If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the CHURCH

[tonychanyt]

Mat 18:

15“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

What does church specify?

Barnes explained:

The church may here mean
[1] the whole assembly of believers, or
[2] it may mean those who are authorized to try such cases - the representatives of the church, or
[3] these who act for the church.
In the Jewish synagogue there was a bench of elders before whom trials of this kind were brought. It was to be brought to the church in order that he might be admonished, entreated, and, if possible, reformed. This was, and is always to be, the first business in disciplining an offending brother.

Which one of the three meanings should we apply today?

That would depend on the size of your congregation. Logistically speaking, for a big congregation, it is not practical for every member to hear and judge your personal dispute.

 

[linux.poet]

Interesting interpretation. I always thought that the entire local church was to hear such cases and vote on the outcome. I've never heard of limiting decisions of "the church" to just the elders and leadership before.

However, it has been practiced that way in particular cases. I hear of someone excommunicated from my church due to a biblically unsanctioned divorce that I was never invited to a hearing for. Another case, where someone was accused of causing divisions within the church, was decided by inviting the entire church to a meeting and having the elders hear the cases of the affected parties.

It may need to be decided by the elders of the church on a case-by-case basis.