Matthew Chapter 18

From The Open Bible Project

18:1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

18:2 Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the midst of them,

• (1) Humbleness of mind is the right way to preeminence.
• (a) A child in years.

18:3 and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

• (b) An idiom taken from the Hebrews which is equivalent to "repent".

18:4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

18:5 Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,

18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.

• (2) We ought to have great respect for our brethren no matter how base they may be: and he that does otherwise shall be sharply punished.

18:7 "Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!

• (3) A good man cannot help but experience offences, yet he must by no means offer offence.
• (c) Obstructions and hindrances which stop the course of good works. The Greek word conveys the sense of things which we stumble at.

18:8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

• (d) See Geneva

18:9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the [81>]Gehenna[<81] of fire.

18:10 See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

• (4) The weaker that a man is, the greater care we ought to have for his salvation, as God teaches us by his own example.

18:11 For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.

18:12 "What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?

18:13 If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.

• (5) We must strive for agreement, and not to revenge injuries.
• (e) If his offence is such that only you know your brother’s offence.

18:16 But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.[82]

• (f) That is, by the word and witness; the mouth is sometimes taken for the word of speech, (Numbers 3:16), and also for a still witness, namely, when the matter speaks for itself, as below in (Matthew 21:16).
• (g) Sure and certain.

18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.

• (6) He that condemns the judgment of the Church, condemns God.
• (h) Literally, "does not condescend to hear", or "make as though he did not hear".
• (i) He speaks not of just any policy, but of an ecclesiastical assembly, for he speaks afterward of the power of loosing and binding, which belonged to the Church, and he has regard for the order used in those days, at which time the elders had the judgment of Church matters in their hands, (John 9:22; John 12:42; John 16:2), and used casting out of the synagogue for a punishment, as we do now by excommunication.
• (k) Profane, and void of religion: such men, the Jews called Gentiles: whose company they shunned, as they did the publicans.

18:18 Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.

18:19 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.

• (l) This word, which is normally used of the body, is here used of the mind, for it belongs properly to poetry.

18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

• God is on your side if you have gone through all of these steps and the person still refuses to hear you out. God is with you, in favor of you and will be the judge in the matter. -KC

18:21 Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"

• (7) They will find God severe and not too pleased, who do not forgive their brethren even if they have been purposely and grievously injured by them.

18:22 Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

18:23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.

18:24 When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him [83>]ten thousand talents.[<83]

• (m) Here is set down a very great sum of six thousand crowns, that the difference may be the greater, for there is no proportion between them.

18:25 But because he couldn't pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

18:26 The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!'

• (n) This was a polite reverence which was very common in the East.

(o) Yield not too much to your anger against me: so is God called in the Scripture, slow to anger, that is to say, gentle, and one that refrains his fierce wrath, (Psalms 86:5); patient and of great mercy.

18:27 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

18:28 "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him [84>]one hundred denarii,[<84] and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'

18:29 "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you!'

18:30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due.

18:31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done.

18:32 Then his lord called him in, and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.

18:33 Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?'

18:34 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.

18:35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."