Discipline and Prayer

15 “Now (A)if your brother sins[a], go and [b]show him his fault [c]in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that (B)on the [d]testimony of two or three witnesses every [e]matter may be confirmed. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, (C)tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, (D)he is to be to you as [f]a Gentile and [g]a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, (E)whatever you [h]bind on earth [i]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you [j]loose on earth [k]shall have been loosed in heaven.

19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, (F)it shall be done for them [l]by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, (G)I am there in their midst.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:15 Late mss add against you
  2. Matthew 18:15 Or correct
  3. Matthew 18:15 Lit between you and him alone
  4. Matthew 18:16 Lit mouth
  5. Matthew 18:16 Lit word
  6. Matthew 18:17 Lit the
  7. Matthew 18:17 Lit the
  8. Matthew 18:18 I.e., forbid
  9. Matthew 18:18 Gr fut. pft. pass. tense
  10. Matthew 18:18 I.e., permit
  11. Matthew 18:18 Gr fut. pft. pass. tense
  12. Matthew 18:19 Lit from

Restoring a Brother

15 “If your brother sins against you,[a] go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.(A) 16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony[b] of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.[c](B) 17 If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church.[d](C) If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you.(D) 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound[e] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed[f] in heaven.(E) 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you[g] pray for, it will be done for you[h] by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”

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Footnotes

  1. 18:15 Other mss omit against you
  2. 18:16 Lit mouth
  3. 18:16 Dt 19:15
  4. 18:17 Or congregation
  5. 18:18 Or earth will be bound
  6. 18:18 Or earth will be loosed
  7. 18:19 Lit they
  8. 18:19 Lit for them