Applying Matthew 18 Church Discipline Today
Church Discipline in Matthew 18
Matthew 18:15-17 outlines a process for church discipline, where a believer is to confront a sinning brother or sister privately, then with one or two witnesses, and finally, if unrepentant, before the church. If the individual still refuses to listen, they are to be treated as a Gentile or tax collector [2]. This passage is part of Jesus' teaching on community life and conflict resolution within the church.
The passage is situated within a larger discourse on humility, forgiveness, and community relationships (Matthew 18:1-35). Jesus emphasizes the importance of reconciliation and restoration, warning against causing others to stumble (18:6-9) and illustrating God's desire to restore the lost through the parable of the lost sheep (18:10-14) [3].
The key terms in this passage include "binding" and "loosing" (18:18), which refer to the authority given to the church to make decisions that are ratified in heaven. The Tyndale House commentary notes that this authority is not limited to the apostles but is granted to the church as a whole [5]. The phrase "whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" suggests that the church's decisions, when in accord with God's will, have eternal significance.
The process outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 involves several key steps: private confrontation, confrontation with witnesses, and finally, bringing the matter before the church. According to John Calvin, this process is not merely about exclusion but about restoration, with the goal of bringing the individual back to a right relationship with God and the community [6]. Calvin also emphasizes that church discipline is not about exercising personal judgment but about following the Lord's guidance and estimating individuals' actions according to God's law [7].
The Reformed tradition, as represented by Calvin and Charles Hodge, understands church discipline as a necessary aspect of maintaining the purity and integrity of the church. This includes the power to excommunicate those who are obstinate in their sin, as seen in the example of 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 [1, 8]. The goal of discipline is not punitive but restorative, aiming to bring individuals back to a life of holiness and fellowship with God and the church.
In applying Matthew 18 to contemporary church practice, many Reformed and Protestant traditions emphasize the importance of maintaining a balance between compassion and discipline. The church is called to exercise discipline in a spirit of charity and with the goal of restoration, rather than retribution or exclusion for its own sake [4]. This requires careful consideration of the individual's actions, a commitment to prayer and seeking God's guidance, and a willingness to involve the broader church community when necessary.
The early church practiced a form of discipline that included exclusion from the Lord's Supper for those deemed unworthy, highlighting the seriousness with which they viewed the sacrament and the importance of maintaining the church's integrity [8]. This practice reflects the understanding that church discipline is closely tied to the celebration of the sacraments and the maintenance of the church's witness to the world.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Discipline of the Church — Ministers authorised to establish -- Mt 16:19; 18:18. Consists in Maintaining sound doctrine. -- 1Ti 1:3; Tit 1:13. Ordering its affairs. -- 1Co 11:34; Tit 1:5. Rebuking offenders. -- 1Ti 5:20; 2Ti 4:2. Removing obstinate offenders. -- 1Co 5:3-5,13; 1Ti 1:20. Should be submitted to -- Heb 13:17. Is for edification -- 2Co 10:8; 13:10. Decency and order, the objects of -- 1Co 14:40. Exercise, in a spirit of charity -- 1Co 2:6-8. Prohibits women preaching -- 1Co 14:34; 1Ti 2:12.”
- Matthew “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. -- Matthew 18:17”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 18:19: 18:19 anything you ask: In the context of church discipline (18:15-17), this suggests that discipline must be done in prayer.”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 18:17: 18:17 The church is the local Christian community. • The unrepentant person is to be considered a pagan or a corrupt tax collector, a wicked transgressor of the law. Church discipline by exclusion (excommunication; see Acts 5:1-6; Rom 16:17; 1 Cor 5:1-13; 2 Cor 6:14-18; Gal 5:7-12; 2 Thes 3:14-15) is rooted in the conviction that God’s people are to be holy and that sin corrupts fellowship, both between people and between the people and God. The goal is neither vindictive retribution nor a public display of power, but restoration of the wayward to holiness and f”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 18:18: 18:18-20 These sayings provide the basis for a process of discipline and restoration in the community of disciples. 18:18 forbid . . . permit: The privilege and authority granted to Peter (16:19) are here granted to the church (or possibly to the twelve apostles, 18:1). The decisions of the community, when in accord with God’s will, are eternally binding.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 93: passage, in which binding and loosing are mentioned, is in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, where Christ says, “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 2441 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” ( Mt. 18:17, 18 ). This passage is not altogether similar to the former, but is to be understood somewhat differently”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: of the Lord, hoping better of them in future than we see at present, and not ceasing to pray to God for them. And (to sum up in one word) let us not consign to destruction their person, which is in the hand, and subject to the decision, of the Lord alone; but let us merely estimate the character of each man’s acts according to the law of the Lord. In following this rule, we abide by the divine judgment rather than give any judgment of our own. Let us not arrogate to ourselves greater liberty in judging, if we would not limit the po”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: may be nothing in the Church to bring disgrace on his sacred name, those whose turpitude might throw infamy on the name must be expelled from his family. And here, also, regard must be had to the Lord’s Supper, which might he profaned by a promiscuous admission. 592 592 Vide Cyril in Joann. cap. 50, et Luther, de Commun. Populi, tom. 2 For it is most true, that he who is intrusted with the dispensation of it, if he knowingly and willingly admits any unworthy person whom he ought and is able to repel, is as guilty of sacrilege as if”