A Study of Matthew Chapter 18

 by Stan Feldsine (www.tojesusbeallglory.com)

Matthew 18:1-6 - Who is the Greatest

Mat 18:1-6 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (2) He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. (3) And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (6) "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

The subject of this chapter concerns the question of "who is the greatest" that the disciples asked. That is the context. This chapter is not a set of random teachings about children or church discipline.

The disciples were asking these questions with regards to their position in the Messianic Kingdom. This may have been prompted by their being privileged to be with Jesus, Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, and perhaps Jesus's association of Peter with the building of the church.

In response to the disciples pride laced questions about having a leadership role Jesus presents a small child to them and tells them they must be like the child to enter the Kingdom. He was saying that being greatest was not the goal, entering the Kingdom was. The point was that a prideful spirit was itself inconsistent with a member of the Kingdom. The proper spirit was one of humility. Children are unconcerned with social status and demonstrate childlike dependence on their Father.

The answer to the disciples question regarding who is the greatest then is that the one who has the childlike attitude of humility was the greatest.

Jesus continues to teach the implications of having this attitude, how we treat those that practice humility and dependence. Jesus states that how we treat those who are humble is in practice how we are treating Jesus Himself. If we welcome the humble, we welcome Jesus.

If we cause those kingdom children who believe in Jesus to stumble, the consequences are severe. We cause children of the kingdom to stumble and doubt through false teachings and doctrinal error.

Matthew 18:7-9 - Temptations to Sin

Mat 18:7-9 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! (8) If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. (9) And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Here Jesus is warning the unbelieving world against causing others to stumble and sin. The net is that the world itself will be judged for placing stumbling blocks before believers, at the individual level.

Jesus, using hyperbole as He did in Mat 5:29-30 expresses the severity of the punishment for causing believers to stumble and sin.

Matthew 18:10-14 - The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Mat 18:10-14 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. (12) "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? (13) And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. (14) In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Continuing the exposition of the value of "little ones", those who are believers who have childlike humility and dependence, Jesus tells us to value them highly. Despise means to "treat with contempt" or "think nothing of", but we are to value these.

Jesus illustrates how He views these, that if one of 99 looses his way Jesus will go after them to bring them back. The people were beginning to accept the Pharisees explanation that Jesus was demon motivated, causing "little ones" to stumble and fall. They didn't know who to believe and accordingly were wandering away from Jesus.

Joh 7:11-20 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, "Where is he?" (12) Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." (13) But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. (14) Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. (15) The Jews there were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having been taught?" (16) Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. (17) Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. (18) Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. (19) Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?" (20) "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"

The charge of demonism is now coming from the multitude, not just the religious leaders.

The angels are mentioned here in the context of believers who express childlike faith and humility. Jesus is not talking about children, but the term "children" is used as a metaphor for the humility of those believers who would be greatest in the Kingdom.

Matthew 18:15-20 - If Your Brother Sins Against You

Mat 18:15-20 "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. (16) But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' (17) If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (18) "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (19) "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. (20) For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

This section continues the kingdom discussion that deals with the Kingdom, not making people stumble, not allowing oneself to stumble, and going after the one who is straying. Now He deals with the case when someone does stumble and sin, and how to bring them back to righteousness.

The sin here is that of an unrighteous act. The sin in this case is not that of hurting someones feelings or offending someone based on personal taste. It is a sin against God, such as lying, stealing, lust, etc.

First, the accusation is brought to the brother one on one, which helps to ensure that he person being accused is able to respond rightly and not in a self defense or prideful mode that might be engendered by a crowd seeming to come on the attack.

Second, if the brother does not properly respond to the initial exhortation, the 2 or 3 others are brought in to corroborate. Normally this would be sufficient to ensure 1) the accused that he is not being falsely accused, and 2) that confirmation of the guilt of the accused is determined.

Thirdly, if the accused still stubbornly refuses to respond to the exhortation, then the whole assembly is brought in. "Assembly" here does not mean the entire church in today's sense, it means assembly in the sense of the early NT church that met in people's homes. In this case, should the accused continue to deny the exhortation, then they are excommunicated and are left outside the covenants and blessings of God. This shows the severity of the command to not cause the "little one" to stumble.

It should be noted that the context of binding and loosing is within the judicial and legislative bounds of the text. Similarly, as mentioned earlier in Mat 16:19, binding and loosing is in the same context, that of legislative and judicial governance of the church. To "bind" means to prohibit, and to "loose" means to permit.

The same is true of the context of having two on earth agreeing. The context of the statement is again legislative and judicial governance, as laid out in Mat 18:15-20. This comes from Deu 19:15.

Deu 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

These two passages are regularly taken out of context and misused in the context of spiritual warfare. We are not called to go on the offense against Satan and His demons, rather we are called to flee defensively. This battle is the Lord's.

Jas 4:6-8 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." (7) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Matthew 18:21-35 - The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Mat 18:21-35 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" (22) Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. (24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. (25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. (26) "At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' (27) The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. (28) "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. (29) "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' (30) "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. (31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. (32) "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. (33) Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' (34) In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. (35) "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

The parable of the unforgiving servant comes out from the teaching of the brother who sins against us in Mat 18:15-20, and is subsequently found guilty. If found guilty, how many times is he allowed to commit a sin like this and be forgiven of that sin?

The question Peter asks, how many times can they be forgiven, implies that there is a limit. Rabbinic teaching was that someone could be forgiven the same sin 3 times, but if committed a 4th time no forgiveness is required. Peter doubled that, presumably to be generous, to seven times.

Jesus's response of 7 times 70 is intended as a limitless amount, not 490 times. The point was we should not be keeping count, or limiting forgiveness.

1Co 13:4-5 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5) It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

The parable at hand brings out the evil of not forgiving someone because it reveals a heart with a lack of appreciation for the forgiveness God has granted to us. In this parable, a man who was forgiven much failed to forgive much, and accordingly was punished for his lack of appreciation.