Who Is the Greatest?

18 At that time^[a](A) the disciples^(B) came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ^{(C) 2} He called a small child and had him stand among them. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children,^(D) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(E) 4} Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes^[b] one child like this in my name welcomes me.

⁶ “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.^{(F) 7} Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.^{(G) 8} If your hand or your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.^{(H) 9} And if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire.^[c](I)

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones,^(J) because I tell you that in heaven their angels^(K) continually view the face of my Father in heaven.^{[d](L) 12} What do you think?^(M) If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray?^{(N) 13} And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep^[e] more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Restoring a Brother

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you,^[f] go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.^{(O) 16} But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony^[g] of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.^{[h](P) 17} If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church.^[i](Q) If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you.^{(R) 18} Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound^[j] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed^[k] in heaven.^{(S) 19} Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you^[l] pray for, it will be done for you^[m] by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” ^(T)

²² “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.^[n]

²³ “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents^[o] was brought before him. ²⁵ Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.^(U)

²⁶ “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

²⁸ “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.^[p](V) He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

²⁹ “At this, his fellow servant fell down^[q] and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ ³⁰ But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. ³² Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’^{(W) 34} And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister^[r] from your heart.”^(X)

Immoral Church Members

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality^(A) among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated^[a] among the Gentiles^(B)—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife.^{(C) 2} And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief^(D) and remove from your congregation the one who did this? ³ Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit.^(E) As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. ⁴ When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,^(F) so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.^(G)

⁶ Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven^[b](H) leavens the whole batch of dough?^{(I) 7} Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb^(J) has been sacrificed.^{[c] 8} Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil,^(K) but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Church Discipline

⁹ I wrote to you in a letter not to associate^(L) with sexually immoral people.^{(M) 10} I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy^(N) and swindlers^(O) or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.^{(P) 11} But actually, I wrote^[d] you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister^(Q) and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard^(R) or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. ¹² For what business is it of mine to judge^(S) outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? ¹³ God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.^[e](T)

Lawsuits among Believers

6 If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to court^(U) before the unrighteous,^[f] and not before the saints? ² Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? ³ Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life? ⁴ So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standing^(V) in the church? ⁵ I say this to your shame!^(W) Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers?^{(X) 6} Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers!^(Y)

⁷ As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you.^(Z) Why not rather be wronged?^(AA) Why not rather be cheated?^{(AB) 8} Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters! ⁹ Don’t you know that the unrighteous^(AC) will not inherit God’s kingdom?^(AD) Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,^(AE) adulterers,^(AF) or males who have sex with males,^{[g](AG) 10} no thieves,^(AH) greedy^(AI) people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,^(AJ) or swindlers^(AK) will inherit God’s kingdom. ¹¹ And some of you used to be like this.^(AL) But you were washed, you were sanctified,^(AM) you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorifying God in Body and Spirit

¹² “Everything is permissible^(AN) for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ “Food^(AO) is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immorality^(AP) but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.^{(AQ) 15} Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?^(AR) So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.^{[h](AS) 17} But anyone joined^(AT) to the Lord is one spirit^(AU) with him.

¹⁸ Flee^(AV) sexual immorality! Every other sin^[i] a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral^(AW) sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is a temple^(AX) of the Holy Spirit^(AY) who is in you,^(AZ) whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought^(BA) at a price. So glorify God with your body.^[j]