Matthew 18

Leia este capítulo com intenção

Matthew 18 is Jesus's teaching on life inside the community of his followers, and it begins with a child. Asked who is greatest in the kingdom, Jesus sets a child among the disciples and says that entering the kingdom requires becoming like one. He warns of millstones for anyone who causes a little one to stumble, tells of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep for one, lays out how to confront a brother who sins, promises his presence where two or three gather, and, when Peter asks how often to forgive, answers with seventy-seven times and a parable about a servant forgiven an unpayable debt who would not forgive a small one.

Abrir comentário do capítulo

Matthew 18 answers a question the disciples keep asking in different forms: who is the greatest? Jesus answers by calling a child over and standing him in the middle of the group. Unless you turn and become like this, you will not even enter the kingdom, let alone rank in it. From that child the chapter never really moves away. The little ones must not be caused to stumble; better a millstone and the sea than that. The little ones must not be despised; their angels see the Father's face. When one of them wanders, the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after the one, because the Father is not willing that any of them perish. When one of them sins against you, go to him privately, then with witnesses, then before the church, and know that Christ himself is present where two or three gather in his name. Then Peter asks the question the whole chapter has been leading to: how many times must I forgive? Seven? Not seven, Jesus says, but seventy-seven, and tells a story to explain why. A servant who owed a king more than he could earn in a thousand lifetimes was forgiven everything, walked out, and seized a colleague by the throat over a few months' wages. The king's question is the chapter's question: should you not have had mercy, as I had on you?

Passagens-chave

Matthew 18:1-6 Matthew 18:12-14 Matthew 18:15-20 Matthew 18:21-35 Deuteronomy 19:15

Historical and literary context

The chapter is the fourth of Matthew's five great teaching blocks, sometimes called the community discourse, given in Galilee before the final journey to Jerusalem. Children in the ancient world had no status, which is the point of Jesus's object lesson. The procedure for confronting a sinning brother draws on Deuteronomy 19 and its rule of two or three witnesses, and "tell it to the church" is one of only two uses of the word "church" in the Gospels. The ten thousand talents of the parable was an almost unimaginable sum, larger than the annual revenue of whole provinces, set against a hundred denarii, a few months' wages.

How the chapter unfolds

Verses 1 to 5 answer the question of greatness with a child. Verses 6 to 9 warn against causing little ones to stumble and against the hand, foot, or eye that causes oneself to sin. Verse 10 speaks of the angels of the little ones. Verses 12 to 14 give the parable of the lost sheep, with the Father unwilling that any little one perish. Verses 15 to 20 lay out confrontation, witnesses, the church, binding and loosing, and Christ's presence among two or three. Verses 21 to 35 are Peter's question, the answer of seventy-seven times, and the parable of the unforgiving servant, ending with the warning that the Father will treat those who refuse to forgive from the heart the same way.

Why this chapter matters

Matthew 18 has shaped how churches handle greatness, sin, and forgiveness. Its picture of the child as the model of the kingdom reversed every ancient assumption about status. Its step-by-step process for a brother who sins, private confrontation, then witnesses, then the church, is the foundation of Christian practices of correction and reconciliation. "Where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them" is among the most quoted promises of Jesus. And the parable of the unforgiving servant is the Bible's sharpest illustration of why forgiven people must forgive: the debt God cancels is beyond repayment, and the debts we hold against each other are small beside it.

Interpretive tension to watch

The chapter promises that whatever the church binds or looses on earth is bound or loosed in heaven, and that the Father grants what two agree to ask. Readers have taken these as sweeping guarantees or as promises tied to their context of reconciling a sinning brother. Likewise, the parable ends with the forgiven servant handed over to be tortured until he repays. Is God's forgiveness conditional on ours? The chapter's own logic suggests that refusing to forgive reveals a heart that never received forgiveness, rather than a bargain God revokes.

Perguntas para este capítulo

Jesus answers a question about greatness by placing a child in the middle. What about a child is he asking the disciples to become?
The process in verses 15 to 17 begins privately. Why might Jesus insist on that order, and what goes wrong when it is skipped?
The forgiven servant is choked by a debt of a few months' wages after being released from one of impossible size. Where does that proportion show up in your own grudges?

Study with context

Use this as a chapter guide, then press deeper into the text itself. The goal is to slow down observation, notice structure, and ask better questions before jumping to conclusions.

Adicionar às notas

1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens? 2 And Jesus having called a little child to [him], set it in their midst, 3 and said, Verily I say to you, Unless ye are converted and become as little children, ye will not at all enter into the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens; 5 and whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receives me. 6 But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it were profitable for him that a great millstone had been hanged upon his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; yet woe to that man by whom the offence comes! 8 And if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off and cast [it] from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, [rather] than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast [it] from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life one-eyed, [rather] than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire. 10 See that ye do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you that their angels in [the] heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in [the] heavens. 11 For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost. 12 What think ye? If a certain man should have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not, leaving the ninety and nine on the mountains, go and seek the one that has gone astray? 13 And if it should come to pass that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more because of it than because of the ninety and nine not gone astray. 14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in [the] heavens that one of these little ones should perish. 15 But if thy brother sin against thee, go, reprove him between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he do not hear [thee], take with thee one or two besides, that every matter may stand upon the word of two witnesses or of three. 17 But if he will not listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if also he will not listen to the assembly, let him be to thee as one of the nations and a tax-gatherer. 18 Verily I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on the earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on the earth concerning any matter, whatsoever it may be that they shall ask, it shall come to them from my Father who is in [the] heavens. 20 For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them. 21 Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times? 22 Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven. 23 For this cause the kingdom of the heavens has become like a king who would reckon with his bondmen. 24 And having begun to reckon, one debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But he not having anything to pay, [his] lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and his children, and everything that he had, and that payment should be made. 26 The bondman therefore falling down did him homage, saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all. 27 And the lord of that bondman, being moved with compassion, loosed him and forgave him the loan. 28 But that bondman having gone out, found one of his fellow-bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he throttled him, saying, Pay [me] if thou owest anything. 29 His fellow-bondman therefore, having fallen down [at his feet], besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. 30 But he would not, but went away and cast him into prison, until he should pay what was owing. 31 But his fellow-bondmen, having seen what had taken place, were greatly grieved, and went and recounted to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord, having called him to [him], says to him, Wicked bondman! I forgave thee all that debt because thou besoughtest me; 33 shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-bondman, as I also had compassion on thee? 34 And his lord being angry delivered him to the tormentors till he paid all that was owing to him. 35 Thus also my heavenly Father shall do to you if ye forgive not from your hearts every one his brother.

Transforme leitura em estudo de verdade

Cadastre-se para salvar versículos, fazer anotações e estudar com ferramentas de IA.

Cadastrar Entrar

Escolha seu próximo passo após este capítulo Continue lendo, escolha um plano ou continue estudando com AI.

Ler o próximo capítulo Matthew 19 in Darby Bible.

Planos de leitura

Escolha um plano se quiser transformar este capítulo em um hábito repetível.

Pergunte à IA sobre este capítulo

Continue com o estudo de AI se o texto levantar questões ou pressionar mais fundo que uma leitura.

Siga os temas que este capítulo abre Hubs de tópicos relacionados para as questões maiores que este capítulo pode ter aberto.

Navegar por todos os tópicos