Matthew 18:15–20 contains three ideas that are sometimes treated individually with no relationship to each other. However, the context of verses 15–17 determines the interpretation of verses 18–20.
Verses 15–17 discuss the process of forgiveness and restoration for a believer in Jesus who sins. They outline the responsibility that fellow believers have to one another to confront sin when it’s identified and to restore when it’s confessed. In this context, the statements about binding on earth and heaven (suggesting that the forgiveness and restoration offered by the church is done in the authority of God) and receiving what two agree on (a protection against the potential abuse of singular authority) are directly related to the forgiveness and restoration of a believer in Jesus.
J.R. Hudberg
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