Matthew 18
18
Who Is the Greatest?
1At #Mark 9:33–37; Luke 9:46–48; 22:24–27that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2Then Jesus called a little #Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:14–17child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, #Ps. 131:2; Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:16; (1 Cor. 14:20; 1 Pet. 2:2)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4#(Matt. 20:27; 23:11)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5#(Matt. 10:42); Luke 9:48Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Jesus Warns of Offenses
6#Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2; (1 Cor. 8:12)“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of offenses! For #Luke 17:1; (1 Cor. 11:19); 1 Tim. 4:1offenses must come, but #Matt. 26:24; 27:4, 5woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8#Matt. 5:29, 30; Mark 9:43, 45“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven #(Ps. 34:7); Zech. 13:7; (Heb. 1:14)their angels always #Esth. 1:14; Luke 1:19; Acts 12:15; (Rev. 8:2)see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11#Luke 9:56; John 3:17For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
12#Matt. 18:12–14; Luke 15:4–7“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14Even so it is not the #(1 Tim. 2:4)will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Dealing with a Sinning Brother
15“Moreover #Lev. 19:17; (Luke 17:3, 4; Gal. 6:1); 2 Thess. 3:15; (James 5:19)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, #(James 5:20); 1 Pet. 3:1you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that #Deut. 17:6; 19:15; John 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a #Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:9; (2 Thess. 3:6, 14; 2 John 10)heathen and a tax collector.
18“Assuredly, I say to you, #Matt. 16:19; (John 20:22, 23; 1 Cor. 5:4)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19#(1 Cor. 1:10)“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, #(1 John 3:22; 5:14)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered #Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 14:26together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? #Luke 17:4Up to seven times?”
22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, #(Matt. 6:14; Mark 11:25); Col. 3:13up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded #Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:39; 2 Kin. 4:1; Neh. 5:5, 8that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you #Luke 7:41–43all that debt because you begged me. 33Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35#Prov. 21:13; Matt. 6:12; Mark 11:26; James 2:13“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 18: NKJV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 18
18
Who is the greatest?
(Mark 9.33-37; Luke 9.46-48)
1About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.#Lk 22.24. 2Jesus called a child over and made the child stand near him. 3Then he said:#Mk 10.15; Lk 18.17.
I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. 4But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.
Temptations to sin
(Mark 9.42-48; Luke 17.1,2)
Jesus continued:
6It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the deepest part of the sea with a heavy stone tied around their necks! 7The world is in for trouble because of the way it causes people to sin. There will always be something to cause people to sin, but anyone who does this will be in for trouble.
8If your hand or foot causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! You would be better off to go into life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out.#Mt 5.30. 9If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and get rid of it. You would be better off to go into life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.#Mt 5.29.
The lost sheep
(Luke 15.3-7)
Jesus continued:
10-11Don't be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven.#18.10,11 in heaven: Some manuscripts add, “The Son of Man came to save people who are lost.”#Lk 19.10. 12Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and look for the one that had wandered away? 13I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninety-nine that never wandered off. 14That's how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn't want any of these little ones to be lost.
When someone sins
(Luke 17.3)
Jesus continued:
15If one of my followers#18.15 followers: The Greek text has “brother”, which is used here and elsewhere in this chapter to refer to a follower of Christ. sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower.#Lk 17.3. 16But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proved true by two or more witnesses.#Dt 19.15. 17If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.#18.17 tax collector: See the note at 5.46.
Allowing and not allowing
Jesus continued:
18I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don't allow.#Mt 16.19; Jn 20.23. 19I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20Whenever two or three of you come together in my name,#18.20 in my name: Or “as my followers”. I am there with you.
An official who refused to forgive
21Peter came up to the Lord and asked, “How many times should I forgive someone#18.21 someone: Or “a follower”. See the note at 18.15. who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?”#Lk 17.3,4.
22Jesus answered:#Gn 4.24.
Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!#18.22 seventy-seven times: Or “seventy times seven”. The large number means that one follower should never stop forgiving another. 23This story will show you what the kingdom of heaven is like:
One day a king decided to call in his officials and ask them to give an account of what they owed him. 24As he was doing this, one official was brought in who owed him fifty million silver coins. 25But he didn't have any money to pay what he owed. The king ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all he owned, in order to pay the debt.
26The official got down on his knees and began begging, “Have pity on me, and I will pay you every penny I owe!” 27The king felt sorry for him and let him go free. He even told the official that he did not have to pay back the money.
28As the official was leaving, he happened to meet another official, who owed him a hundred silver coins. So he grabbed the man by the throat. He started choking him and said, “Pay me what you owe!”
29The man got down on his knees and began begging, “Have pity on me, and I will pay you back.” 30But the first official refused to have pity. Instead, he went and had the other official put in jail until he could pay what he owed.
31When some other officials found out what had happened, they felt sorry for the man who had been put in jail. Then they told the king what had happened. 32The king called the first official back in and said, “You're an evil man! When you begged for mercy, I said you did not have to pay back a penny. 33Don't you think you should show pity to someone else, as I did to you?” 34The king was so angry that he ordered the official to be tortured until he could pay back everything he owed. 35That is how my Father in heaven will treat you, if you don't forgive each of my followers with all your heart.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012