Matthew 18:1-20

Rank in the Kingdom

1 ¹At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "²Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before * them,

3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless * you are converted and ³become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 "And whoever * receives one such child in My name receives Me;

6 but ⁴whoever * ⁵causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For ⁶it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

8 "⁷If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, 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 cast into the eternal fire.

9 "⁸If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the ⁹fiery hell.

10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that ¹⁰their angels in heaven continually * see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11 [ "¹¹For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

12 "What do you think? ¹²If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine * on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?

13 "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine * which have not gone astray.

14 "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Discipline and Prayer

15 "¹³If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ¹⁴BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

17 "If he refuses to listen to them, ¹⁵tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, ¹⁶let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 "Truly I say to you, ¹⁷whatever * you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever * you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything * that they may ask, ¹⁸it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, ¹⁹I am there in their midst."

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Videos for Matthew 18:1-20

Why Would I Forgive Someone “Seventy Times Seven” (Matthew 18:21-22)?

Cross References 19

1. Matthew 18:1-5: {Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48}
2. Luke 22:24
3. Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 Peter 2:2
4. Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2; 1 Corinthians 8:12
5. Matthew 17:27
6. Luke 17:1; 1 Corinthians 11:19; 1 Timothy 4:1
7. Matthew 5:30; Mark 9:43
8. Matthew 5:29; Mark 9:47
9. Matthew 5:22
10. Luke 1:19; Acts 12:15; Revelation 8:2
11. Luke 19:10
12. Matthew 18:12-14: {Luke 15:4-7}
13. Leviticus 19:17; Luke 17:3; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; James 5:19
14. Deuteronomy 19:15; John 8:17; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28
15. 1 Corinthians 6:1f
16. 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14
17. Matthew 16:19; John 20:23
18. Matthew 7:7
19. Matthew 28:20

Footnotes 21

[a]. Lit "hour"
[b]. Lit "in their midst"
[c]. Lit "are turned"
[d]. Lit "is better"
[e]. Lit "millstone turned by a donkey"
[f]. Lit "having;" Gr part.
[g]. Lit "having;" Gr part.
[h]. Lit "Gehenna of fire"
[i]. Early mss do not contain this v
[j]. Lit "before"
[k]. Late mss add "against you"
[l]. Or "reprove"
[m]. Lit "between you and him alone"
[n]. Lit "word"
[o]. Lit "the"
[p]. Lit "the"
[q]. Or "forbid"
[r]. Gr fut. pft. pass.
[s]. Or "permit"
[t]. Gr fut. pft. pass.
[u]. Lit "from"