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It may seem that Matthew 18 is not a deep chapter and that the parable in Matt. 18:23-35 is shallow. Actually, what is revealed in this chapter is very deep. When most Christians read Matthew, they do not realize that this book deals not only with the doctrine of the kingdom, but with the practical kingdom life. If we would understand any portion of Matthew, we need to keep this fact in mind. When I was young, I did not care to read Matt. 18 because I did not see that this chapter deals with the kingdom life. Although you have read this chapter before, you probably have not seen what it really deals with. Rather, you may have thought that it is merely concerned with Christian behavior, that it is merely a word about forgiving our brothers. Because of our natural concept, we do not see that this chapter is deeply concerned with the kingdom life.
The fact that this portion of the Word deals with the practical kingdom life is proved by verse 1: “In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?” To enter into the kingdom of the heavens means to enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, this chapter, along with chapters nineteen and twenty, deals with the kingdom life.
In order to remain in the kingdom life, we must have humility. If we have humility, we shall neither offend others nor be offended by others. We shall neither stumble others nor be stumbled by them. All stumbling, of ourselves or of others, comes from pride. We need to hate pride and treat it as a “gopher” that must be killed. Otherwise, the “gopher” of pride will ruin the kingdom life.
In chapter eighteen we see how to deal with someone who offends others. If a brother offends us, we should go to him directly in love. If he does not listen to us, we should go to him again with one or two witnesses. If he still does not listen to us, even in the presence of witnesses, we should tell the matter to the church and let the church deal with him. If he refuses to hear the church, then the church should consider him a heathen or a tax collector and cut off his fellowship with the church. Although this is a word telling us how to deal with a brother who causes offenses, it is also a word indicating that it is a serious matter to offend others. The seriousness of this is shown by the danger of being cut off from the fellowship of the church. To be cut off from the fellowship of the church means to be put out of the kingdom life. This is serious.
In the Lord’s word about dealing with an offending brother, the authority of the kingdom is involved. Verse 18 says, “Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall be what has been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall be what has been loosed in heaven.” If someone offends the brothers and rebels against the church, the heavens will bind him. Notice that verse 18 says that the church binds what has already been bound in the heavens. This indicates that the offense and the rebellion cause the heavens to bind the one responsible for the offense. If you reject the church and rebel against the church, the heavens will bind you. Because the heavens have bound you already, the church executes what the heavens have already bound. If you consider verse 18 in its context, you will realize that it is not an insignificant matter to rebel against the church. The church simply follows the heavens to bind what the heavens have already bound. The church’s binding is the execution of the heavens’ binding. Before the church says, “Lord, we bind this rebellious brother,” he has already been bound in the heavens.
The same is true regarding repentance. To repent to the church for your rebellion is a matter of great significance. If you repent to the church, the heavens will immediately loose you, and then the church will loose what has been loosed in the heavens. To rebel against the church is serious, and to repent to the church is very significant. By this we see that Matthew 18 covers the kingdom life.
What is found here is not simply a matter about offending someone or listening to the church. It is a matter of whether or not we shall remain in the kingdom. If we rebel against the church, the heavens stand behind the church and support it. Hence, if you rebel against the church, the heavens will say, “I bind you.” Then the church will rise up to bind what the heavens have bound. But if you repent, the heavens will say, “You are loosed.” Then the church will carry out what has been loosed in the heavens. Whether we rebel against the church or repent to the church, both are serious. Both reveal that our relationship with the brothers and with the church has a great deal to do with the kingdom life.
After listening to the Lord’s word about the kingdom life, Peter asked Him a question: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times?” (v. 21). Peter did not ask this on behalf of others; rather, being quick and bold, he asked it according to what was in him. Those who are quick often offend others. The more active, quick, and bold we are, the more we offend others. But those who are cautious and slow rarely offend anyone. Why was it not John who asked this question? It was Peter who was concerned about the Lord’s word regarding the offending brother. Because Peter often offended others, he was very concerned and asked the Lord about forgiveness.
Verse 22 says, “Jesus says to him, I do not say to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven.” Seventy times seven means that we must forgive others an unlimited number of times. There is no need to count or keep a record of the number of times you forgive others. Over and over and over, you need to forgive them.
In verses 23 through 35 the Lord gives a parable as an illustration. Verses 23 and 24 say, “Therefore, the kingdom of the heavens is likened to a man, a king, who desired to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he began to settle them, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.” According to the context of this parable, the settling of accounts here refers to the Lord’s dealing with us in this age through such things as severe illness or certain extreme hardships which cause us to realize how much we owe the Lord and to beg Him to forgive us. According to verse 24, one slave owed him ten thousand talents, that is, about twelve million dollars. It was impossible for the debtor to pay off this debt. This refers to the heavy debt of our failures accumulated after we were saved.
