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Who Is The Greatest In The Kingdom? Whoever Will Humble Himself Like This Child

18 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then[a] is greater[b] in the kingdom of the heavens?” And having summoned a child, He stood him[c] in the middle of them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are turned-around [d] and become like children[e], you will never enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore whoever will humble himself like this child, this one is the greater one in the kingdom of the heavens.

But Woe To Whoever Causes One of My Children Believing In Me To Fall

“And whoever welcomes[f] one such[g] child on the basis of My name, welcomes Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to fall— it would be better[h] for him that a donkey’s millstone[i] be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the deep-part[j] of the sea.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:1 That is, since You are Messiah, how will we rank in Your kingdom?
  2. Matthew 18:1 Or, greatest.
  3. Matthew 18:2 Or, her. Lit, it (the child).
  4. Matthew 18:3 Or, changed, converted, turned (from your ways to God).
  5. Matthew 18:3 That is, dependent and helpless before God, as this child is before adults and God.
  6. Matthew 18:5 Having answered their question, Jesus goes on to draw another lesson from this child.
  7. Matthew 18:5 That is, one such physical child like this one before them; or, one such spiritual child of any age who humbles himself in the way just mentioned.
  8. Matthew 18:6 It is better to be killed (a one-time event) than to face the consequences of this (an eternal loss).
  9. Matthew 18:6 That is, a large millstone which donkeys would turn.
  10. Matthew 18:6 Lit, open-sea of the sea.

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven(A)

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(B) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(C) Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(D) And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.(E)

Causing to Stumble

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.(F)

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