Church Discipline

Mat 18:11-35 (LITV e-Sword)

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

What do you think? If there be to any man a hundred sheep, and one of them strays away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and having gone he seeks the one having strayed? And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine not having gone astray. So it is not the will before your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

But if your brother may sin against you, go and reprove him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear, take one or two more with you, "so that on the mouth of two" or "three witnesses every word may stand". (Deut. 19:15)
But if he fails to hear them, tell it to the assembly. And if he also fails to hear the assembly, let him be to you as the nations and the tax collector.

Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth will be, having been bound in Heaven. And whatever you loose on the earth will be, having been loosed in Heaven. Again I say to you, If two of you agree on earth as to anything, whatever they shall ask, it shall be to them from My Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.

Then coming up to Him, Peter said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?

Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, Until seven times, but, Until seventy times seven.

Because of this the kingdom of Heaven has been compared to a man, a king, who desired to take account with his slaves. And he having begun to reckon, one debtor of ten thousand talents was brought near to him. But he not having any to repay, the lord commanded him to be sold, also his wife and children, and all things, as much as he had, even to pay back. Then having fallen down, the slave bowed the knee to him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay all to you. And being filled with pity, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the loan.

But having gone out, that slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii. And seizing him, he choked him, saying, Pay me whatever you owe. Then having fallen down at his feet, his fellow slave begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay all to you. But he would not, but having gone away he threw him into prison until he should pay back the amount owing.

But his fellow slaves, seeing the things happening, they were greatly grieved. And having come they reported to their lord all the things happening. Then having called him near, his lord said to him, Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt, since you begged me. Ought you not also to have mercy on your fellow slave, as I also had mercy?

And being angry, his lord delivered him up to the tormentors until he pay back all that debt to him. So also My heavenly Father will do to you unless each of you from your hearts forgive his brother their deviations. "


In all relationships comes times of disagreement that can be taken to extremes. We all are sinners by nature. We want our own way. We want what is best for ourselves. No man harms his own body while sane. We rarely sin against ourselves, but we often do sin against others.

We can sin in many differing degrees, from hurtful slight to lies and slanders. We can take up hand, fist or implement against another to strike them in an effort to lash out in anger or hate to do harm. We can covet what our neighbor has and seek to steal it or in some way rob it from them.

What makes a sin a sin? We do have the ten commandments from God to teach us what is right behavior. To break any of those ten is a sin by definition. Following the giving of the ten commandments Moses gives the teachings that explain how those ten are lived out in our daily relationships. I think that most rational believers would accept that to break one of those teachings is sin.

In the passage above Jesus is referring to when a brother sins against another brother and how to best deal with it. What if the sin is not delineated in the ten commandments or in the teaching of Moses? Here I think the idea of offense comes in. Let us keep in mind that the real issue at hand is not purity, but that not one little one be perish or be lost.

Jesus comes into this teaching of brothers from a discussion using a lost sheep as illustration. He is using the care of the shepherd for his sheep to show the love, care and concern God has for each one. One of the main teachings of the NT is that believers are to imitate God and his love for men. " And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,..." (1Th 1:6 ) we are told. We are told to keep Jesus as our example of how to live life.

Out of this teaching about God's care for even one lost one, Jesus teaches us how to deal with one who has offended us. A sin from one brother to another can be anything that offends. In relationships we can do many things that offends another to some degree. The more intimate the relationship the more easily one can be offended by seemingly small things. A look, a failure to perform some small act, a word, all can offend someone.

The goal here is to not allow an offense to cause a little one to perish or be lost. Many have left churches over the offenses of some one. Sins can drive away some of God's little ones.

Church Discipline

Most denominations have some official form of church discipline. Excommunication is a common ecclesiastic term used. Each denomination has its own process that is followed based on this passage of Jesus' teaching. Lets look at what Jesus taught.

Jesus gives steps to be used in addressing a sin between brothers.

1. Private: The offended brother goes in private to the offending brother to address the matter, reproving him, seeking the repentance of the offender. If the brother repents, then the relationship is restored and the process is ended. If the brother does not repent the matter is carried to the next step.

2. With a Witness: If the offender does not accept the reproof and repent, then the offended one is to go back with another brother as witness to reprove the offender again.

This is solidly founded on the teaching of Moses, where any matter must have two or three witnesses in support of an accusation against someone. No one could be tried in the court system of Israel on the basis of one lone witness.

Any rational person can see that anyone can say anything they want and in a most credible way against anyone, lying the whole time. But the more witnesses to a matter the more sure is the accusation. This is the basis of all good legal systems, hearing and testing the credibility of witnesses in a matter.

Jesus here is applying the teachings of the law to the matter of a brother sinning against another brother. The offense was made, the offended brother went to the offending brother. The offender refused to accept the rebuke. Now the offended brother is there again, rebuking the offender with a witness. If the offending brother repents of his sin, the matter is settled and done, the relationship is restored. If the offending brother does not receive the rebuke, the process goes to the next stage.

3. Before the Assembly: The next stage is for the matter to be brought before the assembly of believers. The assembly of believers acts as the formal court of law. The offender is brought in, the offended brother and his witness bear testimony. Both sides are given a chance to give their testimony and the assembly makes its decision.

Keep in mind the goal is still that not one be lost or perish from the flock of God. The goal is restoration of the relationship that was damaged by the offending brother against his brother. It is not to purge out the sinner or heretic from the assembly, though that can be a purpose for this process as well.

If the offending brother will not receive the rebuke of the assembly of believers, the final stage is played out.

4. Judgment, Separation: If after the assembly of believers hears the matter, judges the offender and gives him their rebuke, and the offender does not repent, the assembly is to separated from the assembly and to be treated as the despised tax collectors and the Romans (nations or gentiles) who occupied Israel.

Jesus then continues on with answering a question from Peter regarding forgiveness. If a brother sins against me, how often should I forgive him, seven times a day?, asks Peter.

Jesus says, no, seventy times seven times a day. In other words if any ones sins against you and you rebuke them and they hear you and ask your forgiveness, you are to forgive them. Even is the offender does it repeatedly all through the day.

We are to have the attitude of God towards the brethren. God in Christ Jesus forgave us all our sins towards him. Sins that righteously called for the death of our eternal soul. If God forgave us our great debt, we also should forgive our brothers' small sins towards us.

" Therefore, as elect ones of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassions, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving yourselves, if anyone has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive. And above all these, love, which is the bond of perfectness." ( Col 3:12-14)

" Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and tumult, and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all evil things. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, having forgiven one another, even as also God forgave you in Christ." (Eph 4:31-32)

The process is still the same, private, with a witness, then publicly in the assembly. Whenever the offending one repents and asks forgiveness, we are to immediately forgive them. The restoration and maintenance of the relationship is the goal, not legal purity.

The proper goal of church discipline then is the maintenance of good, loving relationships. Any offense of brother towards brother is to be treated with kindness, tenderheartedness with a goal to forgiveness and restoration.