After the slave begged the king to be patient with him until he repaid the debt, “the lord of that slave was moved with compassion and released him and forgave him the loan” (v. 27). This refers to the forgiveness of our debts in our defeated Christian life for the restoration of our fellowship with the Lord.
Verse 28 says, “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and he seized him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay, if you owe anything.” This definitely refers to things that take place in this age. The hundred denarii spoken of in this verse is less than a millionth part of ten thousand talents. This refers to a brother’s sin against us after we have been saved. How small is any brother’s debt to us compared to our debt to the Lord!
Nevertheless, we may not be willing to forgive. Verses 29 and 30 say, “His fellow slave therefore fell down and entreated him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will repay you. And he would not, but went away and threw him into prison until he should pay what was owed.” The offended brother, the one not willing to forgive others, was certainly saved. Thus, in this parable the Lord is dealing not with sinners, but with believers, with saved ones. He deals with a brother who has been offended, yet who is not willing to forgive.
Verse 31 says, “His fellow slaves, having seen what had taken place, were exceedingly grieved and came and explained to their lord all that had taken place.” If we do not forgive the brother who sins against us, it will grieve the other brothers, and they may bring this matter to the Lord.
Verse 34 says, “And his lord was angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was owed to him.” This refers to the Lord’s dealing with His believers at His coming back. If we do not forgive the brother who sins against us, we shall be disciplined by the Lord until we forgive him from the heart, that is, until we have paid everything we owe. Then the Lord will forgive us. This is forgiveness in the kingdom. This implies that if we do not forgive a brother from our heart today, we shall not be allowed to enter into the kingdom in the coming age.
Many Christians do not understand this portion of the Word. Verses 34 and 35 indicate that the one who does not forgive his brother from his heart will be under the hand of the tormentors until he forgives everything. Certainly such a one is a saved one. Nevertheless, he is given over to the tormentors for a period of time. This does not mean, however, that he is cast into prison forever. Rather, he will be tormented until he pays the debt, that is, until he forgives his brother from his heart.
Today most Christians believe that as long as they are saved, there will be no problem in the future. But in this parable the one who refuses to forgive his fellow slaves is not a false Christian, but a real Christian. You need to realize that it is possible for a real Christian one day to be delivered to the tormentors. Perhaps you will say, “The Lord Jesus will not do this to me. I have never robbed a bank. I have always been righteous and have not mistreated others.” But the Lord may say, “No, you didn’t rob a bank or damage anyone, but you have not forgiven your brother from your heart.” Do you think that such an unforgiving brother is actually in the kingdom in a practical way? According to God’s mathematics, to forgive is to forget. However, you may not be willing to forgive those who have offended you. This is a serious matter. If you claim to be in the kingdom life in a practical way, why then are you not willing to forgive others from the heart? Your unwillingness to forgive causes you to lose the kingdom life.
In verses 15 through 20 the emphasis is on the offending brother needing to repent. But in the parable the emphasis is on the offended one needing to forgive. Both our unwillingness to repent and our unwillingness to forgive will keep us out of the kingdom. If we offend someone but are not willing to repent and ask for forgiveness, we shall be kept out of the kingdom. In the same principle, if we are offended but are unwilling to forgive, we shall also be kept out of the kingdom. Often we think that we are in the kingdom when, according to God’s mathematics, we are not. It depends on whether or not we are willing, on the one hand, to repent and ask for forgiveness and, on the other hand, to forgive others from our heart.
I have observed these two problems in the church life throughout the years. When certain brothers offended others, they were not willing to repent and ask for forgiveness. As a result, they were out of the church life. By being out of the church life, they were out of the kingdom. I also saw those who were offended but who were not willing to forgive the one who had offended them. They also were kept from the church life. Apparently those who do not repent and those who do not forgive others are in the kingdom. Actually, according to God’s reckoning, they are not.
Whenever a church is newly established, the church experiences a honeymoon. During the honeymoon, everything is wonderful. The brothers and sisters say, “How marvelous it is to be in the church! We used to be scattered and divided in the denominations. But now the captives have returned home. Praise the Lord for bringing us back!” However, as time goes by, there will be offenses. In the church life we simply cannot avoid offending one another, for we are daily in close contact with one another. We may offend others without having any intention of doing so. From the day I first came into the ministry until now, I have not had any intention to offend anyone. I have even prayed that the Lord would give me wisdom to know how to go in and out among the Lord’s people. But no matter how much I prayed to the Lord regarding this, I have unconsciously and unintentionally offended others. The same is true in married life. I do not believe that there is one couple who has not had offenses between them. Offenses are unavoidable.
