2. According to apostolic direction, excommunication was only to take place if the person who gave offence obstinately resisted the Church itself. In that case, both truth and honor required that such bold and open opposition, either to the principles, doctrines, or practice of the Church, should not be tolerated in the midst of it. More than this; esteem, love, and faithfulness toward the offending brother himself demanded such a step. Still, such an one was only to be ranked with that class from which he had at first been taken, and from which the Church is ever willing to receive proselytes, and hence also to welcome penitents. All this implies that the excommunicated person was not to be subjected to civil pains and penalties by the Church.Let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican. These words convey a very different meaning to Christiana from what they did to the Jews. The latter despised and condemned heathens and publicans; Christ received them. In other words, where the discipline of the Church ceases, its missionary work commences anew. Perhaps we might rather call it the catechetical officeas the penitent professes a desire to have the bond which had been broken restored, and hence does not require to be again admitted by a new baptism, but only to be restored to the fellowship of the Church.

3. The characteristic of true catholicity is not outward uniformity, but inward unity in the Spirit of Christ. Therefore, when even two are completely united, they are, in point of fact, in fellowship with all the holy spirits both in heaven and on earth, and Christ Himself is in the midst of them.
4. Not three or two but two or three. The pure Church may for a time be very small, but it must always aim after universality. Besides, it deserves notice that this saying of the Lord was closely connected with His teaching about primacy in the Church, and about offences, hence we may see with what tender care He watched over the interests and how He defended the origin of the evangelical Church.

5. On the subject of Jewish excommunication, comp. Winers Real-Wrterbuch, sub Bann, and on Christian excommunication, Herzogs Real-Encyclop., sub Bann. The lesser excommunication implied only the cessation of full and purely ecclesiastical fellowship. The person excluded became, for the time, a non-communicant. A deep meaning attached to the practice of the ancient Church, by which such an individual was in certain respects ranked among the general hearers of the word and the catechumens. In truth, his connection with the Church had not wholly ceased; it may be regarded rather as suspended for a time, than as completely terminated. Hence the greater excommunication may be said to be no longer applicable to any individuals, as it necessarily involved civil consequences. At first sight, some of the statements of Paul seem to imply such a procedure; but a further examination of the passages in question will modify our ideas on that point. Thus, 1Co 5:11 refers probably to the common meal of brotherly fellowship; while the formulas in 1Co 16:22, and Gal 1:8-9, appear to us to be couched in hypothetical language, as a thing that might and should take place in certain circumstances, not as one that had actually occurred. Of recent writers on the subject, we mention Meyer of Rostock, Otto (Bonn, 1856), M. Gbel, On Eccl. Discipline in the Reformed Church until Calvin (Kirchl. Vierteljahrs Schrift, 2 Jahrg., Berlin, 1845). Also the Transactions of the German Church Diet for 1856.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

The necessity of ecclesiastical discipline. 1. The gospel cannot be preserved without salt; nor, 2. fraternal love without frankness: nor, 3. a particular church without discipline; nor, 4. the Church in general without the spirit of discipline.The object of all Christian and ecclesiastical reproof is to gain our brother.The frankness of affectionate, brother faithfulness, the basis of ecclesiastical discipline.The exercise of ecclesiastical discipline implying the institution and the establishment of a Christian Church; but, on the other hand, churches must be trained and educated to this duty.The training of the Church for the exercise of Christian discipline forms the commencement of that discipline.How the discipline of the Church is to prove affectionate care for the spiritual welfare of our brother: 1. Its object is to exclude sin from the Church, but to retain our brother; 2. its mode of exercisefrankness, decision, wisdom, prudence.How genuine Church discipline observes the principle of progressing from private to open dealings.The object of Christian reproof being to awaken, not to harden, we must display1. Compassion, to the extent of even appearing to share the guilt; 2. compassion, to the extent of even appearing to cry for help; 3. compassion, to the extent of even appearing to be inexorable.The three different kinds of Church discipline: 1. Our brother is excommunicated, but sin is retained in the Church; 2. sin is cast out along with our brother; 3. sin is eliminated, and our brother restored.The right of reproof: The individual may exercise f it privately, if he has strength and courage for it; a small number of friends may administer it in kindly intercourse; the Church may publicly exercise it, i.e., not in opposition to the ministry, but as represented by it.The exercise of discipline incumbent on the Church and its representatives.To whom did Christ say, Tell it to the Church? 1. He said it to Peter; 2. to all the Apostles.The Church called to take an active part in the administration of its most sacred affairs.The power of the keys vested in the apostolic Church.How fellowship of prayer leads to fellowship of faith.Agreement of the Spirit, a confirmation of the power of the keys.Evidence of this.How the keys have lost their power when the spirits are not subject to Christ.How the whole Church of Christ may revive in the smallest community.The great Church appears in a small community: 1. If there be agreement in the spirit of prayer, securing the answer of the Father 2. if there be union in the name of Jesus, and hence the presence of Christ.The characteristic features of the true Church: 1. An inward life of prayer; 2. an outward life of confession.What is the state of a church. If, 1. the former of these two characteristics is wanting; or, 2. the latter; or, 3. both are gone.The great promises of Christ shall be fulfilled, even in the experience of the weakest church.The watch word of the Church and the watchword of sectarianism. The former: two or three; the latter: three or two.How this promise of the Lord was fulfilled in the formation of the Protestant Churches.

Starke:Zeisius: Secret sins should be secretly rebuked and expiated, but open sins, openly.Cramer: It is very dangerous to be excluded from the communion of the saints.Hedinger: The prayer of a righteous man availeth much, nay, everything; Jam 5:16.

Gerlach:What in Mat 16:19 had (apparently) been bestowed upon Peter alone, is here conferred on the whole Christian Church, being ultimately traceable to the character of Christian communion as the outward manifestation of the invisible Church.The Church of Christ on earth consists of a number of circles, drawn around the same centre, and always widening. Its well-being consists in this, that all have the proper centre, and that none of the circles interferes with the other.

Gossner:The principal thing is the agreement.All depends not on large numbers, but on the presence of Christ as the third or fourth in a spiritual communion.

Heubner:We can only call those persons our own whom we have gained for the kingdom of heaven.The decline of, and the difficulties attending upon, the exercise of scriptural discipline, constitute glaring evidence of the sad decay of our State Churches (or rather, of the hierarchical disinclination of office to train the congregation to spiritual self-government).21Wherein may two be agreed? Manifestly, not in temporal things (or rather, in matters of pure egotism).

[16] Mat 18:15.[Compare Mat 18:21, where the E. V. renders : sin.P. S.]

[17] Mat 18:15.Lachmann and Tischendorf [not in his large critical edition of 1859], after Cod. B., al. omit (against thee). The omission made the sense clearer; but for this very reason the words should be retained.

[18] Mat 18:17.[Here is used in the sense of a particular or local congregation, as often in the Epistles, while in Mat 16:18 it means the church universal, since no individual congregation (or denomination) has the promise of indestructible life. Comp. on , and its proper translation, the Crit. Note No. 4 on p. 298.P. S.]

[19] Mat 18:19.The reading [instead of without ] is very strongly attested [and adopted by Tischendorf and Alford. Lachmann reads without , and gives Cod. B. as his authority. But this is an error; the Vatican Codex, both in the edition of Angelo Mai and that of Phil. Buttmann jun., reads ,P. S.]

[20] Mat 18:19.The future is best attested. [Adopted by Tischendorf and Alford. Sustained by Cod. Sinait. which reads: . Lachmann reads with Cod. Vaticanus and text. rec. the subjunctive , which looks like a grammatical emendation. Meyer (1858) and Tischendorf (1859) quote Cod. B. in favor of the future, but both the editions of this Codex by Angelo Mai (Rome, 1857, and sec. ed., 1859) and that of Phil. Buttmann (Berlin, 1862) read the subjunctive, as stated previously by Birch and Lachmann. The or seems to be very indistinctly written in the original MS., so as to account for the difference among the collators and editors. Comp. the note in Buttmanns edition of Cod. Vat., p. 501, sub Mat 18:19.P. S.]

[21]A Prussian regulation of March 27, 1748, prohibits the minister from excluding any of their church members from the holy communion. Now cases of the kind must be reported to the royal consistories.

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

“Moreover 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. (16) But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (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. (18) 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. (19) 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.”

I pray the Reader to remark, the affection Jesus insists upon, to subsist between brethren. And indeed as they are members of Christ’s body; brethren of Jesus, and of each other; one spirit moves in all. 1Co 12 throughout.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 73

Prayer

Almighty God, our hearts have a longing desire to enter into thy courts, even into the innermost place of thy dwelling, there to behold such of thy glory as our vision can endure. Thou hast inspired us with a great ambition: this is not of our own creation, but of thine; our desire is to see thee, to love thee, to read thy truth more deeply and more understandingly, and to express thy purpose in all the breadth and force of our daily life. We have come home, we have been brought home; stung by pain, made mad by hunger, embittered by disappointment, we have returned to our Father’s house, and today we would be admitted to his presence. Thou didst seek us and thou hast found us, and what is worthy in us to be found thou only knowest, for we are filled with shame, and wounded and utterly undone. Behold the image is in us, but in the eyes of thine own grace, and by the grace of God we are what we are. Wherein we have done evil and spoiled all our days and utterly stained them with guilt, let thine answer be one of redemption and not of judgment: let grace prevail over law, and let the tender gospel of the blood of the Son of God prevail to silence the just accusations of thy law.

Thy law is severe upon us, but still righteous. It cries for our life, it pursues our soul, it demands the uttermost drop of blood that is in our guilty hearts; but thou hast arrested the law, thou hast spoken thy gospel, thou hast set up the cross, and Jesus Christ is now our Redeemer and Saviour, our Priest and Prophet and King, and in him would we hide ourselves as in a rock that cannot be shaken. There is no end to thy mercy, thy compassions are more in number than the dews of the morning, thy kindness is thrown round about us as a great defence and a perpetual comfort, and thine eye is upon us, not searchingly in judgment, but compassionately in redemption. Herein therefore do we hope, and in this is our abiding confidence.

Whilst we are in thine house, fill the place with thy presence. Make room for thyself, and grant unto us visions of thy face that shall make our hearts rejoice with a great gladness. There is trouble in our soul, there are great tears in our eyes, a solemn fear burdens our spirit like a weight that cannot be borne, and the little light that is in the sky is threatened to be driven out by an infinite gloom. Do thou then come to us thyself with revelation and light and assurance and with repetition of the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and so do thou command thy blessing to rest upon us as to liberate us from every chain and bring us from under the dominion of every terrifying fear.

