Matthew 18
18
The Most Important Person in the Kingdom
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2Jesus called a little child over and had them stand in the middle of the group. 3Jesus then said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever becomes humble like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And anyone who welcomes a child like this one in my name welcomes me.
Don’t Cause People to Sin
6“But what if someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around their neck and drown at the bottom. 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Things like that must come. Woe to the person who causes them! 8If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter life with only one hand or foot than to go with two hands or two feet into hell, where the fire burns forever. 9If your eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter life with one eye than to be thrown into the fire of hell with two eyes.
The Story of the Lost Sheep
10-11“Make sure you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I tell you, their angels in heaven see face to face my Father who is in heaven.
12“What do you think? Suppose a man owns 100 sheep and one of them wanders away. Won’t he leave the 99 sheep on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off? 13Truly I tell you, if he finds that sheep, he’ll be happier about it than about the 99 that didn’t wander off. 14It’s the same with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.
When Someone Sins Against You
15“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and tell them privately what they’ve done wrong. If they listen to you, you’ve won them back. 16But if they won’t listen to you, return with one or two others. Scripture says, ‘Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.’ 17If they still refuse to listen, then tell it to the community of believers. And if they refuse to listen even to the community, then treat them the way you would treat an unbeliever or a traitor.
18“Truly I tell you, what you tie up on earth will be tied up in heaven, and what you set free on earth will be set free in heaven.
19“Again, I tell you truly, if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.”
The Servant Who Had No Mercy
21Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive a brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “Not seven times, I tell you, but 77 times.
23“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. 24First, they brought him a man who owed 10,000 bags of gold. 25Since he wasn’t able to pay, his master ordered the man, his wife, his children, and everything he owned to be sold to pay back the debt.
26“Then the servant got down on his knees in front of him. ‘Give me time,’ he begged, ‘and I’ll pay everything back.’ 27His master felt sorry for him, so he forgave him what he owed and let him go.
28“But then that servant went out and found another servant, who owed him 100 silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29“The other servant got down on his knees. ‘Give me time,’ he begged him, ‘and I’ll pay it back.’
30“But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he paid back what he owed. 31When the other servants saw this, it made them very angry. They went and told their master everything that had happened.
32“Then the master called the first servant back in. ‘You ungrateful servant,’ he said. ‘I forgave you everything you owed because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on the other servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34The master was so angry that handed him over to the jailers to be punished until he paid back everything he owed.
35“That’s how my Father in heaven will treat each of you if you don’t forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 18: RAD
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Radiate™ New Testament
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014, 2020 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Matthew 18
18
1The same time the disciples came vnto Iesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen? 2And Iesus called a litle childe vnto him, and set him in the mids of them, 3And sayd, Verely I say vnto you, except ye be conuerted, and become as litle children, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen. 4Whosoeuer therefore shall humble himselfe as this litle childe, the same is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen. 5And whosoeuer shall receiue one such litle childe in my name, receiueth me. 6But whosoeuer shall offend one of these litle ones which beleeue in me, it were better for him, that a milstone were hanged about his necke, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7Wo be vnto the world because of offences: for it must needes be that offences shall come, but wo be to that man by whome the offence commeth. 8Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foote cause thee to offend, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life, halt, or maimed, then hauing two hands, or two feete, to be cast into euerlasting fire. 9And if thine eye cause thee to offende, plucke it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, then hauing two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10See that ye despise not one of these litle ones: for I say vnto you, that in heauen their Angels alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heauen. 11For the Sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost. 12How thinke ye? If a man haue an hundreth sheepe, and one of them be gone astray, doeth he not leaue ninetie and nine, and go into the mountaines, and seeke that which is gone astray? 13And if so be that he finde it, verely I say vnto you, he reioyceth more of that sheepe, then of the ninetie and nine which went not astray: 14So is it not ye wil of your Father which is in heauen, that one of these litle ones should perish. 15Moreouer, if thy brother trespasse against thee, goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone: if he heare thee, thou hast wonne thy brother. 16But if he heare thee not, take yet with thee one or two, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery worde may be confirmed. 17And if he refuse to heare them, tell it vnto the Church: and if he refuse to heare the Church also, let him be vnto thee as an heathen man, and a Publicane. 18Verely I say vnto you, Whatsoeuer ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heauen: and whatsoeuer ye loose on earth, shalbe loosed in heauen. 19Againe, verely I say vnto you, that if two of you shall agree in earth vpon any thing, whatsoeuer they shall desire, it shall be giuen them of my Father which is in heauen. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the mids of them. 21Then came Peter to him, and said, Master, howe oft shall my brother sinne against me, and I shall forgiue him? vnto seuen times? 22Iesus said vnto him, I say not to thee, Vnto seuen times, but, Vnto seuentie times seuen times. 23Therefore is the kingdome of heauen likened vnto a certaine King, which would take an account of his seruants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought vnto him, which ought him ten thousand talents. 25And because he had nothing to pay, his Lord commanded him to be solde, and his wife, and his children, and all that he had, and the dette to be payed. 26The seruant therefore fell downe, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, refraine thine anger toward me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then that seruants Lord had compassion, and loosed him, and forgaue him the dette. 28But when the seruant was departed, hee found one of his felow seruants, which ought him an hundred pence, and he layde hands on him, and thratled him, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29Then his fellow seruant fell downe at his feete, and besought him, saying, Refraine thine anger towards me, and I will pay thee all. 30Yet he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the dette. 31And when his other felowe seruants sawe what was done, they were very sory, and came, and declared vnto their Lord all that was done. 32Then his Lord called him vnto him, and sayd to him, O euil seruant, I forgaue thee all that dette, because thou prayedst me. 33Oughtest not thou also to haue had pitie on thy fellowe seruant, euen as I had pitie on thee? 34So his Lord was wroth, and deliuered him to the tormentours, till he should pay all that was due to him. 35So likewise shall mine heauenly Father doe vnto you, except ye forgiue from your hearts, eche one to his brother their trespasses.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
PUBLIC DOMAIN