The passage
      v12-14. The parable of the Lost Sheep is used in Luke's gospel, along with the parables of the Lost Coin and the Lost Son (the Prodigal Son), to illustrate divine joy for the salvation of a lost sinner, a joy which shapes Jesus' behavior and should have shaped the behavior of the Pharisees in their response toward a converted "sinner", cf. Luke chapter 15. In Matthew's gospel, this story of a sheep-herder's determination to find his lost sheep, serves to illustrate the Father's willingness to go all-out to restore a strayed "little one." The story serves as an invitation to all believers to go out of our way to restore all who have strayed from the family of faith.
      v15-17. Matthew now puts together three independent didactic sayings from Jesus which seem to touch on church discipline, yet "discipline" is most likely not the point. Verses 15-17 are often treated as a method for dealing with a brother who has hurt us - sinned against us. The method is constantly used in Christian fellowships with varying degrees of offence. The Revised English Bible follows some of the major texts and leaves out the "against you" of v15. Also, "won ... over" (gained), is best understood in the terms of "restored", cf. 1Pet.3:1. A believer, a "little one", has sinned. The sin is undefined, but the result is that their standing before Christ needs to be restored. Something has undermined their faith and it needs to be sorted. If a single member of the Christian fellowship fails to help the "little one", then two members must try, and if this fails, the fellowship as a whole should apply themselves to restore the strayed member. If the "little one" refuses to listen, then they must be left to their own devices; another unbeliever among the many.
      v18. This verse is often used to support the idea that if a Christian fellowship decides something about a brother, whether to accept them or put them out of the church, then this decision is confirmed in heaven. The verse is also used to give weight to the power of a prayer agreed to by a church congregation. Yet, we are most probably dealing with the idea presented in John chapter 20, verses 22-23. The Christian fellowship is authorized to confirm God's forgiveness to a repentant sinner, as well as confirm judgement on a self-righteous rebel.
      v19-20. This verse has constantly been used to promote the idea that when two or more Christians believe something in prayer, it will be done for them. As a consequence, many believers have had to wrestle with the problem of unanswered prayer. A more conservative interpretation takes this verse as a promise that when two or three meet in Jesus' name, he will be present, revealing his will to them through the ministry of the Word. The congregation can then pray, believing that it will be "done for" them. Yet, the context pushes toward an even narrower interpretation. The "anything" is most likely the offer of divine forgiveness for all and every sin. Jesus is probably restating v18. When we seek the forgiveness of sins for a brother or sister, in fact, any person broken before God and seeking his love and acceptance, no matter what the sin, then their forgiveness is granted by God. We can be sure of this, for Jesus stands with us on this matter.

Forgiveness
      Our passage for study is often used to teach a range of truths. For example: If a believer goes astray the Lord Jesus will abandon his flock to their own devices and go and seek after the one that went astray; If a brother or sister sins against us we should seek them out and remove the speck from their eye and if that doesn't work we should gang up on them; If the church fellowship decides on something, like the purchase of a new carpet, then it is agreed to in heaven; In fact, anything that at least two believers pray for in faith will be granted by God, which, by the way, is why we have major problems with unanswered prayer.
      Actually, my father always said that my grandmother had obviously taken to heart the parable of the Lost Sheep, because she went out of her way to look after his wayward brother and hardly gave him a thought. What is Jesus on about in this passage? I take it that Jesus' subject is the divine acceptance and inclusion, through forgiveness, of a lost and wayward soul.
      This passage contains a simple message. Our God is passionate for the salvation of lost and wandering humanity and he wants us to be fired by the same passion. When it comes to a brother or sister who has, as it was once called, "fallen from grace", we should be as passionate for their restoration as God is. Some immorality, relationship or intellectual quest has undermined their faith and they have drifted in their reliance upon Christ for their salvation. When this happens, we need to get off our tails and search them out; pull out all stops so that they hear again the grace of God's unconditional forgiveness in Christ. We have the right to confirm to the repentant sinner God's offer to forgive their sins and the privilege to pray for the forgiveness of those who turn to Christ.