Thou knowest what our days have been, and what tomorrow shall yet come, with new chances and opportunities, and offers of larger light and nobler liberty. Thou knowest those who have a great fear before them during the coming week, who are dreading the hour that shall try their very life, who are now crying unto thee to be fortified against the trial that awaits them. The Lord’s grace be magnified above man’s fear, the sustaining power of the goodness of God lift up those that are crushed, until they feel the burden no more. Enter into every one of our houses, not as a glance of light, presently to depart, but as an abiding glory, a perpetual guest, yea as King of the house, and Father and Ruler of all.

Go with us in our walking up and down in the earth, and in the doing of all the business of life; help us to do it with moral dignity, with a consciousness of integrity before God, knowing that our purpose is true, and our design wholly honourable in thy sight. Give us a right view of things: show us that our life is in our nostrils, that we are here for a moment, and will presently be gone: animate us by the spirit of Christ, fill us with the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ennoble us by every consideration that can lift up the life towards the light that is in thyself; save us from despair, deliver us in temptation, guard us in danger, surround us all the way through this slippery path, keep our feet from falling, our eyes from tears, our soul from death.

Have compassion upon us every moment of the day. Help us to forgive our enemies; with the noble charity of Christ’s own spirit enable us in all things not to return evil for good, but to return good for evil; smitten on the one cheek, may we turn the other also; may it be our desire to know what Christ would be and do, that we may be and do as Christ.

The Lord help us in all time to bear the burden, to walk steadily across the swamp enable us to find the bridge of God’s own building over every difficult river bring us every one at last to see the meaning of it all, and to give praise to him who by many a devious way has led us to the common rest. Amen.

Mat 18:15-35

15. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass (and if thy brother shall sin) against thee, go and tell him his fault (convict him) between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17. And if he shall neglect (refuse) to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church (assembly or society), let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. ( Ubi tres, ibi Ecclesia a saying of the Fathers.)

21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven (symbolic numbers).

23. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents (two millions and a half sterling):

25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt (literally a debt contracted through a loan).

28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst ( entreatedst ) me:

33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?

34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Brotherhood and Forgiveness

A thread of connection binds these apparently broken sentences. The subject is the child-heart these are illustrations of its actions in daily life. A notable consequence is the fact that Jesus Christ himself was the living exemplification of his own doctrine. He was himself the child in the midst of us; he was meek and lowly in heart. Our first lesson, therefore, is founded on the fact that the child-heart may be associated with the keenest intellectual penetration. Carefully considered, it will be found that these illustrations are most remarkable instances of Christ’s intellectual virility, especially as revealing profound knowledge of human nature.

How could he know how to portray sin so vividly who knew no sin himself? How could he enter into feelings which had never excited his own heart? Account for this. Yet never was sin drawn by the hand of so powerful an artist. We are told that only those who have known delirium tremens can describe its effect, or give any true hint of its infernal revelations. Surely only the sinner can talk about sin. There will be some slip of the tongue on the part of any man who attempts to talk about that of which he himself has had no experience: he will break down in his portraiture, he will employ false colours, he will set things in undue relationships. Yet the absolutely sinless One describes sin: spotless, incorruptible Virtue sits down to paint every lineament of hideous vice, the Sun of holiness undertakes to photograph the ghastliness of crime!

How can it be done? We should mock the man who knew nothing about music undertaking to give his opinion about it. A man who had never handled a brush or mingled two colours would be mocked if he claimed to paint the simplest object in nature. His want of experience would be thrown in his face as an argument against his pretensions, and justly so. It is in this way that men acquire influence and draw around themselves the trust of others; their experience is so rich, so varied, so painful in its exactness, so exquisitely coincident with the facts of this tragical life. Jesus Christ, however, undertakes to describe sin, and to track the evil motive all through and through its winding way in the cavernous heart, and to watch its coming out at the last in vivid and actual expression. How will he do this? We can tell, too, exactly how the Sun will paint the portrait of crime we can compare the photograph with the original, we can say, “Look on this picture and on this,” and laugh at the minister who undertook to complete a photograph about which he himself knew nothing. In this way we can tell precisely whether Christ preached in pretence or in truth when he attempted to describe human nature.

The doctrine must be without value if he does not fully understand the nature to which he proposes to apply it. We have many superficial religions, simply because we have many superficial theories of human nature. How can he prescribe for a disease who never heard of it before? How can he undertake to speak a language of which he does not know so much as one letter? We have easy remedies, because we have ignorant conceptions of the symptoms and realities with which we have to deal. Christianity is mysterious because sin is mysterious the remedy must be adapted to the disease. Christ saw the mystery of our life, and adapted the mystery of his religion to it. Beware of any suggestion that is marked by extreme and miscalled simplicity in this matter of redeeming and reclaiming human nature. Human nature is not itself a simple construction: find simple keys for simple locks, but where the lock is complicated, the key must match its complication in every line.

When I enter the Christian sanctuary and hear the Christian religion enunciated, I am struck by its mysteriousness, its remoteness from all common things, its metaphysical and transcendental claim and point of observation, and in my ignorance I say, “Surely something simpler than this could be devised.” But God sends me back to consider my own nature know thyself. When I have studied the lock, I find that the mystery was in me, not in God in sin, not in truth in rebellion, not in redemption.

How could Jesus Christ undertake to speak that parable of the prodigal son? His audacity amazes me. Let him paint the well-behaved boy, that never left his father’s house an hour, that retired regularly and rose punctually, and pursued the even tenor of his way all through the hours of the day, with undeviating punctiliousness; let him tell us about his prayers, his virtues, his untempted integrity, his paper loyalty there he may be at home; but Son of God, Child of the heavens, Companion of angels how can he undertake to describe the way of the prodigal? He will stumble; he will make the most ludicrous mistakes. How will he talk about riotous living and harlots, and all the ways of darkness and all the speech of hell? He will pronounce that speech like a foreigner; there will be an accent in its utterance that will make us smile as if mocking the man who had undertaken to speak such a speech. Let any critic sit down to consider the parable of the prodigal son simply as a delineation of human nature, and say if he could amend one word, add one hue to the vivid colouring, or mark in more graphic boldness the outline of the madman’s career.

Whence this knowledge of human nature? Truly Jesus needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. That he should never have been corrected in his delineation of virtue is a commonplace, but that he should never have been criticised successfully in his delineation of vice transcends in power of surprise any miracle of his with which I am acquainted. Take this instance of trespasses and forgiveness and ask how far they coordinate with all we know of human nature. Did the Man know what he was talking about? Did he pronounce our language like a foreigner? Did he give merely superficial etchings, or faithful and undeniable delineations of our very selves? Let us see.

“If thy brother shall trespass against thee.” But do brothers trespass against one another? How bold the assumption, how improbable the circumstance! The Man romances. It is impossible that brother should trespass against brother what is the speaker thinking of? Brothers will love brothers, brother will never disagree with brother it must be, “If a man shall trespass against his enemy kill a wild beast, shoot a bird of prey.” It is not so. “If thy brother shall trespass against thee.” This man knows what he is talking about, he is familiar with facts, he looks at human life in its actuality. He paints nothing in merely rosy hues, he proceeds upon the assumption that the whole social head is sick and the whole social heart is faint. He who grips fundamental facts in this way may possibly have some remedy for the disease which he depicts.

“If he will not hear thee.” It is impossible a brother not hearing a brother, a man turning a deaf ear to a fellow-man who goes to expostulate with him, a man hardening himself into an unresponsive stone when the human voice falls upon his ear in piteous and pleading tone! O Christ, thou art now in regions too remote for thy thought to be familiar with so would one talk about such words as these but what are the facts of daily life?

Have you met with men who will not listen to you when you go to state your complaint, or to ask for redress, or to demand that simple justice be done? Are there stubborn men, are there deaf souls, are there those who draw themselves up into impenetrable isolation when you wish them to listen to statements which you suppose will correct their judgment and bring their conscience to bear intelligently upon a given set of circumstances? Is the picture correctly drawn?

“Take with thee one or two more.” How did he, the Christ, know how to treat a social difficulty? If the brother would not hear the one man, how would he possibly hear the one or two more? “That every word may be established.” Why, would the man go back upon his own word? What need have we of witnesses in social life, especially in Church or Christian life? When a brother has spoken a sentence, he will never surely modify it, recall it, deny it, trifle with it why should there be one or two more listening, taking notes, and called in for the purpose of verification? Truth is simple, truth is easy, truth will never be denied, truth will stand when all things fall why should there be one or two more? Have you never felt the necessity of having a witness present when a man was talking who had done a trespass? The very fact that he had done the trespass gave you ground for believing that he would do the further trespass of denying his own word. How he knows us, how he searches us through and through, how his eye burns upon us there is nothing hidden from the light thereof! A man who talks so about our personal and social relations may have something to say presently of a deeper kind.

“Let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” There is a point at which patience gives out. Jesus Christ points to a similar circumstance in our higher relations the Lord is long-suffering and very kind of heart, and his eyes are filled with pity and he longs to see us come home, and he has prepared broad welcome for our prodigal, penitent hearts; yet there is a point at which he says, “Let him alone: this sin hath forgiveness neither in this world nor in that which is to come.” To God we may be as a heathen man and a publican, to our Creator we may be an eternal offence. This is the mystery of life we may be cast out of our Father’s heart, and be thrown by our own sinful hands beyond the bounds of penitence and forgiveness.

Jesus Christ then says that whenever a process is conducted in this fashion and the final word is spoken, be it a word of binding or of loosing whatever is done rightly upon earth is done also in heaven. The earthly books on which the transaction is written may be burned, but the registry above is beyond the reach of fire. Not only so, he says that where the right process is conducted, and two or three come together to settle the matter, there he is. This matter is not settled in stubbornness and resentfulness or in a spirit of social injustice, but it is done religiously; where two or three are gathered together in my name, to cut off any man or to take any man back again into the fold which he has left, there am I in the midst of them. This passage has been quoted in reference to prayer meetings, and in reference to small religious gatherings, and has been misquoted so as to bring in the words, “and that to bless.” Jesus Christ is not speaking about such meetings his subject is altogether different; it is solemnly and graciously true of every meeting of hearts for the purpose of worshipping God through Christ; but in this instance Jesus Christ is speaking about another subject altogether, and therefore the text must not be wrested from its immediate application to bear but a secondary reference to other sets of circumstances. He would rather not be present when any man is accounted a heathen man and a publican but he must be there. He is Judge as well as Saviour.

