New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Matthew 18
1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus. They asked him, "Who is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?"
Reference
2
Jesus called a little child over to him. He had the child stand among them.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 3:7
3
Jesus said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don't, you will never enter 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
Anyone who becomes as free of pride as this child is the most important 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 what if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If he does, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and be drowned at the bottom 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
"How terrible it will be for the world because of the things that lead people to sin! Things like that must come. But how terrible for those who cause them!
Reference
8
"If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one hand or one foot than to go into hell with two hands and two feet. In hell the fire burns forever.
Reference
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
If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Reference
10
"See that you don't look down on one of these little ones. Here is what I tell you. Their angels in heaven can go at any time to see my Father who is in heaven.
Reference
12
"What do you think? Suppose a man owns 100 sheep and one of them wanders away. Won't he leave the 99 sheep on the hills? Won't he go and look for the one that wandered off?
Reference
13
What I'm about to tell you is true. If he finds that sheep, he is happier about the one than about the 99 that didn't wander off.
Reference
14
It is the same with your Father in heaven. He does not want any of these little ones to be lost.
Reference
15
"If your brother sins against you, go to him. Tell him what he did wrong. Keep it between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won him back.
Reference
16
"But what if he won't listen to you? Then take one or two others with you. Scripture says, 'Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.'--(Deuteronomy 19:15)
Reference
17
But what if he also refuses to listen to the witnesses? Then tell it to the church. And what if he refuses to listen even to the church? Then don't treat him as your brother. Treat him as you would treat an ungodly person or a tax collector.
Reference
18
"What I'm about to tell you is true. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.
Reference
19
"Again, here is what I tell you. Suppose two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for. My Father in heaven will do it for you.
Reference
21
Peter came to Jesus. He asked, "Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 18:15
23
"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him.
Reference
24
As the king began to do it, a man who owed him millions of dollars was brought to him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 38:4
25
The man was not able to pay. So his master gave an order. The man, his wife, his children, and all he owned had to be sold to pay back what he owed.
Reference
26
"The servant fell on his knees in front of him. 'Give me time,' he begged. 'I'll pay everything back.'
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28
"But then that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he said.
Reference
29
"The other servant fell on his knees. 'Give me time,' he begged him. 'I'll pay you back.'
Reference
30
"But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison. The man would be held there until he could pay back what he owed.
31
The other servants saw what had happened. It troubled them greatly. They went and told their master everything that had happened.
Reference
32
"Then the master called the first servant in. 'You evil servant,' he said. 'I forgave all that you owed me because you begged me to.
Reference
34
In anger his master turned him over to the jailers. He would be punished until he paid back everything he owed.
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.