Matthew 18

Matthew 18

“THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW”

Chapter Eighteen Answering a question by His disciples, Jesus taught the need for child-like humility and the danger of offenses to others and to self (Matthew 18:1-9), followed with the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:10-14). Further instructions included how to deal with a sinning brother (Matthew 18:15-20) and the need for a forgiving heart illustrated by the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35). POINTS TO PONDER

• The need for humility, and concern for others in the kingdom

• Dealing with a sinning brother, and the importance of forgiveness REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?

• Kingdom greatness and the danger of offenses - Matthew 18:1-9- The parable of the lost sheep - Matthew 18:10-14- Discipline and prayer - Matthew 18:15-20- The parable of the unforgiving servant - Matthew 18:21-35

2. Who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (Matthew 18:1-5)

• Those who are converted and humble themselves like a little child

3. How old was the little child that Jesus used as an example? (Matthew 18:6)

• Old enough to believe, old enough to sin

4. What types of offenses does Jesus warn against? (Matthew 18:6-9)

• Being an offense to believing children, and letting personal weakness cause you to sin

5. What parable illustrates the Father’ s concern for the lost? (Matthew 18:12-14)

• The parable of the lost sheep

6. In dealing with a sinning brother, what steps should be taken? (Matthew 18:15-18)

• Go and tell the brother his fault between you and him alone
• If that doesn’ t work, take one or two more with you to serve as witnesses
• If that doesn’ t work, tell it to the church
• If that doesn’ t work, then no longer associate with him

7. What increases the likelihood that God will answer prayer? (Matthew 18:19-20)

• When two or three pray together

8. How many times should we be willing to forgive a brother? (Matthew 18:21-22)

• Up to seventy times seven (490); cf. seven times in one day, Luke 17:3-4

9. What grave warning is in the parable of the unforgiving servant? (Matthew 18:33)

• “So My heavenly Father also will do to you…”

Matthew 18:1-35 Verse 1 Mat 18:1-35 OF RANK; -BLOCKS; THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP; ONE’S DUTY TOWARD ; THE PARABLE OF THE SERVANTIn that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (Matthew 18:1) The term “greatest” is actually “greater” in the Greek, but the meaning is the same. The apostles had been disputing among themselves concerning preeminence and places of honor in the approaching kingdom. The events of the last chapter had revived their hopes of an earthly kingdom; and the prospect of Jesus’ death (they seemed continually blinded to the repeated promises of his resurrection) accentuated their concern over who would be head man afterwards! A great proportion of earth’s sorrows flow directly from the vain ambitions of men for preferment and advantage. Barker related how: Someone once asked George Bernard Shaw in which age he would most have enjoyed living. The witty Irishman flashed, “The age of Napoleon.” “Why?” he was asked. “Because,” replied Shaw, “then there was only one man who thought he was Napoleon!” The Napoleon problem was present even among the apostles. They too were infected with the “I deserve to be first” virus.[1] ENDNOTE:[1] William P. Barker, As Matthew Saw the Master (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1964). p. 97.

Verse 2 And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them.That little child was possibly Peters’, since the Lord was a guest in Peter’s house. Dummelow noted the tradition that “It was Ignatius the Martyr, afterwards the Bishop of Antioch."[2] All innocent young children manifest the same wonderful qualities, and the identity of the child is irrelevant. ENDNOTE:[2] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 685.

Verse 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.Benjamin Franklin, the great Restoration preacher, found in this text one of a triad on the subject of conversion. The expression “turn” or “turn again” is translated “be converted” in the KJV. The other two texts are Acts 3:19 and Acts 28:27. The three texts represent instruction directed to three different classes of persons, depending upon their spiritual development. These are: (1) believers who needed to repent (Matthew 18:3), (2) unbelievers (Acts 28:27), and (3) believers whose repentance was anticipated (Acts 3:19). From these three texts it is clear that Biblical conversion has three phases - faith, repentance, and something additional (baptism) - these separate phases being accomplished by obedience to the gospel and involving three distinct changes in the individual.

Franklin taught that the three changes are: (1) a change of mind; (2) a change of will; and (3) a change of state or status. Thus, faith was appointed to change the mind, repentance to change the will, and baptism to change the status. Significantly, these also sustain a certain relation to time, past, present, and future. Thus, faith changes the present, repentance changes the future, and baptism changes the past. In the case here, need for repentance by the believing apostles sprang from their sin of worldly pride and ambition, as attested by their striving for position and preeminence in the approaching kingdom.

Verse 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.The particular qualities of little children commended by Jesus are humility, freedom from prejudice, teachableness, lovableness, trustfulness, faith, freedom from anxiety, and innocence. Receiving a little child in Jesus’ name refers to complete acceptance of a child-like believer because of his innocent and unrestrained trust in the Lord. The warning in this passage applies specifically to one who causes the loss of a human soul. Such a sinner shall suffer a fate worse than death. “The great millstone” in this place means literally “a millstone turned by an ass,” and contrasts with the smaller millstones turned by hand (see the margin of the English Revised Version (1885)). Why is the fate of such an offender worse than death by drowning? Because eternal death will be his reward.

Verse 7 Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!The divine plan calls for man to be tried, tested, and tempted. Satan and the forbidden tree were in Eden BEFORE sin entered. God desires the love of his children; and true love requires that there be freedom of the will and opportunity to make a choice. The opportunity for temptation does not reduce the guilt of sinners, nor does the necessity for temptation mitigate the guilt of those through whom temptation comes. The expression “must needs be” speaks of a heavenly compulsion upon all things. The great issues of time and eternity proceed from God, and no appeal (or escape) from his total authority is possible. That heavenly compulsion was laid even upon Christ while he was in the form of man. He MUST be about the Father’s business (Luke 2:49), MUST preach the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43), MUST put new wine in new flasks (Mark 2:22), MUST work the works of God (John 9:4), MUST suffer death (Mark 8:31), and MUST reign until all enemies are put under foot (1 Corinthians 15:25). There MUST be heresies (1 Corinthians 11:19), MUST be wars (Mark 13:7), MUST be tribulations (Acts 14:21-22), MUST be offenses (above), MUST be separation from the visible presence of Christ (Acts 3:21), and Satan MUST be loosed for a little season (Revelation 20:3). This sovereign MUST overshadows the Bible. The Scriptures MUST be fulfilled (Luke 22:37), and they MUST be preached (Mark 13:10). The apostles found this heavenly MUST written against them also (Acts 1:21-22); elders MUST be blameless (1 Timothy 3:8); preachers MUST forbear striving (2 Timothy 2:24-26); all worshipers MUST worship in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24); all who desire salvation MUST believe (Hebrews 11:6), MUST be saved in the name of Christ (Acts 4:12), MUST repent (Luke 13:3), and MUST be baptized (John 3:7). In death, there is an exception. Not all MUST die (1 Corinthians 15:51), but all MUST put on immortality and all MUST stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). This is quite different from the old proverb about nothing’s being certain except death and taxes, death being one of the few things not certain!

