Matthew 18:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

NIV: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"

NASB: Then Peter came up and said to Him, 'Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?'

CSB: Then Peter approached him and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?"

NLT: Then Peter came to him and asked, 'Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?'

KJV: Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

NKJV: Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Peter likely thinks he is being generous and noble in this question to Jesus. Jesus has just finished describing a process for what to do when another believer in Jesus sins against you. It's a process that starts with a one-on-one conversation and ends, if there is not repentance on the part of the sinful person, with removing that person from the community of Jesus-followers (Matthew 18:15–20).

Peter seems to be thinking about cases when someone repeatedly sins against you. The Jewish rabbis required those who followed the law to forgive a person who was guilty of the same offense three times. Then they were free to stop forgiving—in that mindset, the offending person had exhausted any reason to be forgiven. Peter seems to know that Jesus' standard will be higher, so he more than doubles that number. He forms his suggestion into a question: As many as seven times? Jesus, as usual, will give Peter a surprising answer.

Matthew 18:21–35 answers Peter's question about how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him. Jesus tells a parable about the servant of a king. The king forgives the man's enormous, unpayable debt. In turn, the servant refuses to forgive the much smaller debt owed him by another and has that man thrown in prison. The king is furious and asks the servant why he did not show the same mercy he had been given. The king has the man jailed until he pays everything. Jesus says that God the Father will do the same to those who do not forgive their brothers.

Jesus uses two questions from the disciples to teach important lessons. The "greatest" in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself like a child. Temptation is unavoidable in earthly life, but it's worth going to extremes to avoid falling for it. Even so, those who fall should not be hated and despised. God the Father values them highly and wants none of them to perish. In fact, Jesus lays out a clear, careful process to confront sin in others before removing them from the community. Christ also replies to Peter's question about forgiveness with a parable. This story represents both God's amazing forgiveness, and the way we ought to respond as Christians.

Matthew 18 follows the action of the previous chapter with teaching from Jesus on several issues. These include humility, using the example of a child. Jesus also teaches about avoiding sin and offering forgiveness to others. Interestingly, the following chapter will also feature references to children and to wealth, as Christ continues to explain the will of God to His disciples.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 9/7/2024 9:40:28 PM