v12
      dokei (dokew) pres. "[what do you] think" - [what does] it seem [to you]. "Tell me", Moffatt.
      ouci "not" - Emphatic negative expecting a positive answer.
      ean + subj. "if" - Forming a conditional sentence, 3rd class, as a question.
      planhqh/ (planaw) aor. pas. subj. "wanders away" - lead astray, but in the passive it is "go astray", therefore "wander off". "Gets lost", TEV.

v13
      genhtai (ginomai) subj. + inf. "-" - [if he] becomes [to find it]. This verb is used to actualize the infinitive, so "if he actually finds it" BAGD. "Yet, if he should chance to find it, I assure you ..." Phillips.
      cairei (cairw) pres. "he is happier" - he rejoices. "He is more delighted", REB.
      mallon "than" - more, rather. Here "rather than." This illustrative parable describes the determination of a shepherd to go all-out to find a lost sheep. Sometimes people get worried by the seeming disregard for the safety of the ninety-nine, particularly those who know something about the grazing of open-pastured animals. The leaving of the ninety-nine is sometimes included in the exposition of the passage. Of course, the illustration is all about searching out a lost one, not disregarding the many.
      peplanhmenoiV (planaw) pas. part. "wander off" - having wandered off. The participle as an adjective, modifying "the ninety-nine."

v14
      ouJtwV adv. "in the same way" - thus / in this way. Possibly "thus/therefore"; "so it is not the will of my Father ..." NRSV, or "in this way"; "in just the same way", TEV; "that's how it is", CEV.
      ouk estin qelhma (a atoV) "is not willing" - it is not will, desire [before the Father]. Possibly "pleased", reflecting the Aramaic, but more likely, "desire"; "your Father in heaven doesn't want any of these little ones to be lost", Barclay.
      emprosqen "-" - in the face of, before the face of. An untranslated targum giving deference to the divine.

v15
      oJ adelfoV (oV) "brother" - Jesus used the word to refer to anyone who was devoted to him, followed him, accepted him. Although later commonly used of a disciple, Jesus used it of seekers as well as followers. "If a member of the church", NRSV.
      eiV se "against you" - Textual variant. The verse works better without it, but then that's a good reason for a scribe to leave it out. "If a brother has wronged you", or "if your brother does wrong", REB, with "to you" as a variant note.
      elegxon (elegcw) aor. imp. "show" - expose, reprove. Bring to light the problem, and here, to do it privately rather than publicly. "Have it out with him", JB, although the stronger "reprove" my be intended.
      akoush/ (akouw) aor. subj. "listens" - hears, take notice of. "If he sees that you are right", TH
      ekerdhsaV (kerdainw) aor. "won [your brother] over" - i] gain, win, make a profit. ii] spare oneself something, avoid something such as injury or loss, and therefore, here possibly "saved", "restored" - restored to the Christian fellowship, restored to Christ through faith.

v16
      paralabe (paralambanw) aor. imp. "take" - take along with.
      iJna + subj. "so that" - Forming a purpose clause. The quotation is from Deuteronomy 19:15 establishing the point that a person cannot be convicted on the evidence of just one person.
      staqh/ (iJsthmi) aor. pas. subj. "establish" - stand, place. In this case "confirm" by the presence of another standing with....

v17
      parakoush/ (parakouw) aor. subj. "refuses to listen" - overhear, hear imperfectly, refuses to hear, ignores. Subjunctive in a conditional sentence. The sense is "takes no notice of"; "hear without heeding", Morris.
      ekklhsiaV (a) "church" - assembly. Often seen as an ecclesiastical reference, but the word has a simple meaning, "assembly", "gathering", here of disciples.
      estw soi wJsper "treat him as you would" - let him be to you as. The "you" is singular; "you should regard him as if he were"
      oJ eqnikoV kai oJ telwnhV "a pagan or a tax collector" - the Gentile and the tax collector. Treat him as if he were no longer a member of Christ's community, as an outsider. This does not mean treat him with contempt, cruelty, etc. "Treat them as you would an unbeliever."