Verse 8 And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.Most commentators, ancient and modern, make Christ’s word here a metaphor applicable to the individual who should give up the most cherished friendship, indulgence; or habit, if such hinders spiritual life. It is also applied to the church itself which should put away evil members, even of the highest positions, lest the whole body of the church be contaminated. Thus, Dummelow has, “This giving up of what is pleasant and lawful, because to us personally it is a spiritual peril, is what our Lord means by plucking out the right eye and cutting off the right hand."[3] Tertullian said that these words were uttered “by way of similitude.[4] Irenaeus wrote, “Those who led vicious lives and put other people astray, were condemned and cast out, so also, even now, the offending eye is plucked out, and the foot and the hand, lest the rest of the body perish in like manner."[5] In the physical realm, amputations of various kinds daily illustrate the validity of our Lord’s words. Removal of a mortally infected member is required for the preservation of life. The use of strong metaphor, as in the case here, frequently marked the teachings of Christ. Another example is “This is my body!” (See also under Matthew 5:29-30). [3] Ibid., p. 642. [4] Tertullian, On Idolatry in the Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Company, 1957), Vol. III, p. 64. [5] Irenaeus in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, p. 500.

Verse 9 And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.See on Matthew 18:8, above. The lesson is identical in these cases and is repeated for emphasis. Special attention is directed to the Saviour’s teaching on eternal punishment. See notes on Matthew 25:41. See under Matthew 5:29-30.

Verse 10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.The subject of worldly ambition was still under consideration. Seeking for prominence and chief seats always leads to despising the poor, the lowly, and the humble; but Christ made it emphatically clear that in his kingdom such persons, described as “one of these little ones,” are of the most transcending importance, and that the highest ranking angels in glory are charged with watching on their behalf. See more on angels under Matthew 1:20. In 2 Kings 25:19, certain ministers were spoken of as being “in the king’s presence,” an example of Oriental monarchies in which so-called “ministers of the face” held higher rank than others.

Verse 12 How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEPChrist spoke this parable twice, evidently for a different purpose on each occasion. In this instance, it stands for the infinite love and solicitude the Lord has for the very least of his human children; but in Luke’s account of it, it appears to have been spoken as an argument against the Pharisees who would go to a lot of trouble for a lost animal but had no regard for a lost man. The parables are the same, but they are spoken with significant variations (Luke 15:3-7). In the Scriptures, goats are used to represent sinners, and sheep represent Christians. The lost sheep, therefore, represents a child of God who has become a backslider, who is separated from the fold, and from the Shepherd. Note these facts about a lost sheep: (1) It is absolutely defenseless, having no weapon of any kind, no gift of speed in flight, no cunning, no means of deception, its very cries being only a signal for the enemy to close in for the kill. Let every backslider behold here his helplessness apart from Christ. (2) The sheep has no sense of direction. A carrier pigeon would surely be able to return to its nest; a dog might find its way home, but a sheep? Never! (3) A lost sheep is surrounded by enemies, even the elemental forces of nature being hostile and often fatal to him when separated from the fold. The parable suggests the earthly mission of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who left the joys of heaven to wander amid the bleak scenes of earth to recover lost and sinful people. It also has an application to the church, or flock of God, in that the true place for every sheep is in the fold. There is no safety for the sheep separated from the Shepherd and the fold. The rejoicing of the Shepherd is stressed in this case; but in Luke’s account, the rejoicing in heaven is emphasized. Matthew 18:11 omitted in the English Revised Version (1885), appeared in many of the ancient versions and certainly bears some relevance in this context: “For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.” IN THE PARABLEThe man with one hundred sheep is God. The ninety-nine sheep are the faithful ones. The one that went astray is the backslider. The seeking for the lost is God’s search for the unsaved. The rejoicing represents God’s pleasure over those who repent. The fold (not mentioned, but implied) is the church, or fellowship with God. The mountains stand for the dangers to backsliders.

Verse 15 And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.The exclusive reference of the words of this verse to PRIVATE offenses only, and the rejection of their application to so-called PUBLIC offenses is without doubt an error, ably supported, widely received, and skillfully advocated by some of the great minds in the church of all ages, but still an error. It is God, not men, that should be obeyed. Macknight wrote, “Such are the rules which our Lord would have us observe in matters of private offense."[6] McGarvey stated that “This rule of procedure is given only for cases of personal offense, where one individual has sinned against another."[7] Many other examples of the prevailing view could be cited; but “upon what authority” is such a bold limitation grounded? It is significant that the view, when stated, is not supported by the Scriptures; and in some cases where Scriptures are cited, they simply do not apply. Thus, Macknight quoted 1 Timothy 5:20, “Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others may fear.” But where is the authority in that for omitting the first and second admonitions? That the first and second admonitions do actually apply to “public” sins as well as private ones, appears from Paul’s words to Titus, “A factious man, after a first and second admonition, refuse” (Titus 3:10).

