Matthew 18

The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

Read and summarize

Look for

— Prayers ( Blue )

— Promises ( Green )

— Warnings ( Red )

— Commands ( Purple )

Chapter 18

Read and summarize

Q: Jesus loved and welcomes children wherever he went. What are some of your favorite childhood memories? What do you miss most about the carefree days of childhood?

MacArthur

Scripture describes and identifies the people of God by many names. But more frequently than anything else we are called children — children of promise, children of the day, children of the light, beloved children, and children of God. As believers we can rejoice in the wonderful truth that, through Christ, we have become God’s own children, adopted by grace. Consequently, we bear the image of God’s family and are joint heirs with Jesus Christ of everything God possesses. We enjoy God’s love, care, protection, power, and other resources in abundance for all eternity.

But there is another side of our being children. In Scripture believers are also referred to as children in the sense that we are incomplete, weak, dependent, undeveloped, unskilled, vulnerable, and immature. Matthew 18 focuses on these immature, un-perfected, childlike qualities that believers demonstrate as they mutually develop into conformity to the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ.

This chapter is a single sermon by our Lord on the specific theme of the child-likeness of the believer, speaking directly to the reality that we are spiritual children with all the weaknesses that childhood implies. The first lesson in this masterful sermon is that everyone who enters the kingdom does so as a child. Jesus then teaches that all of us in the kingdom must be treated as children, cared for as children, disciplined as children, and forgiven as children. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the single greatest discourse our Lord ever gave on life among the redeemed people in His church. We shall attempt to recover these truths that are so vital, powerful, and needed by the church in every age and place.

— This is the fourth of five great discourses contained in this gospel

Entering the Kingdom ( 18:1-4 )

( 18:1-4 ) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Loved Children

— He raised a little girl from the dead, the daughter of the synagogue leader Jairus ( Matthew 9:23-25; Luke 8:41 )

— During a funeral procession He was moved with compassion for the grieving mother who lost her son and He raised him from the dead ( Luke 7 )

— Jesus rebuked the disciples for preventing children to come to Him ( Matthew 19:13; Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15-17 )

— Children are the most vulnerable among us both while in the womb and after they are born

— They are innocent, helpless, need constant care and protection and Jesus always showed kindness and tenderness toward children

— Yet, this passage is not about children

Children rest and are content

— Children are young and innocent and believe what they are told

— They are a picture of trust, rest and contentment illustrated by a simple faith

— They are like a “weaned child” ( Ps 131:2) trusting in God, not striving to control every situation or figure everything out

— Children are satisfied with milk and have no need of biblical doctrine

— But Jesus is not teaching that we are to be like unlearned children who simply believe without doctrine

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” ( Heb 5:12 )

Q: What question is Jesus answering and why did He use a child to illustrate His answer ( 18:3 )?

( 18:3 ) unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

— From Mark’s gospel we learn that Jesus precipitated this conversation by asking the disciples what they had been discussing among themselves earlier ( Mark 9:33,34 )

— The fact that disciples had been arguing about their relative ranks in the kingdom show they were making little effort to apply what they had been taught

— They were as proud, self-seeking, self-sufficient, and ambitious as ever

— Jesus is using a small child to answer the question of who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

Unless

RC Sproul

What, then, did He mean? As we begin to explore Jesus’ meaning, it is crucial that we note His use of the word unless. Any time we see this term, we know that it introduces a necessary condition that has to be fulfilled for the desired result to take place. The condition that Jesus said has to be met in order for someone to enter the kingdom of God is conversion.

First, you must enter the kingdom

— The fact that you must enter the kingdom assumes he or she is born outside of it

— Holding an exalted place in heaven is secondary to securing entrance into the kingdom

— First things first

— You must become a little child in the sense that you must be born again

— When you are born again, you start out spiritually as a child

— Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ( John 3:5 )

Second, you must come humbly like a child

— You bring no accomplishments, status or anything of value to offer the Lord

— You come like children with

— humble and sincere hearts ( 18:4 )

— a desire to be obedient ( 7:21 )

— poor in spirit ( 5: 3)

— You bring a simple childlike belief ( RC Sproul )

— Simplicity, innocence, unquestioning acceptance; yielding like a little child.

