Matthew 18:5-35

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:1-35

Guidance For The New Congregation (18:1-19:2). This chapter has been compared with the Manual of Discipline found at Qumran which was intended to regulate a specific community, and has been seen as similarly giving instructions concerning the regulating of the new community of disciples. As a general comparison that may be seen as acceptable, but it is not strictly accurate. For it must be noted that this is not really a Manual of Discipline at all, nor is it set out as such, it is rather a... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:5

“And whoever will receive one such little child in my name receives me.” (Some of the verbs continue as second aorists and could therefore be translated as perfects - ‘whoever has received one such little child in My name receives Me’ - thinking, however, in this case of an action that will be ‘past’ in the future, for a major purpose of the second aorist is in order to be ‘timeless’ and rather to indicate a particular action, a purpose retained in the translation). ‘One such little child.’... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:5-10

A Powerful Warning Against Being A Cause Of Stumbling To Young Believers (18:5-10). Jesus now moves on from a consideration of the need for His disciples to have become ‘as little children’ in regard to service for Him, to the equal need for them to recognise the importance of all ‘little ones’. This change of description draws attention to the fact that He now has in mind those who have become ‘as little children’ because they have believed on Him. In those days children were not seen as too... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:6

“But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.” No wonder then that it is seen as so dreadful to cause such a one ‘to stumble’ or ‘be ensnared’ (skandalizo - the skandalon was the trigger that set off a trap or snare). For to cause such a young believer to stumble and fall to the ground is, as it were, to make Jesus stumble and... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:7

“Alas (or ‘woe’) to the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it is necessary that the occasions come, but alas for that man through whom the occasion comes!” Jesus then expresses His grief at the thought that nevertheless such things will happen. The initial word can be translated ‘alas’ or ‘woe’. It is a cry of distress and warning. Here it is both. The world will indeed put occasions of stumbling in front of His believing ‘little ones’, whether young in person or young in spiritual... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:8-9

“And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is good for you to enter into life maimed or lame, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is good for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.” Attention is then turned to the one being caused to stumble, and this includes us all.... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:10

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Then Jesus returns to His main theme. Little ones who believe in Him, whether little in stature or little in outward importance, or little because of their humility, are not to be despised, for they are so important that they are represented by angels before the face of His Father in Heaven. This is not a doctrine of guardian angels as... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:11-12

a “How do you think about this? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them is gone astray,” Here in context the hundred sheep represent the new community, His new congregation. They are those who have been gathered out of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6; Matthew 10:16; and compare Ezekiel 34:1-16). The one who goes astray is the one who has been caused to stumble (Matthew 18:6-7), or who has failed to take drastic action over sin (Matthew 18:8-9). The... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:11-14

The Little Ones Are So Important To God That If One Goes Astray He Seeks Them Until He Finds Them (18:11-14). Jesus here uses the idea of the shepherd seeking his sheep, which was something that happened fairly regularly in Palestine. Seeing a shepherd looking for a lost sheep, or returning home with it in triumph, was a familiar sight to all his listeners, and He used it to illustrate many truths. Here it illustrates the truth of God’s concern for His own, and the fact that He will never... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:12

“Does he not leave the ninety and nine, and go to the mountains, and seek that which is going astray?” And what does the Shepherd do when He finds that one has gone astray? Why, He goes out into the mountains to seek the one who has gone astray. Note the emphasis on the cost. He ‘goes to the mountains’ to seek the one which is lost. A real effort is put in and a real price is paid. In one sense the Shepherd here is the Father. It is His concern that is being described (Matthew 18:10; Matthew... read more

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