A factious man is a leader or promoter of a faction, an offense which, by its very nature, has to be PUBLIC! Yet Paul’s instructions to Titus prove that our Lord’s method, including the first and second admonitions, was honored even in cases like that. Another passage sometimes cited as a release of our Lord’s instruction here is that of Paul’s public rebuke of Elymas (Acts 13:9-10); and yet it simply cannot be that the conduct of that inspired, Spirit-moved apostle is license for some preacher to sound off in public about the sins of any person of his acquaintance or in his congregation. Even Paul’s withstanding Peter to his face, and the stern words publicly addressed to Peter on that occasion (Galatians 2:11), come under the category of Spirit-inspired utterances, essentially unique, and not intended as a repeal of the Lord’s method outlined in the passage under consideration here. Let it be remembered that Paul acted under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, under the immediate authority and commission of God himself, that he sustained absolutely no danger of being mistaken, and that he was not in either case dealing with an ordinary brother. Peter was a fellow apostle; Elymas was a notorious child of the devil, enjoying the status of a prime minister. The view advocated here does not in any sense exclude the necessity of exposing wrong-doers before the whole church publicly, but we believe it is our duty to affirm that this can be done Scripturally, only after the first and second admonitions. In some 35 years of the ministry, countless cases have been observed by this writer in which the FIRST effort to correct some alleged sin or error has been an ugly blast from a pulpit or in some religious paper, always justified, of course, on the basis that the alleged wrong-doing was a “public” matter, and therefore requiring no private confrontation with the “wrong-doer”! A careful study of Mat 5:23-24; Matthew 18:15-17 and Galatians 6:1 will prove that there are no exceptions to Christ’s injunction requiring spiritual persons to go to the offender first alone. That some people do not obey this injunction cannot remove it. It is the solemn conviction of this expositor that many of the divisions and sorrows that have come upon the church of our generation would have been prevented by a due regard to our Lord’s words in this and related verses. When Christ’s plan is tried, the usual result is gaining the offending brother; but when Christ’s plan is thwarted, when public condemnations have been sounded abroad, it is then often too late to redeem the offending brother. His pride, feelings, and reputation, already compromised, make it exceedingly more difficult to effect an humble admission of his wrong and a penitent return to the truth. [6] James Macknight, A Harmony of the Four Gospels (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1950), Vol. II, p. 177. [7] J. W. McGarvey, New Testament Commentary (Delight, Arkansas: Gospel Light Publishing Company, 1875), Vol. I, p. 159.

Verse 16 But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.Yes, these words were spoken before Pentecost, but they are nevertheless binding upon the church and Christians of all ages. They were uttered specifically for the purpose of outlining procedures for discipline in “the church,” as attested by the use of such terminology by the Saviour. See the following verse.

Verse 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.The mention of “the church,” or “the congregation” as it is in the Greek, shows that this rule was propounded by Christ for observance on the part of his followers in all ages. And how is the rule usually observed? By its gross and unfeeling violation! When one feels wronged by another in the church, the temptation is for him to seek out some personal friend or confidant, and to elaborate the real or fancied wrong by embellishing it with every possible coloring and emphasis, thus spreading hate against the offending party. Telling the elders, the deacons, or the preacher, or anyone else, of the evil detected in another is wrong (until after the first admonition); and even after the first admonition, the greatest number to be acquainted with it is two others (see Matthew 18:16). Go to the offender first! That is God’s commandment! Those who depart from it, preferring some other way, do so at their eternal peril.

Verse 18 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.All of the apostles, not merely Peter alone, were included in this promise. See under Matthew 16:19. Its mention in this context appears to make the action of a church in the rejection of an offending member a matter of the utmost consequences, now and eternally. See under Matthew 16:19.

Verse 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven.The greater efficacy of multiple prayers is indicated here. It cannot be understood how prayers of two persons may be more efficacious with God than the prayers of only one, but the fact is affirmed by Christ. Note that Jesus invariably said, “MY Father,” whereas he always taught his disciples to pray, “OUR Father”! The uniqueness of Christ is seen in this observance. With himself, Christ’s unique relationship to God was always in view.

Verse 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.This is one of God’s most precious promises. Providential care on the part of God for his church is always available. The smallness of the church or its relative insignificance in the community is not a determining factor in God’s concern for its peace and welfare. Two or three faithful disciples are enough to claim the Father’s blessing. There is, however, one supremely overriding condition: that they be truly gathered together in the name of Christ. This means, by his commandment, by the authority of his will and teaching, in obedience to his specific commandments. and as his word directs. All gatherings are not covered, but only those where the full purpose is undertaken, as Jesus said, “in my name.” It is, to be sure, a mystery how Christ can be present everywhere, and this mystery is set forth in Revelation 1:12-13, in which the Son of God is seen among the seven golden candlesticks (his churches, or congregations). Christ’s presence is not restricted to some vague “up there,” but he is in his body, the church.

Verse 21 Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?This indicates that Peter had indeed made excellent progress but that he had not yet arrived at true spiritual discernment. His suggestion of forgiving seven times went considerably beyond the maxims of the rabbis who admonished forgiveness three times but not four times, basing their position upon the word of God to Amos, “For three transgressions of Damascus and for four, I will not revoke the punishment” (Amos 1:4). Even Peter’s relatively magnanimous forgiveness until seven times, however, fell far short of Jesus’ requirement of unlimited forgiveness (see on Matthew 6:14-15).

Verse 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.Christ did not mean that Christians should keep a ledger, exactly calculating a precise number such as 490, or using a variant reading, 70 times and 7. This simply means that a Christian must have the spiritual resources to keep on forgiving. Forgiveness of others was made a constant pre-condition of man’s forgiveness by the Father, not only in these words of Jesus here, but upon other occasions as well. The business of forgiveness is so important that Christ immediately introduced one of his longest parables in order to reinforce the teaching and repeat the absolute necessity of forgiveness at the conclusion of it.

Verse 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay that which was due. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him unto him, and saith unto him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.THE PARABLE OF THE SERVANTThere are a number of remarkable analogies in this heart-moving parable. The conduct of the unmerciful servant is so wicked as to be almost incredible. IN THE PARABLE OF THE SERVANT(It will be noted that this is the first of the parables in which God is represented under the analogy of a king).

