Doesn’t Mt 18:15 only say that you should confront someone when he or she has sinned “against you”?
This phrase only appears in some of our ancient manuscripts, and arguments can be made for and against its originality. If original, it’s unlikely that Jesus meant this as a hard-and-fast rule. After all, if church discipline is truly merciful, as we expect from Jesus’ instruction, then we shouldn’t hesitate to exercise it, in a spirit of humility and gentleness, even if we aren’t directly victimized. In the 1 Cor 5 example, a man was sleeping with his father’s wife. In today’s culture this might be seen as a victimless crime and ignored. Paul believed it worth pursuing for the sake of those involved as well as the rest of the church.
