What will not overcome the church? Gates of HADES. Hades=place of the dead. This is not 'gehenna/hell'. But people say it all the time. Wrong view is that Hell is Satan's home base. Not at all biblical, so why do we think that? (there are answers, but I'm just complaining). The very simple point is that separation from God is death, but death can't win because Jesus is forming a community that is greater than death, particularly because he defeats death and all that is associated with it (sin and the adversary included).
Mt 18 is instruction for the church to be disciplined in our trust/loyalty to Jesus as Lord. Rebellion in the community of those loyal to Jesus must be addressed. The progression is from AS DISCRETE AS POSSIBLE to AS PUBLIC AS NECESSARY. The point is to keep the church a community of people who are grateful that God is changing them to live out their loyalty, and disloyal people should not be allowed to set up camp among the loyal. It is not to punish our clumsiness, it is to keep us humble and honest with one another.
What does it look like when discipline works? The church is the gathering of sinners saved by grace trusting Jesus as Lord to forgive them and change them, individually and corporately. When we make sure that no one claims to be a Christian but is reckless in their attitude toward Christ's authority, the church is a safely imperfect place where honest growth occurs.
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