Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 18:17

"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 18:17 (ASV)

Refusal to submit to the considered judgment of Messiah’s people means that they are to treat the offender as “a pagan or a tax collector.” The flow of the argument and the NT parallels (e.g., Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14) show that Jesus has excommunication in mind. Since “you” is singular, Jesus is suggesting that each member of the church is to abide by the corporate judgment and reminds the disciple of the individual responsibility each believer has toward the others (cf. v.15).