But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.

But if he do not hear thee, take with thee one or two besides, that every matter may stand upon the word of two witnesses or of three.

and if he may not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand.

But if he will not listen to you, go again, and ask one or two to go with you, that every word spoken may be attested by two or three witnesses.

But if he will not give ear to you, take with you one or two more, that by the lips of two or three witnesses every word may be made certain.

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

But if he will not listen you, invite with you one or two more, so that every word may stand by the mouth of two or three witnesses.

But, if they do not listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that on the evidence of two or three witnesses, every word may be put beyond dispute.

But if he shall not hear thee. The second step is, that he who displayed obstinacy, or refused to yield to one man, should be again admonished in presence of witnesses Here some object, that it will serve no purpose to call witnesses, if we have to deal with an obstinate and rebellious man, because their presence will be so far from leading him to acknowledge his guilt, that he will only make a more wicked denial. But this difficulty will be speedily removed, if we distinguish between denial and evasion. He who explicitly denies the fact, and declares that he is falsely and calumniously accused, must be left alone; for it would be ill vain to press him by calling witnesses. But as, in most cases, men shamelessly evade, or impudently excuse, the improper and unjust actions which they have committed, till greater authority is employed, towards such persons it is useful to observe this method. That Christ's discourse ought to be understood in this sense is evident from the word used, elenxon, reprove, or argue; for to argue is to convince by demonstration. [1] And how could I argue with a man [2] who boldly denies the whole matter? for he who has the effrontery to deny the crime which he has committed shuts the door against a second admonition. We now perceive for what purpose Christ proposes to call witnesses. It is, to give greater weight and impressiveness to the admonition. As to the slightly different meaning to which he has turned the words of Moses, it involves no absurdity. Moses forbids sentence to be pronounced on a matter that is unknown, and defines this to be the lawful mode of proving, that it be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established, (Deuteronomy 19:15.) Alluding to that law, Christ says that, when two or three witnesses shall rise up to condemn the obstinacy of the man, the case will be clear, at least till the Church be prepared to take cognizance of it; for he who refuses to hear two or three witnesses [3] will have no reason to complain that he is dragged forth to light. Tell it to the Church. It is asked, what does he mean by the term Church? For Paul orders (1-Corinthians 5:5) that the incestuous Corinthian shall be excommunicated, not by a certain chosen number, but by the whole assembly of the godly; and therefore it might appear to be probable that the power of judging is bestowed on the whole of the people. But as at that time no Church as yet was in existence, which acknowledged the authority of Christ, and no such order had been established, and as our Lord employs the ordinary and received forms of expression, there can be no doubt that he alludes to the order of the ancient Church, as in other places also he accommodates his modes of expression to what was known and customary. [4] When he commands that: the offering, which we intend to present, shall be left at the altar, till we are reconciled to an offended brother, (Matthew 5:23,) he unquestionably intends, by means of that form of the worship of God which was then in existence and in force, to teach us, that we cannot in a right manner either pray, or offer any thing to God, so long as we are at variance with our brethren. So then he now looked at the form of discipline which was observed among the Jews; for it would have been absurd to propose an appeal to the judgment of a Church which was not yet in existence. Now since among the Jews the power of excommunication belonged to the elders, who held the government of the whole Church, Christ speaks appropriately when he says that they who sinned must at length be brought forward publicly to the Church, if they either despise haughtily, or ridicule and evade, the private admonitions. We know that, after the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, a council was formed, which they called Sanhedrim, and in Greek Synedrion, (sunedrion) and that to this council was committed the superintendence of morals and of doctrine. This government was lawful and approved by God, and was a bridle to restrain within their duty the dissolute and incorrigible. It will perhaps be objected that, in the time of Christ, every thing was corrupt and perverted, so that this tyranny was very far from deserving to be accounted the judgment of the Church But the reply is easy. Though the method of procedure was at that time depraved and perverted, yet Christ justly praises that order, such as it had been handed down to them from the fathers. And when, shortly afterwards, he erected a Church, while he removed the abuse, he restored the proper use of excommunication. Yet there is no reason to doubt that the form of discipline, which prevailed in the kingdom of Christ, succeeded in the room of that ancient discipline. And certainly, since even heathen nations maintained a shadowy form of excommunication, it appears that, from the beginning, this was impressed by God on the minds of men, that those who were impure and polluted ought to be excluded from religious services. [5] It would therefore have been highly disgraceful to the people of God to have been altogether destitute of that discipline, some trace of which remained among the Gentiles. But what had been preserved under the Law Christ has conveyed to us, because we hold the same rank with the ancient fathers. For it was not the intention of Christ to send his disciples to the synagogue, which, while it willingly cherished in its bosom disgraceful filth, excommunicated the true and sincere worshippers of God; but he reminded us that the order, which had been formerly established in a holy manner under the Law, must be maintained in his Church. Let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. What is here added as to heathens and publicans confirms the interpretation which I have given. For heathens and publicans having been at that time regarded by the Jews with the greatest hatred and detestation, he compares to them unholy and irreclaimable men, who yield to no admonitions. Certainly he did not intend to enjoin them to avoid the society of heathens, of whom the Church was afterwards composed; nor is there any reason at the present day why believers should shrink from associating with publicans. But in order that he might be more easily understood by the ignorant, Christ borrowed a mode of expression from what was then customary among his nation; [6] and the meaning is, that we ought to have no intercourse with the despisers of the Church till they repent.

Footnotes

1 - "Car arguer signifie convaincre par argumens, et remonstrer par bonnes raisons;" -- "for to argue signifies to convince by arguments, and to show by good reasons."

2 - "Or comment pourroit on arguer ou convaincre un homme, que ce qu'il a fait est mauvais?" -- "Now how could we argue or convince a man that what he has done is wrong?"

3 - "Veu qu'il n'a pas voulu recevoir l'admonition qui luy a este faite en prive par deux ou trois;" -- "since he did not choose to receive the admonition which was given to him in private by two or three."

4 - "Comme aussi en d'autres passages il s'accomodi a ce qui estoit lors ordinaire, et use des termes communes;" -- "as also in other passages he adapts himself to what was then customary, and employs common terms."

5 - "Ne devoycnt estre receus a participer aux choses sacrees appartenantes au sarvice de Dieu;" -- "ought not to be admitted to take part in the sacred things belonging to the service of God."

6 - "A use d'un terme convenable a la coustume du pays;" -- "used a term in accordance with the custom of the country."

But if he will not hear thee - That is, if he spurns or abuses you, or will not be entreated by you, and will not reform.
Take with thee one or two more - The design of taking them seems to be,
1. That he might be induced to listen to them, Matthew 18:17. They should be persons of influence or authority; his personal friends, or those in whom he could put confidence.
2. That they might be witnesses of his conduct before the church, Matthew 18:17. The law of Moses required two or three witnesses, Deuteronomy 19:15; 2-Corinthians 13:1; John 8:17.

2. Take with thee one or two more - Men whom he esteems, who may then confirm and enforce what thou sayest; and afterwards, if need require, bear witness of what was spoken. If even this do not succeed, then, and not before,

But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the (f) mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be (g) established.
(f) That is, by the word and witness; the mouth is sometimes taken for the word of speech, (Numbers 3:16), and also for a still witness, namely, when the matter speaks for itself, as below in (Matthew 21:16).
(g) Sure and certain.