Peter now interposes and shows that he knows nothing about human nature. We see how grand Christ is by seeing how pitifully little every other man is in comparison. Peter comes forward with a half-question, based upon a half-view of human nature: “How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?” The question is founded upon a foolish assumption. You do not know how high the mountain is till you see some other mountain and set it up against it shoulder to shoulder. Mont Blanc does not impress strangers who visit the neighborhood for the first time they are rather surprised that the mountain is not higher. But let them climb the old king’s shoulder, and one by one how the mountains are left behind, as the traveller goes up into awful solitude. So with this Christ. We could have read this passage ending with the words “There am I in the midst of them,” and never felt its grandeur; but when we hear Peter, our own brother, who ought to have known all about human nature, we feel ashamed of him. “How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?” the self-complacent dog! “My brother sin against me?” Just like us! It never occurred to Peter that he might sin against his brother. Standing there in conscious perfectness of character and disposition, will and thought, godly man, serene and most pious soul, he wonders how often he has to play the great man by forgiving somebody else! He starts from a wrong point. The question is not an innocent one, it is steeped in guilt if he did but know it; but whoever assumes his own peccability, who ever starts the question from the possibility that he may be the offender?

Peter further discloses his littleness by making a suggestion as to the number of times “till seven times?” Now let us look at Mont Blanc and see how far this little molehill compares advantageously with the infinite majesty. “I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.” My thought is not your thought, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so are my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

The answer appals me, the answer rejoices me. You have in this sentence an illustration of the severity and the goodness of God. We are called upon to forgive the repentant brother until seventy times seven. If he turn saying, “I repent,” forgive him. How oft? a countable number of times? No, an uncountable number of times! Therein is the discipline most severe. Why, then, does the text rejoice me? In this way; because if God asks so much from me, what will he be prepared to be and to do himself in reference to my repentance? I will point out his own words if the argument should grow very serious and high laying my finger upon this celestial arithmetic, how I might plead with him! The Lord is slow to anger, plenteous in forgiveness. He multiplies to pardon; it is not a thin transparent wave he allows to flow over the black stone of my sin, but sea upon sea, Atlantic upon Atlantic he pours upon that blackness, letting it be found no more for ever. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon, with multiplied forgiveness, wave upon wave, billow upon billow of forgiving love, and our sin shall be as a stone cast into the depths of the sea.

Out of this reasoning Jesus brings the flower of a parable about the kingdom of heaven being likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. Search that parable and you will see that the kingdom of heaven puts forward rights and claims, and insists upon their being met. There is no trifling with the law of righteousness in this parable: no mere bubble of sentiment is this, but a living thing with a living claim. He who has nothing to pay must be sold, and payment must be made. Read this parable further, and you will see that whilst righteous claims are set forth the spirit of mercy is consulted. “Have patience with me and I will pay thee all.” Observe, there is nothing sentimental here; the debt is acknowledged, payment is promised, patience is invoked, and the king, grand in imperial majesty, becomes grander still in moral clemency. So the flower is rooted in the rocks, and the rocks are rooted in the sun, and the sun is rooted in God.

We need not pursue the bad servant, who, being forgiven himself failed to forgive another; we must hasten to the solemn word which closes the parable. “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” There can be no doubt, then, whatever as to the operation of this law of retribution and pardon a child can understand this parable; no secret wizardry or black art prevents us from seeing God’s meaning in this great matter of human forgiveness. There is no grammatical puzzle in the interpretation of this parable; do not seek to find any way out of it; it comes to one of two things; either forgive for Christ’s sake and be forgiven, or do not forgive and be not forgiven.

Wondrous is the word, “If ye from your hearts.” Forgiveness is sometimes an affair of the lips, pardon is accompanied with a thousand reservations. I know of no men so disinclined to forgiveness as professing Christians. How barbarians do I cannot tell, but professing Christians cannot forgive. Ministers of the gospel there are who have never known the joy of having forgiven a brother man. They forgive with parentheses, they forgive with great big ifs following the reluctant words. They will forgive but not forget, they will watch, they will wait, they will hope, they will even hope for the best, but it will take a long time to restore confidence! Marvellous Christianity, evangelical doctrine, diabolical temper. Spotless orthodoxy, black, hideous devilism. Forgiveness should be the delight of Christian men. Forgiveness must be based upon repentance there must be confession or there cannot be pardon. “But if thy brother turn again, saying, I repent, forgive him” do not take six months to see how he behaves; you must behave well. “If thy brother turn again saying” I repent, forgive him.” Do not say, “It will be a long time before the old love comes back” where would you be this day if God forgave you with a distinct intimation that he was going to withhold his old love? Happy he who can pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.” That is the crux of prayer, that is the supreme difficulty of intercession!

Homiletic Note on the Parable

Mat 18:23-35 . The principal ideas suggested by this parable are: 1. The kingdom of heaven recognises individual responsibility, a king would take account of his servants; 2. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of justice, “his lord commanded him to be sold,” etc. ( Mat 18:25 )! 3. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of mercy, “the lord of that servant was moved with compassion;” 4. The kingdom of heaven teaches that personal obligation should become a social benefit, he who has been forgiven should forgive; 5. The kingdom of heaven having failed in mercy will have recourse to absolute justice, “his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.”

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

15 Moreover 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.

Ver. 15. If thy brother shall trespass ] As trespass he will, “for it must needs be that offences come,” Mat 18:7 , such is human frailty. Two flints may as soon smite together, and not fire come out, as two or more men converse together and not trespasses in one kind or other fall out. A heathen could say, Non amo quenquam nisl offendam: for so, I shall know whether he love me or no, by his forbearing of me. And Augustine saith, Qui desinit sustinere, desinit amare, He that ceaseth to bear with me, ceaseth to love me. Here therefore our Saviour, after he had deterred his from doing wrong, instructeth them how to suffer wrong. If it be not considerable, it must be dissembled. As if it be,

Go and tell him ] , Get thee gone to him presently, lest else the sore rankle, and thou hate him in thy heart, Lev 19:17 : say not, he should come to me, &c., but get thee to him with speed. Lech lecha, as God said to Abraham, up and be packing; stand not to strain courtesy with him when both have haste; but seek peace and ensue it; it is best to be first in a good matter. Remember, said Aristippus to Aeschines (with whom he was fallen out), that though I were the elder man, yet I first sought to thee. Verily, said Aeschines, thou art not only an elder, but a better man than I; for I was first in the quarrel; but thou art first in seeking reconciliation. Nae tu profecto vir me longe melior es, &c. Plutarch.

Tell him his fault ] God’s little ones are so to be loved, as not to be let alone in their trespasses; but freely and friendly admonished, that they may see their sin and amend their way, as Denkius did when admonished by Oecolampadius. a He being a learned man held this heresy, that no man or devil should be damned eternally, but all saved at last, &c. But being also a humble man, he repented; being converted by Oecolampadius, in whose presence he died at Basil of the plague, but piously, A.D. 1528.

Thou hast gained thy brother ] To God and thyself, and if to God, to thyself surely for ever, as Philemon (how much more Onesimus!) to Paul, to whom they therefore owed themselves also. Sir Anthony Kingston thus spake to Mr Hooper a little before his martyrdom: I thank God that ever I knew you, for God did appoint you to call me, being a lost child. For by your good admonitions and wholesome reproofs, whereas I was before both an adulterer and fornicator, God hath brought me to forsake and detest the same.

a Vir fuit doctus, demissi animi, Hebraicae linguae peritus, &c. Resipuit tandem conversus ab Oecolamp. Scultet. Annal.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

15 20. ] OF THE METHOD OF PROCEEDING WITH AN OFFENDING BROTHER: AND OF THE POWER OF THE CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY IN SUCH CASES.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

15. ] The connexion of this with the preceding is: Our Lord has been speaking of , which subject is the ground-tone of the whole discourse.

One kind is, when thou sinnest against another , Mat 18:7-14 . A second kind, when thy brother sins against thee . The remedy for the former must be, in each individual being cautious in his own person, that of the latter, in the exercise of brotherly love, and if that fail, the authority of the congregation, Mat 18:15-17 .

Then follows an exposition of what that authority is, Mat 18:18-20 .

On this verse see Lev 19:17-18 . This direction is only in case of personal offence against ourselves, and then the injured person is to seek private explanation , and that by going to his injurer , not waiting till he comes to apologize.

The stop must be after , as ordinarily read, and not after , as proposed by Fritzsche and Olshausen, which construction would be contrary to the usage of the N.T.

An attempt has apparently been made (see var. readd.) to render the passage applicable to sin in general , and so to give the Church power over sins upon earth.

, in the higher sense, reclaimed, gained for God, see reff.: and for thyself too: , . Euthym [149]

[149] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mat 18:15-17 . How to deal with an erring brother . The transition here is easy from warning against giving, to counsel how to receive, offences. The terms are changed: becomes , giving offence not suiting the idea of the former, and for we have the more general .

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Mat 18:15 . : apart from the doubtful following, the reference appears to be to private personal offences, not to sin against the Christian name, which every brother in the community has a right to challenge, especially those closely connected with the offender. Yet perhaps we ought not too rigidly to draw a line between the two in an ideal community of love. . . . .: the phrase implies that some one has the right and duty of taking the initiative. So far it is a personal affair to begin with. The simpler and more classical expression would be . , hear, in the sense of submitting to admonition. : gained as a friend , as a fellow-member of the Kingdom of God, or as a man = saved him from moral ruin? All three alternatives find support. Is it necessary or possible to decide peremptorily between them?

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 18:15-18

15″If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Mat 18:15-17 “go and show him his fault in private” This third class conditional sentence is followed by two imperatives.

1. Go, present active imperative

2. Reprove, aorist active imperative (only here in Matthew, but note its use in Joh 3:20; Joh 8:46; Joh 16:8; and by Paul in Eph 5:11; 1Ti 5:20)

This is practical wisdom on how to deal with sin in a congregation. It relates to a later period in church history. Notice the steps.

1. go to the offender privately (Mat 18:15)

2. take one or two witnesses and go again

3. bring the matter before the whole congregation

4. cut off fellowship

These guidelines were not addressed to leadership only, but to all believers. We are our brother’s keeper (cf. Luk 17:3; Gal 6:1-2). The goal of church discipline must always be redemptive not punitive. However, the reputation of the body and the peace of the body as well as the health (spiritual and physical) of the sinning saints must be dealt with.

Mat 18:15 “If your brother sins” This paragraph deals with church discipline in light of Mat 18:1-14. This is a series of third class conditional sentences, 15 (twice), 16, 17 (twice). This refers to possible future action.

“sins” There is a Greek manuscript variation here. The earliest complete Greek uncial New Testaments, and B, do not have “against you” after “sins.” It does appear in the uncial manuscripts D, L, and W, as well as the Vulgate and Armenian translations. The UBS4 text includes it in brackets and gives its inclusion a “C” rating.

