Matthew 18:17

“And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector.”

Matthew 18:17 · direct translation from the Greek
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Jesus teaches to speak first, alone, with the one who wronged youConflict and Reconciliation

With the Greek beneath

17

Matthew 18:17, word by word

he refuses to listen toπαρακούσῃparakousēi

ignore, overhear

Pay no attention to, disregard; also overhear.

Where else “parakousēi” appears
tell itεἰπὸνeipon

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “eipon” appears
to the assemblyἐκκλησίᾳekklēsiai

church

Those who believe in Jesus, gathered as his people.

Where else “ekklēsiai” appears
let him beἔστωestō

be

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “estō” appears
asὥσπερhōsper

just as

Just as, in the same way as.

Where else “hōsper” appears
the Gentileἐθνικὸςethnikos

Gentile

Gentile: one who does not belong to the people of Israel.

Where else “ethnikos” appears
the tax collectorτελώνηςtelōnēs

tax collector

Tax collector, who collected taxes for Rome; despised by the people.

Where else “telōnēs” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Forgiving a brother

Luke 17:3-4

A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.

See them side by side

Matthew 18:15-22

15And if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” 21Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.

Luke 17:3-4

3Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he changes his mind, forgive him. 4And if seven times a day he sins against you and seven times turns back to you, saying, ‘I change my mind,’ you will forgive him.”

The context

16But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

17 · This verse (above)

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

Read all of Matthew 18

To study Matthew 18 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What did Jesus put in the middle of the disciples when they asked who is greatest (vv. 1–3)?

  2. 2. What it means

    Why does Jesus tell the parable of the slave who was forgiven a huge debt (vv. 23–35)?

  3. 3. How I live it

    Peter asked how many times to forgive (v. 21). Whom do you find hard to forgive, and what small first step can you take?

How to use it