See also Mark 9:33; Luke 9:46. WHO IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM, OF HEAVEN? - By the kingdom of heaven they meant the kingdom which they supposed he was about to set up - his kingdom as the Messiah. They asked the question because they supposed, in accordance with the common expectation of the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO THE WORLD BECAUSE OF OFFENCES - That is, offences will be the cause of woe or of suffering. Offences, here, mean things that will produce sin: that will cause us to sin, or temptations to induce others to sin. See the notes at Matthew 5:29. IT MUST NEEDS BE ... - That is, such is the depra... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THY HAND ... - See the notes at Matthew 5:29. The sense in all these instances is the same. Worldly attachments, friendships, and employments of any kind, that cannot be pursued without leading us into sin, be they ever so dear to us, must be abandoned, or the soul will be lost. IT IS BETTER FOR... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE HEED THAT YE DESPISE NOT ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES. ... - That is, one who has become like a little child, or a Christian. FOR I SAY UNTO YOU ... - Jesus then proceeds to state the reason why we should not despise his feeblest and obscurest follower. That reason is drawn from the care which God... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE SON OF MAN ... - This is a second reason why we should not despise Christians. That reason is, that the Son of man came to seek and save them. He came in search of them when lost; he found them; he redeemed them. It was the great object of his life; and, though they may be obscure and little... [ Continue Reading ]
To show still further the reason why we should not despise Christians, he introduced a parable showing the joy felt when a thing lost is found. A shepherd rejoices over the recovery of one of his flock that had wandered more than over all that remained; so God rejoices that man is restored: so he se... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, IF THY BROTHER - The word “brother,” here, evidently means a fellow-professor of religion. Christians are called brethren because they belong to the same redeemed family, having a common Father - God; and because they axe united in the same feelings, objects, and destiny. TRESPASS AGAINST... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF HE WILL NOT HEAR THEE ... - That is, if he spurns or abuses you, or will not be entreated by you, and will not reform. TAKE WITH THEE ONE OR TWO MORE - The design of taking them seems to be, * That he might be induced to listen to them, Matthew 18:17. They should be persons of influence or... [ Continue Reading ]
TELL IT TO THE CHURCH - See the notes at Matthew 16:18. The church may here mean the whole assembly of believers, or it may mean those who are authorized to try such cases - the representatives of the church, or these who act for the church. In the Jewish synagogue there was a bench of elders before... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER YE SHALL BIND ... - See the notes at Matthew 16:19. These words were spoken to the apostles. Jesus had before addressed the same words to Peter, Matthew 16:19. He employs them here to signify that they all had the same power; that in ordering the affairs of the church he did not intend to... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT IF TWO OF YOU ... - This is connected with the previous verses. The connection is this: The obstinate man is to be excluded from the church, Matthew 18:17. The care of the church - the power of admitting or excluding members - of organizing and establishing it - is committ... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ... - This is a general assertion made to support the particular promise made Matthew 18:19 to his apostles. He affirms that wherever two or three are assembled together in his name, he is in the midst of them. IN MY NAME - That is, * By my authority, acting for me in my ch... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME PETER ... - The mention of the duty Matthew 18:15 of seeing a brother when he had offended us, implying that it was a duty to forgive him, led Peter to ask how often this was to be done. FORGIVE HIM - To forgive is to treat as though the offence was not committed - to declare that we will... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL SEVEN TIMES? - The Jews caught that a man was to forgive another three times, but not the fourth. Peter more than doubled this, and asked whether forgiveness was to be exercised to so great an extent. I SAY NOT UNTO THEE, UNTIL SEVEN TIMES, BUT, UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN - The meaning is, that... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN LIKENED ... - The phrase, “the kingdom of heaven,” here has reference to the church, or to the way in which God will deal with his people. “It shall be in my church as it was with a certain king; or God will deal with the members of his church as a certain king did... [ Continue Reading ]
TEN THOUSAND TALENTS - A talent was a sum of money, or weight of silver or gold amounting to three thousand shekels. A silver shekel was worth, after the captivity, not far from half a dollar of our money. A talent of silver was worth (circa 1880’s) 1,519.23 =342 British pounds, 3 shillings, 9d.; of... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS LORD COMMANDED HIM TO BE SOLD ... - By the laws of the Hebrews they were permitted to sell debtors, with their wives and children, into servitude for a time sufficient to pay a debt. See 2 Kings 4:1; Leviticus 25:39; Amos 8:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SERVANT THEREFORE FELL DOWN, AND WORSHIPPED HIM - This does not mean that he paid him religious homage, but that in a humble, reverent, and earnest manner he entreated him to have patience with him. He prostrated himself before his lord, as is customary in all Eastern nations when subjects are i... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD OF THAT SERVANT WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION ... - He had pity on him. He saw his distressed condition. He pitied his family. He forgave him the whole debt. This represents the mercy of God to people. “They have sinned.” They owe to God more than can be paid. They are about to be cast off; but... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE SAME SERVANT WENT OUT, AND FOUND ONE OF HIS FELLOW-SERVANTS WHICH OWED HIM AN HUNDRED PENCE - Greek, δεναριον denarion; Latin, denarius; a Roman silver coin in common use. When Greece became subject to the Romans, and especially under the emperors, the denarius was regarded as of equal value... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN HIS FELLOW-SERVANTS ... - This is a mere circumstance thrown into the story for the sake of keeping, or making a consistent narrative. It cannot be intended to teach that other Christians should go and tell God what a brother has done; for God well knows all the actions of his children, and... [ Continue Reading ]
DELIVERED HIM TO THE TORMENTORS - The word “tormentors” here probably means keepers of the prisons. Torments were inflicted on criminals, not on debtors. They were inflicted by stretching the limbs, or pinching the flesh, or putting out the eyes, or taking off the skin while alive, etc. It is not pr... [ Continue Reading ]
SO LIKEWISE ... - This verse contains the sum or moral of the parable. When Christ has explained one of his own parables, we are to receive it just as he has explained it, and not attempt to draw spiritual instruction from any parts or circumstances which he has not explained. The following seems to... [ Continue Reading ]