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
Who Is the Greatest?
1At that time # Lit hour # Mk 9:33-37; Lk 9:46-48 the disciples # Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 came to Jesus and said, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ” # Mt 22:24; Jn 3:35; 13:20
2Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. 3“I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted # Or are turned around and become like children, # Mt 19:14; Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17; 1Co 14:20; 1Pt 2:2 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. # Mt 5:20; 7:21; 19:23-24; Mk 9:47; Jn 3:5 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child — this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes # Or receives one child like this in My name welcomes Me.
6“But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone # A millstone turned by a donkey were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea! # Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2; 1Co 8:12 7Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. # Mt 26:24; Lk 17:1; 1Co 11:19 8If your hand or your foot causes your downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. # Mt 5:30; 25:41; Mk 9:43 9And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire! # Lit gehenna of fire # Mt 5:22,29; Mk 9:47
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10“See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones, # Est 1:14; Lk 1:19; Rv 8:2 because I tell you that in heaven their angels # Ps 34:7; 91:11; Heb 1:14 continually view the face of My Father in heaven. # Mt 6:29; 25:40,45; Lk 15:7,10 11For the Son of Man # Mk 2:10; Jn 2:25 has come to save the lost. # Other mss omit bracketed text 12What do you think? # Lk 15:1-7 If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? # Mt 17:25; 21:28 13And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep # Lit over it more than over the 99 that did not go astray. 14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Restoring a Brother
15“If your brother sins against you, # Other mss omit against you go and rebuke him in private. # Lit him between you and him alone If he listens to you, you have won your brother. # Lv 19:17; Lk 17:3; Gl 6:1; 2Th 3:15; Jms 5:19; 1Pt 3:1 16But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony # Lit mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. # Nm 35:30; Jn 8:17; 2Co 13:1; 1Tm 5:19; Heb 10:28 # Dt 19:15 17If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. # Or congregation # Mt 16:18; 1Co 14:4; Rv 1:4 But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever # Or like a Gentile and a tax collector to you. # Rm 16:17; 1Co 5:9; 6:1-6; 2Th 3:6,14; 2Jn 10 18I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound # Or earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed # Or earth will be loosed in heaven. # Mt 16:19; Jn 20:23 19Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you # Lit they pray for, it will be done for you # Lit for them by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave
21Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times? ” # Lk 17:3-4; Col 3:13
22“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven. # Or but 77 times 23For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents # A huge sum of money that could never be repaid by a slave; a talent = 6,000 denarii was brought before him. 25Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. # Ex 21:2; Lv 25:39; 2Kg 4:1; Neh 5:5,8; Lk 7:42
26“At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything! ’ 27Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
28“But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. # A small sum compared to 10,000 talents # Mt 20:2; 22:19; Mk 6:37; 14:5; Lk 7:41; 10:35; Jn 6:7 He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe! ’
29“At this, his fellow slave fell down # Other mss add at his feet and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30But he wasn’t willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.
32“Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you? ’ # Mt 6:12; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13; 1Jn 4:11 34And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother # Other mss add his trespasses from his # Lit your heart.” # Pr 21:13; Mt 6:14; Jms 2:13
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.