Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 18:15-17

"And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear [thee] not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican." — Matthew 18:15-17 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: Having previously given a severe sentence against those who cause offense, making them fearful on all sides, the Lord now addresses those who are offended. So that they do not fall into the opposite fault of complacency and indifference, seeking to spare themselves in all things and thus become puffed up, the Lord here checks such a tendency. He commands that they should be reproved, saying, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”¹

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord admonishes us not to overlook one another's faults, yet not in a way that seeks for something to blame, but rather watching for what you may correct. For our rebuke should be in love, not eager to wound but anxious to amend. If you ignore it, you have become worse than he is. He, by wronging you, has done himself a great injury; you disregard your brother's wound and are more to blame for your silence than he is for his harsh words to you.²

We often wrongly avoid teaching and admonishing, or rebuking and checking the wicked, either because the task is tiresome or because we want to escape their hostility, so that they will not harm or obstruct us in worldly matters—whether in gaining things we desire or in holding on to what our weakness fears to lose.³

However, if anyone refrains from rebuking evildoers because he seeks a more suitable occasion, or fears making them worse, or fears that they may hinder the good and pious lives of other weak people, or may grieve them, or turn them from the faith—in this, we see not the motives of greed, but the prudence of love. Those who are set over the churches have a much weightier reason not to refrain from rebuking sin. Yet even a person not in authority is not free from this blame if he knows of many things in those to whom he is bound by the ties of this life that should be addressed with admonition or correction, but neglects to do so. He avoids their displeasure for the sake of things which he does not use improperly in this life, but in which he takes improper delight.³

St. John Chrysostom: It should be noted that at one time the Lord brings the offender to the one he has offended, as when He says, “If you remember that your brother has anything against you, go and be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:23). At other times He bids the one who has suffered the wrong to forgive his neighbor, as where He says, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

Here He has devised yet another method, for He brings the one who has been grieved to the one who grieved him. Therefore He says, “If your brother sins against you,” because the one who did the wrong would not readily come to make amends due to his shame, He draws the one who suffered the wrong to him. And not only does He draw him there, but with the very purpose of correcting what was done amiss, which is why He says, “Go and tell him his fault.”

Rabanus Maurus: He does not command us to forgive indiscriminately, but only the one who will listen, be obedient, and repent, so that forgiveness is neither unattainable, nor is forbearance relaxed too far.

St. John Chrysostom: And He does not say, “Accuse him,” nor, “Argue with him,” nor, “Demand redress”—but, “Tell him of his fault.” That is, remind him of his sin; tell him what you have suffered from him. For he is held down by anger or by shame, stupefied as if in a deep slumber. Therefore, it is necessary for you, who are in your right senses, to go to him who is diseased.

St. Jerome: If then your brother has sinned against you, or hurt you in any matter, you have the power—indeed, you must—forgive him, for we are commanded to forgive our debtors their debts. But if a person sins against God, it is no longer for us to decide. But we do the exact opposite of this: where God is wronged we are merciful, but where the offense is against ourselves, we pursue the quarrel.

St. John Chrysostom: We are to tell his fault to the person himself who did it, and not to another, because the person receives it more patiently from him, especially when they are alone together. For when the one who had a right to demand reparation instead shows a concern to heal the wound, this has great power to bring about reconciliation.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Therefore, when anyone offends against us, let us be very careful—not for our own sake, for it is glorious to forget an injury. Forget your own wrong, but do not forget the wound your brother has sustained. Tell him of his fault between you and him alone, seeking his correction and sparing his shame. For it may be that out of shame he will try to defend his fault, and thus you will only harden him when you were trying to do him good.⁴

St. Jerome: Your brother is to be reproved in private, so that if he once loses his sense of shame, he does not continue in sin.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But the Apostle says, “Rebuke those who sin in the presence of everyone, so that the others will be afraid” (1 Timothy 5:20). Therefore, sometimes your brother is to be spoken to between you and him alone, and sometimes he is to be rebuked before all. Pay attention and learn what you must do first. He says, “If your brother sins against you, tell him his fault between you and him alone.” Why? Because he has sinned against you? What does it mean that he has sinned against you? You know that he has sinned, and therefore, since his sin was private, let your rebuke be private too. For if you alone know of his trespass and proceed to rebuke him before all, you are not correcting him but betraying him. Your brother has sinned against you; if you alone know of it, then he has sinned against you only. But if he wronged you in the presence of many, then he has also sinned against those who were witnesses of his fault.

Therefore, those faults that are committed before all are to be rebuked before all; those which are done in private are to be rebuked in private. Discern the times, and the Scriptures are consistent.

