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Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 18:1

Matthew 18:1. At the same time came the disciples— This chapter is connected with the two preceding; for after Christ had delivered the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, and had taken him up into the mountain with James and John, leaving the rest of his Apostles, these three seem to have exalted themselves above their colleagues, and to have been envied by them. In consequence of their ambition, they began to inquire which of them should holdthe highest dignities under the Messiah? who... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 18:2

Matthew 18:2. Jesus called a little child— See Luke 9:47. Mark 9:33., &c. To check the foolish emulation of his disciples, Jesus called a little child to him, and having set him in the midst, that they might consider him attentively, he shewed them, by the sweetness, docility, and modesty visible in its countenance, what the temper and dispositions of his disciples ought to be, and how dear to him persons of such dispositions are, though otherwise weak and infirm. Some are of opinion, that... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 18:3-4

Matthew 18:3-4. And said, Verily, &c.— "So far shall ye be from becoming the greatest in my kingdom, that ye shall not so muchas enter into it,unless ye be like little children, free from pride, covetousness, and ambition, and resemble them in humility, sincerity, docility, and in disengagement ofaffection from the things of the present life, which fire the ambition of grown men." Whosoever therefore (Matthew 18:4.) rests satisfied with the providence which God has assigned him, whatever it... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 18:5-6

Matthew 18:5-6. And whoso shall receive, &c.— "All who in the sense above explained are little children, are unspeakably dear to me; therefore help them all you can, as if it were myself in person, and see that ye offend them not; that is to say, that ye neither turn them out of the right way, nor hinder them in it." Dr. Clarke thinks, thatlittle ones mean plain and sincere Christians, before compared, for their simplicity and sincerity, to little children; and that to offend them signifies... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 18:7

Matthew 18:7. For it must needs be that offences come— See Luk 17:1 where our Lord expresses this more fully; it is impossible but that offences will come; impossible, through the weakness, folly, and wickedness of mankind. But woe unto the man by whom, that is to say, by whose faults, these offences, or scandals, come! Dr. Campbell translates this verse, Woe unto the world because of snares: snares indeed there must be; nevertheless woe to the insnarer. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 18:8

Matthew 18:8. Wherefore, if thy hand or foot offend thee— Insnare thee. Campbell, and so Matthew 18:9. Our Lord here renews the exhortation which he formerly gave, Ch. Mat 5:29-30 rather to submit to the severest mortifications, than to indulge our sinful inclinations, to the scandal of others, and our own ruin. We may observe, that St. Matthew, who has so largely recorded the sermon on the mount, gives us again this passage of it on the present occasion; which is one proof among others, that... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 18:1-2

The writer introduced and concluded this discourse, as he did the others, with statements suggesting that Jesus delivered this address on one specific occasion (cf. Matthew 5:1; Matthew 7:28-29). The last two discourses in Matthew were responses to questions from the disciples (Matthew 18:1; cf. Matthew 24:1-3)."At that time" probably means "in that stage of Jesus’ ministry" (cf. Matthew 10:19; Matthew 26:45). The preceding revelations about the King and the kingdom led the disciples, probably... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 18:1-4

The introduction of the theme of humility 18:1-4 (cf. Mark 9:33-36; Luke 9:46-47) read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 18:3-4

Jesus announced His revolutionary words with a solemn introductory formula (cf. Matthew 5:18). He said it was necessary that His disciples change and became as little children. The word "converted" in the NASB is misleading. Jesus was not speaking about "getting saved." Childlikeness was necessary for entrance into the messianic kingdom. Children have many characteristics that distinguish them from adults, but because of the disciples’ concern with position in the kingdom and the teaching that... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 18:5-6

The child in view in these verses is not a literal child but the disciple who has humbled himself or herself and in so doing has become childlike (Matthew 18:3-4). Jesus was speaking of receiving a humble disciple of His in Matthew 18:5. (Jesus taught the importance of receiving a little child in Mark 9:36-37 and Luke 9:48.) Whoever does this "in Jesus’ name" welcomes the disciple because he or she is one of Jesus’ disciples, not because that one is personally superior, influential, or... read more

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