Matthew 18:15-20
A Brother Who Sins Against You
15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
When a fellow friend or Christian sins against you, do not go out and tell others...His fault is just between the two of you...If he listens to you, then you have won your brother over...But if he does not listen to you, take one or two other believers along so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses...If the sinning brother refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses even to listen to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector...
Jesus wants us to be subtle and consistent in our Great Commission with others...He teaches us to love our neighbors...This teaching is a way to show your love of your brother, by trying to help him...Jesus wants us to be persistent when we are trying to help others...He outlines three ways to try to help someone who has sinned against us...First you take it upon yourself alone, with no others and forgive your brother (because forgiving is another of His teachings of others)...We are to show the sinner his fault, in a gentile and humble way...We must do it in this way, because meekness, humbleness, and not judging others are more of His teachings...If this doesn't work, then we are to get two or three in trying to correct the discipline of the sinner...Then finally after this we are to go to the church, which is an even larger number for the correcting process...This is all done in love to others, forgiveness of others, in a non-judging way, and in humbleness...Even though Jesus lays out this process, I wonder how often it is done like this?...
We must strive for forgiveness and goodness and not revenge and preachiness...
Whatever we bind on earth, will be bound in heaven...Whatever we loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven...Jesus has mentioned this to Peter in Matthew 16:19... Jesus has given Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven...He will use St. Peter, and on this rock build His church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it...Now Jesus is giving Peter and all His disciples the authority to preach His good news and spread the light to all the world...The love that Jesus left the disciples with was something different...These Twelve uneducated fisherman and common men taught the whole world Christianity...The world saw something that only Jesus could teach...The entire Roman empire and the world would learn about Christianity...
When two or more on earth agree and ask about anything you ask for, Jesus says it will be done for you by My Father in heaven...For where two or three come together in My name, there I AM with you...Whether we pray alone or together, God is listening...There is a special sense when two or more are gathered and working together in His name, special things can happen...
These verses contain much about discipline and forgiveness...When we discipline others we must agree on the sin, and the process to accomplish the corrective things that are needed...Persistence may be necessary...When two or more are correcting others, they must agree on the corrective process...
Jesus in these verses talk about working together or jointly with others...St. Luke writes about Peter and John working together...He also writes about about Paul and Barnabas working together, and also Paul and Silas working together...Paul also works with Timothy...Paul also writes to Titus, and works with him...When working jointly together in His name, it is very powerful...
Jesus tells us when two or more are gathered in His name there is love and special things can happen...Where two or more are gathered in His name, He is there with them...