Matthew 18
18
Who Is the Greatest?
1 # ch. 17:24; For ver. 1-5, see Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48; [ch. 20:20-28] 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 3and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you #See Luke 22:32 turn and #ch. 19:14; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; [Ps. 131:2; 1 Cor. 14:20; 1 Pet. 2:2] become like children, you #[ch. 5:19, 20]will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4#ch. 20:27; 23:11, 12 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the #[See ver. 3 above]greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 # [ch. 10:40, 42] “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6but #Mark 9:42 whoever causes one of these #Luke 17:2; [1 Cor. 8:12]little ones who believe in me to sin,#18:6 Greek causes . . . to stumble; also verses 8, 9 it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Temptations to Sin
7 “Woe to the world for # See ch. 13:41 temptations to sin! # 18:7 Greek stumbling blocks #
Luke 17:1; See 1 Cor. 11:19 For it is necessary that temptations come, # ch. 26:24 but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8#ch. 5:29, 30; Mark 9:43-48 And if 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 with two hands or two feet to be thrown into #See ch. 25:41the eternal fire. 9#[See ver. 8 above] And if your eye causes you to sin, tear 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 #[See ver. 8 above]hell#18:9 Greek Gehenna of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise # [ch. 6:29; 25:40, 45; Luke 15:7, 10] one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven #
Acts 12:15; [Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Heb. 1:14] their angels always #
Luke 1:19; Rev. 8:2; [Esth. 1:14] see the face of my Father who is in heaven. # 18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost 12#ch. 17:25; 21:28 What do you think? #For ver. 12-14, [Luke 15:4-7]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 #John 6:39; 10:28; [John 17:12]it is not the will of my#18:14 Some manuscripts your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
If Your Brother Sins Against You
15 #
Luke 17:3 “If your brother sins against you, #
2 Thess. 3:15; [Titus 3:10; James 5:19]; See Lev. 19:17 go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have #
1 Cor. 9:19-22; 1 Pet. 3:1 gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established #Deut. 19:15; 2 Cor. 13:1; [Num. 35:30; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28]by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, #[1 Cor. 5:4, 5; 6:1-6] tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, #[Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:9-13; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; 2 John 10] let him be to you as #ch. 5:46, 47a Gentile and #ch. 5:46, 47a tax collector. 18Truly, I say to you, #[ch. 16:19; John 20:23]whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed#18:18 Or shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosed in heaven. 19Again I say to you, if two of you #[Acts 12:5, 12; Philem. 22] agree on earth about anything they ask, #See ch. 7:7it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are #[Acts 4:30, 31; 1 Cor. 5:4] gathered in my name, #[ch. 28:20; John 12:26; 20:20, 26]there am I among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often #ver. 15 will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? #Luke 17:3, 4; [Col. 3:13]As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished # ch. 25:19 to settle accounts with his servants. # 18:23 Or bondservants ; also verses 28, 31 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him #Esth. 3:9 ten thousand #ch. 25:15talents.#18:24 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer 25#[Luke 7:42] And since he could not pay, his master ordered him #Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:39 to be sold, with his wife and #2 Kgs. 4:1; Neh. 5:5children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26So the servant#18:26 Or bondservant; also verses 27, 28, 29, 32, 33#Acts 10:25; See ch. 8:2fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and #[See ver. 25 above]forgave him the debt. 28But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred #ch. 20:2; 22:19; Mark 6:37; 14:5; Luke 7:41; 10:35; John 6:7denarii,#18:28 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30He refused and went and put him in prison until 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 master all that had taken place. 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33#[ch. 6:12; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; 1 John 4:11]And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34#See James 2:13 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,#18:34 Greek torturers#ver. 30; [ch. 5:25, 26]until he should pay all his debt. 35#ch. 6:15; [Prov. 21:13] So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother #1 Pet. 1:22; [Rom. 6:17]from your heart.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 18: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
Matthew 18
18
The Question About Who Is Greatest
1 At that time the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2And calling a child to himself, he had him stand in their midst 3and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven! 4Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, this person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, 5and whoever welcomes one child such as this in my name welcomes me. 6But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a large millstone#Literally “a millstone of a donkey” be hung on#Some manuscripts have “around” his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of causes for stumbling, for it is a necessity that causes for stumbling come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause for stumbling comes. 8And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation from you! It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the eternal fire! 9And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation from you! It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery hell!
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10“See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.#Many later Greek manuscripts include vs. 11, “For the Son of Man came to save those who are lost.” 12What do you think? If a certain man has#Literally “there are to a certain man” a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as a finite verb look for the one that wandered away? 13And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. 14In the same way it is not the will of#Literally “in the presence of” your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Confronting a Brother Who Sins Against You
15“Now if your brother sins against you, go correct him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take with you in addition one or two others, so that by the testimony#Literally “the mouth” of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 17And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. 19Again, truly I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask, it will be done for them from my Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave
21Then Peter came up to him and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb said,#Some manuscripts have “Then Peter came up and said to him” “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!#Or “seventy-seven times”
23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“began”) he began to settle them,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. 25And because#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal he did not have enough#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation to repay it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation the master ordered him to be sold, and his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun wife and his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun children and everything that he had, and to be repaid. 26Then the slave threw himself to the ground and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“threw himself to the ground”) has been translated as a finite verb began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything to you!’ 27So the master of that slave, because he#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had compassion”) which is understood as causal had compassion, released him and forgave him the loan. 28But that slave went out and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation saying, ‘Pay back everything that you owe!’ 29Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“threw himself to the ground”) has been translated as a finite verb began to implore#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to implore”) him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’ 30But he did not want to, but rather he went and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went”) has been translated as a finite verb threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed. 31So when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went”) has been translated as a finite verb reported to their master everything that had happened. 32Then his master summoned him and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, ‘Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! 33Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?’ 34And because he#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was angry”) which is understood as causal was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers#Or “torturers” until he would repay everything that was owed. 35So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software