Before reading this commentary, I encourage you to first read the text of Matthew chapter eighteen.

Verses 1-4

Matthew presents the disciples’ question of who is the greatest as a zinger coming out of nowhere. If you haven’t already read the books of Mark and Luke, you might wonder why they’re asking such a strange question.

But let’s take a look at what led up to them asking “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:33-35) (A similar telling is presented in Luke chapter nine).

I am reminded of a science fiction show in which a crew wakes up on a space ship with amnesia and immediately proceeds to argue and quarrel about which one of them should be the captain.

I previously attended a very large church. It had seating for 3,000 people and had three services each weekend. There were a few occasions in which people would inquire about auditioning for the worship band, but would instead be offered a volunteer position backstage, behind the curtain. Some of those individuals would decline the offer. If they weren’t able to be on stage, standing in the spot light, like some sort of rock star, they weren’t interested in helping.

Jesus, however, offers some different advice in these verses we’re examining.

Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. (Matthew 18:2-5)

Unless you change to become like little children? What does that mean? I believe the key to understanding this verse comes immediately after the word “Therefore”. The word therefore means that what comes next is the conclusion drawn from what was previously said. Jesus says, “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Humbleness is a common theme in the Bible. Pride, however, is what got Satan kicked out of heaven. At the heart of pride is the notion that a person doesn’t need God. That he knows better than God. He doesn’t require God’s input, help or guidance because he considers himself smarter than God. A prideful person may not speak these phrases explicitly, but their attitude conveys these ideas.

When atheists claim there are contradictions in the Bible, they are implying that there’s no possible way that they themselves might have a lack of understanding. It doesn’t even occur to them that the problem could be with themselves.

When an atheist argues that God is immoral due to instances of God pouring out wrath, that person is claiming to know better than God.

When skeptics and scoffers demand that we prove to them the existence of God, what they are desiring is to be the judge of God. They want to elevate themselves above God and force God to submit himself to their examination.

All of these things come from pride. A pride which says, “I am better than God”, “I know more than God” and “I don’t need God”.

So when the disciples are arguing about which one of them will be the greatest, they are arguing over their own merits, rather than the merits of God. He alone is the one who makes their entry into heaven even possible.

Little children, however, do not have such haughty thoughts about themselves. A little child can not do anything for themselves without the assistance of his or her parents. A one-year-old can not dress themselves. They can’t feed themselves. They can’t travel anywhere on their own. They can’t communicate with the outside world. They can’t survive without help from their parents.

This is how we ought to view our relationship with God. We are the one-year-old and God is the parent. Even though, as grown adults, we can simply put on our shoes, grab the car keys and go, we ought to humble ourselves and have an attitude of reliance upon God. This begins with faith, prayer, and a desire to seek after God.

Verse 5

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

In this statement, Jesus is no longer referring to people who are infants and toddlers, but is referring to God’s children. The phrase “a child like this” is referring to his previous description of humility “whoever humbles himself like this little child”. He is describing those who put their faith in Him. If someone welcomes a Christ follower, they are welcoming Christ.

Verses 6-7

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Again, “One of these little ones” is not referring to infants and toddlers. Jesus is talking about people who put their faith in Christ. Paraphrased, we can re-read it this way: “If anyone causes someone who believes in me to stumble into sin…” it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

God said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” (Deuteronomy 32:35)

For God to be all-loving he must be a God of Justice. For example, in our criminal justice system, if there was a judge who let every murderer, rapist and child molester go free without punishment, that would not be an act of love. The injustice of setting such people free would be an act of having no compassion for those who were wronged. It would be the antithesis of love.

Thus, an all-loving God must therefore also be a God of justice and wrath toward those who cause his followers to stumble into sin.

Jesus is saying that for such people, they would have been better off drowning in the sea than to stand before God on their day of judgement. Can you imagine, the one with the power to create every galaxy in the universe, focusing his wrath onto a single person?

If you repent, however, your sins will be forgiven. Put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Verses 8-9

Jesus then proceeds to make some seemingly strange comments. If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Is this a literal instruction? No. Jesus is using hyperbole. If it were literal, the whole world would have neither hands nor feet, nor any other parts of their body. Furthermore, we already know that sin comes from the heart, not the hands, feet or eyes.