“you have won your brothers” This phrase parallels Jas 5:15; Jas 5:19-20.

Mat 18:16 “so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses” This is a quote from Deu 19:15. The OT required at least two witnesses to confirm a matter in court (cf. Num 35:30; Deu 17:6).

Mat 18:17 “the church” For a discussion of the origin of ekklesia see note at Mat 16:18. This seems like a reference to a later period when groups of believers must discipline their members. Several of Jesus’ statements do not fit this early period of His ministry, but are prophetic of the church’s future needs. Matthew, living in this later period, would be reminded (by the Spirit) of Jesus’ earlier statements, which only after Pentecost did he fully understand.

The term “church” appears only in the Gospels, two times in Matthew. The term is common in Acts, which shows that Luke was conscious of a change after Pentecost.

“let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” Matthew was written to Jews. Gentiles were regarded as unclean and tax-collection was a profession despised by the Jews (cf. Mat 5:46; Mat 9:10-11; Mat 11:19). This phrase with its two descriptive examples, would have been misunderstood by Gentiles, so it is not in the other Gospels.

Mat 18:18 “Truly” See Special Topic at Mat 5:18.

“I say to you” “You” is plural. Jesus was addressing the Twelve not just Peter as in Mat 16:19.

“bind. . .loose” These words might alternatively be rendered “forbid” and “permit.” They were both rabbinical terms for legal decisions about how the Law should be applied to a current situation. See discussion at Mat 16:19. In Joh 20:23 these terms also refer to the forgiveness of sins, as it does here!

“shall have been bound in heaven. . .shall have been loosed in heaven” These periphrastic perfect passive participles were a roundabout way of saying that something already is. This passage does not assert human’s initiative in spiritual matters, but God’s will being fulfilled on earth by the Spirit’s guidance of His people (cf. Mat 16:19-20; Joh 20:23). Church discipline should always be redemptive (cf. Gal 6:1-10), following God’s dealing with believers.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

trespass. Greek. hamartano. App-128.

against. Greek. eis.

tell him his fault = reprove him.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

15-20.] OF THE METHOD OF PROCEEDING WITH AN OFFENDING BROTHER: AND OF THE POWER OF THE CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY IN SUCH CASES.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Mat 18:15. , …, but if, etc.) The sum of this chapter is as follows: Every one is under an obligation, not to place obstacles before himself and others, but to aid both on the way of salvation Also: we ought to respond to the Divine will, expressed in Mat 18:14. Also: do not offend thy brother; cure thy brothers offence.- , sin against thee) sc. by giving offence; see 1Co 8:12.-, go) (cf. , having gone, in Mat 18:12). That will be derogatory to no one. Even Christ came to us and sought us.- , reprove him)[824] Afterwards our Lord speaks of witnesses. In the present instance, the matter takes place in the presence of only two [sc. the parties themselves]; in the latter, of more.-, him) sc. thy brother. He is reproved and forgiven because he is a brother.-, alone) Solitary reproof is gracious.-, thou hast gained) Therefore thy brother had previously been lost through his sin. A gain, and a blessed one. The body of the sick man does not become the property of the physician who cured it; the burning house does not become the property of him who extinguished the fire: that is, they are not gained. But the man whom I have gained becomes in some sort my own, as amongst the Romans a conquered people became bound, by the ties of clientship, to the general who had conquered them; cf. Luk 19:24; Luk 19:17; Phm 1:19, and Gnomon on 1Co 9:19.

[824] E. V. Tell him his fault.-(I. B.)

The margin of both Editions observes that this verb is brought into prominence by the absence of the copula between it and , Go, tell him his fault. This has not been noticed in the Vers. Germ.-E. B.

Rec. Text has , with abc Vulg. Hilary, and Lucifer. But BD Orig. omit .-ED.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Mat 18:15-35

24. HOW OFFENDERS ARE TO BE TREATED

Mat 18:15-35

15-17 And if thy brother sin against thee.-In addition to what Jesus had already said about causing others to stumble, he now gives instructions how to restore those who do stumble. Certain rules are to be observed and principles followed in dealing with the erring. If any member of the flock commits a fault, that one is to be sought and reclaimed. This teaching is prospective, as the church had not been established at this time. “If thy brother sin.” God knew that his people would sin; he knew that they would sin against each other, hence the principle for dealing with those who do sin. The spiritual relationship of the disciples of Christ is compared to a family; hence all dealings with the erring are to bear the marks of love and the salvation of the offender. A sin against an individual Christian is a sin against the law of love; it must be dealt with as such, for it is also a sin against God. Evilspeaking against it and harsh judgments pronounced are not God’s way of dealing with the erring. It must be a definite sin, and not an imaginary wrong or grievance that comes under the teachings of Jesus here. Oftentimes members of the body of Christ imagine that they have been sinned against when, in reality, no sin has been committed against them.

Show him his fault between thee and him alone.-Go and in the spirit of meekness (Gal 6:1) show him his wrong to that he may be penitent of it. Tell him of his fault in such a prudent manner that he shall feel it and repent. (Lev 19:17.) It is better to go to him and show him his wrong than to brood over it and gender hatred toward him. The one who has received the wrong must use all the agencies of righteousness at his command to bring the erring one to a state of repentance so that he may be forgiven. If the one sinned against is unable to bring the erring one to a state of repentance, there is another step to be taken.

But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more.- The erring brother, like the lost sheep, has strayed away, and has been found; if the one who has found him cannot restore him, then he should get others to help him bring the lost back to the flock and safety. The Jews required at least two witnesses to every act of crime and offense against the law. (Deu 17:6; Deu 19:15.) This principle is carried out in the New Testament. (Joh 8:17; 2Co 13:1; Heb 10:28.) This was wise or else God would not have commanded it. The design of taking two witnesses may be twofold; first the offending brother may be possibly induced to repent and return, if he has been proud and refractory, when he sees that persons of serious character and candid judgment are condemning his fault; and second, that in administering the discipline, the church later may have certain grounds on which to base its discipline and not upon imaginary or prejudiced ground. These two witnesses may bring to bear all of the influence that they can command upon the erring brother with a view to bringing him to repentance and restoration. But if these fail, there is still another step to be taken.

And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church.-The purpose of all efforts is to save the wrongdoer; hence, when the one who has received the wrong has exhausted all of his means for restoration, but has failed; and then after two or three wise and prudent brethren have exhausted their full resources of spiritual agencies and failed, then the church, the whole body of disciples, is to bring to bear upon him all the good graces and influence to bring him to repentance and full restoration. There is to be a prayerful, sympathetic, and united effort on the part of the church to restore him, but if the church fails, the Lord has given no other means to be used or steps to be taken. What then must be done?

Let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.—He is to be avoided; ye he is entitled to the earnest good will, and all the offices of humanity; the faithful disciples of Christ are to have no religious communion with him until he repents. (1Co 5:11; 2Co 2:6-7 2Th 3:14-15.) The one who will not hear the church has no claim on it for its fellowship and blessings any more than anyone else out of the church.

[When difficulties arise, this scripture teaches how each party is to act to heal the wrong or to obviate its evil influences and to bring good out of it to those who are willing to obey God. All trials and sins bring good to those who obey God. Jesus lays down a principle that applies to all ages and peoples, and is to be practiced wherever there are disciples. It was the way Jesus laid down for his disciples to settle difficulties and troubles that arose among them. Why should such a course be suited to one age or people and not another? If that principle is not applicable now, we would not know how to say one word taught by Jesus is now applicable. When a brother has committed an offense against us, how better to settle it than the way laid down here? Can human wisdom devise a better way than to go and tell him of his trespass and seek to save him from his wrong course? And if he refuse to hear you, then take one or two discreet brethren with you, and try to settle the matter. Can any man do better than that? Then why seek to set it aside?]

18-20 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth.-Whatsoever the disciples shall order concerning such a man, whether the withdrawal from him or his restoration or repentance, shall be ratified in heaven. This is the same thought as in Mat 16:19. This shows that it has a broader application than that of the discipline of an erring brother. The Holy Spirit would guide the apostles in their instruction to the erring brother and the church, hence what would be required by those guided by the Holy Spirit, God would require, or should “be bound in heaven.” If he repented and was restored, then his sin should “be loosed in heaven.” The conditions of restoration should be ratified by our Father who is in heaven. No member of the church should fail to act in the discipline as instructed by the Holy Spirit; to fail to concur with the church would be to fail to agree with God. It would be disastrous to the unity of the church when the offender has been scripturally dealt with for any member to refuse to concur in the discipline. Blood relation or other interests should not prevent one from cooperating with the church in its act of discipline. To do so would be to rebel against God. (Joh 10:11; Rom 16:17; 1 Cor. 5 4, 5;Tit 3:10-11.)

Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth.—The prayers of God’s people, when offered in the name of Christ and according to the will of God, will be heard by the Father. Hence, when even “two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done.” (Act 5:3; Act 13:9-11.) God teaches his children to pray, and when they are united in their prayers God hears them. (Mat 28:20; Joh 20:19; 1Co 4:1.) It is understood that the scriptural conditions of prayer must be met by the united group as well as by the individual. Jesus has promised to be with those who are thus praying in his name. It is comforting for the disciples to be united in their prayers and to know that Jesus will be with them in their praying. Jesus is with his people by the Holy Spirit and by his divine nature which is omnipresent.

[Churches must be united and act as one body. This passage and others indicate very clearly that God is well pleased when his children meet together and agree as to the subject o prayer. It would be well for Christians to meet and agree as to the things desired and then all unite heartily in prayer for the things desired. This would draw them close together and lead to uniformity in prayer. When drawing near to God for his blessings, all would desire to do it in the way most pleasing to him.]

21, 22 Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?-Peter as usual takes the lead and asks; he understood that there should be a free forgiveness of all sin, and his question is appropriate in asking how often one should forgive his brother, when the same sin is repeated. Peter did not know how far he should go in extending forgiveness. This gave Jesus the occasion to teach them. “Until seven times,” this was a number which Peter thought would go beyond the limit of extending forgiveness. This was a large stretch of charity to forgive one “seven times,” as the rabbis taught that three times were sufficient. (Job 33:29-30; Amo 1:3; Amo 2:6.) The disciples of Christ are to go beyond the righteousness of the Pharisees. Jesus must have astonished his disciples when he said not “Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.” This denotes an unlimited number; this expression is used in the description of revenge in the case of Lamech. (Gen 4:24.) The duty of forgiveness has no limit, save in the want of penitence in the offender. As often as the offender repents, we must forgive. The penitence of the offender should be sincere and the forgiveness of the sin should be sincere. Jesus thus teaches his disciples to exercise forgiveness always, to live in the state or attitude of forgiving wrongs. In no case should a Christian harbor malice or retain resentment toward a sincere penitent offender.

