Victory Fellowship Bible Study
273 23rd St. S.W., Barberton, OH 44203
Wednesdays at 7pm
Rev. Roderick D. Grabski (330) 858-0223
WEBPAGE: victoryfellowshipministries.com
CLASS NINETEEN: Restoration and Forgiveness
I. ANNOUNCEMENTS and PRAYER CONCERNS
II. READ / LISTEN to MATTHEW 18:1–35
a. What are your initial impressions or questions? Notable translation differences?
III. The Greatest in the Kingdom (vv. 1-5)
a. This chapter is Discourse Four (Church): Character of Jesus’ Disciples (18:1-35).
b. Compare with Mark 9:33-37 and Luke 9:46-48.
c. Jesus is instructing His disciples to have child-like humility, as well as kind and gracious treatment of children.
IV. Woe Because of Offenses (vv. 6-9)
a. (vv. 6-7) Jesus is now not just talking about children, but His followers. Woe to those who are a stumbling block to His followers. Paul instructs the church in Rome (Chapter 14) and in Corinth (1st Corinthians chapters 8 & 10) to beware that our behavior or what we practice does not become a stumbling block for other believers.
b. (vv. 8-9) Should we take Jesus literally at His word here? Why or why not?
c. The Greek word translated as “hell” is Gehenna. It is derived from the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem.
i. It is in this valley that the children were sacrificed by fire to the pagan god Molech. (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35)
ii. It is here where the good king Josiah (2 Kings 23:10) turned the site into the city’s garbage dump where fire constantly burned to destroy the garbage and the worms infesting it.
iii. Thus, Gehenna accurately described the place of eternal fire. (Matt. 5:22; 10:28; James 3:6)
iv. The fiery hell is the place prepared for the devil and his angels, and all those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. This will be the final, eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and Last Judgment. (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 19:20; 20:9-10)
V. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (vv. 10-14)
a. (vs. 10) Again, Jesus is not just talking about children, but His followers. What does this verse reveal about angels? (See also Daniel 10:10-14)
b. (vs. 11) This verse is not in all manuscripts, but it is something Jesus said and is recorded elsewhere in Luke 9:59; 19:10 and John 3:17; 12:47.
c. What does it mean in Jesus’ parable that the one sheep has gone astray?
VI. Restoring a Wayward Believer (vv. 15-20)
a. (vs. 15) The words, against you, are not in the earliest manuscripts.
b. (vv. 15-17) One of the biggest lies Satan has used to deceive the church is that we are not to discipline or “judge” one another. This simply is not true. Here Jesus sets a pattern intended to keep the church healthy and restore a wayward Christian. It is an act of love to reprove a believer who is in the wrong. (1st Corinthians 5:1-13)
c. (vs. 18) Jesus is repeating here words He used in Matthew 16:19.
d. (vv. 19-20) These verses are often applied out of context and in the wrong way. The word, again, is referring to the witnesses in verse 16. Verse 20 has to do with when the church must make decisions concerning rebuke and restoration.
VII. Parable of the Unforgiving Slave (vv. 21-35)
a. (vs. 21) Peter believes he is being extremely forgiving. Rabbis instructed their students to forgive up to three times.
b. Numbers are not the easiest to translate from the Greek. Compare verse 22 in various translations. Is it 77 times or 490 times (70 x 7)? What is Jesus’ point?
c. (vv. 23-25) Jesus is intentionally exaggerating. 10,000 talents was equivalent to a billion day’s wages for the peasant. A modern parallel would be if someone owed the national debt of the USA and promised to pay it back in their lifetime.
d. (vv. 26-27) How does this debt forgiveness relate to God?
e. (vs. 28) 100 Denarii was equivalent to 90 days wages. This comparison shows the sins of those against us verses our sins against God.
f. (vv. 29-31) This slave has a callused heart and short memory.
g. (vv. 32-35) What’s the point of this parable?
VIII. Application
a. We don’t judge the world but we must lovingly hold other believers accountable for their faith. (James 5:20)
b. It is imperative that we forgive others if we desire God to forgive us. (Mark 11:25-26)
c. It is not God’s desire that anyone should perish, but rather have eternal life with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. (2nd Peter 3:9)
d. The bible teaches that there is an eternal punishment and separation from God to those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ. (Revelation 21:8)
Final Comments and/or Questions. Close in Prayer
Next Week: Jesus Teaches on Divorce and Wealth
- Read Matthew 19:1-30 to prepare.
