聖書注解書

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 should be his general, his privy counsellor, and his steward? (ch. Matthew 20:21.) he who first embraced his doctrine? or he who is the nearest in blood to him? or he to whom he has been the most frequent guest? or he who is the eldest? And as St. Matthew treats more largely of this contention of the Apostles than the other Evangelists, he seems to insinuate that he was aimed at by the inquiry of his colleagues, and in some measure despised for the infamy of his former life; but that he was happily and fully vindicated and comforted by our Lord's answer. Wetstein.

return to '

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 the child here mentioned was the celebrated St. Ignatius, who suffered martyrdom under the reign and by the command of Trajan. The method of instruction here used was agreeable to the manner of the Eastern doctors and prophets, who, in teaching, impressed the minds of their disciples by symbolical actions, as well as by words. Thus John 20:22. Jesus, by breathing on his Apostles, signified, that through the invisible energy of his power he conferred on them the gifts of his spirit. Thus, Joh 21:19 he bade Peter follow him, to shew that he was to be his follower in afflictions. And in Rev 18:21 an angel cast a stone into the depth of the sea, to signify the utter destruction of Babylon. For more examples, see John 13:4-5; John 13:14. Act 21:11 and Macknight.

return to '

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.

return to '

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 our Lord did not think it improper or unnecessary sometimes to repeat what he had then said; and considering the importance of these maxims, and how little many of his hearers were disposed to receive and retain them, it was a valuable instance of his compassion and wisdom. See Doddridge.

return to '

Matthew 18:12. Doth he not leave the ninety and nine— This might be rendered, Would he not leave the ninety and nine on the mountains (in their pasture or fold) and go out to seek, &c.? See this parable in Luke 15:0.

return to '

Matthew 18:14. Even so, &c.— That is, "God greatly delights in the conversion and salvation of men, and is at as much pains to reclaim them, as a shepherd is to bring back a sheep which was strayed from the fold." We may observe the gradation in these verses: first, the angels do not despise these little ones;—neither the Son,—nor the Father.

return to '

Matthew 18:18. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, &c.— Our Saviour here confers on his disciples in general the power of binding and loosing, which he had formerly conferred on Peter singly: but the present grant, from the connection in which it stands, appears manifestly to refer to something further than the former, which had respect to nothing but doctrine and precept. Whatever Peter declared lawful and unlawful should be held so in heaven; whereas here it relates not only to doctrine, but to discipline. If by their admonitions, whether public or private, the Apostles brought their brethren to repentance, they loosed the guilt of their sins, the fetters by which the divine justice detains men its prisoners; or, as it is expressed above, they gain their brethren. On the other hand, if the offending brother continued impenitent, after the methods prescribed were all tried, theybound his guilt the faster upon him; because, according to the laws of heaven—the terms of salvation which they were to preach by inspiration, none but penitents shall obtain pardon. Wetstein gives the following explanation of this verse: "If any one shall despise your sentence passed upon him, according to your appointed rules, he will do it to his own extreme hazard; for, refusing to returninto favour with you, he will be esteemed guilty before God. On the contrary, if he shall reconcile himself to you, he shall also obtain from God pardon for the sin committed against you." See Macknight, Grotius, and ch. Matthew 16:19.

return to '

Matthew 18:23. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened, &c.— "For this reason, or, with respect to this matter, I may properly say that the kingdom of heaven, in its constitution and final process, may be likened to, or illustrated by the instance of a certain king who ruled over a large country, and who, as he had a great number of officers under him, was determined at length to settle accounts with his servants." Thus our Lord illustrates the excellent morality in the preceding verse, by a lively parable; in which is shewn the necessity of forgiving the greatest injuries—a necessity of the strongest kind, arising from this law of the divine government, an invariable rule of which is, that God will not forgive us our trespasses, if we do not forgive others. See ch. Matthew 6:12.

return to '