CHAPTER 18

(A.D. 32)

JESUS EXPLAINS GREATNESS

¹At the same time came the Disciples unto Jesus (probably in the home of Peter), saying, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? (Jesus addresses wrong attitudes.)

²And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them (the single greatest lesson taught by Christ),

³And He said, Verily I say unto you, Except you be converted (Born-Again), and become as little children (a child is totally dependent on its parents, and Believers must be as dependent on Christ), you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (failure of total dependence on Christ and the Cross, will pull one into unbelief, and, thereby, a lost condition).

⁴Whosoever (no exceptions to this rule) therefore shall humble himself as this little child (requirement for greatness), the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (direct opposite of the standard of the world).

⁵And whoso shall receive one such little child in My Name receives Me (Believers who depend on self, will not accept the Cross, for this is what this means and, therefore, will not receive such a one who does [Lk. 9:27-28]).

THE SERIOUSNESS OF OFFENCES

⁶But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me (doesnt refer to weak Christians as some believe, but rather to those who trust Christ and the Cross exclusively), it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Christ again uses symbolism).

⁷Woe unto the world because of offences! (Offences against true Believers.) for it must needs be that offences come (due to the Fall); but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (All who touch true Believers touch Christ.)

⁸Wherefore if your hand or your foot offend you, cut them off, and cast them from you (symbolism): it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire (while not offending true Believers will not save one, offending them will definitely bring about the most serious degree of punishment in eternity).

⁹And if your eye offend you, 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 (Christ continues to use symbolism).

¹⁰Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones (one who trusts in Christ and the Cross); for I say unto you, That in Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of My Father which is in Heaven (every true Believer is assigned an Angel, who reports to the Heavenly Father, any and all things pertaining to that Believer).

THE LOST SHEEP

¹¹For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost (Salvation was paid for at great price; therefore, all who accept that Salvation become the property of God the Father [I Cor. 6:20]).

¹²How do you think? if a man has an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and go into the mountains (proclaims the extensive efforts of the Lord to find the lost one), and seeks that which is gone astray? (Proves that Believers can go astray and, therefore, refutes the unscriptural doctrine of unconditional eternal security.)

¹³And if so be that he find it (proclaims the fact, that it is possible, that the sheep be not found), verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray (is not meant to place any approval on the straying, but instead, on being found; such proclaims a great victory over Satan).

¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven, that one of these little ones should perish (proclaims the fact that a Believer can cease to believe and, therefore, become an unbeliever; if so, such a one will be lost; this shows the preciousness of the soul).

DISPUTES AMONG BELIEVERS

¹⁵Moreover if your brother (brother in the Lord) shall trespass against you (sin against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother (the way to settle disputes).

¹⁶But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established (in the hearing of impartial witnesses).

¹⁷And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church (Elders of the Church): but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican (there can be no fellowship).

THE POWER OF BELIEVERS

¹⁸Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven (if the Believer conducts himself Scripturally, the decision reached will be honored and ratified in Heaven).

THE POWER OF UNITED PRAYER

¹⁹Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven (anything is conditional on it being the Will of God; God will never allow His Word to be used against Himself).

²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them (the requirement is to meet in His Name; doing such by even two or three, in the Eyes of God, constitute a Church).

FORGIVENESS

²¹Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? (One of the most important questions asked by any Disciple.)

²²Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (there must be unlimited forgiveness [Lk. 17:4]).

²³Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants (a Parable illustrating the principle of forgiveness).

²⁴And when he had begun to reckon (to check the books), one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents (if in gold, it represented approximately four billion dollars; if silver, it represented approximately eighty million dollars; a tremendous sum to say the least!).

²⁵But forasmuch as he couldnt pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made (this represents the sinner who cannot hope to pay such a staggering amount, no matter what he does!).

²⁶The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all (he couldnt pay such a vast debt, and neither can we, which is meant to illustrate that which we owe to God).

²⁷Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt (to forgive one, is at the same time, to loose him).

²⁸But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence (represents about three hundred dollars): and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe (he did not show the compassion that had been shown him; it becomes more heinous when one considers the difference in the debt).

²⁹And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all (basically says the same thing, as the first debtor had said).

³⁰And he would not (would not forgive him the three hundred dollars): but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt (which means that him being in prison makes it virtually impossible for him to pay the debt; so he will likely stay there until he dies).

³¹So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done (to be sure, the Lord always knows what was done).

³²Then his lord (Christ is Lord of all), after that he had called him (the one he had forgiven the ten thousand talents), said unto him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired it of me (unforgiveness of others is wicked, and puts one in the category of a wicked servant):

³³Should not you also have had compassion on your fellow-servant, even as I had pity on you? (We must never forget how much the Lord has forgiven us, and likewise, show the same spirit toward others, who owe us much less than we owe the Lord.)

³⁴And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him (lack of forgiveness of others revokes the forgiveness of God to us; a sobering thought!).

³⁵So likewise shall My Heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (true forgiveness comes from the heart, and God knows when it is true).