15"And if your brother sins against you, go and expose his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. [18:16] But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. [18:17] And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. And if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [18:18] Truly I say to you: whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven."
MAT 18:15-18
A Brother Who Sins
In the world it was spoken into
In a 1st-century Jewish context, communal harmony and accountability were paramount. The process outlined here reflects the Jewish practice of reproof (tokhehah) rooted in Leviticus 19:17, where private confrontation precedes public action. The emphasis on resolving disputes privately first aligns with the honor-shame culture, avoiding public humiliation unless necessary. The inclusion of 'one or two witnesses' echoes Deuteronomy 19:15, ensuring accusations are credible and just. The term (ekklēsia) would have been understood as the local assembly or synagogue, not a formalized 'church' structure. The final step—treating the unrepentant as 'a pagan and a tax collector'—would have been jarring, as these groups were seen as outsiders or collaborators with Rome. Binding and loosing, a rabbinic concept, refers to decisions made by the community that carry divine authority. This process underscores the communal nature of sin and reconciliation, rooted in Jewish legal and relational practices.
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How other translations render this
MAT 18:15
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
- Koinōnos
- And if your brother sins against you, go and expose his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
MAT 18:16
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- But 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.’
- Koinōnos
- But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.
MAT 18:17
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
- Koinōnos
- And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. And if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
MAT 18:18
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
- Koinōnos
- Truly I say to you: whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 18:15
- shall sin:The word translated 'shall sin' here refers to missing the mark or failing to meet a standard, often with the implication of incurring guilt or blame.
- and:The word translated 'rebuke' carries the sense of exposing, convicting, or bringing to light a fault, often with the aim of correction.
MAT 18:16
- [the] testimony:The word translated 'testimony' literally means 'mouth' in the original language, highlighting that the evidence comes directly from the spoken words of witnesses.
MAT 18:17
- church.:The word translated 'church' originally referred to a summoned assembly or a gathering of citizens, not necessarily a religious body or building.