1. God is represented by the king in this parable.
2. All men are servants of the king.
3. The servant with the enormous debt stands for every unredeemed sinner on earth whose debt is so large that it is impossible for him to pay it.
4. The king’s forgiveness, without any merit on the part of the unmerciful servant, indicates God’s grace.
5. The unfeeling conduct of the unmerciful servant shows how God looks upon the refusal of his children to forgive others.
6. The king’s forgiveness “because thou soughtest me” shows that sinners need only to apply (in the proper way) in order to be forgiven. They need not “pay” anything.
7. The ultimate punishment of the unmerciful servant shows that all forgiveness is contingent upon the continuing faithfulness of the redeemed. Jesus certainly taught in this that one may fall from grace.
8. Those who have received mercy must give mercy, or else have the mercy they have already received revoked. The size of the debt is significant. The English Revised Version (1885) margin shows a talent worth about $1,000; but even that enormous sum falls short of the truth. If, as seems likely, the Hebrew gold talent is meant, the figure becomes truly astronomical. Eight thousand talents was the construction cost of Solomon’s temple! (1 Chronicles 29:4-7). Barker appraises this debt thus: To give some idea of what a colossal debt this was, the total tax income of the five provinces of Palestine (Judea, Perea, Idumea, Samaria, and Galilee) was only eight hundred talents. In other words, the servant’s debt was over ten times the amount of the national budget.[8] The sale of the wife and children, as a proposed partial payment, rested upon the general assumption that they were his property. The utter lack of anything with which to pay shows, as Trench said, “the utter bankruptcy of every child of Adam as he stands in the presence of a just God, and is tried by the strictness of the holy law."[9] Paul’s comment relative to being “carnal, sold under sin, etc.,” emphasizes the same thing (Romans 7:14). There is a nice distinction in comparing Matthew 18:26 and Matthew 18:29. The unmerciful servant “worshipped” his lord (who stands for God in the parable), whereas his fellow-servant only “fell down and besought” his creditor. Origen hailed this parable as a real jewel, pointing out that the Scriptures are very strict in indication, always, that worship belongs only to God. The King in this place stands for God; the unmerciful servant did not; hence, his debtor does not appear worshipping him. The fault of the unmerciful servant was his failure to realize the enormity and absolute hopelessness of his debt. His earnest promise to repay it showed that he did not have the slightest conception of how much he owed. He appeared to be blind to the fact that one hundred lifetimes would not allow him sufficient space to repay it. This blindness later ruined him. A note of self-righteousness appears in his entreaty that if only a little time should be allowed he would repay it all! So many sinners fall into the same fault; their case, so they think, is not really so bad after all; they can make amends; their debt is nothing they cannot handle if allowed a little freedom; they can get along all right if merely let alone!

Oh, how utterly beyond self-redemption is the plight of sinful man. Let all unsaved persons behold in this parable the plight of every sinner. And let the saved take care to forgive others if they would not incur the whole debt again! The unmerciful servant’s pitiful plea for mercy and his acknowledgment of that monstrous debt were all that was required to obtain mercy. What an encouragement to sinful man! It is not repayment which God demands, seeing that it is impossible in the first place, but the true and righteous beholding one’s self in the true light of his own worthless and bankrupt condition, that makes one an eligible claimant upon the divine mercy. The Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory finds no support here. The forgiveness the king extended to the unmerciful sinner was total, complete, and uncluttered with any penalties whatsoever. It would also have been permanent if the servant’s conduct had not led to its revocation. That he later fell into condemnation was not due to any quality lacking in the full and free pardon that he received, but was due to his later conduct. The size of the smaller debt is also significant. It was one hundred shillings, about $20, compared to $10,000,000. Christ said that “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you” (Matthew 7:2). The unmerciful servant, however, would have had it otherwise. He would receive by one measure and measure to others by a different measure. So he thought. The spectacle of his fellow-servant falling down before him in supplication for mercy was a very similar thing to what he himself had done only a little while before. How strange it is that he felt no mercy, no little touch of pity, no forgiveness for one whose plight must surely have reminded him of his own. He could have alleviated the distress of his fellow-servant with such trifling cost to himself that one can only wonder at a heart so calloused. And yet, this outrageous occurrence is made by Jesus to stand as the true picture of all his followers who will not forgive others. Even the worst of offenses committed by men against Christians are as nothing compared to the offenses all have committed against God. The tragedy of this heartless act was further compounded and multiplied by the fact that, failing to recognize the port in which he himself had so lately escaped shipwreck, he nevertheless dragged the unfortunate off to prison, thus unconsciously condemning himself and revoking his own pardon. The sorrow of the lesser debtor and the sorrow of all the fellow servants at what was done shows that it is not merely in heaven that sorrow flows from a knowledge of man’s sin, but on earth too. When recipients of God’s mercy become themselves bitter, vindictive, and unforgiving, all who behold it, in heaven or upon earth, are shamed and grieved by it. A Christian simply does not have the right, in any case, to withhold forgiveness from others. The re-arraignment of the unmerciful servant saw him confronted with the king’s sharp question, “Shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?” His sin was not that, while NEEDING mercy, he refused it to another; but that while having mercy, he denied it to another. Those who have been forgiven must forgive. The great problem in the parable is in the fact that after the unmerciful servant was forgiven, he yet landed in the hands of the tormentors until he should pay it all. The wise words of Richard Trench give the true explanation: Nor may we leave out of sight that all forgiveness, short of that crowning and last act, which will find place on the day of judgment, and will be followed by a blessed impossibility of sinning any more, is conditional - in the very nature of things so conditional, that the condition in every case must be assumed, whether stated or no; that condition being that the forgiven man continues in faith and obedience … which this unmerciful servant had failed to do.[10] Note a little further with reference to the doctrine of purgatory. Roman commentators make much of the fact that the unmerciful servant was delivered to the tormentors TILL he should have paid all the debt. How strange it is to see the same commentators who so diligently labored to show that this same word had an opposite meaning in the case of Joseph not knowing Mary “till” she had brought forth her first born son, etc. (Matthew 1:25), laboring just as diligently to deny the same meaning here; As a matter of fact, the word “till” does have two meanings, and only the context may finally determine which is intended. In the case above, the debt is hopeless, and the expression “till he should pay all” does not envision any time, however remote, at which one should be able to work out a debt so large as this, even in purgatory! Again to quote Trench: When the Phocaeans, abandoning their city, swore they would not return till the mass of iron which they had plunged into the sea appeared once more upon the surface, this was the most emphatic form they could devise of declaring that they would never return; such an emphatic declaration is this one.[11] [8] William P. Barker, op. cit., p. 89. [9] Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Parables (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1953), p. 155. [10] Ibid., p. 164. [11] Ibid., p. 165.

Verse 35 So shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.The sine qua non, without which no man can be saved, is a forgiving heart. The above teachings of the Master on forgiveness are the most pointedly illustrated, the most elaborately portrayed and the most urgently repeated of any of his teachings. Even if one has been forgiven (as was the unmerciful servant), even if someone does wrong him (as was done to the unmerciful servant by the one who owed him a hundred shillings) - no matter what the temptation to do otherwise, the law of the Lord is: FORGIVE; UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN TIMES!

