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Texts -- Matthew 18:16-35 (NET)

Context
18:16 But if he does not listen , take one or two others with you , so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established . 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them , tell it to the church . If he refuses to listen to the church , treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector . 18:18 “I tell you the truth , whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven , and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven . 18:19 Again , I tell you the truth , if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask , my Father in heaven will do it for you. 18:20 For where two or three are assembled in my name , I am there among them .” 18:21 Then Peter came to him and said , “Lord , how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me ? As many as seven times ?” 18:22 Jesus said to him , “Not seven times , I tell you , but seventy-seven times !
The Parable of the Unforgiving 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 was brought to him . 18:25 Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife , children , and whatever he possessed , and repayment to be made. 18:26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him , saying , ‘Be patient with me , and I will repay you everything .’ 18:27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him , and forgave him the debt . 18:28 After he went out , that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins . So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying , ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 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 . 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 taken place . 18:32 Then his lord called the first slave and said to him , ‘Evil slave ! 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 until he repaid all he owed . 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you , if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart .”

Pericope

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Hymns

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  • [Mat 18:20] All Praise To Our Redeeming Lord
  • [Mat 18:20] Be Still, My Soul! For God Is Near!
  • [Mat 18:20] Come, Thou Soul-transforming Spirit
  • [Mat 18:20] Holy Ghost Is Here, The
  • [Mat 18:20] How Charming Is The Place
  • [Mat 18:20] In Thy Name, O Lord, Assembling
  • [Mat 18:20] Jesus, Stand Among Us
  • [Mat 18:20] Jesus, We Look To Thee
  • [Mat 18:20] Jesus, Where’er Thy People Meet
  • [Mat 18:20] Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now
  • [Mat 18:20] Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide
  • [Mat 18:20] Not Here, As To The Prophet’s Eye
  • [Mat 18:20] O Come All Ye Saints
  • [Mat 18:20] O God, Though Countless Worlds Of Light
  • [Mat 18:20] O Seek The Lord In Prayer
  • [Mat 18:20] O That I Could, In Every Place
  • [Mat 18:20] O Where Is He That Trod The Sea?
  • [Mat 18:20] Oh, How Sweet When We Mingle
  • [Mat 18:20] See, Jesus, Thy Disciples See
  • [Mat 18:20] This Day In Jesus’ Name We Meet
  • [Mat 18:20] Unto Thy Temple, Lord, We Come
  • [Mat 18:20] We Rear Not A Temple
  • [Mat 18:20] Where Two Or Three, With Sweet Accord
  • [Mat 18:20] Would You Believe?
  • [Mat 18:21] Remember Christ, Our Savior

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Matthew 18:15; Guidelines for Managers and Others in Authority; All Forgivenesses Are Not Alike!; Resources; Hebrews 10:24-25; God’s Compassion; Philippians 2:2-11; Psalm of Summer; Matthew 18:19; Revival; God Used a New Believer; Jesus’ Incarnation