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. (Matthew 15:19)

So then what is Jesus telling us? We should be willing to take drastic measures to get sin out of our lives. However, here’s the irony of it, we can not overcome sin through our own strength and self-discipline. If we could, anyone could become sinless and could teach others to do the same. But sin is bound in our flesh! So what then should we do?

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:16-18)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8)

God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6b). Remember, salvation is not earned. It is by faith. However, those with faith, who then proceed to earnestly seek God, will be rewarded. With what? With holy living, spiritual wisdom, peace, joy, fulfillment and contentment.

Verse 10

See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.

Many scholars have interpreted this verse in many different ways. I have no doubt that most of those scholars were far more educated and intelligent than I, but I will offer an opinion nonetheless.

I believe based on the context of the previous verses that the phrase “little ones” is referring to anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of their age.

The verse says their angels. Specifically, “THEIR” as opposed to “THERE”, suggesting that perhaps certain angels belong to, or are assigned to, a specific Christian believer. Could this be some type of guardian angel? I tend not to think so, because I can not recall anywhere else in the Bible in which a guardian angel is described. However, there are instances in the Bible in which God sends an angel or an army of angels to defend or protect a person or group of people. I have also heard stories of missionaries being physically guarded by visible angels when someone sought to harm them.

This verse however, describes the angels as being in heaven rather than on the earth; and that they are continually seeing the face of God.

Jesus says do not look down on someone who puts their faith in Christ. And this he is saying to the disciples! Bear in mind that the disciples were, only a few minutes earlier, arguing with one another as to which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Undoubtedly, such an argument might lead a person to look down on (or to despise) another when being told they’re not going to amount to much compared to their coworker who, it is claimed, will be much greater than they.

Therefore, I am opting to interpret this verse as meaning that we should not despise other Christians if one seems to have a greater calling or another seems to have less spiritual giftings. The pastor who has 1,000 members in his congregation should not look down upon the pastor who has 20 people in his congregation. The Christian who failed the music audition at church should not despise those who perform music on stage every Sunday. Those whose responsibility it is to organize and manage a large ministry at church should not look down upon the Christian whose job it is to clean the toilets. One is not greater than another. That’s what the disciples were arguing about.

Later, Paul is going to describe this using an analogy to body parts.

The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, whereas our presentable parts have no such need.

But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26)

Verse 11

If you are reading from any of the following Bible translations, you will notice that your bible does not contain verse 11 in Matthew chapter eighteen.
• Berean Standard Bible (BSB)
• English Standard Version (ESV)
• New International Version (NIV)
• New Living Translation (NLT)
• Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
• New American Standard Bible (NASB) – 2020 Edition

Many people point to such missing verses as “Proof” that these Bible translations are corrupted. But the reality is quite different. Verse 11 does not appear at all in the oldest and most reliable copies of the Bible that exist. Rather, it was added at some point later. All of the above Bible translations were derived from the oldest and most reliable manuscripts and therefore, do not include verse 11. Each of these Bible translations had 100 or more Bible scholars work on translating them, therefore, I’m confident in their findings and conclusion that verse 11 does not belong, therefore, I am choosing to skip it in this commentary.

Verses 12-13

After instructing his disciples not to look down on another believer, Jesus gives an analogy as to the value God gives to every believer. He compares it to a sheep that wanders from the flock. The shepherd is willing to go search for it. Jesus is saying that every Christ follower is extremely valuable to Him.

First, I want to pause and make a broader comment about this passage. Consider the possibility that God’s word has so much depth and wisdom, that the exact same parable, appearing twice in different locations, can have different meanings based upon the context at each location.

The parable of the lost sheep, here in Matthew chapter 18 has, based on the surrounding context, a different meaning than it does when it appears in Luke chapter 15’s surrounding context.

Here in Matthew, for the past ten verses Jesus has repeatedly been talking about “One of these little ones that believe in me.” Now he’s saying if one of them goes astray….

