16.Old and New Testament Church Discipline
Old and New Testament Church Discipline by at least two or three Elders Also especially the second above-mentioned passage (Mat 18:15-20), ultimately involves the entire Church and all of its graded Courts. For it declares that if a Christian’s brother shall trespass against him, the offended one is to go and tell him his fault between the two of them alone. If the offender then heeds the complainant, the latter regains his brother.
However, if the offender will not heed the complainant, the latter is then to take with him one or two more persons so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If the offender neglects to heed them, this is to be told to the Church. Then, if he neglects to heed the Church he is thenceforth to be regarded as a heathen.
Jesus then went on to assure especially all of His apostolic Elders there that whatever they would bind on earth, would be bound in heaven; and that whatever they would loosen on earth, would be loosed in heaven. Again He assured them that if two of them would agree on earth regarding anything they would request, it would be done for them by His Father in heaven. "For where two or three [plural] are gathered together in My Name," He promised them "there am I in the midst of them [plural]." See too John 20:21-23f. This passage regarding serious grievances, was addressed by Christ generally to all of "the disciples" alias ’those whom He had taught’ (Mat 18:1) and particularly to His Presbytery of the twelve ’sent-out’ Apostles. John 20:21-23fcf.Luk 22:8-30; Luk 24:33-48f. On appeal, after an unsuccessful private admonition, such matters were to go before at least two or three witnessing Elders or Judges and, if again unsuccessful, finally before special gatherings of the whole Church (representative of the whole denomination). For compare the words "two or three witnesses" in Mat 18:16 and "Church" in Mat 18:17 and "you" and "ye" [plurals] repeatedly in Mat 18:18-19 and "two or three" specially "gathered together in My Name" in Mat 18:20 with the words "the Elders" and "two witnesses...or three witnesses" in Deu 19:12-15, and with the words "two witnesses or three witnesses" and "a matter too hard for you in judgment" and "then you shall arise and get yourself up into the place which the Lord your God shall choose" in Deu 17:6-9. Also note how the same words "too hard" in Deu 1:13-17 and the words "hard causes" in Exo 18:12-26, there too presuppose such an appeal procedure from one set of Elders, to another set of Elders.
It is therefore clear that Mat 18:15f is derived from both Deu 17:6f and 19:12f (and more remotely also from both Deu 1:13-17 and Exo 18:12-26). However, all those texts teach not just the rule of Elders over their own local Congregation. They also authorize appeals from such a local Court to a higher Court of similar Ruling Judges. So too, it follows by good and necessary inference does Mat 18:15f.