Matthew 18:18 Commentary and Bible Study

Christ has just spoken of the church putting out of its number someone who has refused to cooperate with an investigation in which they are found to be at fault. He now confirms that he gives authority to the church to exercise discipline on earth. He speaks as one who will soon no longer be present with them, for this is about the future when he will have ascended into heaven and the church will remain on earth. In spite of the fact that they are on earth, and he is in heaven, he will ratify their decisions and judgments from heaven. The one who is subject to discipline must understand that this is also heaven’s verdict against him. That adds enormous weight to the discipline of the church. Church discipline comes with a heavenly authority and is not simply a human judgment. What does this verse mean? It is given two meanings. Firstly, a spiritual meaning: God will add to heavenly kingdom through what is done on earth. The church is privileged to be instrumental; it has no power of its own but depends for all it does on the power that comes from heaven. Secondly, it means that if the church is right in a matter of discipline, and a person is justly given over to Satan, then God will ratify that decision. God will not thwart the discipline which he has authorised to be carried out on earth. The words are spoken – to ‘you’, plural – to all the apostles, but also to the whole church, for the Lord gives an authority which is for all time until he returns, and continues even after the apostles have passed from the scene. Church discipline is essential and did not cease after the apostles had died, but it must be based on the standards of the word as taught by the apostles and enshrined in their writings. What Christ says here is almost a repetition of what he has previously said to Peter (Matthew 16:19). Whatever authority was given previously to Peter is now given to all the apostles, and even to the whole church. This discipline is to be carried out not by some gathering of the universal church on earth – which cannot take place when the church is separated by language and geography – but by local churches, for the passage takes account of all that the Spirit of God will reveal to the apostles about the organisation of God’s people into local churches. Although human courts and human judges make great decisions, they have no such promise as this: that heaven itself will endorse their judgments, but the true church of Christ, operating in accordance with his word has this promise.