Focused Passage

Matthew 18:15-20

Kingdom Humility, Care for the Little Ones, Discipline, and Forgiveness in Christ’s Community

Matthew moves from the disciples’ question about greatness, to Jesus’ child-centered call to humility, to warnings against causing little ones to stumble, to radical action against sin, to the Father’s care for the little ones, to the pursuit of wandering sheep, to procedures for confronting sin and involving the church, to binding and loosing with Christ’s presence, and finally to the necessity of unlimited forgiveness rooted in the King’s mercy.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

16But 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.’

17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.

20For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionIfἘὰνG1437ConjunctionyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularbrotherἀδελφόςG80Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularsinsἁμαρτήσῃG264Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularagainstεἰςG1519PrepositionyouσὲG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person SingulargoὕπαγεG5217Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular[and] confrontἔλεγξονG1651Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularhimαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularprivatelyμόνουG3441Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular. . .μεταξὺG3342Preposition. . .σοῦG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular. . .καὶG2532Conjunction. . .αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularIfἐάνG1437Conjunctionhe listens toἀκούσῃG191Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularyouσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singularyou have wonἐκέρδησαςG2770Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singularbrother {over}ἀδελφόνG80Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • NE and WH do not include against you.
Verse 16

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionifἐὰνG1437Conjunction-μὴG3361Adverbhe will not listenἀκούσῃG191Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingulartakeπαράλαβεG3880Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularoneἕναG1520Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularorG2228ConjunctiontwoδύοG1417Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralothersἔτιG2089AdverbalongμετὰG3326Preposition. . .σοῦG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singularso thatἵναG2443ConjunctioneveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularmatterῥῆμαG4487Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularmay be establishedσταθῇG2476Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularbyἘπὶG1909Preposition[the] testimonyστόματοςG4750Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularof twoδύοG1417Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralorG2228ConjunctionthreeτριῶνG5140Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralwitnessesμαρτύρωνG3144Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Deuteronomy 19:15
Verse 17

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionIfἐὰνG1437Conjunctionhe refuses to listenπαρακούσῃG3878Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singularto themαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Pluraltell [it]εἰπὸνG2036Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singularto theτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularchurchἐκκλησίᾳG1577Noun - Dative Feminine SingularAndδὲG1161ConjunctionifἐὰνG1437Conjunctionhe refuses to listenπαρακούσῃG3878Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularevenκαὶG2532Conjunctionto theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularchurchἐκκλησίαςG1577Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularregard [him]ἔστωG1510Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person SingularasὥσπερG5618Adverbyou [would]σοιG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person SingularaG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularpaganἐθνικὸςG1482Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular[or]καὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singulara tax collectorτελώνηςG5057Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 18

Original words

TrulyἈμὴνG281Hebrew WordI tellλέγωG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralwhateverὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural. . .ἐὰνG1437Conjunctionyou bindδήσητεG1210Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person PluralonἐπὶG1909Preposition-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwill beἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularboundδεδεμέναG1210Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter PluralinἐνG1722PrepositionheavenοὐρανῷG3772Noun - Dative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwhateverὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural. . .ἐὰνG1437Conjunctionyou looseλύσητεG3089Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person PluralonἐπὶG1909Preposition-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwill beἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularloosedλελυμέναG3089Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter PluralinἐνG1722PrepositionheavenοὐρανῷG3772Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 19

Original words

AgainΠάλινG3825AdverbI tellλέγωG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluraltrulyἀμὴνG281Hebrew WordthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionifἐὰνG1437ConjunctiontwoδύοG1417Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralofἐξG1537PrepositionyouὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person PluralonἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularagreeσυμφωνήσωσινG4856Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person PluralaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionanythingπαντὸςG3956Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular. . .πράγματοςG4229Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-οὗG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter SingularvvvἐὰνG1437Conjunction[you] ask forαἰτήσωνταιG154Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Pluralit will be doneγενήσεταιG1096Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singularfor [you]αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralbyπαρὰG3844PrepositionMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularFatherΠατρόςG3962Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionheavenοὐρανοῖςG3772Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 20

Original words

ForγάρG1063ConjunctionwhereοὗG3757AdverbtwoδύοG1417Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralorG2228ConjunctionthreeτρεῖςG5140Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralvvvεἰσινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralgather togetherσυνηγμένοιG4863Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralinεἰςG1519PrepositionMyἐμὸνG1699Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 1st Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularnameὄνομαG3686Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularthereἐκεῖG1563Adverbam IεἰμιG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularwith themἐνG1722Preposition. . .αὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural. . .μέσῳG3319Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.