(6) And if he shall (h) neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the (i) church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as (k) an heathen man and a publican.
(6) He that condemns the judgment of the Church, condemns God.
(h) Literally, "does not condescend to hear", or "make as though he did not hear".
(i) He speaks not of just any policy, but of an ecclesiastical assembly, for he speaks afterward of the power of loosing and binding, which belonged to the Church, and he has regard for the order used in those days, at which time the elders had the judgment of Church matters in their hands, (John 9:22; John 12:42; John 16:2), and used casting out of the synagogue for a punishment, as we do now by excommunication.
(k) Profane, and void of religion: such men, the Jews called Gentiles: whose company they shunned, as they did the publicans.