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Matthew 18
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Chapter 18
18. THE DISCOURSE ON THE CHURCH
Who is the greatest?
1
At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’
2
So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them.
3
Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4
And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
On leading others astray
5
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
6
But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith in me would be better drowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck.
7
Alas for the world that there should be such obstacles! Obstacles indeed there must be, but alas for the man who provides them!
8
‘If your hand or your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
9
And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell of fire.
10
‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.[*a]
The lost sheep
12
‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray?
13
I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all.
14
Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Brotherly correction
15
‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, is between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.
16
If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge.
17
But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community;[*b] and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
18
‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
Prayer in common
19
‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.
20
For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’
Forgiveness of injuries
21
Then Peter went up to him and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’
22
Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.
Parable of the unforgiving debtor
23
‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants.
24
When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents;[*c]
25
but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt.
26
At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.”
27
And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt.
28
Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii;[*d] and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said.
29
His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you”.
30
But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt.
31
His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him.
32
Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me.
33
Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?”
34
And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt.
35
And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’
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