23-35 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven.-Again Matthew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven.” “Therefore”; this shows a conclusion from what has just followed. Since unlimited forgiveness is to be extended to the penitent offender, “the kingdom of heaven” is like “a certain king.” Unlimited forgiveness to the penitent is a part of the will of God, and hence belongs to the kingdom of God on earth; this emphasizes the points of this parable. This king “would make a reckoning with his servants.” “Servants” here means his public ministers who had to do with financial matters. In an absolute monarchy the king can remove or destroy any of his public officials. This king had a time for reckoning with his officials, and when he began to reckon with them he found one who “owed him ten thousand talents.” This was an enormous sum;around number is used to give us the idea of the hopelessness of payment. “Talent” was not a coin, but represented a value. If the Hebrew talent is here meant, the sum is enormous; the sum in silver would be more than $15,000,000; if reckoned in gold, it was beyond all possibility of payment. We may form some idea of the amount by comparing other sums spoken of in the Bible. In the tabernacle twenty-nine talents of gold were used (Exo 38:24); for the temple David prepared 3,000 talents of gold, the princess 5,000 (1Ch 29:4-7). The queen of Sheba gave Solomon 120 talents (1Ki 10:10); Hezekiah was taxed thirty talents of gold (2Ki 18:14);and finally the land was taxed one talent of gold (2Ch 36:3). The sum mentioned here that this servant owed his king exceeded all possibility of payment this huge debt is the likeness of our sins, which no power of ours can ever pay. (Rom 2:5.) Since the servant “had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.” The Jewish law allowed the selling of insolvent debtors into a mild state of domestic slavery. (Lev 25:39; Lev 25:41; 2Ki 4:1.) The king may have been a Gentile ruler, and this slavery may have been a state of harsh and cruel bondage as such was frequently practiced.

The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him.-In this worship he said, “Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.” This formal act of worship or adoration consisted of prostration on the ground, and kissing the feet and knees of the one worshiped; this servant worshiped the king, for that honor was paid to royal personages. He threw himself on the mercy of the king; probably the king knew that it was impossible for this servant who had involved himself so deeply in debt to pay anything, though he promised to pay it all. The king was “moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.” This was an act of mercy and compassion on his servant who was penitent. The servant who was crushed to earth, about to lose his wife, children, liberty, and all and to become a slave to another was released of all that he owed. Such an act finds a parallel only in the forgiveness of God to sinners. He was set free or “released”; the same word is used of the act of setting Barabbas free. (Mat 27:15.)

But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants.-This fellow servant owed him only “a hundred shillings.” The denarius, or penny, was a Roman coin, worth fifteen cents of our money;the whole sum was about fifteen dollars; or compared with his own debt, in proportion of one million of dollars to one. It was a trifling sum compared to the debt that he owed the king; this small sum may show how little after all we sin against each other compared with our sin against God. He took this servant and severely punished him , he “took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.” His harsh and violent conduct toward his fellow servant is in wide contrast with the conduct of his lord to him. In like manner this fellow servant “fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.” His attitude and words were similar to those which his fellow servant had used to the king . “And he would not”; he did not exercise the mercy and forgiveness that had been extended to him, but on the contrary he “went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.” Another contrast is brought out in the conduct of the forgiven servant with this fellow servant. When he did this the other servants “saw what was done,” and they were “exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.” The conduct of this fellow servant was condemned by the other servants; the cruelty and hardness of heart which he manifested aroused them to righteous indignation, so they reported him to the lord.

Then his lord called him unto him.-There is now to be another reckoning; this offense is worse than the offense of his indebtedness to his lord. His lord pronounced this sentence upon him, “Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?” The lord did . not call him “wicked servant” when he owed him the “ten thousand talents,” but he did call him a “wicked servant” for such harsh and cruel treatment toward his fellow servant. His lord “was wroth” with him and “delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.” “Tormentors” literally means the “triers” or judges. In the East it was common for men to conceal property and pretend to be very poor in order to escape the rapacity of the powerful; hence the custom was practiced of subjecting them to torture in order to compel them to betray their wealth. These tormentors were failers and others who were skillful in applying agonies to unwilling prisoners. He was thus to be tormented “till he should pay all that was due,” which was during his natural life, for he never could discharge the debt.

Jesus makes his own application of the parable. He says. “So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.” Upon this condition hangs the divine forgiveness of us in this world. (Mat 5:7; Luk 6:37; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13; Jas 5:9.) Some think that this means if we do not forgive our penitent brother God will bring back upon us all the condemnation which belongs to all of our former sins , that is, that God will bring them back upon us, though they have been forgiven, if we do not forgive our brother from the heart. Others think that the condemnation of the sin of refusing to forgive the penitent is severe enough to condemn one to eternal torment. The forgiveness must be “from your hearts” , it must be in deed and in truth. (1Jn 3:18.) In mercy to ourselves we must turn the resentment out from our inmost hearts, that our hearts may be abodes of peace and love. This law of pardon must be supreme, and rule down all rebellious excuses and little lingerings of hatred and revenge.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Chapter 49

The Matter of Church Discipline

Moreover 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. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 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 an heathen man and a publican. 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. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

(Mat 18:15-35)

In this passage our Lord and Savior anticipates two things. First, he anticipates the fact that differences would arise among his disciples, causing offenses. It is a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless, that Gods people in this world are sinners still. We love one another; but those who are the objects of our most ardent love are the very people we are most apt to offend. The offenses are excuseless. We ought to exercise great care not to offend. But offend we do. What husband, wife, son, or daughter has not wept bitterly after needlessly offending one in the family dearly loved? Paul and Barnabas were both brethren, faithful servants of God. But they had a falling out over John Mark. Yes, Gods people, true believers, often trespass against one another.

Second, the Savior anticipates the gathering of his saints as local congregations. At the present time, they assembled in synagogues and in the temple. But that would soon cease to be. Shortly after the resurrection local churches were formed, visible societies of baptized believers. Our Savior had already spoken of building his church in his commendation of Peters confession (Mat 16:18). So the disciples were already familiar with the term. The things our Lord teaches in this passage are not instructions about the Jewish synagogues, but instructions about local churches. Particularly, he is giving us instruction about the matter of church discipline (1Co 5:1; 1Co 6:1; 1Ti 1:20). John Gill asserts, correctly, that these words are spoken not to the apostles as such, but as believers in Christ, and concern everyone that stands in the relation of a brother, or church member to each other. In the passage of Scripture, our Savior gives us a direct command for the discipline of his house and lays down general guidelines that are to be followed.

Caution

Men are ever prone to extremes. So a word of caution is in order. Church discipline is not a prominent issue in the New Testament. It is rarely mentioned. And the only place in the New Testament in which fairly full instructions about it are given is here in Matthew 18. Yet, men commonly run to one of two extremes regarding this matter. Some ignore the matter altogether. Others go to great lengths to write out rules and regulations of discipline that far exceed the teachings of The New Testament, and enforce them rigorously. Personally, I am far more concerned about getting sinners converted and into the kingdom of God than I am about getting sinners out of it.

Throughout this chapter, our Savior tells us to love one another. He tells us that we must always deal with our brethren in kindness, showing tenderness and affection. All believers are members of Christs body, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and of one another in Christ. In Christ we are all one (1 Corinthians 12). Robert Hawker wrote

To the little infirmities, which from the remains of indwelling corruption, may, and will, occasionally break out, how precious is the direction of Jesus. Oh! that it were more generally adopted in the Church of Christ! And what an unanswerable argument doth the Lord here leave upon record, for the constant meeting together of his whole body, both in private and public ordinances (Zec 2:5; Zec 2:10-11; Mat 20:28).

Guidelines

First, our Savior gives us a word of instruction about church discipline, and lays down specific guidelines that are to be followed (Mat 18:15-18).

Without question, there are many difficulties surrounding the whole issue of church discipline. I know that I am not going to settle these difficulties in this study. That is not my intention. I only want to show you that which is obvious in the passage. I will say no more than the text says and no less. But I must show you what is taught in this passage of Scripture. In these verses our Lord Jesus gives us three admirable, simple rules for the healing of differences among brethren. And the rules are accompanied with a blessed promise.

Sinners in this world, though washed in the blood of Christ and sanctified by his spirit, are sure to offend one another from time to time. The offences spoken of in our text are not petty gripes, personality clashes, and silly spats, about which it is utterly ridiculous and totally unchristian for grown men and women to be divided. The offences spoken of here are radical and, if left unsettled, destructive. All matters of insignificance are to be treated as such (Mat 5:38-42). Because our Lord does not name the offences, we must look elsewhere in the New Testament where discipline was practiced or exercised to see what disciplinary offences are. The disciplinary offences set forth in the New Testament may be summarized in four groups.

1.Financial, Business Offences (1Co 6:1-8)

2.Divisive, Bickering Offences (1Co 3:17; Eph 4:29 to Eph 5:1)

3.Clearly Established, Publicly Known Moral Offences The Incestuous Man (1Co 5:1-5)

4.Heretical, Doctrinal Offences. (1Ti 1:20; 2Ti 2:17-18; Tit 3:10)

These are issues that must be dealt with, because they are things that endanger the welfare of the whole church, things that harm the family of God, and bring reproach upon the cause of Christ. Sometimes, in a household, a father who loves his family is forced by a rebel son to put the son out of the house. A loving father would never do so because he is embarrassed by his sons behavior, or personally shamed by it. But, when the rebel sons behavior endangers the welfare of the family, a loving father is forced to put him out of the house. He does not disown his son, or cease to love his son. And he will receive his son back into his home with open arms and joyful heart at any time, if the sons behavior changes (Luk 15:20). But he cannot allow one child, that he dearly loves, to endanger the well-being of the whole family. So it is with the family of God.

The steps to be taken in discipline are clearly established, so that those who have offended may be most easily won with the least public scandal. The object is to win your brother, not to punish him, reproach him, or destroy him. Therefore, every effort must be made to correct the erring brother. All matters of offense are to be handled as privately as possible, making every effort to avoid humiliation and embarrassment.

As a last resort, our Lord says, tell it unto the church. That does not necessitate a public hearing. I cannot imagine anything more contrary to the whole New Testament than having a public trial, parading the offenses of erring members! And these words, tell it unto the church, forbid discipline by a church council. Discipline is a matter for each local church, to be handled by the appointed pastors and elders of that local assembly.

