Matthew 18:7, commentary and pictures

Christ spoke the warning to correct His disciples' strife over who is greatest, calling a little child to show that greatness is humility, and declaring both woe upon the world because offenses will come and personal woe upon the man who brings them. The little ones He guards are believers in Him, weak and inexperienced souls whose faith can be wounded, as well as literal children and youth whose angels behold the Father. Offenses must needs come and will inevitably arise in a world opposed to Christ, yet their certainty gives no excuse and the one who causes stumbling remains accountable under judgment. Causing to stumble is chiefly seeking supremacy and exalting self, with criticism, faultfinding, contempt, harsh and unforgiving treatment, domineering words, and hindering Christ's workers and truth, all of which dishonor God and drive away souls He came to save. Therefore sinful tendencies and cherished harshness must be cut off as decisively as a hand or eye, while His followers become as little children in meekness, receive believers as Christ Himself, seek the straying, and forgive, for injury to them is counted as done to Christ and will be judged according to works.

Context and Terms

Jesus spoke these words to answer the disciples when they asked who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, calling a little child and setting him in the midst to correct their false ideas of greatness. Entrance into the kingdom requires conversion and becoming as little children, and whoever humbles himself as a little child is greatest there, while receiving one such believing little child in His name is receiving Him and offending one brings terrible guilt under millstone judgment. Greatness in His spiritual kingdom is not position, outward splendor, exaltation or authority, and no man, not even Peter, is to be set up as superior to be copied, but greatness is spiritual excellence, spiritual purity, excellence of speech, meekness, mercy, justice and the love of God. It requires natural defects of disposition to be changed for the virtues of Christ's character, a humble, charitable, kind, merciful and submissive spirit that receives lessons as a child, ever learns of Christ, and obeys every word from His mouth. Those who love Christ must love all who believe in Him, receive believers in His name, exert a Christlike influence, forgive injuries instead of avenging them, treat men firmly and generously, and show Christlike love as proof of real transformation to a pure clean heart cleansed by obedience to the truth. This instruction is most positive among the oracles of God, giving principles for disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus to act on in all cases and under all circumstances, to be heeded and to guide conduct and daily dealings, requiring humbling before God, turning from self to sympathy and love for others, personal effort to help those outside Christ, thorough conversion, single purpose and pure motives, for mere profession without doing His Word leaves one like a counterfeit coin without the right ring, and doing the wrongs pointed out dishonors God and mars His cause.

The little ones guarded are believers in Christ, little children in Christ rather than children in years. They include weak and trembling souls with many defects and objectionable traits of character, defective and inexperienced followers whose faith can be harmed and whose path can be made harder. They are the special charge of angels, and causes of stumbling and sin that mislead them or lead them into wrongdoing fall under grave warning and severe judgment, with a call to remove whatever leads self or others to wrong.

The warning also applies to literal children and youth, and leading them into harm or away from faith brings woe that inevitability does not excuse. Children need help to overcome, alongside faithful discipline and correction when they do wrong, and family members must not cause them to stumble or provoke them to anger by words or actions. Their angels always behold the face of the Father in heaven, receiving commission from the Father and working with children alongside their teacher to influence their minds. Offending little children and youth by harsh, arbitrary, passionate treatment, shaking them, forcing the will upon them and bruising them bruises the offender's own soul more, destroys manhood, drives the discouraged to desperation and stubbornness, does Satan's work, and leaves the unconverted under condemnation. Escape requires conversion, humbling as a little child, putting mind and spirit on a level with the child, understanding its trials, dealing with human minds as tenderly as Christ has dealt, praying and talking with the child alone, showing the will of Christ, and binding the child to the heart with love, tenderness and forbearance to save the lost whom Satan seeks to lead.

Two woes are pronounced: woe upon the world because offenses and suffering come, and personal woe upon the man by whom the offense comes. Difficulties, suffering, offenses and stumbling blocks cannot be avoided and must come, yet they bring woe upon the world and especially upon the person who causes them, making harmful conduct toward Christ's followers a grave matter. Because offense will come, believers must be careful not to add to it or stir the natural temperament of those who love not the truth by unwise words and manifestation of an unkind spirit, for truth works by love and purifies the soul.