— Jesus knew that young children are not little angels; they can be self-centered and demanding

— Instead, He was telling them to become like children in their humility

— A young child does not think that he knows more than his parents, rather a young child thinks his parents know everything

— If a mother tells a child Santa Claus is real, the child will believe his mother

— A true believer must trust God implicitly, because he knows that God is altogether trustworthy

Born a Christian

— I hear people say that “I was born a Christian”

— As a Catholic, I was taught that you are born a Christian and once a Catholic always a Catholic

— But Scripture tells us that everyone ( except Christ ) is born into this world in a state of spiritual death

“ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” ( Eph 2: 1 )

— In that sense, no one is born a Christian; you must be born again

Going Deeper

RC Sproul

Recently, as I was reminiscing about my fifty-plus years of teaching and preaching, I began trying to calculate the number of messages I have given. As near as I could guess, including college and seminary lectures, as well as radio messages, it is somewhere between twenty-five thousand and thirty thousand messages.

Perhaps I should share with you how I mutilated this text in 1958. I used it to articulate that pernicious idea that invades churches all over the world—that to be a Christian is to have a simple faith. The New Testament, of course, is clear that if we are called of God, if we are believers in Him, we are not to be satisfied with the milk of the gospel but to grow to the fullness of maturity as God’s people by consuming the meat God has given to us in His Word. But I told my hearers that day that we do not need to spend copious amounts of time and energy poring over the Scriptures. I told them that we do not need a lot of theology and doctrine. Instead, all we need is Jesus. We need to be simple people with a simple faith. But that is not what Jesus was getting at when He told the disciples they must be converted and become as little children.

The Danger of Causing a Christian to Sin ( 18:5-9 )

( 18:5-9 ) Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Q: What does the child illustrate? Is Jesus talking about young children or spiritual children ( 18:5 )?

The Principle ( 18:5 )

( 18:5 ) Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

— It is clear that Jesus is not speaking of children in general, but young believers

— We know this because Jesus said, “little ones who believe in Me”

— It is impossible to separate Christ from His people

— Whoever receives a child of God in Christ’s name receives Christ

— No matter how lowly, unsophisticated, immature or weak a believer is, he must be treated as the precious child of God he truly is

— In profound terms, Jesus affirmed this reality to His disciples:

— “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” ( Lk 10:16; cf. John 13:20 )

— When Saul was persecuting the Christians, the Lord confronted him on the Damascus road:

— “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ( Acts 9:4 )

— The Lord emphatically taught this unity between Himself and His people ( 25:31-40 )

RC Sproul

But His teaching was not about these young believers. It was about those who relate to them. Specifically, He gave a warning to anyone who would cause a young believer to sin. He also acknowledged that “offenses,” or temptations, will happen in this fallen world, but the one who causes such temptations is deserving of woe, and the world is deserving of woe for its wholehearted devotion to sin.

Q: When a person mistreats a believer does it matter if the person is a non-believer or believer? Are there different standards ( 18:6-7 )?

The Peril ( 18:6-7 )

( 18:6-7 ) “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

— Whether the person is the worst persecuting pagan who causes harm to a Christian or he is a believer who causes harm to a fellow Christian, the result is the same: Christ Himself is attacked

— In the most vivid and sobering language, Jesus says that such a person would be better off dying a terrible death

— Zechariah declared that whoever harms God’s people Israel pokes God in the eye ( Zech 2:8 )

— A husband may suggest to his wife, “Let’s add this deduction to our income tax return. It really doesn’t qualify, but no one will know”

— In doing so he commits a double sin by inducing his wife to join him in fraudulence

— This example and many others would qualify as leading a child of God into sin

— We must never take lightly the spiritual education and protection of those young in age or young in the faith. Guard these little ones, preventing them and yourselves from falling into temptation ( 6-9 )