J.W. McGarvey Commentary For Matthew Chapter EighteenAbout Who shall be Greatest, Matthew 18:1-9 (Mark 9:33-37; Luke 8:46-50)

1. Who is the greatest.— The form in which Matthew quotes the question of the disciples, would leave it uncertain whether they meant which person, or what character, would be greatest in the kingdom; but from a reference to the same question made by Luke (Luke 22:24), we learn that the former was their meaning. In his answer Jesus takes the question in the other sense, and tells them the character which would be greatest. 2-4. Except ye be converted.— Except ye be turned. (See note on Matthew 13:15). The expression has reference, not to turning from sin in general, but to turning from the particular sin of personal ambition which had exposed itself in their question. The little child was placed in their midst, and made their model in this particular because of its well known freedom from this passion. The humblest shall be the greatest because they will live the most unselfishly and be the most like Jesus.
2. one such little child.— The term “such” is not used to distinguish this particular child from others; for all little children are alike in the particular referred to, and this was indicated in the preceding words, “become as little children; “but “such” is used to limit the term child to the character who has become like a little child. The remark, then, has no reference to receiving little children, but to receiving those who have become like little children in their freedom from personal ambition. In the next verse the same character is designated as “one of these little ones that believe in me.”
3. whoso shall offend.— Whether we render the original (σκανδαλιζω) offend, or ensnare, the thought is practically the same. Contentions as to who shall be greatest always give offense, and at the same time, by exciting evil passions, they ensnare the persons engaged in them. Jesus desired that his disciples should see this tendency of their discussion, and to show how fearful the final result would be to the offender, he assures them that it were better for such to have a millstone hung about his neck, and to be cast into the sea. It were better, because his actual fate will be worse than that. (Comp. 8, 9.)
4. Woe unto the world.— By a natural transition Jesus here passes from the particular cause of offense under consideration, to offenses in general. “It must needs be that offenses come,” not because it is the will of God that they should come, but because the depravity of men makes them inevitable. For this reason he adds, “Woe to the man by whom the offense cometh.” No man should look for the day when there will be no offenses but each should see to it that he is not the cause of them.
5. if thy hand or thy foot.— The hand and the foot in this verse, and the eye in the next, are used as symbols of those desires by which a man is caused to offend, or is ensnared. As the original term (σκανδαλίζω) has in it both the idea of ensnaring so as to cause a fall, and of offending as a result of the ensnaring, Jesus uses it in this connection sometimes with the one idea more prominent, and sometimes with the other. The former is the prominent idea here. We are taught that it is better to deny ourselves all the gratification which the indulgence of those desires would give, even if the denial should be as painful as the loss of a limb or an eye, than to suffer the consequences of indulgence. 8, 9. everlasting fire… hell fire.— These two expressions are here unquestionably used as equivalents. Being cast into hell fire, or everlasting fire, is made the alternative of entering into life. The life referred to can not be physical life, nor spiritual life, for the disciples had already entered into both of these; it must, then, be eternal life, and the alternative, being cast into hell fire, must mean, being consigned to eternal punishment. Par better to undergo all conceivable self-denial and suffering in this life, than to be cast into that fire. Against Despising a Disciple, Matthew 18:10-14.
6. that ye despise not.—To despise (καταφρονω) is not to hate, but to regard with contempt. We are not likely to so regard any but those who have Binned or who are supposed to have sinned, and the reference, as the context below more clearly shows (Matthew 18:12-14), is to such disciples. their angels.—This expression shows that the “little ones” in question have angels which are in some sense theirs. All the angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation;” but this general ministration is effected by a ministration for particular individuals. “Their angels,” then, are the angels especially charged with ministering to them individually. The fact stated of these angels is that “they do always behold the face of the Father in heaven”— a fact which shows the efficiency of their guardianship, seeing that in addition to their own power they have access to the helping power of God. The fact that these weak disciples have such angels to watch over them, makes it exceedingly preposterous that we should despise them.
7. For the Son of man.— Here is another good reason for not despising an erring disciple; but it is omitted from the text by the critics. It was doubtless copied from Luke 19:10, where it is genuine. 12-14. Even so.—This parable illustrates and enforces the lesson in hand. As it is not the will of the shepherd that one stray sheep should perish, even so it is not the will of God that an erring disciple shall perish. And now, if the shepherd does not despise the foolish sheep, and leave it to perish because it has gone astray, and if God does not despise the erring disciple, why should we despise him? On the one hand, the disciple is of much more value than a sheep, and, on the other, God against whom he has sinned could much more properly despise him than we who are so much like him. How to Deal with an Offending Brother, Matthew 18:15-20.
8. trespass against thee.— The word rendered trespass (μαρτση) means to sin; and the clause should be rendered, “if thy brother sin against thee.” In the former part of the discourse Jesus had warned the disciples against giving offense, or in any way mistreating a brother; now he tells them how to proceed when a brother sins against them. go and tell him his fault.— More correctly rendered “go and (ἔλεγζοναὔτον) rebuke him. The character of the rebuke is indicated by the object of it, which is to gain the brother. He is supposed to have committed that sin which is described above (verse 6) as being worse than to have a millstone about the neck, and to be cast into the sea; and he is therefore lost, for the time at least, to duty and to friendship: the object of the rebuke is to win him back to both. Observe, too, that it is not, as men are inclined to have it, the offender, but the offended who must go. True, it is elsewhere made the duty of an offender, when he remembers that his brother has aught against him, to go and be reconciled to his brother ; but according to the teaching of the present paragraph, the offended is not to wait for this. The offender has fallen into sin, and without help he may never recover from it.