In context, receiving one believing little child in Christ's name is receiving Christ, while offending one of these little ones who believe brings millstone judgment and deserves drowning in the sea with a millstone about the neck. This continues Christ's lesson against strife for supremacy, teaching that only converted, humble, teachable littleness like a little child can enter the kingdom of heaven and be greatest there, and that one who believes must not be offended, misjudged and harshly treated instead of received and loved.

The surrounding chapter also teaches not despising one of the little ones, seeking the straying sheep, and uplifting the degraded, fallen and outcast, which must be studied and brought into practical life, for without practicing it no one will enter the kingdom of heaven, and a masterly spirit lording it over God's heritage closes heaven's gates to men. It brings relief, courage and hope, especially pointing to forgiveness continuing beyond seven times as an example of its guidance. Faults must be corrected rather than left to corrupt the church, with the one in the wrong warned kindly to save him from ruin, under the church's duty toward those falling into error and sin through thorough organization and accountability in addressing wrongdoing. Self is to be kept under control of the great Teacher and the Bible's teachings practiced as the way God's work is to be done.

Certain Yet Inexcusable Offenses

Offenses and occasions for stumbling and sin must needs come and will inevitably arise in the world, yet their inevitability gives no excuse of conscience and the causer remains accountable and under woe. The warning concerns causing Christ's believing little ones to stumble, and it is especially serious when someone harms, discourages, leads astray, or causes to perish a believer who is vulnerable or straying, including children and others whose faith can be turned from Him. Treating such a person harshly adds to the harm and opposes Christ's work of saving the lost, so the lesson calls teachers and all in positions of trust to conversion, humility, and carefulness not to lead another into harm or away from faith. An offense includes leading believers astray through seeking supremacy, denouncing others, or pronouncing judgment on them, and though directed especially to people in trust it applies to everyone. The following image of cutting off a hand or foot and plucking out an eye explains the needed response to wrong: hereditary or cultivated tendencies to sin must be removed from life, because otherwise the whole person will perish.

Occasions of stumbling are unavoidable in a world inspired by Satan to oppose Christ's followers and destroy their faith, but woe is pronounced on anyone who bears Christ's name while turning others from Him. Such people shame Christ by misrepresenting His character, deceiving many, and leading them into false paths, and a disciple's harshness toward someone Christ is drawing can contribute to the loss of a soul. The verse belongs to Christ's lessons on sowing and reaping: what people sow, they must reap.

Dissension, self-esteem, self-exaltation, strife to be highly esteemed by men, criticism and faultfinding are offenses that bring woe, and they are expressly the work of the devil. The same spirit began in the heavenly courts when Satan suggested a change in the government of God, claimed great advantage would follow, won sympathy and assent by deception, put his own thoughts in the minds of angels and then repeated them as theirs, and covered his tracks while sowing suspicion and distrust of God and of one another. Thus he commenced strife and rebellion until God decisively expelled him with the disloyal for the good of the loyal and true, and anyone who begins criticism and faultfinding continues that pattern, causing disaffection with evil consequences, so that the woe falls on the one by whom the offense comes.

Offenses must come, but woe falls on the man by whom the offense comes, and this applies to unfaithful ones in the church whose wrong course treats Jesus far worse than they treat His followers, insulting, reviling, and defaming Him as they would if He were on earth. Believers are not answerable for the wrong course of others even in the church, but each person remains accountable for his own wrongful conduct and is to bring Christ into his own life.

What Causes Stumbling

Seeking supremacy and strife to be first, whether inward and concealed or outward and manifest, brings division and dishonors God, and criticism, finding fault, disparaging, denouncing, pronouncing judgment, evil thinking and opposition, and making others' faults a subject of conversation grieve the Saviour's Spirit and make the doer a curse where he ought to be a blessing, retarding the work and preventing the manifestation of power and grace until cleansed. Such a course lays plans in self-sufficiency, stands back on dignity when not specially requested, takes satisfaction in seeing deficiencies in brethren, lets self interpose between the soul and God, fancies its own discernment and capabilities superior and insufficiently appreciated, and allows words that ought to build up the kingdom to be used otherwise. Occupying the negative side for years offends believing little ones and brings the woe upon the offender, and one who criticizes and accuses brethren and creates dissension by unsanctified imaginings makes himself and others to stumble.

