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Mat_18:18 f. By way of giving greater confidence in the exercise of this last stage of discipline at which the matter is finally disposed of by the church, let me assure you of two things: (1) Whatever you (in the church) declare to be unlawful on the one hand, or permissible on the other (see note on Mat_16:19), will be held to be so in the sight of God; your judgment in regard to complaints brought before the church is accordingly ratified by divine warrant. (2) If two of you agree as to anything that is to be asked in prayer, it will be given you by God; when, therefore, your hearts are thus united in prayer, you are assured of the divine help and illumination, in order that, in every case, you may arrive at and, in the church, give effect to decisions in accordance with the mind of God.
Those addressed in the second person ( δήσητε , κ . τ . λ .) are the apostles (Hofmann, Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 266 f.), but not the disciples in the more comprehensive sense of the word (Weiss, Bibl. Theol. p. 103), nor the church (Bleek, Schenkel, Keim, Ahrens), nor its leaders (Euthymius Zigabenus, de Wette), nor the parties who have been injured (Origen, Augustine, Theophylact, Grotius). In order to a clear understanding of the whole discourse from Mat_18:3 onwards, it should be observed generally, that wherever the address is in the second person plural (therefore in Mat_18:3; Mat_18:10; Mat_18:12; Mat_18:14; Mat_18:18-19), it is the Twelve who came to Jesus, Mat_18:1, that are intended; but that where Jesus uses the second person singular (as in Mat_18:8-9; Mat_18:15-17), He addresses every believer individually (including also the μικροί ). But as far as the ἐκκλησία is concerned, it is to be understood as meaning the congregation of believers, including the apostles. It is the possessor and guardian of the apostolic moral legislation, and consequently it is to it that the offender is in duty bound to yield obedience. Finally, since the power of binding and loosing, which in Mat_16:19 was adjudged to Peter, is here ascribed to the apostles generally, the power conferred upon the former is set in its proper light, and shown to be of necessity a power of a collegiate nature, so that Peter is not to be regarded as exclusively endowed with it either in whole or in part, but is simply to be looked upon as primus inter pares.
πάλιν ἀμὴν λ . ὑμ .] Once more a solemn assurance! and that to the effect that, etc. Comp. Mat_19:24. For ἐάν with the indicative ( συμφωνήσουσιν , see critical notes), see note on Luk_19:40, and Buttmann, Neut. Gramm. p. 192 [E. T. 222]; Bremi, ad Lys. Alc. 13. The construction is a case of attraction; πᾶν should have been the subject of the principal clause of the sentence, but was attracted to the subordinate clause and joined to πράγματος , so that without the attraction the passage would run thus: ἐὰν δύο ὑμ . συμφωνήσουσιν ἐπὶ τ . γῆς περὶ πράγματος , πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται , γινήσεται αὐτοῖς . Comp. Kühner, II. 2, p. 925. For the contrast implied in ἐπὶ τ . γῆς , comp. Mat_9:6.