When he uses the phrase “goes astray” I am reminded of the verse in Isaiah which says;

We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Also;

For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25)

I am interpreting this as specifically referring to backsliders, and not to those who are not at all saved. In Luke’s account I will offer a different interpretation based upon its surrounding context. (Amazing to me is the word of God, that the same parable can have many meanings). But here in Matthew I’ve concluded Jesus is talking about a Christian believer who backslides.

“If a man has a hundred sheep”, so we see that the sheep was part of the flock. “and one of them goes astray”, someone who was part of the flock is now wandering away (i.e. backsliding).

Many years ago, a friend of mine was greatly concerned about the behavior of his 20-year-old daughter. She had begun getting herself into many things no Christian parent would approve of. Living with a boyfriend, getting drunk on weekends, etc…. My friend and his wife prayed diligently for her every day and asked others to do the same. One day I inquired about her and my friend said something that I had never before in my entire life ever considered. I asked how she was doing, and he said, “She is forming her testimony.”

He was viewing the situation as his daughter being a believer who, when young, was kept fenced in by her parents, but upon leaving the shadow of her parents, backslid into a wild life. Her father was believing that the Lord would eventually go and get her just like the sheep that went astray. And that then she would have the ability to see and understand on a personal level, what the Lord has done for her. Not merely what her parents told her about God, but what she has seen with her own eyes and experienced for herself.

Ten years later, that same girl is now fully following Jesus Christ as lord and savior and she’s able to tell people what the Lord has done for her.

Verse 14

A moment ago I stated that the parable of the lost sheep has different meanings in each of its appearances. We are going to compare the last sentence of the parable in Matthew 18 to the parable’s corresponding last sentence in Luke 15. Here they are:

In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:14)

I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)

Again, “little ones” is referring to God’s children (those who put their faith in Jesus Christ). Matthew’s rendering of the parable is talking about believers who backslide and then return, while Luke’s rendering is talking about lost people repenting and coming to faith for the first time.

Verses 15-17

Maintaining the theme of backsliding believers, Jesus now says, “If your brother sins against you…” A brother, is not necessarily referring to one’s sibling, but to a fellow believer, and more specifically, a believer that you’re acquainted with, (brother being a male and sister being a female). In our modern times this might refer to someone that attends the same church you attend.

“If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately.” A moment ago, Jesus was telling us not to look down on or despise a fellow Christian. Now He is telling us what to do if such a thing happens to us.

Step one is to go to him privately. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

When Jesus says regard him as a pagan, I believe he is advising us to disassociate with the person.

Verse 18

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

This verse is repeated in Matthew chapter 16. There, however, the context was building the church. Here in chapter eighteen the context is church discipline. So again, we see that the word of God has so much depth and breadth that the same phrases, sayings or parables can have slightly different meanings based on the context.

In Matthew 16, I interpreted the verse as meaning that God is building his church by means of one person sharing the gospel with another. And this binding on earth and heaven is meaning that if any random Christian shares his faith with any random person and said person then puts his faith in Jesus Christ, heaven acknowledges that confession of faith as legitimate.

Imagine if any random Christian shared his faith with some random person who accepted Christ but heaven interrupted and said, “No, you are not authorized to do that.”

What you bind on earth is bound in heaven. Any believer can share their faith with any person, anywhere and if that person accepts Christ, they are saved.

In the context of church discipline, if you go privately to confront a brother and he asks you for forgiveness, heaven acknowledges the forgiveness. Likewise, if he refuses to listen and is eventually expelled from the church, heaven acknowledges this. What you loose on earth is loosed in heaven, meaning heaven has your back.

At a previous job, there was an important and expensive tool that went missing. My co-worker stated that he had laid it on a particular table, but sometime afterwards it was gone. One of the managers came to me privately and asked if I trusted my co-worker. My response was, “If he said he laid it on the table, he laid it on the table. I trust him.”

What you bind on earth is bound in heaven and what you loose on earth is loosed in heaven is similar in that a person, filled with the Holy Spirit, is someone with whom heaven can trust.

Verses 19-20

Remember when reading the Bible, we can never take any single verse as a stand-alone statement. This is why I despise the often touted “verse of the day”. If we were to read Matthew 18:19 as a stand-alone statement, we would conclude that if two or three Christians gather together and pray about receiving something, God will give it to them.