The promise of Mat 18:18 must be understood properly. 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. This does not mean that men can bend the will of God to their own will, but that God has a clearly revealed principle to which the church must conform. The text would be better translated Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound, etc. In other words, when the church of God follows Christs instruction in this matter, it conforms in its decisions to that which God has already done. This kind of discipline may be laughed at or ignored by men, but it is done with Gods authority and Gods approval.

Public Worship

In Mat 18:19 our Savior shows us the blessedness of public prayer. In Mat 18:20 he shows us the blessedness of public worship. Mat 18:19 gives particular encouragement to united, public prayer. Remember, the whole context is talking about the local church. This verse is not calling for the confusion of many voices in prayer, but the union of believing hearts in prayer. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew Henry wrote, Besides the general regard God has to the prayers of the saints, he is particularly pleased with their union and communion in these prayers (2Ch 5:13-14; Act 4:31).

In Mat 18:20 the Lord Jesus promises his presence with his people whenever they come together for worship in his name. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Numbers mean everything to men. They mean nothing to God. Our Savior here promises his presence whenever and wherever ransomed sinners meet together to worship God, though they are as few in number as two or three. Whenever and wherever two or three come together in his name (that is to say, trusting his blood and righteousness, calling upon his name, and seeking to honor his name), to pray, give praise to God, to hear his word, to attend his ordinances, and to seek his grace, the Son of God says, there am I in the midst of them.

When Gods saints thus meet together in public worship, the local church is an habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph 2:22), and the temple of Gods presence (1Co 3:16). Our Savior is always present in the assembly of his saints. He presides over all our meetings, rules in our midst, directs our hearts, and bestows his blessings in his holy place. Do not fail to observe that the only place in this world where men are assured of Christs presence is in the assembly of his saints. That makes public worship vital to our souls and a matter of highest honor and blessing. It is a privilege never to be despised (Heb 10:25-26).

Forgiveness

In Mat 18:21-22 our Lord answers a question raised by Peter about the matter of forgiveness.

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Remember the context. Everything here is directly related to believers in general and to matters concerning local churches in particular. These two verses have nothing to do with civil law or civil government. The welfare of society demands law and order, which cannot be maintained without the punishment of crime. Our Lord does not suggest that we are to tolerate thefts, assaults, or injuries to property with impunity. As J. C. Ryle stated, All that he means is that, we are to study a general spirit of mercy and forgiveness towards our brethren. We are to learn much and put up with much rather than quarrel. We are to look over much and submit to much, rather than have any strife. Such a spirit of mercy, forgiveness, and longsuffering is contrary to the flesh. So we struggle with it. But it is absolutely essential to Christianity (Mat 6:15).

A Parable

After telling Peter, and us, that we should constantly forgive one another, our Savior gives us a parable about forgiveness in Mat 18:23-35, comparing our sins to a debt we owed to God and the forgiveness of our sins by the blood of Christ to the cancellation of the debt.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Sin is a debt. It is a debt we cannot pay. But God our Father has freely forgiven us all our debt. And he is ready, willing, and able to forgive guilty sinners of their debt, granting forgiveness to all who seek it by faith in Christ (1Jn 1:9). The basis upon which he grants forgiveness is the satisfaction of his justice by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 3:24-26). The cause of forgiveness is his mercy and compassion toward sinners. And all who sue for mercy receive forgiveness (Isa 55:6-7).

The object of our Lord in giving this parable is obvious. The parable is given to show us, sinners who have obtained (and continually obtain) the free and full forgiveness of countless sins by Christ, that we ought to readily and freely forgive one another. It is both our reasonable responsibility and our great privilege to forgive all offenses committed against us. It is a reasonable duty because we are forgiven. And it is a blessed privilege, because in forgiving one another, we are allowed to imitate our great and gracious God in his most glorious work FORGIVENESS!

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour (Eph 4:32 to Eph 5:2).

Would you win a fallen brother? Show him forgiveness. Would you prove your faith? Forgive those who trespass against you. Would you grow in grace? Practice forgiveness. Would you be like God? Forgive those who offend you. Forgive, and forgive, and forgive, relentlessly, freely, and sincerely. The best discipline in all the world is the discipline of forgiveness (2Co 2:7-8).

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

The King’s Law concerning Offences

Mat 18:15. Moreover 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.

So far from despising any, we are to seek their good, even when they have done us wrong. Here is a case of personal offence: we are to endeavour to make peace with our brother who has trespassed against us. The offended is to seek the offender. “We must not let the trespass rankle in our bosom, by maintaining a sullen silence; nor may we go and publish the matter abroad. “We must seek out the offender, and tell him his fault as if he were not aware of it; as perhaps he may not be. Let the remonstrance be between thee and him alone. It may happen that he will at once rectify the wrong; and then we have gained, not our suit, but something worth far more-our brother. We might have lost him: happily, a frank word has won him. God be praised!

Mat 18:16. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

If the brother has trespassed very badly, he will probably be sullen, or impertinent, and he will not hear thee. Do not, therefore, give him up; persevere in seeking peace. Give your own pleadings the support of companionship: Take with thee one or two more. Possibly the offender may notice what is said by the other brethren, although he may be prejudiced against you; or he may attach weight to united expostulation which he might not feel if the complaint came from one only. By calling in worthy arbitrators, you give the offender a fairer opportunity to set himself right. This time, let us hope, the brother will be won. But if not, you will have secured yourself against misrepresentation: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. It is by misquotation of words that quarrels are fomented; and it is a great thing to have the means of rectifying erroneous reports. Although it is a very unwise thing to interfere in quarrels, yet from this text it is clear that we should be willing to be one of the two or three who are to assist in settling a difference.

Mat 18:17. 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 an heathen man and a publican.

Men capable of injuring their fellows are often so hardened that they reject the kindest expostulation. If a brother acts in this way, shall we give him up? No, we must make a final effort: Tell it unto the church. The whole assembly of the faithful must at last hear the case, and they must plead with him. He is to have an opportunity of hearing the judgment and advice of the whole brotherhood. Should this last attempt fail, if he neglect to hear the church, he must be left as incorrigible. No pains and penalties are affixed. The brother is left to himself: he is regarded as being like the rest of the unbelieving world. This is the utmost stretch of our severity. He is one who needs converting, like the Gentiles outside; but towards even a heathen man and a publican we have kindly feelings; for we seek their salvation, and we seek that of the excommunicated brother in the same way. In all probability, the obstinate friend will ridicule the action of the community; and yet there is some possibility that he will be impressed thereby, and led to a better mind. At any rate, from the first personal visit of the injured brother down to the last act of disownment, nothing has been done vindictively, but all has been affectionately carried out, with the view of setting the brother right. The trespasser who will not be reconciled has incurred much guilt by resisting the attempts of love, made in obedience to the command of the great Head of the church.

Mat 18:18. 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.

Our Lord had inaugurated the church by handing its keys to Peter as representing the whole brotherhood; and now he distinctly recognizes those keys as being in the hands of the whole church. Verily I my unto you, “Whatsoever ye shall bind.” Those who bind are all the disciples, or the whole of the church which had been called in to make peace between the two brethren. Each church has the keys of its own door. “When those keys are rightly turned by the assembly below, the act is ratified above: that which they bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. If, by God’s grace, erring brethren repent, and are freed from the censure of the assembly, the Lord on high sanctions the deed, according to his word-Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This is to be understood with the limitation that it is really a church of Christ which acts, that it acts in his name, and rightly administers his laws. A deep solemnity surrounds the binding and loosing of true Christian assemblies. It is no light thing to act as a church, and no little thing to be put forth from it, or to be restored again to its fellowship. Our Lord made this clear by commencing with his authoritative preface-Verily I say unto you.

Mat 18:19. 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.

Thus the Saviour sets his seal upon assemblies of the faithful, even of the smallest kind, not only in their acts of discipline, but in their intercessions. Note how tenderly Jesus speaks of his followers: “If two of you.” Poor as you are, if two of you agree in prayer on earth, “my Father which is in heaven” will hearken to your pleading. Prayer should be matter for previous consideration, and persons about to join in prayer should “agree as touching anything that they shall ask.” Then they come together with an intelligent design, seeking a known blessing, and agreeing to combine their desires and their faith in reference to the one chosen object. Two believers united in holy desire and solemn prayer will have great power with God. Instead of despising the verdict of so small a gathering, we ought to respect it, since the Father does so.

Note the power of combined prayer. There is no excuse for giving up prayer-meetings while there are two praying people in the place; for two can prevail with God. Of course, more is needed than a cold agreement that certain things are desirable; there must be importunity and faith.

Mat 18:20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there Amos 1 in the midst of them.

The presence of Jesus is the fixed centre of the assembly, the warrant for its coming together, and the power with which it acts. The church, however small, is gathered in his name. Jesus is there first: I am in the midst of them. “We are gathered together by the holy impulses of Christian brotherhood, and our meeting is in the name of Jesus, and therefore there he is; near, not only to the leader, or to the minister, but in the midst, and therefore near to each worshipper. “We meet to do him honour, to hear his “Word, to stir each other up to obey his will; and he is there to aid us. However small the number, we make a quorum; and what is done according to the laws of Christ is done with his authority. Hence it is that there is great power in united prayer from such persons: it is Jesus pleading in his saints. This should prevent Christian men from giving or taking offence; for if Jesus be in our midst, our peace must not be broken by strife.

Mat 18:21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Peter’s question was opportune, giving a further opening for our Lord to enlarge upon the removal of offences. Peter takes it for granted that he would forgive, and he only wishes to know how far he may carry this forgiveness. Doubtless he thought that he had given great latitude when he suggested till seven times. Probably he felt that he would need great grace to get so far as that in the patient endurance of his brother’s sinning against him. It is true Peter did not go far enough; but do we go as far? Are not some professors very mindful of small grievances? Have many of us grace enough even for a sevenfold forgiveness?

Mat 18:22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Our Lord intends to teach us to forgive always and without end. He sets no limit. I say not unto thee, “Until seven times.” Measured mercy is not according to the command. “We may read the words of our Lord in this verse as seventy-seven times, or as seventy times seven, or four-hundred-and-ninety times: there is no occasion to be very definite about numbers where an indefinite number is meant. “We should make too small an account of offences to occupy time in counting them, or in reckoning the number of times that we have overlooked them.

Mat 18:23. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

The kingdom of heaven is again brought forward. We must not forget that this is the key of Matthew’s Gospel. In all kingdoms there must be a king, a tribunal, and a time for judgment of those under rule. The personal servants of a king must expect to give in a special account as to how they have used their lord’s goods. Our Lord is that certain king, who would take account of his servants. Even if he called no one else to give an account, he would assuredly call his own servants to a settlement.

