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.”
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Matthew 18: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Matthew 18
18
1 AT THAT time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is [really] the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].
4 Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.
6 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the person on whose account or by whom the temptation comes!
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell (Gehenna) of fire.
10 Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven.
11 For the Son of man came to save [from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?
13 And if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.
14 Just so it is not the will of My Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost and perish.
15 If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17 If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. [Lev. 19:17; Deut. 19:15.]
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.
19 Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them. [Exod. 3:14.]
21 Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?
22 Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! [Gen. 4:24.]
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants.
24 When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000],
25 And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.
26 So the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything.
27 And his master's heart was moved with compassion, and he released him and forgave him [cancelling] the debt.
28 But that same attendant, as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii [about twenty dollars]; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe!
29 So his fellow attendant fell down and begged him earnestly, Give me time, and I will pay you all !
30 But he was unwilling, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt.
31 When his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master.
32 Then his master called him and said to him, You contemptible and wicked attendant! I forgave and cancelled all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me to.
33 And should you not have had pity and mercy on your fellow attendant, as I had pity and mercy on you?
34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed.
35 So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.
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