What does “tell it to the church” mean (Matthew 18:17)?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ taught a three-step process for dealing with an unrepentant believer within the church. The first step is to confront the person privately. If he refuses to repent, the second step is to bring one or two others to urge repentance. If the offender still refuses, the third step is to “tell it to the church” (Matthew 18:17). This involves informing the congregation of the sin and lack of repentance so that others may understand the situation, be aware of the person’s broken fellowship with the church, and pray for the sinner’s repentance.

The goal of the three-step process is not merely to punish the offender for his or her sin. It is to begin a process that starts with repentance and leads to the restoration of fellowship with God and other believers. With each step, the call to repentance becomes more urgent, and the consequences more serious, leading ultimately to removal from the community if the person will not repent. Genuine repentance stops the process at any step, which means that informing the church of the offense may never be necessary.

Understanding the first two steps in the disciplinary process sheds light on the importance of the third step. The first step involves a private conversation between a believer and the person who has sinned. Jesus said, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over” (Matthew 18:15). If the offender repents in this private conversation, the process stops, and no additional people need to be involved.

However, if the person refuses to repent after the private conversation, the second step involves bringing one or two others. Jesus said, “But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’” (Matthew 18:16). In this instruction, Jesus cites Deuteronomy 19:15, which requires multiple witnesses to confirm a charge of wrongdoing. While not all sin in the church constitutes a civil crime, the principle Jesus upholds helps prevent false accusations and ensures fairness for the offender in the disciplinary process. If the person repents at this point, the process stops, and the matter does not go before the church.

If repentance still does not come after the first two steps, church leaders must inform the congregation of the sin and the offender’s lack of repentance. Jesus said, “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17). Like the first two steps, the goal of the third step is that the erring person would turn from his or her sin.

If, after the third step, the sinner remains unrepentant, Jesus says the congregation should treat him like a pagan or a tax collector. In other words, the church is to regard the person as an unbeliever. This means the unrepentant one is no longer in good standing with the congregation and will lose certain privileges, which may include receiving communion, serving in ministry, and, in some churches, voting.

Telling the church also serves as a warning to the congregation and can encourage others to pursue holiness, so they remain in good standing and avoid the need for discipline. Paul articulates this principle when he writes, “But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning” (1 Timothy 5:20).

The three-step process applies when sin is ongoing, unrepentant, and harmful to the church’s spiritual health. Paul compares such sin to yeast spreading through dough: “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are” (1 Corinthians 5:6b–7a). The process not only helps the erring person but protects the church’s holiness and effectiveness in ministry (2 Timothy 2:20–21).

Jesus’ three-step process reflects patience toward the unrepentant person, a high moral standard for the church, and the importance of community involvement. Bringing the matter before the church becomes a final attempt to restore the offender and safeguard the church. This discipline reflects God’s desire for a pure and faithful church, just as Paul expressed when he wrote, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Corinthians 11:2).