American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Matthew 18
1
At the same time came the disciples to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Reference
2
And Jesus called a little child to him, and set him in the middle of them,
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 3:7
3
And said, Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 19:14
John 3:5
John 3:3
Matthew 5:20
Parallel theme
1 Peter 2:2
1 Corinthians 14:20
Psalm 131:2
Luke 13:24
Acts 3:19
Acts 28:27
4
Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 18:1
Parallel theme
Luke 14:11
James 4:10
Mark 10:43
Luke 9:48
1 Peter 5:5
Isaiah 57:15
6
But whoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Reference
Faith
Mark 9:42
Parallel theme
Matthew 18:10
Matthew 18:14
Psalm 105:15
Romans 14:21
Zechariah 2:8
Zechariah 13:7
Acts 9:5
7
Woe to the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
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8
Why if your hand or your foot offend you, cut them off, and cast them from you: it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
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Eternal Life
Isaiah 33:14
Matthew 25:41
Matthew 25:46
Parallel theme
Romans 13:12
Revelation 20:15
Revelation 14:10
Ezekiel 18:31
Revelation 21:8
Luke 14:33
9
And if your eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
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10
Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
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11
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12
How think you? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray?
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13
And if so be that he find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
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14
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
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15
Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother.
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16
But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
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17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be to you as an heathen man and a publican.
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18
Truly I say to you, Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
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19
Again I say to you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
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20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middle of them.
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21
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
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Parallel theme
Matthew 18:15
22
Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
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23
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
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24
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
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Parallel theme
Psalm 38:4
25
But for as much as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
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26
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.
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27
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
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28
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe.
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29
And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and sought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.
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30
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31
So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done.
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32
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said to him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired me:
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33
Should not you also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?
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34
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him.
Reference
Parallel theme
James 2:13
Summary of Matthew 18
Matthew 18 focuses almost entirely on how followers of Jesus should treat one another, beginning with the disciples' question about greatness and Jesus' radical answer that true greatness in God's kingdom comes through humility rather than status, authority, recognition, or personal importance.
Jesus places a child among the disciples to demonstrate that kingdom greatness requires becoming humble and dependent, while also teaching that welcoming vulnerable or apparently insignificant people is equivalent to welcoming Him.
The chapter then gives a serious warning against causing another believer to stumble, showing that spiritual influence carries tremendous responsibility and that disciples must take sin seriously rather than treating destructive habits and temptations casually.
Jesus' language about removing a hand, foot, or eye is intentionally dramatic, communicating that anything consistently drawing a person toward sin must be confronted decisively because eternal life is more valuable than any temporary pleasure, possession, relationship, or personal preference.
The parable of the lost sheep then reveals God's heart toward those who wander, showing that God does not consider vulnerable or lost people disposable and that there is genuine joy when someone who has gone astray is restored.
Jesus next provides a practical process for dealing with personal conflict and sin within the community, beginning with private correction, progressing to the involvement of witnesses, and eventually involving the wider church when someone persistently refuses correction.
This process demonstrates that biblical correction is not primarily about humiliation or punishment but about restoration, accountability, truth, and reconciliation, while also recognizing that persistent refusal to repent can eventually require separation from the community.
Jesus then teaches about prayer, communal agreement, and His presence among even small gatherings of believers, emphasizing that the spiritual value of a community is not determined by its size or public importance.
Peter's question about how many times he should forgive someone leads Jesus to reject the idea of a fixed forgiveness limit, teaching instead that forgiveness should be generous and repeated because God's mercy toward His people is vastly greater than the mercy they are being asked to extend to one another.
The chapter's central illustration is the parable of the unforgiving servant, in which a king cancels an enormous debt that one servant could never realistically repay, but that same servant immediately refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed by another person.
The contrast exposes the heart of unforgiveness: someone who has received extraordinary mercy but refuses to extend mercy to others has failed to understand the magnitude of the forgiveness he himself received.
The central message is that Matthew 18 describes the character of a healthy kingdom community, where humility replaces competition, vulnerable people are protected, wandering people are pursued, sin is confronted responsibly, prayer is shared, conflicts are addressed carefully, and forgiveness is extended generously.
The chapter ultimately teaches that God's forgiveness should transform the way believers treat one another, because those who recognize how greatly they have been forgiven cannot consistently justify refusing mercy, reconciliation, patience, and restoration to people who have wronged them.
Jesus places a child among the disciples to demonstrate that kingdom greatness requires becoming humble and dependent, while also teaching that welcoming vulnerable or apparently insignificant people is equivalent to welcoming Him.
The chapter then gives a serious warning against causing another believer to stumble, showing that spiritual influence carries tremendous responsibility and that disciples must take sin seriously rather than treating destructive habits and temptations casually.
Jesus' language about removing a hand, foot, or eye is intentionally dramatic, communicating that anything consistently drawing a person toward sin must be confronted decisively because eternal life is more valuable than any temporary pleasure, possession, relationship, or personal preference.
The parable of the lost sheep then reveals God's heart toward those who wander, showing that God does not consider vulnerable or lost people disposable and that there is genuine joy when someone who has gone astray is restored.
Jesus next provides a practical process for dealing with personal conflict and sin within the community, beginning with private correction, progressing to the involvement of witnesses, and eventually involving the wider church when someone persistently refuses correction.
This process demonstrates that biblical correction is not primarily about humiliation or punishment but about restoration, accountability, truth, and reconciliation, while also recognizing that persistent refusal to repent can eventually require separation from the community.
Jesus then teaches about prayer, communal agreement, and His presence among even small gatherings of believers, emphasizing that the spiritual value of a community is not determined by its size or public importance.
Peter's question about how many times he should forgive someone leads Jesus to reject the idea of a fixed forgiveness limit, teaching instead that forgiveness should be generous and repeated because God's mercy toward His people is vastly greater than the mercy they are being asked to extend to one another.
The chapter's central illustration is the parable of the unforgiving servant, in which a king cancels an enormous debt that one servant could never realistically repay, but that same servant immediately refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed by another person.
The contrast exposes the heart of unforgiveness: someone who has received extraordinary mercy but refuses to extend mercy to others has failed to understand the magnitude of the forgiveness he himself received.
The central message is that Matthew 18 describes the character of a healthy kingdom community, where humility replaces competition, vulnerable people are protected, wandering people are pursued, sin is confronted responsibly, prayer is shared, conflicts are addressed carefully, and forgiveness is extended generously.
The chapter ultimately teaches that God's forgiveness should transform the way believers treat one another, because those who recognize how greatly they have been forgiven cannot consistently justify refusing mercy, reconciliation, patience, and restoration to people who have wronged them.