( 18:7 ) Woe to the world because of offenses

— Woe is the word for judgment and condemnation

— The world is under God’s curse not only because of its own sinfulness but because of the moral and spiritual stumbling blocks it puts in the path of believers

— The world is full of stumbling blocks: magazines, movies, and commonly accepted practices and attitudes to mislead and corrupt those who belong to God

RC Sproul

I often hear from distraught parents who have sent their sons and daughters to colleges that they thought were Christian institutions, only to see their children exposed to an avalanche of skeptical criticism about the Christian faith. Parents cannot and should not assume that because a college was once a committed Christian school that it continues to be such. Many schools recruit students on the basis of their past reputation, even though they have abandoned any real commitment to the Christian faith. We have to be extremely careful to monitor the education of our children, lest they be led astray. It is partly because of this danger that my son and his late wife, like many other Christian parents, have home-schooled their children. My son once said to me: “People say we’re sheltering our kids." … t is right and proper for parents to shelter their children from those who would lead them astray. We have a duty as parents to protect our children from the traps that are set for them .... When I think about those college professors who make sport out of trying to destroy the faith of the students who have come into their classrooms, I tremble to think what they will experience on the last day.

— It is expected that those in the world will cause Christians to be offended, stumble and sin, and they will be judged by it

— But it should not be that fellow believers lead others to sin, directly or indirectly; one would be better off dead (cf. Rom 14:13, 19, 21; 15:2; 1 Cor 8:13 )

Have you ever joked with non-believers, used fowl language to fit in? You may have caused a young brother to stumble

Q: Jesus warned the disciples about two ways to cause “little ones” to sin. What were they (18:7-9; 18:10-14 )?

The Prevention and care of God’s children ( 18:8-14 )

( 18:8-14 ) “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. 10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Cut it off

— The Lord is speaking figuratively, because no part of our physical bodies causes us to sin, and removing any part of it would not keep us from sinning

— What good would it do to cut off the right hand?

— The left hand would sin

— The point is that we should do whatever is necessary to keep from sinning or to keep others from sinning

— The intent of these words is simply to call for dramatic severing of sinful impulses in us which push us to evil action

— For the individual, any relationship, practice, or activity that leads to sin should be stopped

— And the implication here is that there is overcoming grace available for victory over temptation and sin

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” ( 1 Cor 10:13 )

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” ( Heb 4:15 )

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ( Jn 16:33 )

Going Deeper

RC Sproul

In our day, there is an epidemic of addiction to pornography. I do not know how many families and homes I have personally seen destroyed by this problem, which has been enormously exacerbated by the Internet, which allows people to access pornography in the privacy of their homes. If you are struggling with Internet pornography, here is my advice: get rid of your Internet access or the computer itself. I am not kidding. If Jesus were speaking to you in modern terms, He would say that it is far better for you to go through life without Internet access or a computer than to spend eternity in hell. That is what is at stake.

( 18:9b ) It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Q: Why don’t we hear much preaching in our church about hell? ( 18:9 ) ?

Hell

— Jesus taught the same thing earlier in the Sermon on the Mount ( cf. 5:29-30 )

— Earlier Jesus taught the lesson about dealing harshly with sin and hell

— Hardly one in a hundred so called Christians take hell seriously and it is scarcely taught in our churches

— We water down his words and reduce hell to symbolism or metaphor

— Yet, Jesus taught more about hell then heaven

— Jesus described hell this way ( the comparative verse to 18:9 )

“where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’” ( Mk 9:44 )

( 18:10 ) “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

— “little ones” does not refer to physical children but Christians, those who believe in Christ ( 18:6 )

— Jesus warned the disciples about two ways to cause “little ones” to sin

— Tempting them to sin ( 18:7-9 )

— Neglecting or demeaning them ( 18:10-14 )

— As leaders, we are to help young people or new believers avoid anything or anyone that could cause them to stumble in their faith and lead them to sin

— We must never take lightly the spiritual education and protection of those young in age or young in the faith

Food for thought – If this passage is about children, does this provide Biblical support for the concept of guardian angels (at least for kids)