Selfishly neglecting, holding in contempt, despising, depreciating or hurting weak believers — little children in Christ with defects and objectionable traits who are the special charge of angels — through unforgiving, exacting, demanding, judgmental, accusing and condemning treatment discourages them and drives away those Christ came to save. Living defectively in harshness, self-sufficiency, indifference, unkindness and selfish arbitrary exactions, trifling with souls, bruising purchased hearts, interposing an unconverted self between Christ and precious souls, persecuting with the tongue or exerting influence to bring them into difficult places, and wounding through jealousy, accusation and evil suspicion brings woe and a serious account to be settled according to works. Injustice and injury done to them is counted as done to Jesus Himself, who identifies His interest with souls purchased at infinite cost, and those who interpose their own way and will between God and souls will be punished in proportion to light and privilege.

Offending little children and youth by harsh, arbitrary, passionate treatment, shaking them, forcing the will upon them and bruising them bruises the offender's own soul more, destroys manhood, drives the discouraged to desperation and stubbornness, destroys influence and can ruin educational institutions. Teachers must give up practices or demands even thought necessary or essential to success rather than harm children or hinder their conversion, giving up even half of what is thought essential, as loss of right arm or right hand is preferable to causing stumbling. Escape requires conversion and humbling as a little child, putting mind and spirit on a level with the child, understanding its trials, dealing tenderly as Christ has dealt, praying and talking alone with the child, showing Christ's will, binding the child to the heart with love, tenderness and forbearance, connecting with Christ in meekness, receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, coming to the cross to see Christ's valuation of souls, and working with His love, mercy and compassion, for an account must be given in judgment for how they were treated.

Treating vulnerable, young, erring, remorseful and tempted souls harshly or oppressively instead of with love, tenderness and patience wounds them, deepens pain, drives them away and toward despair, neglects those young in faith and sows doubt and unbelief that may ruin a soul. Driving away or wounding the lost rather than seeking them is the condemned offense, especially when it harms a believer, and those entrusted with care are accountable for how they treat them. Unkind words, a hard unsympathetic spirit, a harsh quarrelsome divisive spirit, misuse of authority to hurt or weaken a struggling brother, injuring or hindering even a humble servant of Christ, and sharpness prized by its possessor are recorded as wrongdoing for which people must answer. Those with sacred responsibilities must treat believers tenderly as doers of Christ's words, for rash conduct, harshness, contempt and unkindness put souls in peril, discourage them and drive them from Christ.

Opposing Christ's ambassadors and making their warnings ineffective, lessening the influence of God's delegated messengers through whom He gives light, obstructing that light from reaching the people, and casting influence against the truth and God's institutions by an unconsecrated life, evil surmising, evil report, watching for evil, picking up every little unpleasant thing, speaking disparagingly, depreciating the work because it does not meet personal ideas, and discouraging rather than strengthening and building up youth who could go forth as laborers brings crushing consequences and is registered as grievous sin. Such persons lack faith, are not controlled by Christ's mind, give the Lord no room to work, are found working against Him, give enemies occasion to excite suspicion from the smallest matter, and are used wherever difficulties arise to the same end of hindrance, so that loss of right eye or right arm is preferable to doing it. Self-glorying, refusing correction, treachery and betrayal of sacred trust, hindering and repressing one doing a good work, accusing, thinking and speaking evil, wanting a fellow worker removed, and devising plans to separate brethren and draw apart injure God's cause, weaken servants, grieve the Spirit, and place offender and others in spiritual danger. Such plans of accusation prove Christ is not dwelling in the heart, the Lord has nothing to do with them as the enemy's devices, and they must be met and condemned with strong portions of the Word, with no place given to the enemy and no separation from brethren.

