Matthew 18


Chapter 18 of the Gospel of Matthew contains the fourth of the five Discourses of Matthew, also called the Discourse on the Church. It includes the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Unforgiving Servant which also refer to the Kingdom of Heaven. The general theme of the discourse is the anticipation of a future community of followers, and the role of his apostles in leading it.
Addressing his apostles in, Jesus states: "what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven", see also Binding and loosing. The discourse emphasizes the importance of humility and self-sacrifice as the high virtues within the anticipated community. It teaches that in the Kingdom of God, it is childlike humility that matters, not social prominence and clout.

Structure

The chapter can be divided into the following subsections:
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 35 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
Among the local aspect of the church mentioned in Matthew 18:17, the first of the threefold function of a local church is the reception of believers; the others are the restoration of backsliders and the reconciliation of brethren.

Verse 3

"Be converted" is more literally translated as "be turned … so as to go in an opposite direction.
The phase "enter the kingdom of heaven" appears three other times in the Gospel, at,, and.

Woe to the world (18:7)

In, Jesus utters "an exclamation of pity at thought of the miseries that come upon mankind through ambitious passions:" woe to the world.

Verse 11

The whole verse 11, ηλθεν γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου σωσαι το απολωλος, is present in some ancient texts but not in others. It appears in the Textus Receptus and the King James Version includes it, but the New International Version omits it and the omission in NU text is noted a New King James Version footnote.

Restoring backsliders (18:12–14)

The threefold function of a local church is not only to receive new believers into its midst, but also to restore of backsliders and to reconcile brethren. The restoration of backsliders is illustrated by Jesus in a story of the lost sheep and the loving shepherd, which is more fully told and elaborated into a three-part story in Luke 15 concerning a lost sheep, a lost piece of silver, and a lost son.

Reconciling brethren (18:15–35)

The third of the threefold function of a local church is to reconcile brethren. Jesus teaches that the attempt to reconcile a brother involves three steps: the Christian Love Rules, the Common Law Rules and the Christian Leaders Rule, which is followed by an exposition of forgiveness accompanied by a parable about a man whose debt is forgiven but refused to forgive others and therefore is punished.
Verses 15-17 are of particular significance to Baptists in their support of the principle of autonomy of the local church.

Verse 17

If a sinner remains recalcitrant, even after the matter is brought to the whole community, then the person must be regarded as "outside the community".

Verse 18

Cross reference:,