Matthew 18:17 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

¹⁷ And if he refuses to listen to them [i.e., the witnesses], explain the [whole] matter to the church [i.e., probably a specially called meeting of mature Christians to resolve the matter]. And if he refuses to listen to the church also, [i.e., to acknowledge his sin and repent of it], consider him like an [unconverted] Gentile or tax collector [i.e., do not have fellowship with him].

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

¹⁷ If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. [Lev. 19:17; Deut. 19:15.]

American Standard Version (1901)

¹⁷ And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.

Common English Bible

¹⁷ But if they still won’t pay attention, report it to the church. If they won’t pay attention even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile and tax collector.

Catholic Public Domain Version

¹⁷ And if he will not listen to them, tell the Church. But if he will not listen to the Church, let him be to you like the pagan and the tax collector.

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

¹⁷ And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.

Matthew 18:17 Cross References

Matthew 10:3

Philip, Bartholomew [i.e., the same as Nathaniel. See John 1:45], Thomas [i.e., the same as Didymus. See John 11:16], Matthew, the tax collector [i.e., the same as Levi. See Mark 2:14], James, the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus [i.e., the same as Judas, son of James. See Luke 6:16],

Matthew 11:19

[Then] the Son of man came eating and drinking [at festive occasions] and they said, ‘Look, He is a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and worldly people.’ It proves that [God’s] wise counsel is right by the way things turn out.”

Matthew 5:46

For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward will you get for that? Do not even the publicans [Note: These were people with a bad reputation for their dishonest tax collecting activities] do that much?

Matthew 6:7

And when you pray, do not use worthless repetitions like the [unconverted] Gentiles, for they think their lengthy, repetitious wording [in prayer] is more likely to be heard [by God].

Luke 15:1

Now the tax collectors and worldly people were all gathering around Jesus to listen to Him.

Luke 18:11

The Pharisee stood up [conspicuously] and prayed about himself this way [i.e., bragging to God about how good he was], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, sexually unfaithful to their mates, or even like that tax collector [over there].

1 Corinthians 5:9

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

1 Corinthians 6:1

If any one of you has a complaint against someone, how can you dare to take it before non-Christian judges [to be decided], instead of before the saints [i.e., God’s holy people]?

2 Thessalonians 3:6

Now we command you, brothers, in the name [i.e., by the authority] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you people stay away from every brother [or sister] who lives an idle life [See note on I Thess. 5:14], and not according to the [inspired] tradition which you received from us.

1 Timothy 6:5

[and] continual wrangling between people with corrupt minds, who are deprived of the truth. They think that [professing] godliness is a way to obtain [financial] gain.