But why do you correct your neighbor? Is it because his trespass has hurt you? Far be it from you. If you do it from self-love, you accomplish nothing; if you do it from love for him, you do what is most right. Lastly, in what you say to him, keep in view for whose sake you ought to do it—for your own or for his. For it follows, “If he listens to you, you have won your brother.” Do it, therefore, for his sake, so that you may win him.

And do you confess that by your sin against another person you were lost? For if you were not lost, how has he won you? Let no one, then, make light of it when he sins against his brother.

St. John Chrysostom: In this it is made plain that hostilities are a loss to both sides. For He did not say, “he has gained himself,” but, “you have gained him,” which shows that both of you had suffered loss from your disagreement.

St. Jerome: For in saving another, salvation is also gained for ourselves.

St. John Chrysostom: What you should do if he does not yield is added: “But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you.” For the more shameless and stubborn he shows himself to be, the more diligent we should be in applying the medicine, and not turn to wrath and hate. Just as a physician, if he sees that the disease does not subside, does not slacken but redoubles his efforts to heal.

And observe how this reproof is not for revenge but for correction, seeing His command is not to take two others with you at first, but only when the person will not amend. Even then He does not send a multitude to him, but one or two, citing the law: “that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). This is so that you may have witnesses that you have done all you could.

St. Jerome: Or it is to be understood this way: If he will not listen to you, take one brother with you. If he still will not listen, take a third—either out of zeal for his correction, so that shame or admonition may move him, or for the purpose of meeting before witnesses.

Glossa Ordinaria: Or, if he affirms that it is not a trespass, they may prove to him that it is.⁵

St. Jerome: If he still will not listen to them, then it must be told to many, so that he may be held in contempt. In this way, he who could not be saved by his own sense of shame may be saved by public disgrace. From this it follows, “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.”

St. John Chrysostom: That is, to those who are leaders of the church.

Glossa Ordinaria: Or, tell it to the whole church, so that his disgrace may be greater. After all these things follows excommunication, which ought to be inflicted by the mouth of the church—that is, by the priest. When he excommunicates, the whole church works with him, as it follows: “And if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”⁶

St. Augustine of Hippo: That is, no longer regard him as one of your brethren. Yet even so, we are not to neglect his salvation. For the heathens themselves—that is, the Gentiles and pagans—we do not indeed regard as our brethren, yet we always seek their salvation.⁷

St. John Chrysostom: Yet the Lord does not command that anything of this sort be observed toward those who are outside the church, as He does when reproving a brother. Of those that are without He says, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:39). As Paul says, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” (1 Corinthians 5:12).

But He bids us to reprove and turn away from our brethren.

St. Jerome: That He says, “as a pagan and a tax collector,” shows that a person who does the deeds of an unbeliever while under the name of a believer is to be more abhorred than those who are openly Gentiles. He calls those people publicans who pursue worldly gain and raise funds by trading, cheating, fraudulent schemes, and perjury.

Origen of Alexandria: Let us consider carefully whether this precept extends to all sin. For what if someone commits any of those sins that are unto death—such as unnatural crimes, adultery, homicide, or effeminacy? It cannot be meant that people like these are to be admonished privately, and that if he listens to you, you should immediately say that you have won him. Should he not rather first be put out of the church, or only after remaining obstinate after being warned before witnesses and by the church?

One person, looking at the infinite mercy of Christ, will say that since the words of Christ make no distinction of sins, it is to go against Christ's mercy to limit His words only to minor sins. Another, on the other hand, considering the words carefully, will assert that they are not spoken of every sin, for the one who is guilty of those great sins is not a brother, but is only called a brother, with whom, according to the Apostle, we ought not even to eat. But just as those who interpret this as referring to every sin give encouragement to the careless to sin, so, on the other hand, he who teaches that one who has committed minor and non-deadly sins is to be held as a pagan and a tax collector when he has rejected the admonition of the witnesses and the church, seems to introduce too great a severity.

For whether he finally perishes, we are not able to decide. First, because he who has been told of his fault three times and has not listened, may listen the fourth time. Secondly, because sometimes a person does not receive according to his deeds, but beyond his trespass, which is for his good in this world. Lastly, because He did not say only, “Let him be as a pagan,” but “Let him be to you.”

Therefore, whoever is reproved three times for a minor trespass and does not amend, we ought to hold him as a pagan and a tax collector, avoiding him so that he may be brought to shame. But whether he is also regarded by God as a pagan and a tax collector is not for us to decide, but rests in the judgment of God.

1. Hom., lx
2. Serm., 82, 1
3. City of God, book i, ch. 9
4. Serm., 82, 8
5. ap. Anselm
6. ap. Anselm
7. Serm., 82, 7