[Matthew 18]

 

             {Mar 9:33-50 & Mat 18:1-14 & Luk 9:46-50 Sept. 29 AD.}

             ^18:1 The disciples came to Jesus in that hour, saying, Who then is greater in the kingdom of the heavens?

             ^18:2 And Jesus called to him a child and stood it in the midst of them, ^18:3 and said, Assuredly I am saying to you^°, If you^° do not turn and become like the children, you^° should never enter into the kingdom of the heavens. ^18:4 Therefore, who will be humbling himself like this young child, this one is the greater one in the kingdom of the heavens. ^18:5 And whoever accepts one such child in my name, accepts me. ^18:6 But whoever offends one of these little ones who believes in me, it is more advantageous for him that^* a millstone rotated by a donkey should be hung at his neck, and that^* he should be sunk in the deep-sea of the sea. {i.e. the bottomless sea}

             ^18:7 Woe to the world from the coming offenses! For^* it is a necessity for the offenses to come; however, woe to that man through whom the offense comes! ^18:8 Now if your hand or your foot is offending you, cut both of them off and cast them from you. It is good for you to enter into the life lame or crippled, rather than to be cast into the everlasting fire, having two hands or two feet. ^18:9 And if your eye is offending you, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is good for you to enter into the life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes, and to be cast into the fiery hell.

             ^18:10 See^° that you^° do not despise one of these little ones; for^* I say to you^°, In the heavens their messengers are always looking at the face of my Father who is in the heavens. ^18:11 For^* the Son of Man came to save the thing which has been lost.

             {Similar: Mat 18:12-14, Luk 15:3-7}

             ^18:12 What are you^° thinking? If it should happen to any man who has a hundred sheep, and one out-of them might be misled, does he not seek the one which is misled, after he left the ninety-nine, traveling upon the mountains? ^18:13 And if he happens to find it, assuredly I am saying to you^°, He rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not been misled. ^18:14 So it is not the will before your^° Father who is in the heavens, that^* one of these little ones should perish.

 

             {Mat 18:15-35; no parallel.}

             ^18:15 Now if your brother should sin at {i.e., against} you, proceed-away and reprove him, the sin is between you and him only; if he hears you, you have gained your brother. ^18:16 But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more, in-order-that, ‘at the mouth of two or three witnesses every declaration should be established.’ {Deu 19:15} ^18:17 But if he should refuse to hear them, tell it to the congregation^*, and if he also should refuse to hear the congregation^*, let him be just-like the Gentile and the tax collector to you.

             ^18:18 Assuredly, I am saying to you^°, As many things as you^° would bind upon the earth will have already been bound in the heaven, and as many things as you^° would loose upon earth will have already been loosed in the heaven. ^18:19 Assuredly I say to you^° again, If two of you^° agree together upon the earth concerning any matter, whatever they ask, it will happen for them from my Father who is in the heavens. ^18:20 For^* where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.

 

             ^18:21 Then Peter came near to him and said, Lord, how-often will my brother sin against {Greek: at or toward} me and I will forgive him? Until seven-times?

             ^18:22 Jesus says to him, I do not say to you, Until seven-times, but, until seventy-times seven. ^18:23 Because of this, the kingdom of the heavens was likened to a man: a king who wished to settle the account with his bondservants. ^18:24 Now after he began to settle the account, one man was brought to him, a debtor of ten-thousand silver talants {170 million dollars US}. ^18:25 But he had nothing to repay him with, so his lord commanded him and his wife and children and all things, as many things as he was holding, to be sold^* and the money to be repaid to him.

             ^18:26 Therefore, the bondservant fell down, was worshiping him, and saying, Lord, have patience upon me, and I will be repaying all of it to you. ^18:27 But the lord of that bondservant had compassion on him, released him and forgave him the loan.

             ^18:28 But that bondservant went forth and found one of his fellow bondservants who was owing him a hundred denarii, and he took-hold of him, and was choking him, saying, Repay, if you are owing me anything.

             ^18:29 Therefore, his fellow bondservant, fell at his feet, was pleading with him, and saying, Have patience upon me and I will be repaying you. ^18:30 But he did was not wishing to, but went away and cast him into prison, until he should repay the thing owed. ^18:31 But his fellow bondservants, saw the things which happened and were extremely sorrowful. And they came to their own lord, and they told all the things which had happened.

             ^18:32 Then his lord called him, says to him, Evil bondservant, I forgave you all that debt, since you pleaded with me. ^18:33 Was it not essential for you to also show-mercy on your fellow bondservant, like I also showed-mercy to you. ^18:34 And his lord was made angry, and gave him to the torturers until he should repay everything, the thing owed to him. ^18:35 So my heavenly Father will also be doing^* to you^°, if each of you^° does not forgive his brother their trespasses from your^° hearts.