Matthew 18

Matthew 18:1

XI. THE KING INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLES (Chaps. 18-20) A. Concerning Humility (18:1-6) Chapter 18 has been called the discourse on greatness and forgiveness. It outlines principles of conduct that are suitable for those who claim to be subjects of Christ the King. 18:1 The disciples had always thought of the kingdom of heaven as the golden age of peace and prosperity. Now they began to covet positions of preferment in it. Their self-seeking spirit found expression in the question, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?18:2, 3 Jesus answered with a living object lesson. Placing a little child in their midst, He said that men must be converted and become as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. He was speaking of the kingdom in its inward reality; in order to be a genuine believer a man must abandon thoughts of personal greatness and take the lowly position of a little child. This begins when he acknowledges his sinfulness and unworthiness and receives Jesus Christ as his only hope.

This attitude should continue throughout his Christian life. Jesus was not implying that His disciples were not saved. All except Judas had true faith in Him, and were therefore justified. But they had not yet received the Holy Spirit as an indwelling Person, and therefore lacked the power for true humility that we have today (but do not use as we should). Also they needed to be converted in the sense of having all their false thinking changed to conform to the kingdom. 18:4 The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself as a little child. Obviously the standards and values in the kingdom are exactly opposite those in the world. Our whole mode of thinking must be reversed; we must think Christ’s thoughts after Him (see Phi_2:5-8). 18:5 Here the Lord Jesus glides almost imperceptibly from the subject of a natural child to a spiritual child. Whoever receives one of His humble followers in His name will be rewarded as if he had received the Lord Himself. What is done for the disciple is reckoned as done for the Master. 18:6 On the other hand, anyone who seduces a believer to sin incurs enormous condemnation; it would be better for him to have a great millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the ocean’s depths. (The great millstone referred to here required an animal to turn it; a smaller one could be turned by hand.) It is bad enough to sin against oneself, but to cause a believer to sin is to destroy his innocence, corrupt his mind, and stain his reputation. Better to die a violent death than to trifle with another’s purity!

Matthew 18:7

B. Concerning Offenses (18:7-14) 18:7 Jesus went on to explain that it is inevitable that offenses should arise. The world, the flesh, and the devil are leagued to seduce and pervert. But if a person becomes an agent for the forces of evil, his guilt will be great. So the Savior warned men to take drastic action in disciplining themselves rather than to tempt a child of God. 18:8, 9 Whether the sinning member is the hand or foot or the eye, better to sacrifice it to the surgeon’s knife than to let it destroy the work of God in another person’s life. Better to enter into life without limbs or sight than to be consigned to hell with every member intact. Our Lord does not imply that some bodies will lack limbs in heaven, but merely describes the physical condition at the time a believer leaves this life for the next. There can be no question that the resurrection body will be complete and perfect. 18:10 Next the Son of God warned against despising one of His little ones, whether children or any who belong to the kingdom. To emphasize their importance, He added that their angels are constantly in the presence of God, beholding His face. Angels here probably means guardian angels (see also Heb_1:14). 18:11 While omitted in RSV and most other modern Bibles, this verse about our Savior’s mission is a fitting climax to this section, and it has wide manuscript support. 18:12, 13 These little ones are also the object of the tender Shepherd’s saving ministry. Even if one out of a hundred sheep goes astray, He leaves the ninety-nine and searches for the lost one till He finds it. The Shepherd’s joy over finding a straying sheep should teach us to value and respect His little ones. 18:14 They are important not only to the angels and to the Shepherd, but also to God the Father. It is not His will that one of them should perish. If they are important enough to engage angels, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father, then clearly we should never despise them, no matter how unlovely or lowly they might appear.

Matthew 18:15

C. Concerning Discipline of Offenders (18:15-20) The rest of the chapter deals with the settlement of differences among church members, and with the need for exercising unlimited forgiveness. 18:15 Explicit instructions are given concerning the Christian’s responsibility when wronged by another believer. First, the matter should be handled privately between the two parties. If the offender acknowledges his guilt, reconciliation is achieved. The trouble is that we don’t do this. We gossip to everyone else about it. Then the matter spreads like wildfire and strife is multiplied.

Let us remember that step number one is to go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.18:16 If the guilty brother does not listen, then the wronged one should take one or two others with him, seeking his restoration. This emphasizes the mounting seriousness of his continued unbrokenness. But more, it provides competent testimony, as required by the Scripture: that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (Deu_19:15). No one can measure the trouble that has plagued the church through failure to obey the simple rule that a charge against another person must be supported by the testimony of two or three others. In this respect, worldly courts often act more righteously than Christian churches or assemblies. 18:17 If the accused still refuses to confess and apologize, the matter should be taken before the local church. It is important to notice that the local assembly is the body responsible to hear the case, not a civil court. The Christian is forbidden to go to law against another believer (1Co_6:1-8). If the defendant refuses to admit his wrong before the church, then he is to be considered a heathen and a tax collector. The most obvious meaning of this expression is that he should be looked upon as being outside the sphere of the church. Though he may be a true believer, he is not living as one, and should therefore be treated accordingly. Though still in the universal church, he should be barred from the privileges of the local church. Such discipline is a serious action; it temporarily delivers a believer to the power of Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1Co_5:5). The purpose of this is to bring him to his senses and cause him to confess his sin.