Speaking unwisely and showing an unkind spirit toward those who reject the truth provokes them and stirs their natural temperament, adding to offenses and suffering that cannot be avoided, for truth works by love and purifies the soul. Ruling domineeringly and speaking and acting impatiently, boastfully, overbearingly, severely and dictatorially, with harshness, lack of courtesy, uncontrolled anger and injustice, misleads those within influence, wounds and bruises souls, exasperates brethren until they lose confidence, violates love for neighbor, puts souls in peril and imperils the work. Men in responsible positions must therefore be kind, tenderhearted and Christlike in every contact, set an example others can safely follow, and unless transformed to kindness and courtesy to represent Christ are unfit to handle sacred things.

Becoming an agent of evil by a wrong course and misleading example, laying snares and secret plans to draw into temptation, drawing minds toward vanity and folly and toward pleasure in amusements and foolish indulgences, provoking children to anger, and placing stumbling blocks before family such as wife and children leads toward perdition and requires an account to God for influence, impressions and associations. Students must use influence to help and encourage rather than tempt, children need help to overcome with faithful discipline and correction when they do wrong, and men and women of influence whose position and example affect others bear greater sin when neglecting to regulate conduct by the Bible standard. Taking offense at others' actions and responding with fretfulness or complaint dishonors God, and overcoming requires seeking strength in Jesus with His meekness and lowliness. Critical, disrespectful treatment of fellow workers violates the instruction of Matthew 18, offends God, and hinders the unity needed for shared work.

Cutting Off Causes of Sin

Offenses and occasions for sin must come into the world, yet the person who causes them is under woe. The image that follows of cutting off a hand or foot and plucking out an eye explains the needed response to wrong. Hereditary or cultivated tendencies to sin and sinful traits must be decisively removed from life, however painful the change. They must not be allowed to ruin character, harm the faith of others, and lead to destruction, for otherwise the whole person will perish. This warning belongs to Christ's lesson on humility and receiving believing children, especially the little ones who trust Him, and condemns selfishness and unkindness that can harm them. Harmful traits and influences must be removed even at personal cost rather than allowed to lead to ruin.

Cherished ideas and opinions that demand that others agree and think and speak alike must be given up rather than allowed to harm others or jeopardize eternal life. Whatever spirit prompts to harshness and arbitrary action and clinging to one's own dear ways, ideas and plans, however cherished, must die and be cut off like a right arm or offending hand and foot, whatever it costs. Harshness and iron in character must be cast out of the heart and out of the church, to come to God's ideas and plans and ways. This applies to teachers and workers with children and youth: they must give up practices or demands, even things thought essential or necessary for success in the work, rather than treat children in ways that harm them, hinder their conversion, destroy influence, and ruin educational institutions. It is better to suffer the loss of one's right hand than to lead even one soul in a wrong direction.

Even something as precious as a hand, foot, or eye must be given up rather than risk losing eternal life. Loss of the right eye or right arm is preferable to causing believers to stumble and to leading little ones into sin. Occasions of stumbling will certainly arise in the world, but their inevitability does not excuse the person who causes them, and that person is under woe and grievous guilt. The warning applies to anything that obstructs surrender to Christ. It means that accusing brethren of the same faith and lessening the influence of God's delegated messengers through whom He is giving light, putting obstruction in the way of that light reaching the people, and using influence given to save souls to weaken others the Lord is using, dishonors Jesus Christ. Such conduct gives enemies of truth occasion to excite suspicion from the smallest matter and is registered as grievous sin before God.

Christ Identifies and Judges

Believers in Jesus are very precious to Him, and the little ones guarded here are not children in years but little children in Christ who believe in Him, weak and trembling souls with many defects and objectionable traits of character who are the special charge of angels whose angels always behold the face of the Father. To selfishly neglect or hold such weak brethren in contempt, to depreciate or hurt them, to be unforgiving and exacting toward them, and to judge and condemn others and thus discourage them, brings the woe upon the man by whom the offense comes. Causing pain or suffering to God's children, whether by persecuting them with the tongue or by exerting influence to bring them into difficult places, is counted as done to Christ Himself, for Christ identifies His interest and Himself with suffering humanity and with His suffering people whom He purchased at infinite cost. Jealousy, accusation, and evil suspicion that wound fellow believers and drive away those Christ came to save make the causer answerable for that loss and its sad result, while instead of offending them His followers are to share His work of saving that which is lost, using God-given talents with compassion, earnest labor and persevering effort for sinners rather than saints.

