If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
Parallel translations
- WEB “If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
- NASB “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
- NLT “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus teaches that when a brother sins you should first address it privately, aiming to win him back. The goal of confronting sin is restoration, not exposure.
Overview
This begins Jesus' instruction on church discipline. The first step is a private, gracious appeal that seeks to gain the brother, not to shame him. Love that pursues a sinning believer reflects the seeking love of the shepherd just described and aims at reconciliation within the community.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Lev 19:17You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.
- Gal 6:1Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
- Luke 17:3–4Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
- Col 3:13Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- 2 Th 3:15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
- Jas 5:19–20My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
- Prov 25:9–10Argue your case with your neighbor without betraying another’s confidence,
- Rom 12:21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Matt 18:35That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
- Ps 141:5Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.
- 1 Cor 8:12By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
- 1 Cor 6:6–8Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
- Lev 6:2–7“If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor
- 1 Pet 3:1Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives
- Prov 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
- 2 Cor 7:12So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.
- 1 Cor 9:19–21Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- 1 Th 4:6and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 18:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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