Until that point is reached, believers should treat him courteously but should also show by their attitude that they do not condone his sin and cannot have fellowship with him as a fellow believer. The assembly should be prompt to receive him back as soon as there is evidence of godly repentance. 18:18 Verse 18 is linked with what precedes. When an assembly, prayerfully and in obedience to the Word, binds disciplinary action upon a person, that action is honored in heaven. When the disciplined person has repented and confessed his sin, and the assembly restores him to fellowship, that loosing action, too, is ratified by God (see Joh_20:23). 18:19 The question arises, How large must an assembly be before it can bind and loose, as described above? The answer is that two believers may bring such matters to God in prayer with the assurance of being heard. While verse 19 may be used as a general promise of answers to prayer, in the context it refers to prayer concerning church discipline. When used in connection with collective prayer in general, it must be taken in light of all other teaching on prayer. For instance, our prayers must be:

1. In conformity to the revealed will of God (1Jo_5:14-15).
2. In faith (Jam_1:6-8).
3. In sincerity (Heb_10:22 a), etc. 18:20 Verse 20 should be interpreted in light of its context. It does not refer primarily to the composition of a NT church in its simplest form, nor to a general prayer meeting, but to a meeting where the church seeks the reconciliation of two Christians separated by some sin. It may legitimately be applied to all meetings of believers where Christ is the Center, but a specific type of meeting is in view here. To meet in His name means by His authority, in acknowledgment of all that He is, and in obedience to His Word. No group can claim to be the only ones who meet in His name; if that were so, His presence would be limited to a small segment of His body on earth. Wherever two or three are gathered in recognition of Him as Lord and Savior, he is there in the midst.

Matthew 18:21

D. Concerning Unlimited Forgiveness (18:21-35) 18:21, 22 At this point Peter raised the question of how often he should forgive a brother who sinned against him. He probably thought he was showing unusual grace by suggesting seven as an outside limit. Jesus answered not … seven times but up to seventy times seven. He did not intend us to understand a literal 490 times; this was a figurative way of saying Indefinitely.Someone might then ask, Why bother to go through the steps outlined above? Why go to an offender alone, then with one or two others, then take him to church? Why not just forgive, and let that be the end of it?The answer is that there are stages in the administration of forgiveness, as follows:

1. When a brother wrongs me or sins against me, I should forgive him immediately in my heart (Eph_4:32). That frees me from a bitter, unforgiving spirit, and leaves the matter on his shoulders.
2. While I have forgiven him in my heart, I do not yet tell him that he is forgiven. It would not be righteous to administer forgiveness publicly until he has repented. So I am obligated to go to him and rebuke him in love, hoping to lead him to confession (Luk_17:3).
3. As soon as he apologizes and confesses his sin, I tell him that he is forgiven (Luk_17:4). 18:23 Jesus then gives a parable of the kingdom of heaven to warn against the consequences of an unforgiving spirit by subjects who have been freely forgiven. 18:24-27 The story concerns a certain king who wanted to clear his bad debts off his books. One servant, who owed him ten thousand talents, was insolvent, so his lord ordered that he and his family be sold into slavery in payment of the debt. The distraught servant begged for time, promising to pay him all if given the chance. Like many debtors, he was incredibly optimistic about what he could do if only he had time (v. 26). Galilee’s total revenue only amounted to 300 talents and this man owed 10,000! The detail about the vast amount is intentional. It is to shock the listeners and so capture their attention, and also to emphasize an immense debt to God. Martin Luther used to say that we are all beggars before Him. We cannot hope to pay (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union). When the master saw the contrite attitude of his servant, he forgave him the entire 10,000 talents. It was an epic display of grace, not justice. 18:28-30 Now that servant had a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii (a few hundred dollars). Rather than forgive him, he grabbed him by the throat and demanded payment in full. The hapless debtor pled for an extension, but it was no use. He was thrown into prison till he paid the debta difficult business at best, since his chance of earning money was gone as long as he was imprisoned. 18:31-34 The other servants, outraged by this inconsistent behavior, told their master. He was furious with the merciless lender. Having been forgiven a big debt, he was unwilling to forgive a pittance. So he was returned to the jailers’ custody till his debt was paid. 18:35 The application is clear. God is the King. All His servants had contracted a great debt of sin which they were unable to pay. In wonderful grace and compassion, the Lord paid the debt and granted full and free forgiveness. Now suppose some Christian wrongs another. When rebuked, he apologizes and asks forgiveness. But the offended believer refuses. He himself has been forgiven millions of dollars, but won’t forgive a few hundred. Will the King allow such behavior to go unpunished? Certainly not! The culprit will be chastened in this life and will suffer loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ.