"If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mt18:15-20)
This passage is about reconciliation. Reconciliation in view of fellowship. Many a times we pretend and say that there is no problem. We refuse to face facts, swallow our anger or resentment and carry on as if everything is normal. Sometimes this is considered as forgiveness; that is pretending as if nothing has happened.
If someone else has been offensive, aggressive, dishonest, or immoral then nothing of reconciliation can be done without confronting the facts. Forgiveness does not mean saying ‘it didn’t happen’ or ‘it didn’t really matter’. Forgiveness is when it did happen and when it did really matter. That is why the sequence given by Jesus is vital.
First, face the situation one to one, then with two or three and then to the assembly. This needs courage, prayer and humility. Only a man of prayer, humility and courage will be ready to face the facts. But if there is real evil involved and there is refusal to face the facts then that means there is the real break of relationship. Reconciliation (fellowship) can only come after the problem has been faced. Covering up of the problem or facts does not lead to reconciliation or fellowship