Mat 18:24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

Ten thousand talents was an immense amount for a servant to owe his king. Some reckon that it was equivalent to two millions of our money. It was a debt which could not be paid; overwhelming, and almost incalculable. This debt cropped up as soon as the king had begun to reckon: it was a matter of notoriety, too vast to be concealed. The debtor was brought bound before his lord, but his vast debt was his strongest bond. Ten thousand talents! Yet what is this amount to the burden of our obligations to God? 0 my soul, humble thyself as thou answerest the question, “How much owest thou?”

Mat 18:25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

The debtor was penniless: he had not to pay. The creditor takes possession of the man: his lord commanded him to be sold. His wife, his children, and all that he had were to be sold also; but all put together, when payment was to be made, it came to nothing compared with the enormous debt. The sale of the man and his family was according to Oriental justice: the generous lord here described did not hesitate to exact it, and the debtor himself raised no question about the righteousness of the proceeding. Our Lord does not justify the act of the lord in the story: he simply uses the custom as a part of the scenery of his parable. We may be thankful that the spirit of Christianity has utterly abolished a law which made unoffending children suffer for their father’s default, by the loss of their liberties. The servant was in a sad plight indeed when nothing remained his own, and even his own personality was sold away from him. He had not to pay; yet by royal order payment was to be made: he was wretched indeed.

Mat 18:26. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

He could not pay, but he could humble himself before his lord. He fell down and worshipped him. He owned the debt, and begged for time: “Save patience with me.” Moreover, he gave a promise to discharge his obligations: “I will pay thee all.” The promise was not worth the breath which spoke it. It is a very usual thing for men who can incur an enormous debt to make light of the payment, and fancy that a bill at three months is as good as gold. They dream that time is money, and that a promise is a payment. Many a poor sinner is very rich in resolutions. This servant-debtor thought he only needed patience; but indeed he needed forgiveness! It seems strange that he did not see this, since the debt was so great, and he had nothing wherewith to pay, but was utterly bankrupt: yet it is a well-known fact, that men do not see their true condition before the Lord God, even when they perceive that in many things they come short.

Mat 18:27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

Humility and prayer prevailed; for the lord of that servant was such a king as the whole universe cannot rival for pity and grace. The debtor received far more than he dared to ask; for the measure of the gracious deed was not his own sense of need, nor even his own prayers, but the compassion of his lord. The heart of the great creditor was touched, and his whole being was moved with pity. The penniless debtor was unbound, and his debt was forgiven him: his lord loosed him, and forgave him. We know what this means. This was kindness indeed! There could be no greater thing done for the debtor; and all was so free, so noble, so perfect, that it ought to have produced a great effect upon him, and have led him, in his measure, to imitate the royal example. Hard was the heart which such a fire of love could not soften.

Mat 18:28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

The same servant, but how different his bearing! Just now he was a lowly suppliant, but now he is a hectoring tyrant. He went out from the presence of his gracious lord, scarcely waiting to express his gratitude. He found one of his fellowservants; not his servant, nor his inferior, but one who was his equal, and his companion in service. This man owed him an hundred pence: a mere trifle when compared with the enormous debt which had been forgiven. We expect that he will at once wipe out that little score; but no: he laid hands on him, violently seizing him, for fear he should get away for a time. Se took him by the throat, and bullied him with peremptory demands. He would have no patience with his debtor; he would not let him breathe if he did not pay. The debt was very very small, but the claim was urged with intense ferocity. Our little claims against our fellow-men are too apt to be pressed upon them with unsparing severity. The claimant had not even patience for an hour, but throttled his fellowservant with the rough demand, “Pay me that thou owest” What right had he to be choking his lord’s servant? He was injuring one who belonged to his own king. Our fellowservant is our Lord’s servant, and not ours to bully and oppress as we please.

Mat 18:29. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

It ought to have startled the tyrant when he heard his own prayer addressed to himself. It was word for word what he had said; and the suppliant’s posture was just what his own had been when before his lord: he fell down at his feet. That poor promise, too, “I will pay thee all” was repeated in his ear, and with much more likelihood of its being fulfilled. Surely he would give the same answer as his lord had granted him! Not he: he was servile, and of an evil spirit; his lord was a king, and acted royally.

Mat 18:30. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Not he could not, but he would not. He gave no time, proposed no composition, promised no mercy. He used the law of his own generous king as a means of treading down his poor fellowservant. He personally attended to the debtor’s arrest: he went and cast him into prison. He sees him sentenced to a debtor’s dungeon, without hope of coming out again unless by payment. It was his lord’s own prison, too: he was making use of his generous sovereign’s lock-up to gratify his own malevolence. He vowed that his fellowservant should lie there till he should pay the debt. Base conduct this! As common as it is base!

Mat 18:31. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

Others could see the evil of his conduct if he could not. His fellowservants saw what was done: he was a notable character, and what he did was sure to be observed. Much had been forgiven him, and much was expected from him. His fellowservants were very sorry for the imprisoned debtor, and sorry that any fellowservant of theirs should degrade himself by acting in a manner so opposite to the treatment which he had received from his lord. They were right in reporting the transaction to headquarters; for such a foul offence ought to be known where right could be done. Instead of carrying out lynch law, they told unto their lord all that was done. This was a very sensible course of conduct on their part. Let us adopt this plan if we are ever in similar circumstances, instead of indulging in foolish gossip and angry denunciation.

Mat 18:32-33. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, 0 thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

The wretch was not condemned unheard: his lord only judged him after that he had called him. His lord and king set the matter before him very clearly, and appealed to his own judgment upon the case. He reminded him of what he appeared to have forgotten: at least, he had acted as if it had never happened. His lord addressed him in words of burning indignation: “O thou wicked servant.” It was atrocious wickedness of heart which had permitted him to indulge in such unworthy conduct. “I forgave thee all that debt.” What an all it was! How freely was the debt removed! “I forgave thee.” The reason given was, “because thou desiredst me.” Not because thou hadst deserved such leniency, or couldst ever repay it. The inference from such abounding generosity was clear, strong, unanswerable. The last words of the verse are forcible in the highest degree: “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant?” How readily should we forgive the little offences from which we suffer, since our Lord has pardoned our grievous transgressions! No offence of a fellowservant can be compared with our sins against our Lord. What a model for our compassion is set before us in those words, “even as I had pity on thee “!

The culprit made no defence. What could he say? He was unable even to make another appeal to mercy. He had refused mercy, and now mercy refused him.

Mat 18:34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

His lord was wroth: he who could be so compassionate was necessarily a man of warm feelings, and therefore he could be angry. Naturally, he was compassionate towards the poor debtor in prison, and this made him indignant with the wretch who had imprisoned him. It was righteous wrath which gave up the unforgiving servant to terrible punishment: delivered him to the tormentors, the proper executioners of justice. His punishment would be without end, for it was to last till he should pay all that was due; and the debtor could never pay the ten thousand talents. Things must take their course with malicious spirits. They have put themselves beyond the reach of mercy. Love’s own greatness necessitates great indignation at the malice which insists upon revenging its little wrongs. The sovereignty of God is never unjust: he only delivers to the tormentors those whom the law of the universe necessarily condemns.

Mat 18:35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

This is the great moral lesson. We incur greater wrath by refusing to forgive than by all the rest of our indebtedness. We cannot escape from condemnation if we refuse to pardon others. If we forgive in words only, but not from our hearts, we remain under the same condemnation. Continued anger against our brother shuts heaven’s gate in our own faces. The heavenly Father of the Lord Jesus will be righteously wrathful against us, and will deliver us to the tormentors if we do not from our hearts forgive every one his brother’s trespasses.

Lord, make me of a meek, forgiving spirit! May my heart be as ready to pardon offences as it is to beat!

Fuente: Spurgeon’s The Gospel of the Kingdom

trespass

Sin. (See Scofield “Rom 3:23”)

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

if: Mat 18:35, Lev 6:2-7, Luk 17:3, Luk 17:4, 1Co 6:6-8, 1Co 8:12, 2Co 7:12, Col 3:13, 1Th 4:6

go: Lev 19:17, Psa 141:5, Pro 25:9, Pro 25:10

thou hast: Pro 11:30, Rom 12:21, 1Co 9:19-21, Jam 5:19, Jam 5:20, 1Pe 3:1

Reciprocal: Gen 9:22 – told Gen 21:25 – reproved Gen 45:1 – Cause Exo 22:9 – for all manner of trespass Jos 22:13 – sent Jdg 11:12 – sent messengers Jdg 20:12 – sent men 2Sa 13:22 – spake Pro 27:5 – General Pro 28:23 – General Eze 3:20 – because Mat 5:24 – there Mat 18:21 – till 1Co 6:1 – having Eph 5:11 – but 2Th 3:15 – admonish 1Ti 5:1 – as brethren Tit 3:10 – after Jam 5:16 – Confess

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

8:15

When Jesus was on earth he taught many things that could apply only while he lived, and others that were to become a part of the permanent law of his kingdom. The passage starting with this verse is one of the latter, for it includes mention of the church (verse 17) and that would

have to be after he had gone back to his Father. Furthermore, there is nothing in the teaching of the apostles that disagrees with this passage, hence we are bound to conclude it is a law of the Lord today. The first thing a brother should do if another does him wrong, is to tell him to his face in the absence of any other person, and without having said a word to anyone else. It may be that the brother does not realize what he has done and will gladly adjust the difficulty. In such an event the trouble will be settled and it should never be made known to another one.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Moreover 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.

[Tell him his fault between thee and him alone.] The reason of the precept is founded in that charitable law, Lev 19:17; “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; but thou shalt surely reprove him, and shalt not suffer sin in him.”

Here the Talmudists speak not amiss: “The Rabbins deliver, ‘Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart.’ Perhaps he does not beat him, he does not pull off his hair, he does not curse him: the text saith, ‘in thy heart,’ speaking of hatred in the heart. But whence is it proved that he that sees his brother doing some foul action is bound to reprove him? Because it is said, In reproving, thou shalt reprove. He reproves, but he heareth not; whence is it proved he is bound to a second reproof? The text saith, ‘In reproving, thou shalt reprove.’ ” And a little after, “How long must we reprove? Rabh saith, ‘Even to blows'”; that is, until he that is reproved strikes him that reproves him: “Samuel saith, ‘Until he is angry.’ ” See also Maimonides.

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Mat 18:15. And if thy brother. A Christian brother.

Sin. The omission of against thee extends the precept. The passage, however, does not extend the power of the Church over all sins (since the rebuke against a hierarchical spirit forbids this), nor warrant meddlesome interference and rebuke. Our disapproval does not prove that the brother has sinned. The first step is to be in private.