During the years, I have visited church after church. Everyone in a new church is happy, and all the faces are smiling. But when I visited the same church two years later, I saw many unhappy faces there. Privately I contacted some of those who seemed the most unhappy and asked what had happened to them and why they were silent in the meetings. They told me of the offenses and the unhappy feelings toward the elders or toward others. Whenever I heard this, I prayed desperately for the church and said, “Lord, the church simply cannot go on like this.” Then I contacted the elders and asked them about the situation. Sometimes the elders said, “Brother Lee, forget about that person. Although he was one of the pioneers of the church life here, he has offended almost everyone.” Upon hearing this, I asked the elders if they would forgive him. In many cases, they were unwilling to do so. Thus, one side was unwilling to repent, and the other side was unwilling to forgive. If such a situation continues, the church life is over. The saints may still come together and sing a few hymns, but because of the offenses, the judgment, and the unwillingness to repent or to forgive, there is no kingdom life in that place. God who sees everything knows what is hidden beneath the surface of the church life. We may meet as a church, but among us there may not actually be the kingdom life. Because of the unwillingness to repent and to forgive, the kingdom life vanishes.
In God’s governmental administration, His forgiveness is dispensational. For His administration, He has planned different ages. The period from the first coming of Christ to eternity is divided dispensationally into three ages: this age, the present one, from Christ’s first to His second coming; the coming age, the millennium, the one thousand years for restoration and heavenly reigning, from Christ’s second coming to the end of the old heaven and the old earth; and eternity, the eternal age of the new heaven and new earth. God’s forgiveness in this age is for sinners’ eternal salvation (Acts 2:38; 5:31; 13:39). If a believer, after being saved, commits any sin, but will not make a clearance through confession and the cleansing of the Lord’s blood (1 John 1:7, 9) before he dies or the Lord comes back, this sin will not be forgiven in this age, but will remain to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. He will not be rewarded with the kingdom to participate in the glory and joy with Christ in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, but will be disciplined to make a clearance of this sin and be forgiven in the coming age. This kind of forgiveness will maintain his eternal salvation, but will not qualify him to participate in the glory and joy of the coming kingdom.
If anyone offends the church and is not willing to repent or if he is offended and is not willing to forgive the one who has offended him, he will be out of the kingdom not only in this age but in the coming age. This means that he will not share in the manifestation of the kingdom. Do not listen to the mistaken teachings that Christians cannot have any problems in the coming age. Some will have great problems and will be excluded from the glory and joy which the overcomers will share with the Lord Jesus during the millennium. Furthermore, they may be put under the hands of the tormentors. If today you can be considered by the church as a heathen or a tax collector, then what will happen to you during the manifestation of the kingdom? It is a very serious matter to offend the saints or the church and to rebel against the church. If you remain in such a state, where will you be at the time of the manifestation of the kingdom? Also, what about those who are unwilling to forgive those who have offended them? Yes, certain ones may have offended you, but you need to remember how much God the Father has forgiven you. Why will you not conduct yourself as a beloved son of the Father and forgive others as He has forgiven you? We all have a weakness here, for we all are unwilling to forgive others. If you still remember a brother’s offense against you, it indicates that you have not forgiven him from your heart. If this is your situation when the kingdom comes, you will be delivered to the tormentors.
Perhaps you have not heard such a serious word before and were misled concerning this matter. Many Christians do not know how to interpret this part of the Word because they have not seen God’s dispensational administration. They do not realize that God has ordained three ages: the present age, the coming age, and the eternal age. According to Matthew 12:32, certain sins cannot be forgiven either in this age or in the coming age. This indicates that other sins can be forgiven in this age or in the next age. If you offend the church and rebel against the church, you commit a sin. But if you repent to the church, this sin will be forgiven in this age. However, if you do not repent to the church, this sin will not be forgiven in this age. Rather, you will need to wait until the coming kingdom age before this sin is forgiven. During the kingdom age, you will be under the discipline of God. Then you will repent and be forgiven. Although you may be disciplined in the coming age and dealt with by God, you will not be lost. After you have been dealt with, you will repent and apply the blood. Then, in that age, you will be forgiven. We need to be very serious about this matter. Have you offended anyone? If you have, you need to repent. Has anyone offended you? If so, by the Lord’s grace you must forgive that offense and forget about it. If we do this, there will be no friction among us. All offenses will be removed by our repentance and forgiveness.
If we do not practice the way of repentance and forgiveness, the longer we stay in the church life, the more offenses there will be. The offenses will accumulate until they are as high as a mountain. This will annul the kingdom life and cause us to forfeit the church life. May the Lord grant us the grace we need. If I offend you, I need to go to you and repent. If you offend me, I need to look to the Lord for the grace to forgive you from my heart. And once I have forgiven an offense, I should forget it and never mention it again. If we do this, we shall have the proper kingdom life. Then we shall share in the manifestation of the kingdom. Otherwise, during the millennium we shall be under God’s discipline so that we will repent of our offense or forgive the one who offended us.