You, who have not sinned, but have only been sinned against, have an opportunity to Have him, and you may thus be like the shepherd of the preceding paragraph— you may avoid the sin of despising an erring disciple. It is well also to observe that the time, place and circumstances of going to the offending brother are not specified, but must, like the matter and manner of the rebuke, be chosen with reference to the one purpose of gaining the brother. Go at a time, and select a place, and seek for other surroundings, which are moat favorable to success in your effort. 16. one or two more.— The one or two more are to be taken primarily for the same purpose with which you at first went alone— the purpose of gaining the brother. This is implied in the scope of the context. But secondarily, in case of a failure, the one or two may serve as witnesses of all that passed between the parties. 17. tell it to the church.— Only when both of the preceding steps shall have been taken and found ineffectual, is the sin to be reported to the Church. Then, as is implied in the words “if he shall neglect to hear the Church,” the Church is to speak. But a church can speak only through her spokesmen, her officials appointed for the purpose; consequently, the action of the Church’s disciplinary officers is here implied. This rule of procedure is given only for cases of personal offense, where one individual has sinned against another. We are to learn from other portions of the New Testament how to deal with offenses of other kinds. The Church is here spoken of before it had an actual existence, because the Savior was giving preparatory instruction and was compelled, as in many other instances, to speak by anticipation. The disciples, at the time, had but an imperfect conception of the Church, but they knew that worshiping assemblies of some kind would be established in the coming kingdom, and to these they necessarily referred the word church, which means an assembly. as a heathen man and a publican.— Not as a heathen and a publican was to the unbelieving Jew, but as such characters are to a Christian. In other words, when a man who has sinned against his brother refuses to hear the Church, he is to be treated as we properly treat heathen men and publicans, or men of wicked habits. We have known persons to express a doubt whether this implies an exclusion of the sinning party from the fellowship of the Church; but to deny that it does would involve a great absurdity. It would require the offended party to live in the Church with a man whom he justly treats as though he were a heathen and a publican; and it would require the Church to hold in her fellowship men who are rightly so treated by her own members. Surely if heathen men and impenitent publicans are to be kept out of the Church, disciples who deserve to be treated by their brethren as heathen and publicans, must be cut off from the Church. 18. Whatsoever ye shall bind.— The binding and loosing of this verse must be limited by the subject of the context, which is the proper treatment of offenders. Binding is the infliction of the penalty of non-fellowship, while loosing is withholding it or removing it in cases of penitence. The promise is that whatsoever the apostles should thus bind or loose would be bound or loosed in heaven; and it follows, that whatsoever the Church now binds and looses in accordance with apostolic precept and precedent is also bound and loosed in heaven. It is from this promise that the act of excommunication derives its peculiar solemnity and its fearful effects. 19. if two of you.— The promise here made is necessarily limited, like all other promises of the kind, by the well understood condition that the thing for which we ask shall be in accordance with the will of God. (See note on Matthew 7:7-8). 20. there am I.— This statement confirms the promise that the prayers of any two of them would be answered, and at the same time it gives us the comforting assurance of the Savior’s presence whenever we meet in his name. The Duty of Forgiveness, Matthew 18:21-35. 21. Lord, how oft.—Peter saw clearly that the rules just given would require on our part a large amount or forbearance and forgiveness, and he naturally inquired how many times he should forgive a brother who would sin against him. He seems to have thought that seven times would be often enough. It is highly probable, though by no means certain, that this number had been suggested by some of the Jewish teachers of tradition. 22. seventy times seven.— This is a play on the word seven in Peter’s question, and means that there is to be no numerical limitation of the forgiveness enjoined. 23. unto a certain king.— In the comparison which now follows, the kingdom of heaven, as the context shows, is contemplated with regard to the duty of forgiveness, and it is like the king only in this respect, that the administration of its affairs is, in the particular under consideration, analogous to the king’s administration in the given case. 24. ten thousand talents.— As a Jewish talent was equal to about $1600 of our American coin, ten thousand talents were equal to $16,000,000. This enormous amount is given in the parable in order to represent the debtor as in a hopeless condition. 25. to be sold.— The law of Moses tolerated the selling of men for debt. (Leviticus 25:39 Leviticus 25:47; 2 Kings 4:1) It seems from verse 3-that in the Savior’s time imprisonment was also employed, and the latter penalty for insolvency has been continued among the most enlightened nations until a very recent date. It is only within the present century that it has been abolished in the various States of our own Union. 26, 27. I will pay thee all.— Of course it was impossible for the poor man to pay such a debt, but the promise indicated a right purpose and a strong will, and excited the compassion of the king to such a degree that he forgave him the entire debt. 28. a hundred pence.— The coin here mentioned is the Roman denarius, which was equal to fifteen cents of our money. The fellow-servant’s debt, then, was only fifteen dollars. took him by the throat.— The description is very graphic. The debtor, rendered timid by his inability to pay, bears patiently every abuse, while the greedy creditor first lays hands on him as if to shake the money out of him, and then seizes him by the throat as if to choke it out of him, all the time knowing that the poor fellow had no money, yet all the time exclaiming, “Pay me that thou owest.” 29, 30. into prison.— To be cast into prison was a more hopeless and painful fate than to be sold into slavery; so that the creditor inflicted a severer punishment on his fellow-servant for the sake of fifteen dollars, than his own master had threatened to inflict on him for the sake of sixteen millions; and he did this while listening to the same humble entreaties by which he had excited his master’s compassion. 31. when his fellow-servants.— The fellow-servants acted a very natural part; for no matter how much we are inclined to deal harshly with men ourselves, we are always indignant, when, as disinterested witnesses, we behold such conduct in others. 32, 33. Shouldest thou not also.— While the man was dealing with his fellow-servant, he was forgetful of the king’s kindness to him under similar circumstances, or he remembered it only to congratulate himself on his good fortune. He is now reminded of his base ingratitude, and of his obligation to do as he would be done by. 34. to the tormentors.— The king was now in a rage, as well he might be. He recalls his past forgiveness of the debt, and commands, not as formerly, that the man and his family shall be sold, but that he shall be tormented until payment is made. This was equivalent to tormenting him to death; for it was impossible at best for the man to procure so much money, and especially when confined in the hands of the tormentors. 35. So likewise.—The comparison has reference only to the last act of the king, that of delivering the unforgiving servant to the tormentors. The heavenly Father will so deliver all disciples who do not from their hearts forgive their offending brethren. This is the chief lesson of the parable; but in order to reach this lesson the Savior had depicted to his hearers, by the conduct of the king and that of the unforgiving servant, God’s forbearance toward us and our severity toward one another. Our sins against God, for which we can make no reparation, and which are freely forgiven us, are like the ten thousand talents, while the sins committed against us, which we are so unwilling to forgive, are like the fifteen dollars. This is a truthful representation of human habits, and at the same time a cutting satire on Peter’s idea of forgiveness. We are not to infer, from the fact that the king retracted the forgiveness first granted, that God will do so with us. Our sins, once forgiven, are remembered no more. (.) This, then, is not a significant part of the parable, but it is introduced because it is what a heathen king under such circumstances would be likely to do, and Jesus paints the picture true to life. It is nevertheless true, that if a man, once delivered from sin, turn back to it again, his condition is made worse than if his former sins had not been forgiven. (.) Argument of Section 13In this section there is not the usual amount of argument for the claims of Jesus; yet the manner in which he procured money for the temple tribute exhibited both his divine power and his foreknowledge; and the discourse which fills the eighteenth chapter is replete with wisdom suited to his exalted pretensions. Such lessons on the subject of ambition (Matthew 18:1-9); on the subject of sympathy and care for the erring (Matthew 18:10-14); on the right method of dealing with offenders (Matthew 15-20); and on the duty of forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35), had never before been taught, nor have subsequent generations been able to discover a defect in them or to suggest an improvement on them. Besides accomplishing the logical purpose of the section, our author has placed these divine lessons on record for the guidance of disciples in all ages. This, indeed, seems to have been the leading object of the section; and eternity alone will be able to reveal the amount of good which will have accrued to the Church from this single discourse of the Great Teacher.

