Lectionary Calendar

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025
the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

There are 56 days til Easter!

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Bible Commentaries
Matthew 18

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Verse 6

Matthew 18:6

millstone ... From Matthew 17:24 we learn Jesus was in Capernaum, where there was an industry of making millstone from lava rock in the area, balsalt rock.

Jesus and the group may well be passing such a display, and we can imagine his hand indicating these millstones beside the road.

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Verse 18

Matthew 18:18

ye.. you... plural, this included all the apostles. [Matthew 16:19 see the note there this command was not given just to Peter.] John 20:23

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Verse 21

Matthew 18:21

seven times ... Luke 17:4; Amos 1:3 [ Numbers often used as literary devices, as "seven" is used here in Matthew 18:22 not literally.]

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Verse 23

Matthew 18:23

kingdom of heaven ... Matthew 18:17, the church.

Parable:

A.The Unpayable Debt - Grace. Ephesians 2:8; Luke 17:10

B. A Double Standard -

C. A Forgiving Spirit - Matthew 18:35

We cannot receive forgiveness until we show forgiveness.

D. God’s Forgiveness and Ours -

E. The Mind of God - Philippians 2:15

John 13:34-35 a new commandment ..

...by this shall all men know ...

[vs. 28 General injunction "Pay your debts!"]

Conclusion

1. Our sins are great, our debt immense.

2. God is of great mercy and freely forgives us.

3. The offenses committed by our brethren against us are relatively small.

4. That we should therefore most freely forgive.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful ..."

Matthew 6:12 "Forgive us of our debts ..."

5. If we don’t forgive, God will not forgive us.

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Verse 25

Matthew 18:25

EQUIVALENCE TABLE OF WEIGHTS AND COINAGE AT THE TIME OF JESUS^A-81

Jewish weight	Greek coin or equivalent	Roman coin or equivalent	Phoenician (Tyrian) coin	Modern U.S. approximate equivalent
	Drachma (Luke 15:8–9)	Denarius (Matt. 18:28; 20:2, 9,13; 22:19; et al.)		Approximately $41.20^A-82
Half-Shekel	Diadrachma (seldom minted)	Equivalent to two Denarii	Diadrachma (seldom minted) (Matt. 17:24)	Approximately $84.20
Shekel	Tetradrachma (not in the New Testament)	Equivalent to four Denarii	Stater or Shekels (Matt. 17:27; cf. 26:16)	Approximately $164.80
	Talent (Matt. 18:24; 25:15–28)	Equivalent to approximately 6,000 Denarii		Approximately $247,200.00

^A-81 Cf. Gleason L. Archer, “Coins,” ZPEB, 1:902–11; Rousseau and Arav, Jesus and His World, 57.

^A-82 A denarius was the equivalent of a day’s wage for a common laborer (see comments on 17:24–27; and comments on 22:19). Using the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour in the United States in 2000, a common laborer would receive $41.20 a day. A talent, therefore, would be worth approximately $247,200 (cf. 25:15) by modern U.S. standards. The figure would be much lower in many areas of the world. The comparisons are only suggestive.

Arnold, C. E. (2002). Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 1, p. 116). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

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Verse 35

Matthew 18:35

from your heart ... genuinely

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Bibliographical Information
Gann, Windell. "Commentary on Matthew 18". Gann's Commentary on the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/gbc/matthew-18.html. 2021.

Bible CommentariesMatthew 18

Gann's Commentary on the BibleGann on the Bible

Verse 6

Verse 18

Verse 21

Verse 23

Verse 25

Verse 35

Bible Commentaries
Matthew 18