To live a defective life of harshness, self-sufficiency, indifference, unkindness and selfish arbitrary exactions, to trifle with souls, to bruise the hearts of Christ's purchased ones, to interpose an unconverted self between Christ and precious souls, and to drive them from Christ, is the offense condemned here by those in positions of trust who must be representatives of Jesus in goodness, holiness, love and compassion for tempted souls, valuing blood-bought souls at the price Christ paid and laboring with perseverance and energy for them. Such offending bruises the heart of Christ Himself, often destroys the hurt soul, and brings a serious account to be settled with the Owner of souls around the great white throne, where approval or disapproval is given according to works. Those who interpose their own way and will between God and souls who would do Him service will be punished in proportion to the light and privilege they have had, leaving no human being with any excuse of conscience.

Men and women of influence whose position and example affect others bear a greater sin when they neglect to regulate their conduct by the Bible standard. God will surely mark the offense against the man by whom it comes, including casting influence against the truth and against God's institutions such as the College by an unconsecrated life, by evil surmising or evil report, by watching for evil and speaking disparagingly, by picking up every little unpleasant thing, by depreciating the work because it does not meet personal ideas, and by discouraging rather than strengthening and building up when youth could be benefited and go forth as laborers. Such persons lack faith, are not controlled by the mind of Christ, give the Lord no room to work, are found working against Him, and are used by Satan to the same end of hindrance wherever difficulties arise.

Every person is accountable for the influence exerted daily and must render an account to God in the judgment for the impressions made and the influence cast in all associations in life, including how children and souls were treated. If that influence tends to draw minds away from God and attract them into the channel of vanity and folly, leading them to seek their own pleasure in amusements and foolish indulgences, the one who exerts it must give an account for it. Harshness and iron in character that offends children and youth brings woe upon teachers and workers and will destroy their influence and ruin educational institutions, so that rather than cause one of these little ones to stumble a teacher must cut off the right arm or right hand, giving up even half of the things thought essential to success in the work. To escape this woe teachers must connect with Christ in meekness and humbleness of mind, receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, come to the cross to see how Christ values every soul, and work for souls with His love, mercy, compassion and tenderness.

Woe rests on the man who makes himself a stumbling block and makes a stumbling block for others, especially believing little ones, by criticizing and accusing brethren and using unsanctified imaginings to create difference of opinion and dissension. Such a one is unfit to open the Scriptures to others or to preach until he stops where he is, takes himself in hand, chastises himself instead of his brethren, humbles himself as a little child, takes Christ's yoke of submission, and learns meekness and lowliness of heart in order to create unity rather than dissension. The same warning calls a minister who withdraws from his brethren, entertains a selfish, unholy spirit, and imagines things without foundation to stop where he is, to discipline and reprimand himself by the Word, to humble himself daily before God, to overcome entertained temptations, and to receive Christ's lessons before handling sacred things, preaching the Word, or entering a new field of labor, lest his influence make the work defective instead of perfect. Woe likewise comes upon the man who brings offense into God's sacred work by harshness, lack of courtesy, and severe, dictatorial dealing with God's children, which wounds and bruises souls, exasperates brethren until they lose confidence, and violates love for neighbor as self, so that unless transformed in spirit to act with kindness and courtesy and to represent Jesus Christ, a man is unfit to handle sacred things.

Humility Care and Unity

Entering the kingdom requires conversion and becoming as little children, and humbling oneself as a little child makes one greatest there. Greatness in Christ's spiritual kingdom is not position, outward splendor, exaltation or authority, but spiritual excellence, purity, excellence of speech, meekness, mercy, justice and love of God. Natural defects of disposition must be changed for the virtues of Christ's character, with a humble, charitable, kind, merciful and submissive spirit that receives lessons as a child and obeys every word from His mouth, learned by ever learning of Christ in submission and obedience. The warning belongs to Christ's answer to who is greatest, when He set a little child in the midst to correct false ideas of greatness, teaching that receiving one such believing little one in His name is receiving Him while offending one brings terrible guilt and millstone judgment, and that while offenses must come and bring woe upon the world, personal woe falls on the man by whom the offense comes.

