“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

“But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)

Christians are individuals whom God has chosen for salvation and delivered from sin through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet God is pleased to withhold perfection from them and orders them to grow in faith and holiness. Thus Christians continue to stumble, but God upholds them by his Spirit. Since the church is a community of such imperfect individuals, its members continue to exhibit false doctrines and sinful behaviors. But another reason that these things continue in the church is that many of its members are in fact non-Christians who have infiltrated the community.

A popular complaint is that Christians are hypocrites in that they declare a high standard of morality but stumble over it themselves. However, if many in our community are in fact non-Christians who have never truly believed and committed to our message, then the complaint should first be directed against the non-Christians. The non-Christians are double hypocrites because they pretend to be Christians when they are not, and then they fail to live up to their own lie. But Christians are not hypocrites if they admit that they still stumble and if they confess their sins when they do. In any case, we must deal with believers who have sinned and with unbelievers who have infiltrated our ranks. Jesus teaches us how to do this.

First, there is the principle of confrontation. As Christians, we are children of the light, so that we should not ignore or hide our sins, but we should define them, uncover them, and confess them. If someone has sinned, then you should confront him about it. Jesus says that you should “show him his fault,” and that you will either win him over or he will refuse to listen. This suggests that the confrontation involves a discussion on what he has done and an attempt to convince him of his error.

The instruction assumes that the man is indeed in the wrong, but we realize that it is possible for one to misjudge another. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding, or perhaps you have misinterpreted what the Bible teaches about the topic. If so, this procedure Jesus prescribes would still manage to resolve the issue, since the person will have the opportunity to explain himself when you confront him, and perhaps to correct you instead.

Second, there is the principle of escalation. Again, the text assumes that the man has indeed sinned, that you are able to correctly identify his sin according to God’s revealed standard, and that you are able to carry a discussion about it with him. If he admits his fault and changes his way, then you have helped him and rescued him from continuing in sin. However, it is possible that he will harden his heart and refuse to listen to you. If this happens, you need to escalate the situation.

When you first approach the offender, you should discuss the matter “just between the two of you.” If the man renounces his false doctrine or misconduct, then there should be no need to expose him to public scrutiny and embarrassment, although criminal activities must be reported to the authorities. If he refuses to listen and persists in sin, then bring with you one or two others to speak with him. The group can combine their knowledge and influence to convince the offender. The additional individuals can confirm that the man is indeed in the wrong, and they can become witnesses to what has been discussed and to the man’s response to the arguments, pleadings, and reprimands used to call him to repentance. If the man remains stubborn, then escalate the situation again and bring the matter before the church.

Third, there is the principle of excommunication. If the offender defies the whole church, then the community should treat him as “a pagan or tax collector.” This means cutting off the offender from both religious and social relations. You must no longer think of this person as a Christian or even as a friend, but as an unclean and despicable person to be shunned and regarded with contempt. The man can be restored to fellowship and reintroduced to the community only if he repents and changes his way.

Of course, it is possible for the entire church to misjudge one man. The church might err, but it must still strive to maintain order and comply with the Lord’s instructions on how to do it. As for the man, suppose he is excommunicated because of a misunderstanding. He remains secure and innocent, because it is not the church that saves, but Jesus Christ. If a man is in Christ, no church can cut him off from Christ. If a church excommunicates a man because he stands with God and the Bible against the church’s apostasy, then the community condemns itself when it condemns the man. God has placed him there as a prophet and a witness against the whole group, and he fulfills his role by suffering excommunication.