Shew, not simply tell, but convince him of his fault.

Between thee and him alone. Privacy is for his sake, and as a fact this rebuke is the more difficult one.

Thou hast gained thy brother. Regained him for God, by inducing repentance: regained him for thyself, by regaining his love and fellowship, which is disturbed by his sin whether an offence against the reprover or not. Proclaiming his fault is dangerous for him, encouraging him in his sins: and for us, fostering our worst passions.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

In these words our Saviour gives us an excellent rule for the duty of fraternal correction, or brotherly admonition.

Where note, 1. That brotherly reproof and admonition is a duty incumbent upon church members.

2. That it may be administered successfully, it must must be administered privately and prudently.

3. When private admonition prevails not, Christ has appointed church-governors, to execute church-censures on the obstinate and irreclaimable.

4. Persons justly falling under the censures of the church, and rightly excommunicated, are to be looked upon as obstinate and contumacious offenders, and the members of the church to shun society and conversation with them: If he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and as a publican was among Jews; wholly neglected, and not thought fit to be conversed with.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Mat 18:15-17. But if thy brother, &c. But how can we avoid giving offence to some? or being offended at others? especially suppose they are quite in the wrong? suppose they commit a known sin? Our Lord here teaches us how: he lays down a sure method of avoiding all offences. Whosoever closely observes this three-fold rule will seldom offend others, and never be offended himself. If any do any thing amiss, of which thou art an eye or ear witness, thus saith the Lord, If thy brother Any who is a member of the same religious community; sin against thee 1st, Go and reprove him alone If it may be, in person; if that cannot so well be done, by thy messenger; or in writing. Observe, our Lord gives no liberty to omit this, or to exchange it for either of the following steps. If this do not succeed, 2d, Take with thee one or two more Men whom he esteems or loves, who may then confirm and enforce what thou sayest; and afterward, if need require, bear witness of what was spoken. If even this does not succeed, then, and not before, 3d, Tell it to the elders of the church Lay the whole matter open before those who watch over your and his soul. If all this avail not, have no further intercourse with him, only such as thou hast with heathen. Can any thing be plainer? Christ does here as expressly command all Christians who see a brother do evil, to take this way, not another, and to take these steps, in this order, as he does to honour their father and mother. But if so, in what land do the Christians live? If we proceed from the private carriage of man to man, to proceedings of a more public nature, in what Christian nation are church censures conformed to this rule? Is this the form in which ecclesiastical judgments appear in the Popish, or even the Protestant world? Are these the methods used even by those who boast the most loudly of the authority of Christ to confirm their sentences? Let us earnestly pray that this dishonour to the Christian name may be wiped away, and that common humanity may not, with such solemn mockery, be destroyed in the name of the Lord! Let him be unto thee as a heathen To whom thou still owest earnest goodwill, and all the offices of humanity.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

LXXIV.

SIN AND FORGIVENESS BETWEEN BRETHREN.

(Autumn, A. D. 29.)

aMATT. XVIII. 15-35.

a15 And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. [Having warned against giving offense, Jesus now shows how to act when offense is received. The fault is to be pointed out to the offender, but for the purpose of gaining him–not from a desire to humiliate him. The offended is to seek the offender, [435] and the offender is likewise to seek the offended ( Mat 15:23, Mat 15:24), and neither is to wait for the other.] 16 But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. [Reconciliation is still to be sought, but witnesses are now to be called in preparatory to the next step, which is the hearing before the church, wherein their testimony will be needed.] 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the gentile and the publican. [As the Saviour was giving preparatory instruction, he was compelled to thus speak of the church by anticipation before it actually existed. The word “church” means assembly, and the apostles knew that there would be some form of assembly in the kingdom about to be set up. When Matthew wrote his Gospel, churches were already in existence. One who will not hear the church is to be regarded as an outsider. This implies that such a one is to be excluded from the church.] 18 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [The binding and loosing here mentioned is limited by the context or the subject of which Jesus now treats. Binding represents exclusion from membership; loosing, the restoration to fellowship in cases of repentance. The church’s act in thus binding or loosing will be recognized in heaven if performed according to apostolic precept or precedent. Hence it is a most august and fearful prerogative.] 19 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. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. [These two verses illustrate the sublime power of the church which has just been suggested by its right of excommunication. A small church of two or three can prevail with God in prayer [436] (in matters not wholly at variance with his will) and can be honored by the very presence of the Christ.] 21 Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? [Peter, seeing that the language of Jesus called for large forbearance, asked the Lord to fix the bounds. If we accept the Talmud as probably representing the ideals of forgiveness which pertained among the Jews of that age, we find that Peter was striving to be liberal, for the Talmud limits forgiveness to three times.] 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. [Jesus here plays upon the words so as to show that there is no numerical limitation. To keep track of four hundred ninety offenses one would have to open a set of books with his neighbor, which would be ridiculous. Forgiveness, prayer, and charity know no arithmetic. Peter’s question brings to mind the forgiveness of God and calls forth the following parable.] 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents. [Assuming that the silver talent is meant ($1,600), the debt was $16,000,000, which would render the debtor hopeless enough. If it was a gold talent, it would be nearly twenty times as much. 25 But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. [The law of Moses allowed such a sale– Lev 25:39-47, 2Ki 4:1.] 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. [Seeing the man’s apparent willingness to pay, and knowing the hopelessness of his offer to do so, the lord compassionately forbore to sell him and forgave him the whole debt.] 28 But that [437] servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him an hundred shillings [The denarius or shilling was worth about seventeen cents. The debt was, therefore, about $100]: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. [This frenzy to collect might have been somewhat pardonable had the lord still been demanding his debt, but, that debt being forgiven, such harsh conduct was inexcusable.] 29 So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. [Compare this conduct with that depicted in 2Pe 2:20-22.]

[FFG 435-439]

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

CHURCH DISCIPLINE

Mat 18:15-20. If thy brother may sin, go, convict him, between thee and him alone. Many a time you can win him by thus going privately and quietly, with the loving overtures of a friend and the sympathies of a brother. This is invaluable direction. Be sure that you heed it. It is awfully grievous to the Savior to go recklessly into Church discipline, widen the breach, and ruin the brother, world without end; whereas, if you had gone alone, not so much as intimating the matter to a human being, in the great majority of cases you would succeed. The great mistake is in speaking of it, and thus giving it publicity.

But if he may not hearken, take with thee yet one or two, in order than in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If your kind and loving visit in the capacity of a sympathizing brother, no publicity having been given even to the Church, much less the world, has signally failed, after all you could do by prayer and entreaty to soften his heart and win him back for Jesus, now the omens look really gloomy, rigid discipline, in all probability, becoming your imperative duty, in order to remove the unholy leaven out of the lump.

And if he may not hear them, tell it to the Church; but if he may not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. Truly, I say unto you, So many things as you may bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and so many things as you may loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Church here is ekklesia, from ek, out, and kaleo, to call.

Hence it means the company of individuals called out of this wicked world by the Holy Ghost, and organized with a bishop i.e., the pastor or leader of the band, having in charge the spiritual interest; a deacon i.e., the holy man or woman having charge of the temporal interest; and the eldership, composed of the people enjoying spiritual seniority, being intrusted with the general interest. Our Lord here provides abundantly for the government of the Church, in this simple and unmistakable formula; i.e., first go to the offending party, alone with him, on your knees, with your tears of sympathy and words of kindness. If you fail, then take one or two brothers or sisters, filled with the Holy Ghost, and wait on him, invoking the blessing and help of God. If then you fail, bring the case before the whole Church. In case of final failure, let him be to you as a heathen or a publican. Now you observe that our Lord says that, pursuing this course, if faithful and true, your final verdict is ratified in heaven, standing valid, and preparing all parties to meet at the judgment bar. Thus our Savior has made perfect provision for the perpetuated purity of the Church, which is absolutely indispensable; as Paul says, A little leaven will leaven the whole lump i.e., one corrupt member is likely to contaminate the whole Church, as one rotten potato will rot a barrel. O how the wicked, worldly Churches of the present day need the enforcement of this law! Brother Godbey, it would tear our Churches all to pieces, and break up our organizations. All right; Jesus makes no mistakes. Awful will be our responsibility. If we do not enforce discipline, and remove the rotten apples out of the pile, they will soon all go to destruction. Such is the apostasy of the Churches of the present age that discipline has become a matter of bygone history. If not revived and enforced, according to the very words of Jesus in this paragraph, which is plain, simple, practical, leaving excuse for none, we never can have a genuine revival of the Churches. Holiness people, beware! and enforce discipline as here enjoined by our blessed and glorious Lord, or we go the way of our ecclesiastical predecessors, in the track of fallen Judaism, Romanism, and the dead Protestant Churches. Good Lord, deliver us!

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Verse 15

Thy brother; thy fellow-Christians.–Trespass against thee; injure thee in any way.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

18:15 {5} Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against {e} thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

(5) We must strive for agreement, and not to revenge injuries.

(e) If his offence is such that only you know your brother’s offence.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

The restoration of a wayward disciple 18:15-20

Jesus proceeded to explain what a humble disciple should do when a brother or sister disciple has wandered from the Shepherd and the sheep.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

By using the term "brother" Jesus encouraged a humble approach. The disciples should deal with each other as brothers rather than as superiors and inferiors (cf. 1Ti 5:1-2). Contextually the sin in view is probably despising a brother or sister. However, Jesus did not specify what it was, but He implied that it was any sin that takes the disciple away from the Shepherd. Jesus commanded His disciples to go to such a person and reprove him in private. The disciple must take the initiative and confront (cf. Gal 6:1).

". . . if it is hard to accept a rebuke, even a private one, it is harder still to administer one in loving humility." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 402.]

"The possession of humility is proven not by passively waiting for one to beg forgiveness and then granting it. Rather, it is manifested by actively seeking out the erring brother and attempting to make him penitent." [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 217.]

The verb "reprove" or "show him his fault" (Gr. elencho) means "to convict" in the sense of producing an awareness of guilt, not in the sense of lording it over someone (cf. 1Co 9:19-22; 1Pe 3:1). The objective should be the erring brother or sister’s restoration, not the initiator’s glorification (cf. Luk 17:3-4; 2Th 3:14-15; Jas 5:19-20). This approach was one that the Mosaic Law had taught too (Lev 19:17), and that the Rabbis also supported. [Note: Edersheim, The Life . . ., 2:123.] .

"Sin, of whatever form, is not to be tolerated within the disciple community, but is to be dealt with when it is noticed. But this is to be done with sensitivity and with a minimum of publicity." [Note: France, The Gospel . . ., p. 692.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

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