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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 18:12 - 18:14
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_18:12-14
12"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? 13If 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. 14So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish."
Mat_18:12-14 "a hundred sheep" This parable relates in context to believers who have become backslidden and then returned to God. Believers are to help and restore one another (cf. Gal_6:1-3). In Luk_15:4-7 this same parable refers to the spiritually lost, self righteous Pharisees. This shows that Jesus used the same parables in different ways to different audiences.
Mat_18:13 "if" Both Mat_18:12-13 are third class conditional sentences, which meant possible future action.
▣ "Truly" See Special Topic at Mat_5:18.
Mat_18:14 "the will of your Father who is in heaven" See Special Topic at Mat_7:21.
▣ "that one of these little ones perish" There are several Special Topics that relate to this phrase.
1. Destruction (appollumi) at Mat_2:13
2. Apostasy (aphistami) at Mat_7:21
3. Perseverance at Mat_10:22