Questions by E.M. Zerr For Matthew 181. What did the disciples ask Jesus? 2. How would such a question be suggested ? 3. In reply whom did Jesus call to him? 4. Did he require him to be converted? 5. State the comparison he made. 6. What kind of spirit does the child have? 7. Hovv can humility make one great ? 8. Tell how one may receive Christ. 9. How dangerous is it to offend a believer ? 10. What must needs come? 11. On whom is the woe pronounced? 12. How should we treat an offending hand or foot ? 13. State the reason given. 14. What other organ is used for illustration? 15. Tell what kind of fire is threatened. 16. Whom is it dangerous to despise? 17. What representation do they have? 18. For what purpose did the Son of man come? 19. Is one sheep worth more than another? 20. Which will cause the more concern ? 21. State reason for great rejoicing. 22. Who is represented by the sheep ? 23. What does the Father not will? 24. After a personal trespass who should act first? 25. With whom should he act? 26. How many are to be present? 27. If successful what is the result? 28. If unsuccessful state the next step. 29. What is the object of the witnesses? 30. When does it become a church matter ? 31. If the church is ignored what is to be done? 32. What work on earth is sustained in heaven? 33. How many must agree to obtain favor of the Father? 34. What number is a scriptural quorum? 35. This requires what name ? 36. State Peter’ s question about forgiveness. 37. How much did Jesus increase his number? 38. To what is the kingdom here likened ? 39. State the first order of the king. 40. Why was it recalled? 41. How much was owed to this servant? 42. How much had he owed his king? 43. In what way did he show ingratitude? 44. Tell what was then done to him. 45. Who is represented by the king? 46. And who by the servants? 47. For how long was the one to be tormented ? 48. Can man ever pay for a life of sin ? 49. State the duty this parable teaches. 50. How deep must be the forgiveness?

Matthew 18:1

18:1 The apostles believed that the kingdom of heaven that Jesus had been announcing was to be a restoration of the old Jewish government with perhaps some additional features suited to the times. They maintained this idea even after the resurrection (Acts 1:6). With such a system in mind it was natural for them to ask the question of this verse, for in earthly governments there are men of superiority in rank.

Matthew 18:2

18:2 Little child is from PAIDION and according to Thayer it means a young child somewhat advanced in age beyond infancy; and old enough to have developed some traits of character. Jesus used this child for an illustration of the kind of temperament that would be of the greatest esteem in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

18:3 Be converted has reference to the general rule that was to apply after the kingdom of heaven was set up, and not especially to these apostles. They had been baptized by John upon repentance and had been converted from their past course of life. But even they were in need of a change of mind on the subject of true greatness, otherwise they would not be fit to become members of the kingdom when the time came. But the verses on this matter state the subject as it was to apply to all people in their attitude towards Jesus and his fol-lowers. Become as little children refers to the humility that must accompany any professed belief in Christ and desire for his kingdom.

Matthew 18:4

18:4 The comparison is made directly in this verse. Literal children were not to become members of the kingdom, for they do not need it, but men and women must become as these children on the matter of humbleness.

Matthew 18:5

18:5 Such little child means the same as the little children of verse 3. To receive such a person means to be friendly with him or show hospitality because of his humble character. This is to be done in the name of Christ or because he is a humble disciple of his and is trying to mold his life after his teaching.

Matthew 18:6

18:6 To offend means to cause to stumble or go wrong, which indicates it has reference to those old enough to be responsible for their conduct and also liable to temptation. Such a person is called a little one figuratively because he has complied with verse 3. Physical death by drowning would be a mild fate in comparison with that awaiting one who has caused a humble disciple of Christ to stumble and fall.

Matthew 18:7

18:7 Offences means causes of stumbling or occasions in which a person meets with temptation. Needs be is from ANAGKE and the simple definition of Thayer is, “necessity,” and he explains his definition to mean, “imposed either by the external condition of things, or by the law of duty, regard to one’s advantage, custom, argument.” In a world as large as this with its multiplied hundreds of activities and other circumstances, it would be unreasonable to expect it ever to be free from these temptations. However, that does not justify any man who is responsible for some specific case of offence.

Matthew 18:8-9

:8-9 Since each man is responsible for his own conduct, he should overcome the cause of stumbling whatever it may be in his particular case. The lesson taught by the discarding of the hand and eye is explained at chapter 5:29, 30. Everlasting is from AIONIOS which Thayer defines, “without end, never to cease, everlasting.” Hell is from GEHENNA and is explained at chapter Matthew 5:30.

Matthew 18:10

8:10 To despise means to belittle or treat with disrespect, espe cially to do so because of the humble position in life that the person has. These little ones are the same as are described in verse 3. Their angels means the guardian angels that God employs in His care for his children. In Acts 12:15 mention is made of “his angel” when the disciples at a prayer meeting were told that Peter was at the gate. Thayer defines the original word, “angel, messenger of God,” and he comments on the word as follows: “Guardian angels of individuals are mentioned in Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:15.” We have other evidence that God uses his angels in the care and watchfulness necessary for the welfare of righteous people (Psalms 91:11; Hebrews 1:13; Acts 27:23). We do not know how or when these angels work, for that is entirely in God’s part of the divine providence. It is enough for us to have the assurance that such holy creatures are serving God in our behalf.

Matthew 18:11

8:11 The American Standard Version and some other translations omit this verse on the ground that it is not in the early Greek manuscripts. But the same thought is contained in Matthew 9:13, so we lose nothing either way we consider the passage.

Matthew 18:12

8:12 I believe this verse indicates the preceding one is genuine, for it is directly in the same line of thought. If Jesus came to save that which is lost it would be like a shepherd who would leave the sheep that were safely in the fold and go in search of the one that had gone astray.

Matthew 18:13

8:13 We should observe that it is rejoicing and not merely love that the shepherd manifests over the sheep when it is found. He still esteems the 99 as highly as ever, but there is not the occasion for joyous demonstrations over them that there is for the one just recovered.