If that were true, I would immediately gather two other Christians and together we would each pray for a million dollars, a Ferrari, and a new fishing boat. No one can pray for something outside of God’s will and expect to receive it. Remember, God answers every prayer with either yes, no, or not yet. What God does not do is give you anything and everything you ask for merely because two or three of you are asking. God is not a vending machine.

I wonder how many Christians have been carried into false doctrine because they devoted themselves every morning to reading the “verse of the day”. Oh, and ask yourself this question: who decides which verse will be that day’s “verse of the day”? Notice how they only select verses that sound uplifting. You will never see, as the “verse of the day” something such as; Today will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. (Zephaniah 1:15).

Okay then, what is the context of Matthew 18:19 and what does the verse mean?
Recall just a moment ago that Jesus was saying that if your brother will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Now, in this verse he’s saying that where those same two or three people are gathered (i.e. during the confrontation of the brother who will not listen), Jesus will be there also.

Verses 21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

This is self-explanatory. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to forgive those who sin against us. Every single time someone sins against you, you are called to forgive them. This does not mean, however, that you allow people to abuse you or take advantage of you. I have known people who have equated forgiveness as meaning permission. The two, however, are not the same.

A friend of mine was saving up money to go on a mission trip. He had about $1,000 in a tin can. One day he invited a guest over for dinner. The next day when my friend looked in his tin can, the money was gone. At some point during the previous evening’s dinner (probably while he was working in the kitchen, preparing the food) his guest had stolen the money. My friend was able to eventually forgive him, but he never invited that person into his home ever again. This is an example of being able to forgive someone but not allowing them to do it again. “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”.

Verses 23-35

Everyone, whom I’ve ever heard speak about this parable, interprets it as being a lesson in how Christians should forgive. I strongly disagree.

First, let’s examine the verbiage used in this parable and let’s ask ourselves if this is referring to those who are saved. Jesus describes the servant as being wicked. He is then turned over to the jailers to be tortured.

Within the New Testament, who does Jesus describe as wicked? The saved or the unsaved?

Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matthew 12:39)

So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:49-50)

In the spiritual world, which people are tortured, the saved or the unsaved? This parable, of the unforgiving servant, is not about those who are saved. It’s not a lesson in how Christian believers should act and the punishment they’ll receive if they don’t. I strongly believe it is describing the unsaved.

Those who are saved have all their sins forgiven. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are not turned over to the jailers to be tortured. Christ took that punishment for us.

Within this parable lies the answer to the question, “Why would an all-loving God send anyone to hell?” It is because those God sends to hell are themselves the wicked servant in this story. They never put their faith in Christ and it is they who demonstrate their lack of faith by being unwilling to forgive those who sin against them. Think about it like this for a moment: if God is all loving and sent his own son to die on the cross for the forgiveness of everyone’s sins, but later he sees someone grabbing a man and choking him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ And then throws him into prison, having no mercy, no patience, no forgiveness.

That same all-loving God, seeing what was done to someone he loves, is going to get very mad. Then, at the end of this wicked servant’s life, God is going to summon him to stand before Him and he’s going to say, “You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ In anger the Lord will turn him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed. Which, by the way, he’ll never be able to repay that debt.

But now let’s talk about the saved. If Jesus was not referring to those who are saved, the implication is that those who put their faith in Jesus Christ will through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, have an inherent willingness to forgive those who sin against them. Remember that faith equals complete trust. Faith is not only believing that God exists, but faith also trusts that what Jesus said is true. So those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, will do the things that Jesus Christ said to do which include forgiving others who sin against us.

But even if a follower of Jesus Christ should harbor some little grudge or have some sort of distain for someone who wronged them, that sin will be forgiven because Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins.

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31)

Notice the verse says every sin will be forgiven (except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which means going to one’s grave having never been filled by faith with the Holy Spirit). Holding a grudge is a sin which falls into the category of “every sin”. Therefore, the parable about being tortured for the act of not forgiving someone can not possibly be referring to those who are saved. The parable is a warning to those who are not saved.