What Does the Bible Say About Church Discipline — In Biblical Context
Jesus outlined a clear process for addressing sin within the church, aimed at restoration, protection of the body, and maintaining holiness.
Jesus outlined a clear process for addressing sin within the church, aimed at restoration, protection of the body, and maintaining holiness.
"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." — Matthew 18:15-17 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Matthew 18:15-17 gives the definitive process: first, confront privately; second, bring one or two witnesses; third, tell it to the church; and if still unrepentant, treat the person 'as an heathen man and a publican.' The goal is always restoration — Galatians 6:1 says, 'Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness.' Paul commanded the Corinthian church to excommunicate a member living in unrepentant sexual sin, 'that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus' (1 Corinthians 5:5). When the person repented, Paul urged the church to 'forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow' (2 Corinthians 2:7). Church discipline protects the purity of the body, deters sin, and ultimately aims to bring the wayward back.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Matthew 18:15-17, sits inside Matthew 18. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"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."
Supporting Passages
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness."
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
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