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Matthew 18
Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Who Is The Greatest In The Kingdom? Whoever Will Humble Himself Like This Child

18 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then[a] is greater[b] in the kingdom of the heavens?” 2 And having summoned a child, He stood him[c] in the middle of them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are turned-around [d] and become like children[e], you will never enter into the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Therefore whoever will humble himself like this child, this one is the greater one in the kingdom of the heavens.

But Woe To Whoever Causes One of My Children Believing In Me To Fall

5 “And whoever welcomes[f] one such[g] child on the basis of My name, welcomes Me. 6 But whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to fall— it would be better[h] for him that a donkey’s millstone[i] be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the deep-part[j] of the sea.

Woe To The World Because of Causes of Falling. Better To Tear Out Your Eye

7 “Woe to the world because of the causes-of-falling. For it is a necessity that causes-of-falling should come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause-of-falling comes. 8 But if your hand or your foot is causing you to fall, cut it off and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than to be thrown into the eternal fire having two hands or two feet. 9 And if your eye is causing you to fall, tear it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than to be thrown into the Gehenna[k] of fire having two eyes.

Don’t Look Down On These Little Ones. God Does Not Want One of Them Lost

10 “See that you do not look-down-upon[l] one of these little ones. For I say to you that their angels in the heavens are continually seeing[m] the face of My Father in the heavens. 11 [n] 12 What seems right to you? If a hundred sheep belong to any man and one of them went-astray, will he not leave the ninety nine on the mountains, and having gone, be seeking the one going astray? 13 And if it comes about that he finds it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety nine not having gone astray. 14 So it is not the will in-the-sight-of [o] your Father in the heavens that one of these little ones should be-lost.

If Your Brother Sins Against You, Seek To Restore Him

15 “But if your brother sins against you[p], go, expose[q] him between you and him alone. If he listens-to you, you gained[r] your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take-along with you one or two more in order that every word may be established based-on the mouth of two or three witnesses. And if he refuses-to-listen-to them, tell it to the church. 17 And if he even refuses[s] to listen to the church, let him be to you just like the Gentile[t] and the tax-collector[u]. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you[v] bind[w] on earth will have been bound[x] in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19 Again[y], truly I say to you that if two of you on earth agree concerning any matter which they may ask, it will be done for them by My Father in the heavens. 20 For[z] where two or three have been gathered-together in[aa] My name, I am there in the midst of them”.

