The Word of the Lord

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Matthew 18

1 In the same hour came the disciples to Jesus, saying, Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?
2 And Jesus, calling· a little·​·child ·to Him, stood him in the midst of them,
3 and said, Amen I say to you, Unless you be turned around1, and become as little·​·children, you shall not 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 whoever shall receive one such little·​·child in My name, receives Me.
6 But whoever shall cause· one of these little·​·ones who believe in Me ·to·​·stumble, it·​·is·​·expedient for him that a donkey’s millstone should be hung upon his neck, and he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it is necessary that offenses come; nevertheless, woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 And if either thy hand or thy foot cause· thee ·to·​·stumble, cut· them ·off, and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into |life lame or maimed, than having either two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.
9 And if thine eye cause· thee ·to·​·stumble, pluck· it ·out, and cast it from thee; it is good for·​·thee with·​·one·​·eye to enter into life, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the gehenna2 of fire.
10 See that you despise not one of these little·​·ones; for I say unto you, that their angels in the heavens continually look at the face of My Father who is in the heavens.
11 For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If a certain man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone·​·astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains, and go seeking that which is gone·​·astray?
13 And if it be that he find it, amen I say unto you, that he rejoices more at that, than at the ninety-nine which went not astray.
14 Thus it is not the will of your | Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones should perish.
15 And if thy brother sin against thee, go·​·thy·​·way and reprove him between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 And if he shall not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every saying may be established.3
17 And if he neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he also neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee just·​·as a gentile and a publican.
18 Amen I say to you, Whatever things you shall bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever things you shall loose on the earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree·​·together on the earth about any matter that they may ask, it shall be·​·done for them by My Father who is in the heavens.
20 For where two or three are gathered·​·together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 Then Peter, coming to Him, said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive4 him? Until seven·​·times?
22 Jesus says to him, I say not to thee, until seven·​·times, but until seventy·​·times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of the heavens likened to a man, a king, who willed to take account5 with his servants.
24 And when he had begun to take it, one was brought·​·to him who·​·owed him ten·​·thousand talents6.
25 But he not having anything to pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and it be paid.
26 Then the servant, falling down, worshiped him saying, Lord, bear7 with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 And the lord of that servant, being moved·​·with·​·compassion8, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But that servant, going·​·out, found one of his fellow·​·servants, who owed him a hundred denarii9, and taking hold of him choked him, saying, Pay me what thou owest.
29 Then his fellow·​·servant, falling at his feet, implored him, saying, Bear with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he was not willing; but going·​·away, cast him into prison, until he should pay what was owed.
31 But his fellow·​·servants, seeing what was·​·done, sorrowed greatly; and coming, they gave their lord to understand all things that were·​·done.
32 Then his lord, calling him, says to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, since thou didst implore me.
33 Shouldest thou not also have had·​·mercy on thy fellow·​·servant, even as I had·​·mercy on thee?
34 And his lord, being·​·angry, delivered· him ·up to the tormentors until he should pay all that was owed to him.
35 So also shall My heavenly Father do unto you, unless every one of you forgive his brother from your hearts their trespasses.

1as in AC 5236:4

2“Gehenna” is a hell (see AC 826 and elsewhere). The name comes from the Hebrew, Ge Hinnom, a deep ravine just south of Jerusalem, where there was a leper colony.

3Deuteronomy 17:6

4literally, “remit to him”

5literally, “word”

6“A talent was the largest weight of silver and also of gold” (AR 714), “the largest denomination in the reckoning of money and the weighing of silver” (AE 1026).

7or “be·​·far·​·from·​·wrath,” here and in verse 29

8literally, “moved viscerally,” as in AE 622:10 and elsewhere

9A “denarius” was a very small silver coin (AR 315).