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • "This section . . . consists of a list of twenty-one (3x7) laws. These laws are broken up into smaller units by the sevenfold repetition of the phrase I am the LORD (your God)' (19:3, 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18)."225"I am the Lord...
  • This commandment deals with adultery only. Whereas murder violates life itself, adultery violates the most important and sacred human relationship, marriage.88God dealt with other forms of sexual sin elsewhere (cf. chs. 22-25...
  • "In the overall structure of chapters 15-20 (more precisely 15:1-20:22), the literary unit describing the return of King David' (v. 11) to Jerusalem (vv. 9-43) parallels that depicting his flight (15:13-37) caused by Absalom'...
  • As in the first series of oracles, God's people occupy the fourth place in this second series, which points farther into the future, surrounded by the nations of the world. In the first series the Northern Kingdom was in view...
  • The reader might assume that the Lord's deliverance of the Ninevites from imminent doom is the climax of the story. This is not the case. The most important lesson of the book deals with God's people and specifically God's in...
  • Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
  • I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
  • Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
  • This pericope describes the character of the kingdom's subjects and their rewards in the kingdom.236"Looked at as a whole . . . the Beatitudes become a moral sketch of the type of person who is ready to possess, or rule over,...
  • Jesus first laid down a principle (v. 1). Then He justified this principle theologically (v. 2). Finally He provided an illustration (vv. 3-5).7:1 Jesus taught His disciples not to be judgmental or censorious of one another i...
  • Matthew recorded increasing polarization in this section. Jesus expanded His ministry, but as He did so opposition became even more intense. The Jewish leaders became increasingly hostile. Consequently Jesus spent more time p...
  • 16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
  • Jesus proceeded to clarify the way of discipleship. In view of Jesus' death His disciples, as well as He, would have to die to self. However, they could rejoice in the assurance that the kingdom would come eventually. Glory w...
  • 17:24 The two drachma tax was a Jewish tax that every male Jew between 20 and 50 years of age had to pay toward the maintenance of the temple and its services (Exod. 30:13). There was no two drachma coin in circulation at thi...
  • Chapter 18 contains the fourth major discourse that Matthew recorded (cf. chs. 5-7; ch. 10; 13:1-53; chs. 24-25), His Discipleship Discourse. This discourse continues Jesus' instruction of His disciples that He began in 17:14...
  • Jesus proceeded to explain what a humble disciple should do when a brother or sister disciple has wandered from the Shepherd and the sheep.18:15 By using the term "brother"Jesus encouraged a humble approach. The disciples sho...
  • From a discussion of discipline Jesus proceeded to stress the importance of forgiveness. Sometimes zealous disciples spend too much time studying church discipline and too little time studying the importance of forgiveness.18...
  • Matthew marked the end of Jesus' discourse on humility (ch. 18) and reported Jesus' departure from Galilee for Judea. This is the first time in Matthew's Gospel that Jesus moved into Judea for ministry. Until now all of Jesus...
  • Another incident occurred that provided another opportunity for Jesus to emphasize the importance of childlike characteristics in His disciples (cf. ch 18).19:13 It was customary for people to bring their children to rabbis f...
  • This parable explains why the last will become first. It begins with a well known scene but then introduces surprising elements to make a powerful point."Jesus deliberately and cleverly led the listeners along by degrees unti...
  • There is a theological connection between this section and the former one. The death of Jesus provided the basis for God's gracious dealings with believers in His Son. This connection is clear to Matthew's readers because Mat...
  • "But"introduces the transition from the words to the disciples that preceded (vv. 1-12). The scribes and Pharisees had taken the exact opposite position on Jesus' person than the disciples had. Consequently their futures woul...
  • This lamentation should help us realize that the judgment Jesus just announced in such strong language was not something that delighted Him. It broke His heart. This is also clear from His personalizing the people in Jerusale...
  • Jesus concluded the Olivet Discourse with further revelation about the judgment that will take place at the end of the present age when He returns. He had referred to it often in the discourse, but now He made it a special su...
  • 26:20-22 This would have been Thursday evening. The Jews did not eat the Passover meal until after sundown. Those of them living in Palestine ate it in Jerusalem or not at all.984This fact reflects the large number of pilgrim...
  • "The crowning events of the resurrection narrative are the appearances of the risen Jesus first to the women and then to his disciples, i.e., the eleven. The empty tomb, for all of its impressiveness and importance, is not su...
  • Whereas the chief priests used bribe money to commission the soldiers to spread lies, the resurrected Jesus used the promise of His power and presence to commission His disciples to spread the gospel.1091This is the final add...
  • Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
  • Though Mark did not record it, Jesus gave His disciples much additional instruction as they travelled from Capernaum in Galilee toward Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 8:19-22; 18:15-35; Luke 9:51-18:14; John 7:2-11:54). Evidently Jesus ...
  • This is the third part of the incident centering on the cleansing of the temple (cf. vv. 12-14).11:20-21 This event happened on Wednesday morning. "Withered from the roots"means that death was spreading through the tree begin...
  • 12:42 Jesus answered Peter's question with one of His own. The answer to it gave Peter the answer to his question. Obviously the faithful and sensible steward pictures a disciple. Jesus' question also taught that He would giv...
  • 13:1 Luke linked this incident chronologically with the preceding one. Apparently messengers from Jerusalem had just arrived with news about Pilate's act. This is the usual force of the Greek verb apaggello, translated "repor...
  • 17:1-2 The introductory "and"(dein the Greek text, untranslated in the NIV) indicates a logical connection with what has preceded. It is inevitable that disciples retard the spiritual progress of others occasionally because n...
  • At the end of His answer to Peter's question (13:36), Jesus moved the conversation back to the general theme of preparation for His departure (v. 4). He did the same thing after answering Philip's question (v. 8). Obedience t...
  • This pericope contains another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus that bolstered the disciples' faith. It also contains John's account of the Great Commission.20:19 John moved his readers directly from the events of Easter...
  • 3:17-18 If Peter's charges against his hearers were harsh (vv. 13-15), his concession that they acted out of ignorance was tender. Peter undoubtedly hoped that his gentle approach would win a reversal of his hearers' attitude...
  • Verses 14-17 explain the Spirit's ministry of confirming the reality of the believer's position as a son of God to him or her. Paul believed that the believer who is aware of his or her secure position will be more effective ...
  • The apostle next pointed out the qualities of love that make it so important. He described these in relationship to a person's character that love rules. We see them most clearly in God and in Christ but also in the life of a...
  • "Particularly apparent here is Paul's sensitivity as a pastor: He avoids naming the culprit (vv. 5-8); he recognizes that Christian discipline is not simply retributive but also remedial (vv. 6, 7); he understands the feeling...
  • 13:1 There are at least four possibilities about what Paul meant by the two or three witnesses that would confirm his credibility and his critics' guilt. First, he may simply have been saying that the church would pass judgme...
  • Paul mentioned the incident in which he reproved Peter, the Judaizers' favorite apostle, to further establish his own apostolic authority and to emphasize the truth of his gospel.2:11 Peter had shaken hands with Paul in Jerus...
  • "Walking by the Spirit will mean not only avoidance of mutual provocation and envy (5:26) but also, positively, the rehabilitation of those who have lapsed into sin."204The situation Paul envisioned here is that of sin overta...
  • 3:6 Paul introduced the words that follow to help the readers realize that obedience was essential. This was a command given with the full authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The faithful majority in the church were to separa...
  • Paul next balanced his positive encouragement based on God's dealings with himself (vv. 12-17) with a negative warning based on God's dealings with two unfaithful ministers. He did this to challenge Timothy further to remain ...
  • Another group in the church deserved Timothy's special attention. Therefore Paul gave instructions concerning the care of elders to his young legate to enable him to deal with present and potential elders properly.The structu...
  • 3:9 On the other hand Titus should shun what was worthless and unprofitable. In view of the context Paul especially meant those things the false teachers were promoting (1:14; 1 Tim. 1:3-7; 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:23). Examples of thes...
  • 2:12 The law of liberty (1:25) is the law of God that liberates us now. It is the same as the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) in contrast to the Mosaic Law. As free as we are under the law of Christ, we need to remember that God wil...
  • Gaius' good example stands out more clearly beside Diotrephes' bad example. Diotrephes is a rare name and means "nourished by Zeus."13John brought Diotrephes into the picture to clarify the responsibility of Gaius and all oth...
  • John turned to see the person who had given him his commission. These verses describe what he saw.1:12 When John turned to see the person who spoke to him he saw a majestic figure clothed in a long robe standing among seven l...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • After this manner therefore pray ye.'--Matt. 6:9.AFTER this manner' may or may not imply that Christ meant this prayer to be a form, but He certainly meant it for a model. And they who drink in its spirit, and pray, seeking G...
  • Matthew 9-28
  • Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.'--Matt. 18:22.THE disciples had been squabbling about pre-eminence in the kingdom which they thought was presently to appear. They ...
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