— Heb 1:14 seems to indicate that only the saved have guardian angels

Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Fun Facts about the nature of Angels:

— Angels are creatures ( Neh 9:6; Ps 148:2, 5; Col 1:16-17 )

— Their primary task is to function as messengers for God

— The bible calls them “ministering spirits” ( Heb 1:14 ), which tells us that they do not have physical bodies although they may appear in human form:

Sodom and Gomorrah

Resurrection; Ascension

— Spoke, took men by the hand, ate meals

— Capable of direct physical combat

– Passover in Egypt

– Slaughter of 185,000 Syrians

RC Sproul

In His words to His disciples, Jesus pointed to the role of angels in caring for weaker ones, the spiritual infants among His disciples. He warned those who would “despise” or seek to harm them or corrupt them to remember that their angels are in heaven, where they behold the face of God. I cannot read this verse without thinking of Isaiah 6, that marvelous account of Isaiah’s vision of the heavenly throne room, where the seraphim were flying around the throne of God, singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts” (v. 3). What a tremendous vocation angels have—they were created to minister in the immediate presence of God, seeing things none of us have ever seen in this world.

Because of this text and a few others, people have deduced the idea that all Christians have specific guardian angels assigned to them, to watch over them and care for them in times of danger or peril. That may be the case, but I personally do not think these verses give us enough information to come to that conclusion with certainty. I think we could make a somewhat stronger case from this verse that angels in general or at least some of them are tasked with watching over a particular group—little ones who may be in jeopardy.

Of course, we must never forget that other angels are watching us, but not for our good. These are the fallen angels, the demons. It was from the ranks of the angels that Satan and his forces fell. The Apostle Paul warns us that in our spiritual struggles we do not wrestle simply against the flesh; rather, our strife is against powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12).

( 18:11 ) For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

— This verse is not found in the best and earliest manuscripts

— The almost identical phrase, however, is in Luke 19:10

— The phrase was probably picked up from Luke by a well-meaning copyist and added to Matthew

— But why is it here? It seems to be out of place, although it does fit with the following parable about the lost sheep

— But this parable is not about evangelism?

— What is it about?

— It is about shepherding the disciples

RC Sproul

This parable is also found in the Gospel of Luke (15:4–7), and Luke’s version is about evangelism. There, the lost sheep clearly represents an unbeliever. But here in Matthew, the lost sheep does not represent one who has never come to faith but one who is part of the flock of God and wanders away. This sheep is one who belongs to Him.

— Here Jesus is indicating His pastoral care for His people

— Jesus is saying that if His little ones are indeed lead astray, He will seek for them and bring them back

— No one who is truly His will be led away from Him in the ultimate sense

RC Sproul

I once got lost in the mountains in Western Pennsylvania. I was miles from the nearest road. I tried to determine the direction I needed to go by the position of the sun in the sky. When I got thirsty, I looked for water. I had a high-powered rifle with me, and I kept firing it into the air hoping that someone from my party would hear it and come find me. I was lost for hours, and it was one of the scariest experiences of my life. But I knew I was lost and I wanted to be found.

In either version of this parable, Matthew’s or Luke’s, I think it is safe to say that the lost sheep does not know it is lost. We all interact every day with people who are lost in sin and do not realize it. I have a friend who always teases me about being a preacher. When I saw him recently, he said, “Praise the Lord!” Then he added, “Come on, R.C., say something religious.” So, I looked at him and said: “Okay. You’re going to hell.” That was not what he was expecting. He almost fell out of his chair. In the next hour, he must have asked me ten times, “Did you say I’m going to hell?” I finally told him: “I don’t want you to go to hell, but that’s where you’re going. You’re lost, but you don’t know that you’re lost.”

Likewise, unbelieving men and women do not want to be found by God. One of my pet peeves is churches that design their worship services to be “seeker sensitive.” They want their Sunday morning services to be attractive to unbelievers, comfortable times for people who are seeking after God. I cannot understand why they do not see that the Bible says no one seeks after God (Rom. 3:11). Human beings, in their natural, unregenerate state, are fugitives from God. They cannot get as far away from God as they would like to be. The first sin of the human race resulted in a game of hide-and-seek. But it was not a game. Adam and Eve were filled with shame and sought to hide from the presence of God. Men and women have been fugitives from the presence of God ever since. We want nothing to do with God. No one is seeking Him.

