If your brother sins [against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. 16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. 18 Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
In the early Church, Gentile converts faced a profound shift in their religious identity. Many of them had been raised in the polytheistic world of the Roman Empire, where multiple gods and goddesses governed every aspect of life—from agriculture to warfare to personal prosperity. For these converts, worshiping one true God was not just a theological claim; it was a complete reorientation of their worldview. This was a radical departure from the many gods they had worshiped before, and it required an ongoing transformation of their minds and hearts.
Matthew 18:15-20 offers powerful guidance to these new believers, especially for Gentile converts who were learning how to live in community under the loving authority and guidance of the one true God. In the early Church, these teachings were transmitted orally through the apostles and leaders, ensuring that the foundational truths of the Gospel were passed down faithfully. Jesus begins by teaching how to reconcile with a brother who sins against you (vv. 15-17). For Gentile converts, this concept of personal reconciliation was a departure from their previous understanding of gods who demanded rituals and sacrifices for appeasement rather than calling for personal transformation and healing in human relationships. The one true God they now worshiped called them to not only seek peace with God but to actively reconcile with each other, showing the depth of their faith through the way they treated others.
In verse 18, Jesus gives His authority, stating, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This authority granted to the apostles would be a stark contrast to the Gentile converts’ prior belief systems, where authority was often held by many gods or earthly rulers. Now, the authority of the one true God was being entrusted to the apostles to guide the Church in matters of faith, not just through rituals but through profound spiritual authority. For the Gentiles, this would be a major shift—no longer were they subject to capricious gods, but rather to the one God who worked through His apostles to bind and loose with divine authority.
“Binding” refers to declaring something forbidden or prohibited, typically an action, behavior, or belief contrary to God’s law, while “loosing” means declaring something permissible, aligning actions or practices with God’s will. This authority, entrusted to the apostles, was not about condemning souls to hell or granting salvation, but about guiding the faithful in doctrine and moral living in a way that reflects the truth of the one true God as revealed through Jesus Christ.
Verses 19-20, which promise that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” further emphasize the presence of the one true God in the community of believers. For the Gentile converts, this concept would have been revolutionary. In their former religious practices, gods were distant or localized to specific shrines, but Jesus reveals a God who is present in the community gathered in His name—this was a new way of worship that emphasized God's immanence and accessibility.
Finally, in verse 17, “treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector,” presents a challenge to the Gentile converts, who were now part of the people of God. This command would have forced them to confront their own status within the community of faith. In their previous lives, Gentiles were seen as outsiders to the Jewish faith, often excluded from the temple and its rituals. Now, as converts, they were called to understand that their inclusion into the body of believers was not automatic or unchallenged. They would need to understand the weight of sin and its consequences, even within the Christian community. Jesus' words would have urged them to reflect on the necessity of repentance and reconciliation, not just for themselves but for their fellow believers, challenging their previous understanding of who could belong to the community of the one true God.
This perspective not only explores the challenges the Gentile converts would face but also highlights the radical new understanding of God’s authority, presence, and the need for personal reconciliation in this new worshiping community. The shift from the polytheistic understanding of distant gods to the personal, relational nature of the one true God would require the Gentiles to reevaluate their approach to community, sin, and reconciliation in profound ways.
Almighty God, we thank You for revealing Yourself as the one true God. As you did with the early Gentile converts, help us to embrace Your presence and guidance in our lives. Strengthen our faith, unity, and love for one another as we seek to follow You. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Bless those who walk by faith and not by sight
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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