Matthew Chapter 18 {Faith Like Children} 18:1~~In the same hour, {they were having a party in honor of Jesus at Peter's house} the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God?" {Note: This is an argument over who is the greatest. They were jealous of Peter! See Mark 9:33-37 and Mark 10:35-45! And, The disciples made the mistake of viewing this spiritual kingdom as a political kingdom and they all wanted to run the show.} 18:2~~He {Jesus} called a little child {probably Peter's child - it was in Peter's house -and was used by Jesus as a training aid} to Himself and had him stand among them. {A message for Judas' Benefit} 18:3~~and {Jesus} kept on saying, "A point of doctrine, unless you are converted {regeneration} and become LIKE little children - maybe you will, maybe you will not {Judas is unsaved} - you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." {Note: 'Little children' are those who learn through faith- rationalism and empiricism have not been developed yet. And, without spiritual birth there can be no spiritual or eternal life. You can not be 'great' IF you are not FIRST in the kingdom (saved). Probably Judas started the argument and at this point he was not even going to be IN the kingdom let alone would he be the greatest there.} {Verses 4-6 - Object Lesson} 18:4~~"Whoever humbles {tapeinoo -grace oriented teach-ability through objectivity} himself like THIS {attention gathering trick - the disciples had trouble concentrating} little child . . . this believer is greater in the kingdom of heaven." {Note: Tapeinoo means to be leveled off or to find a proper level and since it is used to level mountains, it can mean to bring down low. It connotes orientation to grace - recognizing who or what you are when compared to God - you EARN, DESERVE, or MERIT nothing from God! You receive not based on merit, but based on relationship. As a small child of God, God gives to you by grace . . . based on who and what HE is!} {Note: This is grace in action. Post salvation humility resulting from the Filling of the Holy Spirit, strengthened by the PIM of bible doctrine.} {Now Jesus addresses the believing disciples - Child is still the training aid} {Attitude toward other believers is representative of your attitude toward Christ} 18:5~~"And whoever receives warmly with open arms {dechomai} a child like THIS {Jesus probably points at the child} because of My person . . . receives Me -to your advantage {occupation with Christ}." {Note: Dechomai means to receive warmly with open arms. Here the disciples were arguing about 'who was the greatest'! This is NOT being occupied with Christ. Jesus is pointing out that how you deal with other believers demonstrates if you truly are mature and occupied with Christ.} {Jesus goes back to Judas the unbeliever} 18:6~~"But if anybody {Judas in context} causes 'one of these little ones' {any believer} who believes in Me to be offended {skandalizo} . . . it would be more advantageous for him to have a huge millstone turned by an ass hung around his neck and to be drowned in the deep, deep sea." {Note: Skandalizo means to 'offend' is more like child abuse and represents unbelief. It is the word to be a 'stumbling block'. Jesus is saying it would be better to physical die then be an unbeliever.} {Application and Amplification 7-10} 18:7~~"Woe to the world because of offenses {to believers}. It is inevitable that offenses happens, but woe to the individual through whom the offense/abuse comes." {Note: Woe here refers to calamity, disaster, etc. as punishment. As in the previous verse, the offense refers to unbelievers and this will be amplified again next.} 18:8~~"Moreover, if your hand or your foot causes you to sin - and they do - cut it off and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal {aionios} fire. {Note: This is a traumatic illustration called a comparative of exclusion, not meant literally. Means to not let ANYTHING keep you from accepting Christ!} {Note: Aionios means no beginning and no end - so is eternal. The eternal fire is a warning to shock the unbeliever into reality and not destroy his only means of salvation.} {Repetition of the Principal} 18:9~~"And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell {geenna}." {Note: RBT commented that there is no nervous system for a soul and there is no proof that a soul would feel any pain in the fire, but would suffer anguish from all the potential that they missed and to be separated from God forever and ever.} {Note: Geenna was the name of the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. It was always on fire and burning and was a good example for the condition of the eternal lake of fire.} 18:10~~"See that you {Judas - and all unbelievers} do not disdain {mentally despise a believer} one of these little ones {a believer}. For I {Jesus} tell you that their {guardian} angels in heaven through all {adversity} see the face of My Father in heaven." {Note: This is a warning to all unbelievers. Every believer has a guardian angel protecting him or her. And, God the Father does the avenging for all believers - the battle is the Lord's.} 18:11~~{This verse is not in the original.} {Believers with one in carnality now discussed by Jesus} {Principal of Grace in Restoration} 18:12~~"What do you keep on thinking {challenge to the straying sheep}? If any Man {Jesus - the shepherd} has {ginomai} a hundred who became sheep {believers in fellowship} and one goes astray {saved but now in carnality} - maybe they will, maybe they will not . . . will He not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go looking for the one that went astray?" {Note: Ginomai means to become something that you did not use to be. Literally, the Greek says the man 'became what he was not before' - 100 sheep. But it means that the 'sheep' did not used to be sheep. They were unbelievers who all became believers.