Matthew 18
18
Rank in the Kingdom
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2He called a little child and set him before them, 3and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever #I.e. turns his back on self-righteous pride and adopts a realistic self-view.humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5Whoever receives and welcomes one #I.e. new, childlike believer.child like this in My name receives Me; 6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Stumbling Blocks
7 “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes!
8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. 9If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.
10 “See that you do not despise or think less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven [are in the presence of and] continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11#Early mss do not contain this verse.[For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]
Ninety-nine Plus One
12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost? 13And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. 14So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones be lost.
Discipline and Prayer
15 “If your brother sins # Late mss add against you. , go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the #Gr ecclasia, the word means a gathering and may be translated congregation, assembly, or church.church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector. 18I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth #Gr estai lelumenon, future perfect passive.shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth #Gr estai lelumenon, future perfect passive.shall have [already] been loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two # Lit of you. believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”
Forgiveness
21Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the accounting, one who owed him 10,000 #A talent was a measurement of weight, usually 58-80 pounds. One talent of silver was worth more than 15 years’ wages. One talent of gold was worth even more. 10,000 talents would be an inconceivable amount of debt for a slave in the king’s service to repay.talents was brought to him. 25But because he could not repay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27And his master’s heart was moved with compassion and he released him and forgave him [canceling] the debt. 28But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him #About 100 days’ wages for a laborer.a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29So his fellow slave fell on his knees and begged him earnestly, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30But he was unwilling and he went and had him thrown in prison until he paid back the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and they went and reported to their master [with clarity and in detail] everything that had taken place. 32Then his master called him and said to him, ‘You wicked and contemptible slave, I forgave all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave [who owed you little by comparison], as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed. 35My heavenly Father will also do the same to [every one of] you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
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Matthew 18
18
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. 3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
Temptations and Trespasses
(Mark 9:42–48; Luke 17:1–4)
6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.#18:9 Or the hell of fire; Greek the Gehenna of fire
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
(Luke 15:1–7)
10See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.#18:10 BYZ and TR include 11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost; see Luke 19:10.
12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
A Brother Who Sins
(Deuteronomy 19:15–21)
15If your brother sins against you,#18:15 NE and WH do not include against you. go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’#18:16 Deuteronomy 19:15 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Ask in My Name
(John 16:23–33)
19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”
The Unforgiving Servant
(Romans 12:14–21)
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!#18:22 Or seventy times seven; see Genesis 4:24 LXX
23Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.#18:24 A talent was worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer. 25Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
26Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
27His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
28But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.#18:28 A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’
29So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’
30But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.
31When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.
32Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.
35That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
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