“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The ultimate goal here isn't just to point out someone's wrong, but to "gain" them back – to restore them to God and into right relationship. This "gain" is so significant that Jesus compares it to winning a soul that was lost, emphasizing that this loving confrontation is about profound restoration, not just correction.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is teaching his disciples how to handle conflict within their community. Following a discussion about humility and who is greatest, he lays out a practical, step-by-step process for dealing with sin between believers, starting with a direct, private conversation aimed at restoration.
When a brother or sister in faith wrongs you, Jesus doesn't tell you to gossip or hold a grudge. He gives a surprisingly direct, yet gentle, first step.
Jesus lays out a clear, practical process for handling conflict within the community, starting with a crucial private conversation.
Go, and Tell Him Alone
The command to 'go' emphasizes initiative. Don't wait for the person to come to you or for the offense to fester. The word for 'tell him his fault' means to convict, to demonstrate the wrong, not just to name it. It's about helping the person see how they've erred.
This isn't about airing dirty laundry or seeking public validation. It's a private conversation, designed to win back your brother or sister. The goal is restoration, not condemnation. By handling it privately, you offer a grace that public exposure would destroy, allowing them to repent without shame and preserving the relationship.
Jesus describes the outcome of successful private correction as 'gaining your brother.' What does this profound 'gain' truly mean?
The ultimate aim of confronting a brother or sister in love is not punishment, but restoration – a 'gain' that is more precious than any earthly victory.
Winning Back a Soul
When someone 'listens to you,' you have 'gained your brother.' This means you've helped them turn back from a path that was damaging their relationship with God and with you. You've saved a soul from further error and preserved the unity of the community.
This gain is not about control or winning an argument. It's about reclaiming a valuable member of the family of faith. It’s a spiritual victory, a testament to the power of love and gentle correction to heal divisions and strengthen the body of Christ. It reminds us that every believer is precious, and their return to a right path is a significant divine accomplishment.
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Understand the original words
adelphos · Greek Noun
Refers to a fellow member of the covenant community or a fellow believer in Christ, emphasizing the bonds of spiritual kinship and obligation.
hamartanō · Greek Verb
To miss the mark of God's standard of holiness; it involves transgression against God’s law or a failure to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
elenchos · Greek Noun
A shortcoming, mistake, or offense that carries the responsibility of correction or restoration within the context of Christian community.
This Old Testament passage lays the groundwork for Matthew 18:15, stating, 'You shall not hate your kinsman in your heart, but you shall reason earnestly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him,' emphasizing private confrontation to prevent sin.
Luke 17:3This parallel passage in Luke echoes the essence of Matthew 18:15, with Jesus telling his disciples, 'Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,' highlighting the connection between rebuke and forgiveness.
1 Corinthians 9:19Paul's use of the word 'gain' in this context, 'For though I am free from all counts, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them,' parallels Jesus' idea of 'gaining your brother' as a spiritual victory, not a personal one.
Galatians 6:1This verse expands on the principle of restoring a brother, stating, 'Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness,' underscoring the gentle and restorative approach Jesus advocates in Matthew 18:15.
vincentMatthew 18:15: "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."
Go (ὕπαγε)Do not wait for him to come to you.Tell him his fault (ἔλεγξον)Rev., shew him. The verb means, first, to test, try, search out; therefore, to cross-examine with a view of convincing or refuting; thence to rebuke or chide. The Rev. shew is better than tell, which implies merely naming the fault; whereas the…
calvinMatthew 18:15-20: "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."
- But if thy brother hath sinned against thee, go and reprove him between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16. But if he shall not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed: and if he shall not hear them,…
The ultimate goal here isn't just to point out someone's wrong, but to "gain" them back – to restore them to God and into right relationship. This "gain" is so significant that Jesus compares it to winning a soul that was lost, emphasizing that this loving confrontation is about profound restoration, not just correction.
Jesus is teaching his disciples how to handle conflict within their community. Following a discussion about humility and who is greatest, he lays out a practical, step-by-step process for dealing with sin between believers, starting with a direct, private conversation aimed at restoration.
Jesus is teaching his disciples how to handle conflict within their community. Following a discussion about humility and who is greatest, he lays out a practical, step-by-step process for dealing with sin between believers, starting with a direct, private conversation aimed at restoration.
"“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." — The ultimate goal here isn't just to point out someone's wrong, but to "gain" them back – to restore them to God and into right relationship. This "gain" is so significant that Jesus compares it to w…
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Last reviewed October 2026