III. HOW TO EXERCISE CHURCH DISCIPLINE (18:15–20)
A. The procedure (18:15–17)
1. If your brother sins against you, go to him in private, and attempt to reconcile the matter (18:15).
2. If this fails, take someone with you (18:16).
3. If this fails, bring the matter before the church (18:17a).
4. If this fails, dismiss the unrepentant brother (18:17b).
B. The promise (18:18–20): The authority of heaven itself will support this kind of church decision.


IV. HOW TO FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER (18:21–35)
A. The percentage (18:21–22)
1. Peter to Jesus (18:21): “How often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
2. Jesus to Peter (18:22): “No! Seventy times seven!”
B. The parable (18:23–35): Jesus relates the story of a king, his servant, and another servant.
1. Scene one (18:23–27): The servant and his master, the king.
a. The debt (18:23–24): He owes his master a staggering sum of money!
b. The decree (18:25) : Unable to pay, he and his entire family are to be sold into slavery by the king.
c. The desperation (18:26) : He falls on his knees before the king, begging for mercy.
d. The deliverance (18:27) : Moved with compassion, the king forgives his entire debt.
2. Scene two (18:28–30): The forgiven servant and another servant—the second servant owes the forgiven servant a very small amount of money.
a. The pitiful request (18:28–29): He begs for a little more time to pay the debt.
b. The pitiless response (18:30) : Unmoved, the first servant orders the second servant thrown in prison!
3. Scene three (18:31–35): The forgiven servant and the king.
a. The outrage (18:31–33): The forgiven (but unforgiving) servant is summoned before the furious king.
(1) The reminder (18:31–32): “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.”
(2) The rebuke (18:33) : “Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?”
b. The outcome (18:34) : The king throws the servant into prison until he pays back his debt in full!
c. The overall lesson (18:35) : God does not forgive the unforgiving!


Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Mt 18:9–35). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.