— We can’t hide from God but He seeks us

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.” ( Ps 139:7-10 )

( 18:13 ) And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray

— Jesus says “if,” for there are times when a straying sheep cannot be found

— If the shepherd actually finds the wandering sheep he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine

— Jesus is asserting that the Father in heaven is definitely interested in each of his sheep, yes, even in each of his wandering sheep. By sending His Son into the world he is rescuing sheep that have gone astray

Believers’ Relation to the Father ( 18:14 )

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

— The Pharisees and scribes considered the uneducated and lower classes to be morally and religiously inferior and worth little, if any, of their attention

— Jesus, on the other hand, would not break off a battered reed or put out a smoldering wick ( Matt 12:20; cf. Isa 42:3 )

— Both of those figures being pictures of treatment given to afflicted and helpless humanity

— He would not further break someone who was already broken and suffering, nor would He further quench someone whose remaining life and hope were already about to be extinguished

— Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus demonstrated just the opposite concern as He fed the hungry, healed the sick, encouraged the hopeless, and offered forgiveness to sinners

— “He did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” ( Lk 9:56 )

— Just as a shepherd is concerned about one lost sheep, God does not wish for anyone to perish

— “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” ( 2 Pet 3:9 )

— It does not matter which sheep goes astray; the Lord is equally concerned for any one of them

— The Lord’s care for His people is patient with their sinfulness and foolishness

— Here we sees God’s seeking care; He does not wait for the lost sheep to return on its own but personally goes as far into the wilderness as necessary to find and rescue it

Going Deeper

RC Sproul

If you struggle against the biblical doctrine of election, the teaching that God sovereignly elects a people and individuals to come to Him, you will be drawn to texts such as this one, which seem to suggest that God does not want anyone to perish, disproving the idea that He coldheartedly elects some and passes over others. If that is your thinking, you need to be careful, because the Bible speaks of the will of God in more than one way.

First, it speaks of God’s preceptive will, that will that He states in His commands, in His law. For instance, it is His will that people have no other gods before Him (Ex. 20:3). That is His law. However, that law can be broken. God’s preceptive will can and is violated by human beings every time we sin.

Second, there is the decretive will of God, those things He decrees that must come to pass. When the universe was empty and darkness was upon the face of the deep, God willed the creation of light. When He said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3), He was not saying to some cosmic power above and beyond Him, “Please, let the lights come on.” The language in the phrase “Let there be light” shows that it is an imperative, a command. When He gave the word, the lights came on. The lights could not refuse to shine, because when God sovereignly wills and commands something to be, it happens every single time.

Third, there is His will of disposition. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 33:11). God does not gain sadistic glee in sending people to hell. Nevertheless, He sends them there because He also wills justice. He is like a judge whose own son appears before him, having been convicted by a jury of his peers. The judge is called upon to set the sentence. If he is a just judge, an honest judge, a judge with integrity, he will send his own son to jail. But he will do it with tears. That’s what the Bible is saying when it tells us God does not delight in the death of the wicked. He does not take pleasure in their judgment. Here in Matthew, Jesus was not talking about the preceptive will of God.

He may have been talking about the decretive will, saying that God will not permit any of His elect people to be lost (a point that is made by numerous other passages). The Bible tells us, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). So, if you are a regenerate person who has gone on vacation from your spiritual life, if you really are in Christ Jesus and you have wandered away from God, He will not let you stay there. He will bring you back. Jesus also may have been talking about the will of disposition, saying that God does not want any of His sheep to perish.

Jesus identified Himself not only as the Son of Man but as the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14), who does not merely seek out His lost sheep but lays down His life for them. We are the sheep of His pasture because He bought us at the terrible price of His blood. After paying such a price, He will not let us stray.

