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Rank in the Kingdom |
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Matthew 18:1
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At that time the disciples came to Jesus and
said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" |
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Matthew 18:2
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And He called a child to Himself and set him
before them, |
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Matthew 18:3
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and said, "Truly I say
to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter
the kingdom of heaven. |
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Matthew 18:4
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Whoever then humbles himself
as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. |
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Matthew 18:5
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And whoever receives one
such child in My name receives Me; |
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Matthew 18:6
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but whoever causes one
of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him
to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth
of the sea. |
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Stumbling Blocks |
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Matthew 18:7
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"Woe to the world because
of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but
woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! |
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Matthew 18:8
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"If your hand or your
foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for
you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be
cast into the eternal fire. |
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Matthew 18:9
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If your eye causes you
to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter
life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. |
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Matthew 18:10
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"See that you do not despise
one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually
see the face of My Father who is in heaven. |
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Matthew 18:11
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[For the Son of Man has
come to save that which was lost.] |
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Ninety-nine Plus One |
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Matthew 18:12
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"What do you think? If
any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave
the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? |
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Matthew 18:13
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If it turns out that he
finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine
which have not gone astray. |
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Matthew 18:14
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So it is not the will
of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. |
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Discipline and Prayer |
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Matthew 18:15
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"If your brother sins
go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your
brother. |
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Matthew 18:16
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But if he does not listen
to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES
EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. |
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Matthew 18:17
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If he refuses to listen
to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church,
let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
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Matthew 18:18
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Truly I say to you, whatever
you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth
shall have been loosed in heaven. |
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Matthew 18:19
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"Again I say to you, that
if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done
for them by My Father who is in heaven. |
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Matthew 18:20
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For where two or three
have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." |
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Forgiveness
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Matthew 18:21
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Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how
often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" |
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Matthew 18:22
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Jesus *said
to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up
to seventy times seven. |
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Matthew 18:23
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"For this reason the kingdom
of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. |
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Matthew 18:24
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When he had begun to settle
them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. |
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Matthew 18:25
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But since he did not have
the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and
children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. |
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Matthew 18:26
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So the slave fell to the
ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I
will repay you everything.' |
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Matthew 18:27
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And the lord of that slave
felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. |
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Matthew 18:28
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But that slave went out
and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized
him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' |
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Matthew 18:29
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So his fellow slave fell
to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and
I will repay you. |
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Matthew 18:30
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But he was unwilling and
went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. |
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Matthew 18:31
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when his fellow slaves
saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their
lord all that had happened. |
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Matthew 18:32
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Then summoning him, his
lord *said
to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with
me. |
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Matthew 18:33
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Should you not also have
had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' |
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Matthew 18:34
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his lord, moved with anger,
handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. |
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Matthew 18:35
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My heavenly Father will
also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your
heart." |
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