Smoodock's Blog

At this point in our study of the eighteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, we come to Jesus’ remedy of offenses made. He says: “If your brother sin against you…” Thus, we are able to understand that the whole of Jesus’ teaching in this chapter has to do with brethren of kindred faith. Luke mentioned that the scribes and Pharisees offended, even shunned, publicans and sinners (Luke 15:1-2), and this was the reason behind Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7; cp. Matthew 18:10-14). The context is Jews offending Jews, and Jesus uses this context to unveil a more exclusive context, namely, that of a brother offending another brother in the faith (Matthew 18:15), vis-à-vis those Jews who believe in Jesus (cp. Matthew 18:6).[1]

Thus, Jesus says, “if your brother offends you…” or sins against you, vis-à-vis if a believer offends you… That is, in the matter of offenses, Jesus makes it the responsibility of the offended brother to go to the brother who caused the offense, and, taking him aside, tell him his fault privately, just between you and him. If he responds favorably, the breach is healed and the offended brother has regained his brother (Matthew 18:15). This is exactly how Jesus handled the offense of Peter’s denial (cp. John 21:15-19). The fact that it was done privately is understood in the fact that Peter turned and saw another disciple following them (John 21:20).

Nevertheless, if the offending brother refuses to be reconciled by denying his offense, or denying his behavior is wrong, then the offended brother may now take one or two others[2] with him and return to the offending party in the spirit of reconciliation (Matthew 18:16), implying if the offending brother repents, the offended party has regained his brother (cp. verse-15).

However, if the problem between the two brethren couldn’t be resolved with the second private meeting with the two witnesses, the offended party may now go to the church to seek reconciliation (Matthew 18:17). In other words, the breach may be healed if men or women of authority are introduced into the matter. Keep in mind that all this is done privately. This is not a matter of public rebuke from the pulpit, as is sometimes understood. It is a matter of healing the breach between two brethren. If a personal and private meeting fails, then a friend or two friends of the offending party go with the offended person in an effort to heal the breach. If this second private meeting failed, then, and only then, should church authorities be sought to help deal with the matter. They should be wise enough to understand, if an offense was committed in the first place, and if so, they may be able to convince the offending party to reconcile with his brother. If this also fails, then the offended brother should cease actively seeking reconciliation, and do so passively by treating his brother as a heathen or a publican, whom he should desire to come to know and walk with the Lord. Thus, the matter is not grounds for excommunication, but it is a private matter between two brethren between whom a breach has entered and reconciliation hoped for.

Keep in mind that the context of Jesus’ teaching is: “…unless you become converted and become as a little child, you shall not even enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (cp. Matthew 18:3). Thus, when we come to Matthew 18:18, we are still speaking of what qualifies a man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So, “…whatsoever you shall bind on earth…” vis-à-vis when two are bound by a kindred spirit in faith in Jesus (cp. Matthew 18:6), the same are bound together in the Kingdom of Heaven, and, contrarily, whatsoever is not bound or dissolved among the brethren is also dissolved in the Kingdom of Heaven, vis-à-vis the failure of two brethren to reconcile (viz. Matthew 18:17), thus, leaving judgment to the Lord (Matthew 18:6). Therefore, whatever the two people agree to, touching matters requested of the Lord in matters dealing with reconciliation, it will be done for them by God, our Father (Matthew 18:19). In other words, the second and third private meetings with the offending brother have the blessing of God and are backed by his authority, because wherever two or three are gathered together with one mind in Jesus’ name, Jesus is among those men or women (Matthew 18:20).

[1] Keep in mind that later Jesus included believing gentiles with believing Jews (John 10:16).

[2] It is understood that, if reconciliation is the goal, the two others should not simply be witnesses to what would take place. Instead, they should be men or women of influence, that is, persons whom the offending party respects. Otherwise, if the offending party has no personal bond with the one or two witnesses who were chosen, he has no real impetus to change his mind from what he had concluded, during his first private meeting with the offended brother.