Matthew 18:18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, &c.— Our Saviour here confers on his disciples in general the power of binding and loosing, which he had formerly conferred on Peter singly: but the present grant, from the connection in which it stands, appears manifestly to refer to something further than the former, which had respect to nothing but doctrine and precept. Whatever Peter declared lawful and unlawful should be held so in heaven; whereas here it relates not only to doctrine, but to discipline. If by their admonitions, whether public or private, the Apostles brought their brethren to repentance, they loosed the guilt of their sins, the fetters by which the divine justice detains men its prisoners; or, as it is expressed above, they gain their brethren. On the other hand, if the offending brother continued impenitent, after the methods prescribed were all tried, theybound his guilt the faster upon him; because, according to the laws of heaven—the terms of salvation which they were to preach by inspiration, none but penitents shall obtain pardon. Wetstein gives the following explanation of this verse: "If any one shall despise your sentence passed upon him, according to your appointed rules, he will do it to his own extreme hazard; for, refusing to returninto favour with you, he will be esteemed guilty before God. On the contrary, if he shall reconcile himself to you, he shall also obtain from God pardon for the sin committed against you." See Macknight, Grotius, and ch. Matthew 16:19.