12
"What do you think a man does who has one hundred sheep and one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go and look for the lost sheep.
13
When he finds it, I tell you, he feels far happier over this one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.
14
In just the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.
15
"If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back.
2
16
But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that "every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,' as the scripture says.
3
17
And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.
18
"And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
4
19
"And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
20
For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them."