"If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.  If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.  But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.  Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Frequent are the times when an opportunity arises for us to be able to tell someone, "that's wrong; that's not the way to be."  In doing so we act in the ministry of that person's guardian angel, who always prods our conscience (if we have not taught ourselves to ignore his voice).  Yet the occasion is lost because of our lack of understanding about charity and fraternal correction, or because of our desire to "get along" with others and so forth.  But how terrible it is when we do not hesitate to point out this person's fault to others, either in the person's presence and thus humiliating them or outside their presence thus gossiping about them.

Directly after this passage Christ tells us we must forgive "seventy times seven" times.  So in this light might we not think of one way to read "bound on earth, bound in heaven" as our refusal to forgive our brother will go with us after our death to the judgment seat of God.  A fearful thing which is intended to motivate us, not paralyze us.

Indeed, can fraternal correction even occur properly if we have not first already forgiven?  If we have not then our correction is doomed to failure before it begins.  Is this not how our Lord treats us?  He forgives us then corrects us.  "Woman, your sins are forgiven.  Go, but in the future avoid this sin."