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. 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.’ 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.

This is a structural process for healthy relationships. We must be able to be honest with each other on how we live in community together.

The type of sin is not specified, but many of these sins can involve things that hurt us directly, hurt the church, or tarnish the name of God among unbelievers.

When we see someone sinning, it is not just about correcting them. Sometimes we can even do this with the wrong motives — out of anger or vindication, or in response to their correction of us. Instead, we are to pray and reflect on how to correct our brother or sister in love.

Love can be tough love, but the heart motives must be pure and the correction-manner must be Christ-like. This does not mean the person will receive it well, it just means we do all we can to be truthful and honest in love.

If they do not hear us, we take two or three witnesses and correct them again. If they then do not hear us this time, we treat them as unbelievers, like a tax collector or a pagan. We love them as one outside the fold of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Obedience to this command requires spiritual discernment, humility, boldness, and love. We are to call out unrepentant sin and love the heart of the sinner, as well.

Lord, thank you for this important guidance. It is not love to watch someone in the church stray down a wrong path and not try and correct them. It is also not love to be mean-spirited about the correction. Help me to continue to seek you and your wisdom in these situations first.