The first time that we find the word “church” in the NT is when Jesus asserted that he would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Mt 16:18). I spoke on that passage in 2020, as I’m sure all of you remember.

The second time Jesus uses the word “church” in the NT is in Mt 18:17. In this passage, Jesus provides a pattern to use to address sin issues within the church. He says that if a professing believer is guilty of sin and refuses to hear the church, the church should remove the person from membership.

That’s the final, radical end of a long process. There are a few other steps that the church needs to pursue that hopefully will resolve the conflict and promote unity within the church.

This passage provides principles for us to apply when we experience conflict in the church. Life is full of conflict. Sometimes the friction is someone else’s fault; sometimes it’s our own fault. Sometimes it’s a combination; each person contributes to the conflict. Sometimes our reaction to a problem becomes a problem. Sometimes the conflict is unintentional and is easily resolved. Sometimes the only solution is separation. Whatever the source of the conflict, the process of resolution is the same. We should try to follow the process when we encounter conflict. Let’s consider several principles for conflict resolution in the church.