Always Forgive One Another From The Heart, As God Has Forgiven You

21 Then having come to Him, Peter said to Him, “Lord, how often[ab] will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven-times?” 22 Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you up to seven-times, but up to seventy-times[ac] [and][ad] seven. 23 For this reason, the kingdom of the heavens became-like[ae] a man who was a king, who wished to settle the account with his slaves. 24 And he having begun to settle it, one debtor of ten-thousand talents[af] was brought to him. 25 But he not having the means to pay, the master ordered that he be sold— and his wife and his children and all that he has— and that it be paid. 26 Then the slave, having fallen, was prostrating-himself before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay everything to you’. 27 And having felt-deep feelings [of compassion], the master of that slave released him and forgave him the loan. 28 But having gone out, that slave found one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he was choking him, saying, ‘Pay me, since you are owing me something’. 29 Then his fellow slave, having fallen, was begging him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay it to you’. 30 And the one was not willing, but having gone, he threw him into prison until he should pay the amount being owed. 31 Then his fellow slaves, having seen the things having taken place, were extremely grieved. And having come, they made-clear to their master all the things having taken place. 32 Then, having summoned him, his master says to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should not you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I also had mercy on you?’ 34 And having become angry[ag], his master handed him over to the tormenters[ah] until[ai] which time he should pay all the amount being owed. 35 So also My heavenly Father will do to you if you do not forgive— each one his brother— from your hearts”.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:1 That is, since You are Messiah, how will we rank in Your kingdom?
  2. Matthew 18:1 Or, greatest.
  3. Matthew 18:2 Or, her. Lit, it (the child).
  4. Matthew 18:3 Or, changed, converted, turned (from your ways to God).
  5. Matthew 18:3 That is, dependent and helpless before God, as this child is before adults and God.
  6. Matthew 18:5 Having answered their question, Jesus goes on to draw another lesson from this child.
  7. Matthew 18:5 That is, one such physical child like this one before them; or, one such spiritual child of any age who humbles himself in the way just mentioned.
  8. Matthew 18:6 It is better to be killed (a one-time event) than to face the consequences of this (an eternal loss).
  9. Matthew 18:6 That is, a large millstone which donkeys would turn.
  10. Matthew 18:6 Lit, open-sea of the sea.
  11. Matthew 18:9 That is, fiery hell, equivalent to eternal fire in v 8.
  12. Matthew 18:10 Or, despise, disregard, treat with contempt, because you think of yourself as greater than them.
  13. Matthew 18:10 That is, they have continual access to God.
  14. Matthew 18:11 Some manuscripts add as v 11, For the Son of Man came to save the lost.
  15. Matthew 18:14 Or, in the presence of. This is a reverential way of saying it is not God’s will.
  16. Matthew 18:15 Now Jesus turns to the opposite case. What should be done when you are suffering an injury, not inflicting one.
  17. Matthew 18:15 Or, convict, rebuke.
  18. Matthew 18:15 That is, gained him for the kingdom.
  19. Matthew 18:17 The church focuses the individual on the impact of his sin on his relationship with Christ and the Christian community. He must choose between his sin and Christ.
  20. Matthew 18:17 That is, the non-believer.
  21. Matthew 18:17 That is, the traitor to the community, the outcast.
  22. Matthew 18:18 This is plural. Some think it refers to the church; others, to the apostles. Compare 16:19.
  23. Matthew 18:18 bind... loose. See 16:19.
  24. Matthew 18:18 Lit, will be having been bound. Likewise with ‘loosed’ next. Divine guidance is promised to the church.
  25. Matthew 18:19 Some think v 19-20 are in regard to the disciplinary decisions just mentioned, even if the church is two or three. Others think this is a separate point regarding prayer in general, unrelated to what precedes.
  26. Matthew 18:20 The promised divine guidance is now made explicit.
  27. Matthew 18:20 Or, with reference to.
  28. Matthew 18:21 Peter is responding to v 15, ‘If he listens to you’.
  29. Matthew 18:22 That is, seventy-occasions, as also with ‘seven-times’ in v 21.
  30. Matthew 18:22 For a total of seventy-seven. Or, [times], making 490.
  31. Matthew 18:23 Or, is like. Same grammar as in 13:24.
  32. Matthew 18:24 A silver talent is 6000 denarii, 6000 days wages, the wages of 20 years for a laborer. Ten thousand talents is a huge amount of money, 600,000 times more than a hundred denarii in v 28. Such is our debt to God compared to anyone’s debt to us.
  33. Matthew 18:34 Or, wrathful.
  34. Matthew 18:34 Or, torturers.
  35. Matthew 18:34 The man would never be able to repay it.
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Matthew 18
New International Version

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven(A)

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(B) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(C) 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(D) 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.(E)

Causing to Stumble

6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.(F) 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!(G) 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,(H) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble,(I) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.(J)

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep(K)

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels(L) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a]

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault,(M) just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d](N) 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;(O) and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.(P)

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.(Q)

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them(R) by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”(S)

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?(T) Up to seven times?”(U)

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g](V)

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like(W) a king who wanted to settle accounts(X) with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay,(Y) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold(Z) to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.(AA) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.
  2. Matthew 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35.
  3. Matthew 18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you
  4. Matthew 18:16 Deut. 19:15
  5. Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
  6. Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
  7. Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
  8. Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
  9. Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).
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