Matthew 18:14

8:14 This verse goes back to all of the others that speak of the little ones. We are sure they mean the humble disciples and not literally the small boys and girls for they are not in any danger, not being responsible for their conduct.

Matthew 18:15

8:15 When Jesus was on earth he taught many things that could apply only while he lived, and others that were to become a part of the permanent law of his kingdom. The passage starting with this verse is one of the latter, for it includes mention of the church (verse 17) and that would have to be after he had gone back to his Father. Furthermore, there is nothing in the teaching of the apostles that disagrees with this passage, hence we are bound to conclude it is a law of the Lord today. The first thing a brother should do if another does him wrong, is to tell him to his face in the absence of any other person, and without having said a word to anyone else. It may be that the brother does not realize what he has done and will gladly adjust the difficulty. In such an event the trouble will be settled and it should never be made known to another one.

Matthew 18:16

8:16 If the conversation fails to bring a reconciliation it will be evident that a more public knowledge of the affair will have to come. As a protection against any misunderstanding, the next meeting should have one or two witnesses that all things that are said may be proved in case further dealing becomes necessary.

Matthew 18:17

8:17 These witnesses are to be intercessors also, for this verse speaks of the possibility that the offender will not hear them. This denotes that it will be proper for them to have something to say in this second meeting as well as being witnesses in case further controversy is necessary. If this meeting is a failure, the matter will have to become a public affair and the offended party should take his case to the church. The church has the right to hear the complaint and the report of the witnesses, and if it concludes the accused is guilty he should be required to make proper amends. If he refuses to do so he should be excluded which is equivalent to placing him in the same class as the heathen (people of the world) in that he will be put into the realm of Satan (1 Corinthians 5:5).

Matthew 18:18

8:18 This verse is explained at Matthew 16:19.

Matthew 18:19

8:19 One important function of the church is shown in verse 17 and that was still in the mind of Jesus when he spoke the words of this verse. The apostles are given special attention because they were in the church first (1 Corinthians 12:28). But some things can be done without the presence of an apostle; the assurance of this verse comes under that class. We know that an apostle could perform his special function without the presence of another (Acts 19:6), yet this verse requires at least that two shall be present, hence this passage applies to disciples generally. The reason that two of the disciples is mentioned is that is the minimum of them that can compose a unit of the church referred to in verse 17. Agree is from SUM-PHONEO which Thayer defines, “To be in accord, to harmonize, i. e., to agree together.” It should be understood that they must agree in the things that are right, which were to be taught in other portions of the law of Christ. In other words, the Lord wishes his church to be united in its activities and perform as a whole while in the doing of things pertaining to the spiritual welfare of all. (See 1 Corinthians 5:4 and 2 Corinthians 2:6.)

Matthew 18:20

8:20 For is from GAB which Thayer defines, “Truly therefore, verily as the case stands,” which indicates that the conclusion of this verse is based upon the truth stated in the preceding one. In is from EIS and the passage means for them to gather into the name of Christ. But the name of Christ is confined to his church since all authority and glory must be given him through that body (Ephesians 3:21). Jesus will always be present in spirit when any group of two or more disciples is assembled according to verse 19 and 2 Corinthians 2:10.

Matthew 18:21

8:21 Seven is a prime number and in figurative language means completeness. The question of Peter was equivalent to asking if he should go to the limit in forgiving.

Matthew 18:22

8:22 If seven means completeness then it would not be possible to go any further in the extension of mercy. We therefore understand the statement of Jesus here to have been spoken figuratively for the sake of emphasis.

Matthew 18:23

8:23 See the comments at chapter 13:3 on the scope and subject matter of the parables. No one of them was intended to cover everything pertaining to the scheme of human redemption. Some of them were suggested by a special circumstance, and then Jesus spoke a parable to compare the incident or conversation that called for it. The subject of selfishness toward those who have done us wrong, while forgetting our own sins, was suggested by the question that Peter asked of Jesus. The sins of one brother against another are illustrated by a commercial relationship, evidently because that would make the point easier to see. Yes, this parable was spoken to make the subject easier to understand, but Jesus was talking to his disciples and not to the multitude.

Matthew 18:24

8:24 With the material subject as an illustration we would realize that ten thousand talents ( $2,000,000) would constitute a great obligation.

Matthew 18:25

8:25 According to ancient laws a debtor and his family could be sold into slavery by his creditor to recover the debt; this master threatened to use that law.

Matthew 18:26

8:26 The servant worshiped his lord by falling down and humbly asking for mercy. See the long note at chapter 2:2 for the various meanings of that word.

Matthew 18:27

8:27 It was compassion and not financial justice that caused this lord to forgive the debt. He did not deny the existence and justice of the debt his servant owed him, but was willing to forget about it because it was so great.

Matthew 18:28

8:28 Gratitude should have prompted this man to show kindness to all others with whom he would have any dealings. Instead, he found a man who owed him a hundred pence ($1,600) and demanded payment, at the same time handling him brutally.

Matthew 18:29

8:29 This servant prostrated himself and made the same plea that the creditor had made to his lord, assuring him of making payment as soon as possible.

Matthew 18:30

8:30 Another ancient law permitted a debtor to be put into prison if he failed to make payment. While there he would be induced in some way to make arrangements to pay his debt.

Matthew 18:31

8:31 The ungrateful servant may have thought he would not be exposed to his kind master, but fellow-servants were aware of his conduct and reported it to him. Likewise man often thinks he can elude the eyes of the Lord but all things are known to Him.

Matthew 18:32

8:32 The only reason the lord of this servant forgave his debt was that he desired it, not that it was a favor he had earned. In like manner we are taught that our Master is pleased for us to ask Him for the favor we seek (chapter 7:7-11).

Matthew 18:33

8:33. A simple request brought the remission of a vast obligation In favor of this servant. That fact should have induced him to grant this comparatively small favor that was so earnestly requested by his fellow-servant.

Matthew 18:34

8:34 Tormentors is from and this is the only place where the word is used in the Greek New Testament. Thayer defines it, “One who elicits [obtains] the truth by the use of the rack, an inquisitor, torturor.” It is used here to mean an officer who uses strong pressure to force the debtor into the acknowledgment of his debt and to take some action necessary to meet it.

Matthew 18:35

8:35 If unworthy man will not forgive his fellow being, he need not expect the Father to forgive him, but instead to deliver him into a place of endless punishment where he will be “tormented” (Matthew 25:46).