v18
      oJsa ean + subj. "whatever" - Introducing an indefinite relative clause forming a 3rd class condition, future, ie., the condition stated in the apodosis will probably be realized.
      dhshte (dew) aor. subj. "you bind" - to restrict, to place under (the jurisdiction of)*. If the sense is "forbidden" ("loosed" = "permitted, allowed"), then the church is possibly being given the authority to arbitrate on matters of God's will as revealed in the scriptures, or to arbitrate on matters of moral conduct and declare a verdict on the matter. The more likely meaning is to follow the sense of John 20:23, where "binding" is "retaining" the sins of the unrepentant, and "loosing" is "forgiving" the sins of the repentant - "loose" in the sense of: cause to come to an end, cause to become nothing, to put an end to,* sin. Under the authority of Christ, the gathered fellowship has the authority to affirm forgiveness to the repentant (in the sense of those who turn to Christ, not in the sense of those who feel sorrow for their failings). So, the "little one" who has gone astray and is counselled by members of the congregation, can be assured of their renewed fellowship with Christ and his people on the basis of divine forgiveness. This same process applies to the lost as well as the strayed.
      estai dedemena (dew) verb "to be" + perf. pas. part. "will be bound" - will have been bound. Periphrastic future perfect, a round about way of saying "shall have been bound". The translation of this periphrases is open to some dispute. Often translated as "shall be bound", implying that the decision of the church prompts the divine decision, an unlikely scenario. Moule argues that the periphrastic perfect does not necessarily dictate action at all, although Turner sees it as linear in action. Burton sees the future verb "to be" as dictating future state. Chamberlain argues for "shall have been bound", implying that the divine decision at first precedes, but then extends beyond the decision of the church. This seems the best way to understand the action of this verb/periphrases. The passive is probably a theological passive where God is the implied agent. Therefore, the divine decision to condemn the unrepentant sinner and to forgive the repentant sinner, predates, is independent of, and extends beyond the act of a believer to confirm this fact to a lost or strayed person.

v19
      palin "again" - Indicating a new teaching unit, but not necessarily unrelated to its context. So, either repetition "I tell you once more", Phillips, or less likely, continuation, "another thing", Moffatt.
      (amhn) legw "I tell [you]" - I say [to you]. The variant, "truly", forming the trad. "Truly I say unto you", is most likely not original.
      sumfwnhswsin (sumfwnew) aor. subj. "agree" - harmonize, be in agreement with. The subjunctive used in a conditional sentence.
      pantoV pragmatoV ouJ ean "anything" - every matter whatever. Divine action is dictated by the divine will, which is why, when it comes to prayer, we are bound to pray in faith, ie. in reliance upon the revealed will of God - prayer according to the will of God. We are free to ask for anything we like, but God acts upon his promises, not upon our perceived needs. So, the general nature of these words is more likely serving an emphatic end, rather than a general end. "Anything" is therefore very misleading. "Truly I say to you, when you assure a 'little one' of their forgiveness before God, that forgiveness will have been agreed to in heaven ........ I tell you once more, if you seek the forgiveness of sins for a 'little one', no matter what the sin, it will be granted by my Father in heaven."
      aithswntai (aitew) aor. subj. "ask" - [if] you request. Subjunctive in a conditional sentence. The "ask" is within the constraints of the context and is not a general promise that God will answer every prayer. Some argue that both v18 and v19 concern the restoration of a fallen brother, their restoration to God and subsequently the church. It is more likely that Jesus is emphatically underlining the disciples' authority to confirm God's forgiveness of a repentant wayward brother, or sister.