SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:17
Y si no oyere a ellos, dilo a la Iglesia; y si no oyere a la Iglesia, tenle por un mundano y un publicano.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 18:17
Verse 17. 3. Tell it unto the Church] Lay the whole matter before the congregation of Christian believers, in that place of which he is a member, or before the minister and elders, as the representatives of the Church or assembly. If all this avail not, then, Let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.] To whom thou art, as a Christian, to owe earnest and persevering good will, and acts of kindness; but have no religious communion with him, till, if he have been convicted, he acknowledge his fault. Whosoever follows this threefold rule will seldom offend others, and never be offended himself.-Rev. J. WESLEY. Reproving a brother who had sinned was a positive command under the law. See Lev. xix. 17. And the Jews have a saying, that one of the causes of the ruin of their nation was, "No man reproved another." On the word Church, see at "Matthew xvi. 28".
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them , etc.] The one or two, in conjunction with the offended person that shall hear the ease, and admonish and reprove; if he takes no notice of what they say to him, but remains stiff and impenitent, tell it unto the church: which some understand, of the ybr , or multitude, before whom it was lawful to reprove, after such private methods had been taken: others, the political magistrates, or sanhedrim; who took cognizance of cases between one person and other, either by themselves, or messengers; and gave admonitions and reproofs, as to parents, when they did not provide for their families f1009 , and to wives that were perverse, and provoked their husbands f1010 , etc. others, of the presbyters and governors of the Christian church; others, of the church itself, and so the Ethiopic version renders it, the house of Christians; to which it is objected, that as yet a Christian church was not formed: but what were the twelve apostles of the Lamb?
They were the great congregation and church, in the midst of which Christ sung praise to his Father: and since the whole of this advice, and these excellent rules are given to them, and they are spoken of in the next verse, as having the power of binding and loosing, they may well be thought to be meant here; and that the design of Christ is, to instruct them how to behave, in case of offence to one another; that the reproof should be first private, and if it did not succeed, to be made before one or two more; and if that did not do, the whole body was to be acquainted with it; and which rules hold good, and are to be observed by all Christian men and churches, in all ages: though no doubt but allusion is made to the Jewish customs, in rebuking before the multitude, or carrying of a private case, after all other means used were ineffectual, to the sanhedrim. But if he neglect to hear the church : the advice they should give unto him, the reproof they should think proper for him, or the censure they should pass upon him, let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican . This is not a form of excommunication to be used among Christians, nor was there ever any such form among the Jews; nor could Heathens or publicans, especially such publicans as were Gentiles, be excommunicated, when they never were of the Jewish church. A religious person indeed, that becomes a collector of taxes, they first said, is to be driven from the society; but they afterwards said, all the time that he is a tax gatherer, they drive him from the society; but when he goes out of his office, lo! he is as a religious person f1011 .
But one that never was of a religious society, could not be driven out of it.
And besides, this is given, not as a rule to the church, but as advice to the offended person, how to behave towards the offender: after he has come under the cognizance, reproof, and censure of the church, he is to look upon him as the Jews did one that disregarded both private reproof by a mans self, and that which was in the presence of one or two more, twjp rbj , a worthless friend, or neighbour; as a Gentile, with whom the Jews had neither religious nor civil conversation; and a publican, or as Munsters Hebrew Gospel reads it, hrb[ l[b a notorious sinner, as a publican was accounted: hence such are often joined together, and with whom the Jews might not eat, nor keep any friendly and familiar acquaintance: and so such that have been privately admonished and publicly rebuked, without success, their company is to be shunned, and intimate friendship with them to be avoided.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-20 - If a professed Christian is wronged by another, he ought not to complain of it to others, as is often done merely upon report, but to go to the offender privately, state the matter kindly, and show him his conduct. This would generally have all the desired effect with a tru Christian, and the parties would be reconciled. The principles of thes rules may be practised every where, and under all circumstances, thoug they are too much neglected by all. But how few try the method whic Christ has expressly enjoined to all his disciples! In all ou proceedings we should seek direction in prayer; we cannot too highl prize the promises of God. Wherever and whenever we meet in the name of Christ, we should consider him as present in the midst of us.
Greek Textus Receptus
εαν 1437 COND δε 1161 CONJ παρακουση 3878 5661 V-AAS-3S αυτων 846 P-GPM ειπε 2036 5628 V-2AAM-2S τη 3588 T-DSF εκκλησια 1577 N-DSF εαν 1437 COND δε 1161 CONJ και 2532 CONJ της 3588 T-GSF εκκλησιας 1577 N-GSF παρακουση 3878 5661 V-AAS-3S εστω 2077 5749 V-PXM-3S σοι 4671 P-2DS ωσπερ 5618 ADV ο 3588 T-NSM εθνικος 1482 A-NSM και 2532 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM τελωνης 5057 N-NSM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
18:17 {Refuse to hear} (parakousei). Like #Isa 65:12. Many papyri examples for ignoring, disregarding, hearing without heeding, hearing aside (para-), hearing amiss, overhearing (#Mr 5:36). {The church} (tei ekklesiai). The local body, not the general as in #Mt 16:18 which see for discussion. The problem here is whether Jesus has in mind an actual body of believers already in existence or is speaking prophetically of the local churches that would be organized later (as in Acts). There are some who think that the Twelve Apostles constituted a local ekklesia, a sort of moving church of preachers. That could only be true in essence as they were a band of ministers and not located in any one place. Bruce holds that they were "the nucleus" of a local church at any rate.