But if he will not hear thee,..... But will either deny the fact, or extenuate and excuse it, or defend it, or at least is obstinate and incorrigible, shows no signs of repentance, but is angry, gives hard words, and ill language:
then take with thee one or two more; members of the church, and perhaps of weight, reputation, and character, who either know some thing of the matter, and so can confirm, by their testimony, what has been alleged, in order to bring the person to conviction and acknowledgment; or if they do not, and which seems rather to be the sense, they may, by hearing what is said on both sides, judge where the truth lies, and join with the offended person in the admonition, that it may fall with the greater weight, and become more effectual:
that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established, referring to Deuteronomy 19:15. So that should the matter be brought before the whole church, these witnesses would be able to testify the truth of the case, and report the steps that had been taken, and what effect they had had; so that things being thus prepared, the case would appear plain and easy, and without difficulty. The whole of this is very agreeable to the rules and customs of the Jews, and is founded on the law, in Leviticus 19:17, upon which they form rules very much like to these. They represent God himself taking such a method as this, with the sons of men (m):
"When the holy blessed God reproves a man, he reproves him in love, privately: if he receives it, it is well; if not, he reproves him among his friends: if he receives it, it is well; if not he reproves him openly before the eyes of all; if he receives it is well; if not, he leaves him, and reproves him no more.''
And this is an instruction to men, how they should reprove their friends. They say (n), "he that sees anything in his friend that is not becoming, he ought to reprove him." And which is elsewhere more (o) largely expressed:
"he that seeth his friend walking in a way that is not good, he is bound to reprove him, even a disciple his master; and this he shall do for his good, and in order to bring him to the life of the world to come, or eternal life; and "if he takes it of him, it is well": but if not, he must reprove again, "a second and a third time"; and so he must reprove him many times, if, or until he hears him.''
And this they require to be done, in the most private manner:
"reproof out of love (they (p) say) is secret from the children of men; whoever reproves his friend in love, seeks to secrete his words from the sons of men, that he may not expose him thereby to shame and reproach.''
That is, as the gloss (q) on it observes,
"he seeks to reprove him in secret, so that he may not be put to shame before many.''
If this way does not succeed, they allow of a public reproof, for so it is said (r);
"thou mayest not reprove him with hard words, till his countenance changes; for whoever causes the face of his friend to turn pale publicly, has no portion in the world to come; but thou mayest reprove in the words of heaven, or God; and if he does not return privately, thou mayest make him ashamed publicly, and expose his sin before him; and reproach and curse him, until he returns to do well; so did all the prophets to Israel.''
They plead also for a second reproof, from the text in Leviticus 19:17 (s).
"From whence does it appear, that he that sees anything in his friend unbecoming, ought to reprove him? As it is said, "thou shalt in any wise rebuke", &c. if he reproves him, , "and he does not receive it", (he does not take it kindly, or, as here, he does not hear him,) from whence is it manifest, that he must return and reprove him (or repeat the reproof)? from what is said, reproving thou shall reprove.''
The whole of this is very fully expressed in a few words, by one (t) of their best writers, and in great agreement with these rules of Christ:
"He that sees his friend sinning, or going in a way not good, he is commanded to cause him to return to that which is good; and to let him know, that he sins against himself by his evil works; as it is said, "thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour": he that reproveth his friend, whether for things between him and himself, or whether for things between him and God, "ought to reprove him", , "between him and himself"; and should speak to him mildly, and in tender language; and let him know that he does not speak to, him, but for his good, and to bring him to everlasting life; "and if he receives it of him, it is well, and if not, he must reprove him", "a second and a third time"; and so a man must continually reprove, until the sinner strikes him and says", I will not hear."''
Buxtorf has produced a passage out of one of their writers (u), in the very language in which Christ here delivers himself:
"The wise man says, if thy friend does thee an injury, reprove him between him and thee alone: if he hears thee, thou hast already gained; if he does not hear thee, speak to him before one or two, who may hear the matter, and if he will not hear reckon him a "worthless friend".''
One would almost be ready to think, that this writer should mean Christ by the wise man, were it not for the implacable enmity they bear unto him. The above author has cited also the following passage out of the same (w) writer, pertinent to the present purpose:
"A friend that declares to thee thy faults, "between him and thee", whenever he meets thee, is better to thee than a friend, that whenever he meets thee, gives thee a golden penny.''
(m) Raya Mehimna in Zohar, in Leviticus. fol. 35. 4. (n) T. Bab. Betacot, fol. 31. 1, 2. (o) Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora pr. Affirm. 11. (p) Zohar. in Leviticus. fol. 19. 3. (q) Imre Binah in ib. (r) Milzvot Tora, pr. neg. 6. (s) T. Bab. Erachin, fol. 16. 2. (t) Maimon. Hilch. Deyot. c. 6. sect. 7. (u) Mischar happeninim apud Buxtorf. Florileg. Hebrews. p. 297. (w) Ibid.

Take with thee one or two more. If the private interview is of no avail, take other brethren as witnesses and intercessors. These witnesses, hearing the matter talked over, can report the facts.