Matthew 18:5-17
5 a“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6but bwhoever causes one of these clittle ones who believe in me to sin, ▼▼Greek causes . . . to stumble; also verses 8, 9
it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Temptations to Sin
7“Woe to the world for etemptations to sin! ▼▼Greek stumbling blocks
gFor it is necessary that temptations come, hbut woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 iAnd if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into jthe eternal fire. 9 kAnd if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the lhell ▼▼Greek Gehenna
of fire. The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10“See that you do not despise none of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven otheir angels always psee the face of my Father who is in heaven. ▼▼Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost
12 rWhat do you think? sIf a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So tit is not the will of my ▼▼Some manuscripts your
Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. If Your Brother Sins Against You
15 v“If your brother sins against you, wgo and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have xgained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established yby the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, ztell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, aalet him be to you as aba Gentile and aca tax collector.
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