Q: Matthew 18:15-19 speaks about church discipline. What does Jesus call believers to do when a brother or sister is in sin? How has our church carried out church discipline in the past?

The Discipline of God’s Children ( 18:15-20 )

( 18:15-20 ) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

— This is not a license to litigate against your brother every time he offends you

— Elsewhere the bible tells us:

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” ( 1 Pet 4:8 )

— Minor offenses are to be covered by grace and charity

Going Deeper

RC Sproul

But are not all sins serious? In the medieval era, the Roman Catholic Church made a distinction between venial sins and mortal sins. Venial sins are offenses against God that are not mortal; that is, they do not kill the grace of justification that has been infused into the believer’s soul by the sacraments. Mortal sins, however, do kill that grace, requiring the believer to partake of the sacrament of penance in order to be restored to a state of salvation. In making this distinction between very serious sins and lesser sins, Rome was responding to principles that are taught in the New Testament, which occasionally gives lists of sins that are more egregious than others (see Rom. 1:28–31; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Eph. 5:3–5). John Calvin, in responding to this distinction at the time of the Reformation, offered a very balanced perspective, saying that every sin is mortal in that it deserves death, but no sin is mortal in the sense that it can destroy the grace of justification that we enjoy in Christ.

( 18:15 ) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.

— Our first instinct when we are hurt is to go gossip to someone

— If someone wounds us our first instinct is not to go to that person

Initial Step

— But Jesus says go alone to that person, in that way we can save the relationship

— Sometimes that is enough; if you are reconciled the matter is closed; you have restored the relationship

Secondary Steps

— Take two or three witnesses

— The idea being that the one who sinned against you will be moved by the wisdom of multiple counselors

— If this fails, take it to the church

— Not told to make it public

— Take it to the elders who may offer biblical counseling or temporarily ban him from the Lord’s table

( 18:17 ) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

— If this fails, Jesus is talking about excommunication

— There is only one sin for which a person can be excommunicated ( contumacy ) — the refusal to repent from sin that involved church discipline

— Paul wrote to the church in Corinth who refused to disciple a man living in open sin (1 Cor 5:2-3 )

— Paul told to discipline him and eventually he was removed from the church

— But the church refused to bring him back after he repented, so Paul had to write the church again asking to bring him back ( 2 Cor 2:8 )

Summary of Matthew Discipline

— These are Jesus’ guidelines for dealing with those who sin against us:

( 1 ) They were meant for Christians and not unbelievers

( 2 ) since committed against you and not others

( 3 ) conflict resolution in the context of the church, not the community at large

( 4) Church discipline should be a last resort

— Jesus’ words are not a license for a frontal attack on every person who hurts or slights us

— They are designed to reconcile those who disagree so that all Christians can live in harmony

— When someone wrongs us, we often do the opposite of what Jesus recommends

— We turn away in hatred or resentment, seek revenge or engage in gossip

— By contrast, we should go to that person, first, as difficult as it may be

— Then, we should forgive that person as often as he or she needs it ( 18:21,22 )

Q: Verse 20 is one of the most often misunderstood verses in the bible. What does it mean to you ( 18:20 )?

The Authority for Discipline ( 18:18-20 )

( 18:18-20 ) Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

— The binding and loosing refers to the decisions of the church in conflicts

— This verse speaks not merely of Christ’s presence, but His participation in the discipline process

— The idea is not that heaven follows the church’s lead, but that when discipline is correctly administered, whatever is done on earth has already been done in heaven

— This is one of the requests of the Lord’s prayer, isn’t it? “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” ( 6:10 )

— Among believers there should be no court of appeals beyond the church

Misunderstood and misapplied

— This is a passage about church discipline

— Roman Catholic Church believes these words were spoken specifically to Peter, so it takes these references to binding and loosing as teaching that the pope, who is regarded as the successor of Peter, holds the keys of the kingdom ( RC Sproul )

( 18:19-20 ) “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

— This verse often is understood as implying that God is in our midst if two or three people are gathered together in worship

— Simply finding two people on earth who agree on something does not mean that God will make it happen

— Again, the context is discipline

— Jesus was saying that He is with the leaders of the church to validate their decisions on church discipline, much in the way that Paul said he would be with the Corinthians “in spirit” as they brought discipline against the man who was living in sin (1 Cor. 5:3–5)

Learning to Forgive ( 18:21-35 )

( 18:21-35 ) Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

How often should I forgive?

