In Matthew 16, following Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, we have the first mention of the church in the gospels. Two chapters later, the church is mentioned again, but it has nothing to do with Peter’s confession and everything to do with correction. What do you do when someone in the body of Christ sins against you? How do you lovingly confront a sheep that is openly straying away from the flock? In Matthew 18:15-20, our Lord will answer those questions for us. Conflicts are never easy, but Jesus promises us that if we follow the path that he lays out for us when confronting a sinning saint, he will be right by our side.