Those who love Christ must love all who believe in Him, receive believers in His name, exert a Christlike influence, forgive injuries instead of avenging them, treat men firmly and generously, and show Christlike love for those through whom the Lord has wrought as proof of real transformation and a pure heart cleansed by obedience to the truth. Workers are to love one another as family and to be tenderhearted, compassionate and courteous. Offending a believer by misjudging and harshly treating him instead of receiving and loving him brings that woe upon the offender.

Instead of offending, followers must share Christ's work of saving that which is lost, using God-given talents with compassion, earnest labor and persevering effort for sinners rather than saints. They must seek straying sheep and uplift the degraded and fallen, treating erring, vulnerable, remorseful and tempted souls with love, tenderness and patience rather than conduct that wounds, deepens pain, drives them away or toward despair. Treating a weak, trembling, defective believer who is a little child in Christ with selfish neglect, contempt, unforgiving exacting judgment and condemnation discourages him and opposes that saving work, and driving away or wounding the lost rather than seeking them makes the one entrusted with care accountable.

Loving God and neighbor requires examining and purifying one's own thoughts rather than focusing on faults in others, guarding speech, removing the selfishness that makes one a source of offense, training the tongue and speaking evil of no one. Careless words and reproach can take root in other minds and lead them astray, while harming the speaker's own soul. Church members who have had light must be converted in practice and obey the truth, or by becoming vigilant workers to annoy and perplex the weak in faith they bring the woe upon themselves. Instead they are to cooperate with Christ and His angels as workers together with God to help needy souls in the valley of decision, bring men to repentance, enlighten the ignorant and relieve the oppressed, with self kept under the control of the great Teacher, thorough conversion, single purpose, pure motives, sympathy and love for others, and practicing the Bible's teachings.

Faults must be corrected rather than left to corrupt the church, with the one in the wrong warned kindly to save him from ruin under thorough organization and accountability in addressing wrongdoing. Members who persist in conduct contrary to God's word can become stumbling blocks to sinners and should be separated from the church if they refuse to repent. Because offenses and suffering cannot be avoided and must come, believers must not add to them by speaking unwisely or showing an unkind spirit toward those who do not love the truth, lest they provoke and stir natural temperament. Truth works by love and purifies the soul.

Men in responsible positions and those with sacred responsibilities must be kind, tenderhearted and Christlike in every contact, treat believers tenderly as doers of Christ's words, set an example others can safely follow, and not offend believers, put souls in peril, mislead those within their influence, or drive souls from Christ by harshness, contempt, unkindness and rash conduct that wounds and discourages. The remedy for occupying the negative side for years with evil thinking, criticism, accusation, unsanctified imaginings and opposition that creates difference of opinion and dissension and offends believing little ones is to cast it away, stop where one is, humble the heart before God as a little child, take Christ's yoke of submission, learn meekness and lowliness to create unity, and daily overcome entertained temptation before opening the Scriptures, preaching, handling sacred things or entering a new field, lest influence make the work defective.

One who places stumbling blocks before wife, children or others and leads them toward perdition is accountable and must remove those obstacles by repenting, making restitution, turning censure upon self, and no longer strengthening evil by example with uncontrolled anger, severity and injustice like an inconsiderate parent. Ministers and people must work according to God's plan by exchanging their way for God's way, falling on the Rock and being broken to have the melting, subduing love of Jesus in the heart, following the example of Jesus the Majesty of heaven and of the angels, encouraging and strengthening the weak with zeal, and not remaining proud, hardhearted and unsympathetic like the Pharisees, since God is not willing that even the lowest and most degraded should perish and any neglect of those needing help stands condemned. Believers are not answerable for the wrong course of unfaithful ones even in the church, but are to bring Christ into their own life, seeking strength in Jesus and overcoming with His meekness and lowliness rather than taking offense at others' actions with fretfulness and complaint that dishonors God.