Matthew 18
18
Who Is the Greatest?
1At that time#18:1 Lit hour#Mk 9:33–37; Lk 9:46–48 the disciples#Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” #Mt 22:24; Jn 3:35; 13:20 2He called a small child and had him stand among them. 3“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children,#Mt 19:14; Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17; 1Co 14:20; 1Pt 2:2 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.#Mt 5:20; 7:21; 19:23–24; Mk 9:47; Jn 3:5 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child — this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes#18:5 Or receives one child like this in my name welcomes me.
6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. #
Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2; 1Co 8:12 7Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.#Mt 26:24; Lk 17:1; 1Co 11:19 8If your hand or your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.#Mt 5:30; 25:41; Mk 9:43 9And if your eye causes you to fall away, 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 hellfire.#18:9 Lit gehenna of fire#Mt 5:22,29; Mk 9:47
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones, #
Est 1:14; Lk 1:19; Rv 8:2 because I tell you that in heaven their angels#Ps 34:7; 91:11; Heb 1:14 continually view the face of my Father in heaven.#18:10 Some mss include v. 11: For the Son of Man has come to save the lost.#Mt 6:29; 25:40,45; Lk 15:7,10 12What do you think?#Lk 15:1–7 If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray?#Mt 17:25; 21:28 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep#18:13 Lit over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Restoring a Brother
15 “If your brother sins against you, # 18:15 Other mss omit against you go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.#Lv 19:17; Lk 17:3; Gl 6:1; 2Th 3:15; Jms 5:19; 1Pt 3:1 16But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony#18:16 Lit mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.#18:16 Dt 19:15#Nm 35:30; Jn 8:17; 2Co 13:1; 1Tm 5:19; Heb 10:28 17If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church.#18:17 Or congregation#Mt 16:18; 1Co 14:4; Rv 1:4 If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you.#Rm 16:17; 1Co 5:9; 6:1–6; 2Th 3:6,14; 2Jn 10 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound#18:18 Or earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed#18:18 Or earth will be loosed in heaven.#Mt 16:19; Jn 20:23 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you#18:19 Lit they pray for, it will be done for you#18:19 Lit for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” #Lk 17:3–4; Col 3:13
22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.#18:22 Or but seventy-seven times
23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents#18:24 A talent is worth about 6,000 denarii, or twenty years’ wages for a laborer was brought before him. 25Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.#Ex 21:2; Lv 25:39; 2Kg 4:1; Neh 5:5,8; Lk 7:42
26 “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
28 “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. # 18:28 A denarius = one day’s wage #
Mt 20:2; 22:19; Mk 6:37; 14:5; Lk 7:41; 10:35; Jn 6:7 He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’
29 “At this, his fellow servant fell down # 18:29 Other mss add at his feet and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. 32Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ #Mt 6:12; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13; 1Jn 4:11 34And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister#18:35 Other mss add their trespasses from your heart.”#Pr 21:13; Mt 6:14; Jms 2:13
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Matthew 18: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Matthew 18
18
1In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, 3and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: 6but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
7Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh! 8And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. 9And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire. 10See that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11#18:11 Many authorities, some ancient, insert v. 11. For the son of man came to save that which was lost. See Luk 19:10. 12How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? 13And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. 14Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
15And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican. 18Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. 23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest. 29So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due. 31So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: 33shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. 35So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.
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