Matthew 18
18
1 #
Mk 9.33-37; Lk 9.46-48. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3#Mk 10.15; Lk 18.17; 1 Pet 2.2. and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 #
Mt 10.40; Lk 10.16; Jn 13.20. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 6#Mk 9.42-48; Lk 17.1-2. but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,#18.6 Greek causes … to stumble it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7“Woe to the world for temptations to sin!#18.7 Greek stumbling blocks For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes! 8#Mt 5.29-30; 17.27. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin,#18.8 Greek causes … to stumble cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin,#18.9 Greek causes … to stumble pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell#18.9 Greek Gehenna of fire.
10 #
Acts 12.11. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11#18.11 Other ancient authorities add verse 11, For the Son of man came to save the lost #Lk 19.10. 12#Lk 15.3-7. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So it is not the will of my#18.14 Other ancient authorities read your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 #
Lk 17.3; 1 Cor 6.1-6; Gal 6.1; Jas 5.19-20; Lev 19.17; Deut 19.15. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18#Mt 16.19; Jn 20.23. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19#Mt 7.7; 21.22; Jas 1.5-7; 1 Jn 5.14; Jn 14.13. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
21 #
Lk 17.4; Gen 4.24. Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.#18.22 Or seventy-seven times
23 #
Mt 25.19. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;#18.24 This talent was more than fifteen years' wages of a laborer 25#Lk 7.42. and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26#Mt 8.2. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii;#18.28 The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; 33and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers,#18.34 Greek torturers till he should pay all his debt. 35#Mt 6.14. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
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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