( 18:21 ) “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?

— The Rabbis taught that you should forgive a person three times

— They believed they had biblical support

— In Amos God pronounced doom on the enemies of Israel as well as Gaza, Tyre, Edom and Ammon

— Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron ( Amos 1:3 )

— Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive the whole captivity To deliver them up to Edom. 7 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, Which shall devour its palaces. 8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn My hand against Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” Says the Lord God. 9 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, Which shall devour its palaces.” 11 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever. 12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.” 13 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, That they might enlarge their territory. ( Amos 6 -13 )

— They were allowed three transgressions but God would not overlook the fourth

— Jesus said I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

— Forgiveness is a way of life for Christians

The Servant who could not pay his debts ( 18:23-34 )

— In Bible times, serious consequences awaited those who could not pay their debts

— A person lending money could seize the borrower who couldn’t pay and force him or his family to work until the debt was paid

— The debtor could also be thrown into prison, or his family could be sold into slavery to help pay off the debt

— It was hoped that the debtor while in prison, would sell his landholdings or that relatives would pay the debt

— If not, the debtor could remain in prison for life

Ten Thousand Talents

— A talent was 80 pounds of silver

— It was worth about 6,000 denarii or two year’s wages

— A denarii was a day’s wages

— Ten thousand is not literal but meant to represent an incomprehensible amount of money

— Remember, Jesus is telling a parable here to demonstrate a point

A hundred Denarii

— About 3 month’s wages

— This is not insignificant but small compared to what the other man owed

“70 Times 7”

— The Sabbath for the land was six years to cultivate, the seventh to rest (Lev 25:1-7)

— For 490 years Israel failed to keep the Sabbath year of the land.

— Since they failed to keep the Sabbath of the land for 490 years, the Lord said you owe me 70 and sent them into captivity in Babylon

— He forgave them for 70 X 7 times and then called what was due (2 Chr 36:21 )

The King’s reaction

( 18:32-34 ) 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

RC Sproul

Notice that the king did not throw the servant to the torturers because he failed to pay what he had owed. That which provoked the king to wrath was not how the servant had managed the king’s money but how he had managed the king’s mercy. He had failed to be a good steward of the king’s grace. The only way this servant had continued to enjoy freedom and life was by the grace of the king. But when the king forgave him all that he owed, the servant showed no grace, no mercy for other people. The king was not willing to put up with that.

— Because Christ has paid for our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others; we should be free and generous in our forgiveness

Food for thought on Forgiveness:

One of the prerequisites for forgiveness is repentance on the part of the person who is to be forgiven

— Forgiveness is always based on the repentance of the offender

— The underlying idea is that we should forgive as God has forgiven us (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13)

( 18:35 ) “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

— Is not that law? Where is grace there? To be told that if we do not forgive, we shall not be forgiven, is not grace

— Does it teach that I am forgiven only because I have forgiven? No, the teaching is this, if I do not forgive, I am not forgiven ( cf 6:16 )

— The man who sees himself as a guilty, vile sinner before God knows his only hope of heaven is that God has forgiven him freely

— The man who does not forgive another does not know forgiveness himself

— If my heart has been broken in the presence of God I cannot refuse to forgive

— The man who is truly forgiven and knows it, is a man who forgives

Additional Resources

MacArthur, John. Matthew 16-23. Moody Press, 1988.

MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.

MacArthur, John. The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness. Crossway Books, 2009.

Life Application Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011.

J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Bible Study Questions https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Matthew/Matthew%20Chapter%2018.html

The 10 Most Misunderstood Verses in the Bible: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/content/series/485982

William Hendriksen. Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1973.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids:William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971.

RC Sproul. Matthew: An expositional commentary. Sanford FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2013