} 18:13~~"And if he finds it {when the sheep rebounds and moves on} -maybe he will, maybe he will not, I {Jesus} tell you the truth {point of doctrine}, He {the shepherd - Jesus} will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray." 18:14~~"Even so, it is not the will of your Father . . . Who is in heaven . . . that one of these children should perish {sin unto death}." {The disciples were arguing about whom is the greatest - they are now antagonistic one to the other - Verses 15-17 - Restoring Christian Relationships - talk it out} 18:15~~"If your fellow believer sins against you, go and tell him objectively {in a relaxed manner} his fault when the two of you are alone {keep it private between the two of you}. If - maybe he will, maybe he will not . . . he listens to you, you have regained your brother {gained a friend}." {Note: This situation is YOU have been wronged and it bothers you. Do not be judging others. Do not run around telling others how to live . . . the 'you are out of fellowship' type thing is NOT here. This is talk out with the person who wronged YOU - if it bothers you!} 18:16~~"But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you {objective types -not your friends right or wrong}, that 'at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.' " {Now the Supreme Court in disagreements between believers} 18:17~~"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church {the administrators - board of deacons type thing}. If he refuses to listen to them, treat him like a heathen/Gentile or publican/tax collector {this means to just stay away from him (Rom.16:17-18).}" {Note: This does not mean to stand up in the church and 'confess your sins or someone else's sins to a congregation.} {Three reasons to remove hostility among believers - Verses 18-20 -Verse 18 - Effective witnessing} 18:18~~"A point of truth {amen - I believe it - means another point of doctrine coming}, whatever you bind {using keys of the kingdom - Matthew 16:19 - witnessing for Christ and getting a decision on earth} on earth will have been bound in heaven {and binding in heaven for ever - periphrastic in the Greek - very strong}, and whatever you release on earth will have been released from the source of heaven." {Three reasons to remove hostility among believers - Verse 19 - effective prayer} 18:19~~"Another point of doctrine, that if two people on earth agree together about whatever thing they ask - maybe they will, maybe they will not - My Father in heaven will do it for them." {Three reasons to remove hostility among believers - Verse 20 - effective worship} 18:20~~"For where two or three are assembled in My name {a worship service}, I {Jesus} am there among them {can not worship out of fellowship}." {Principal of forgiveness among believers Verses 21-25} 18:21~~Then Peter came to Him {Jesus} and said, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times {even more then the Old Testament demands}?" 18:22~~Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven times {idiom for 'an infinite number of times'}." {The Parable of the Implacable Slave} 18:23~~"For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves." 18:24~~"As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents {like ten million dollars} was brought to him." 18:25~~"Because he was not able to repay, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children and all he possessed, and repayment to be made." 18:26~~"Then the slave threw himself to the ground prostrate before him, and kept on begging saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.' " 18:27~~"Then the lord had compassion on that slave {grace} and released him {salvation}, and forgave him the debt {he did not pay anything yet debt was cancelled}." 18:28~~"After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred pence {about twenty dollars}. Then he kept on shaking him by the throat and started to choke him, and kept on saying, 'Pay back what you owe!' " {Note: This is a picture of all the disciples in the room. Jesus will pay the price for their redemption from the slave market of sin (the ten million dollars) but they do not forgive each other the twenty dollars.} 18:29~~"Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you.' " 18:30~~"But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. 18:31~~"When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had happened." 18:32~~"Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, 'Evil slave! {carnal believer} I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!' " 18:33~~"Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?" 18:34~~"And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him{divine discipline} until he repaid all he owed." 18:35~~"So also My heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you . . . from your frontal lobe {mentally forgive them} . . .does not forgive your fellow believer their trespasses." {Note: Worst sins are mental attitude sins and implacability. Jesus paid so much for your salvation. You can afford your fellow believer twenty bucks of forgiveness for their sins against you!} ************************************************ This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services. This page is sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living. Moxxor is a highly concentrated Omega 3 product that has reduced inflammation in this writer. Please go to this website to read more about Moxxor.