Matthew 18:15-20 Church Discipline

"If your brother sins , go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.  But 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 .  If 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.  Truly 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.   "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." [Matthew 18:15‭-‬20 NASB]

Jesus is continuing His line of thought. First, he tells of the dire consequences for those who cause one of Jesus' followers to stumble. "It would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." [Matthew 18:6 NASB] Then He tells of God's reaction to one who stumbles. "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?" [Matthew 18:12 NASB] Now He is describing what our reaction should be to one who has stumbled.

The correction of a brother who sins must be an act of compassion, not of judgmentalism. Jesus has already told us, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." [Matthew 7:1 NASB]

We are not to judge another, but at the same time we are not to tolerate blatant sin in the church. When I talk about sin in the church, I am talking about Biblical definitions of sin, and not some legalistic church doctrine relating to hair length, or clothing style, or any such thing.

The Bible describes such things, "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." [Galatians 5:19-21 NASB]

If you are aware of a fellow Christian in your fellowship who is engaging in these sinful behaviors, go to him privately, in the Spirit, and in love. Jesus said, "if he listens to you, you have won your brother."

If he refuses to heed what you say, go back to him a second time, but take someone with you. Perhaps he will listen to two or three people when he failed to only one.

If he remains defiant, then you must stop having fellowship with him until he repents. Religion has turned this process into an ecclesiastical ordeal involving excommunication, or calling for the elders to pass down their judgment. Remember, the word that Jesus uses for church, ekklesia, simply means gathering, and originally had no religious use at all. (In such a highly religious society, that is significant.) He is not calling for the Sanhedrin to rule, but for those believers who are in fellowship with the man to agree together step away.

The church in Corinth faced a situation where a man was engaging in sexual immorality. Paul chastised the church for their arrogance because they did not remove him from their fellowship. He told them, "I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one." [1 Corinthians 5:11 NASB]

This does not mean that he is written off forever as lost cause. On the contrary, when he has seen his error and returns, he should be accepted back into fellowship. Paul said, "Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him." [2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NASB]

The heart of discipline isn't punishment for the sake of vengeance. It is for compassion that those who have stumbled and lost their way may find their way back again. 

Let us rejoice with the Shepherd when the one lost sheep has been returned to the fold.