What does Matthew 18:11 Mean?

Study Notes

save (See Scofield " Romans 1:16 ")
lost (Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ).

perish

(Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ," trans). "marred," Mark 2:22 , "lost,"; Matthew 10:6 ; Matthew 15:24 ; Matthew 18:11 ; Luke 15:4 ; Luke 15:6 ; Luke 15:32 . In no N.T. instance does it signify cessation of existence or of consciousness. It is the condition of every non-believer.

world kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield " Matthew 4:8 ") .

lost
Son of man

save

lost (Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ).

Son of man

(See Scofield " Ezekiel 2:1 ") . Our Lord thus designates Himself about eighty times. It is His racial name as the representative Man, in the sense of 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 as Son of David is distinctly his Jewish name, and Son of God His divine name. Our Lord constantly uses this term as implying that his mission (e.g.); Matthew 11:19 ; Luke 19:10 . His death and resurrection (e.g.); Matthew 12:40 ; Matthew 20:18 ; Matthew 26:2 and His second coming (e.g.); Matthew 24:37-44 ; Luke 12:40 transcended in scope and result all merely Jewish imitations. When Nathanael confesses him as "King of Israel," our Lord's answer is, "Thou shalt see greater things.. . the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." When His messengers are cast out by the Jews, His thought leaps forward to the time when the Son of man shall come, not then to Israel only but to the race; Matthew 10:5 ; Matthew 10:6 ; Matthew 8:23 . It is in this name, also, that universal judgment is committed to Him John 5:22 ; John 5:27 . It is also a name indicating that in Him is fulfilled the O.T. foreview of blessing through a coming man. See Scofield " Genesis 1:26 "; Genesis 3:15 ; Genesis 12:3 ; Psalms 8:4 ; Psalms 80:17 ; Isaiah 7:14 ; Isaiah 9:6 ; Isaiah 9:7 ; Isaiah 32:2 ; Zechariah 13:7 ; Isaiah 32:2 ; Zechariah 13:7 .

salvation

The Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία , safety, preservation, healing, and soundness). Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation is in three tenses:

(1) The believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin Luke 7:50 ; 1 Corinthians 1:18 ; 2 Corinthians 2:15 ; Ephesians 2:5 ; Ephesians 2:8 ; 2 Timothy 1:9 and is safe.

(2) the believer is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin Romans 6:14 ; Philippians 1:19 ; Philippians 2:12 ; Philippians 2:13 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ; Romans 8:2 ; Galatians 2:19 ; Galatians 2:20 ; 2 Corinthians 3:18 .

(3) The believer is to be saved in the sense of entire conformity to Christ. Romans 13:11 ; Hebrews 10:36 ; 1 Peter 1:5 ; 1 John 3:2 . Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift, and wholly without works; Romans 3:27 ; Romans 3:28 ; Romans 4:1-8 ; Romans 6:23 ; Ephesians 2:8 . The divine order is: first salvation, then works; Ephesians 2:9 ; Ephesians 2:10 ; Titus 3:5-8 .

perish

(Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ," trans). "marred," Mark 2:22 , "lost,"; Matthew 10:6 ; Matthew 15:24 ; Matthew 18:11 ; Luke 15:4 ; Luke 15:6 ; Luke 15:32 . In no N.T. instance does it signify cessation of existence or of consciousness. It is the condition of every non-believer.

world kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield " Matthew 4:8 ") .

Son of man

save

lost (Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ).

(See Scofield " Ezekiel 2:1 ") . Our Lord thus designates Himself about eighty times. It is His racial name as the representative Man, in the sense of 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 as Son of David is distinctly his Jewish name, and Son of God His divine name. Our Lord constantly uses this term as implying that his mission (e.g.); Matthew 11:19 ; Luke 19:10 . His death and resurrection (e.g.); Matthew 12:40 ; Matthew 20:18 ; Matthew 26:2 and His second coming (e.g.); Matthew 24:37-44 ; Luke 12:40 transcended in scope and result all merely Jewish imitations. When Nathanael confesses him as "King of Israel," our Lord's answer is, "Thou shalt see greater things.. . the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." When His messengers are cast out by the Jews, His thought leaps forward to the time when the Son of man shall come, not then to Israel only but to the race; Matthew 10:5 ; Matthew 10:6 ; Matthew 8:23 . It is in this name, also, that universal judgment is committed to Him John 5:22 ; John 5:27 . It is also a name indicating that in Him is fulfilled the O.T. foreview of blessing through a coming man. See Scofield " Genesis 1:26 "; Genesis 3:15 ; Genesis 12:3 ; Psalms 8:4 ; Psalms 80:17 ; Isaiah 7:14 ; Isaiah 9:6 ; Isaiah 9:7 ; Isaiah 32:2 ; Zechariah 13:7 ; Isaiah 32:2 ; Zechariah 13:7 .

salvation

The Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία , safety, preservation, healing, and soundness). Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation is in three tenses:

(1) The believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin Luke 7:50 ; 1 Corinthians 1:18 ; 2 Corinthians 2:15 ; Ephesians 2:5 ; Ephesians 2:8 ; 2 Timothy 1:9 and is safe.

(2) the believer is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin Romans 6:14 ; Philippians 1:19 ; Philippians 2:12 ; Philippians 2:13 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ; Romans 8:2 ; Galatians 2:19 ; Galatians 2:20 ; 2 Corinthians 3:18 .

(3) The believer is to be saved in the sense of entire conformity to Christ. Romans 13:11 ; Hebrews 10:36 ; 1 Peter 1:5 ; 1 John 3:2 . Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift, and wholly without works; Romans 3:27 ; Romans 3:28 ; Romans 4:1-8 ; Romans 6:23 ; Ephesians 2:8 . The divine order is: first salvation, then works; Ephesians 2:9 ; Ephesians 2:10 ; Titus 3:5-8 .

perish

(Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ," trans). "marred," Mark 2:22 , "lost,"; Matthew 10:6 ; Matthew 15:24 ; Matthew 18:11 ; Luke 15:4 ; Luke 15:6 ; Luke 15:32 . In no N.T. instance does it signify cessation of existence or of consciousness. It is the condition of every non-believer.

world kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield " Matthew 4:8 ") .

Context Summary

How tenderly the Master speaks of the children! We must turn back to become like them, Matthew 18:3. To cause them to stumble is to incur terrible penalties, Matthew 18:6. Not one of them is to be despised, Matthew 18:10. Each has an angel from the Father's presence chamber-one of the most exalted-to take charge of him, Matthew 18:10. To seek and to save one of these, the Good Shepherd is prepared to traverse the mountain paths, Matthew 18:12. It is not the Father's will that one should perish.

When we have sinned against our brother, we must seek him out and be reconciled. See Matthew 5:23-24. But when our brother has sinned against us, we are to make three efforts before we give him up as hopeless. It is the presence of Jesus with His people that brings them into unison with the unseen world, so that their decisions and prayers are simultaneous with the divine mind. The Advocate-Paraclete in our hearts is at one with the Advocate-Paraclete on the throne, John 14:16. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 18

¹  Jesus warns his disciples to be humble and harmless,
⁷  to avoid offenses,
¹⁰  and not to despise the little ones;
¹⁵  teaches how we are to deal with our brothers when they offend us,
²¹  and how often to forgive them;
²³  which he sets forth by a parable of the king who took account of his servants,
³²  and punished him who showed no mercy to his fellow servant