Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G082 The True Greatness and Other Teachings
Matthew 18:1-14; Mark 9:33-50; Luke 9:46-50

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 18:1-14

1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me.

6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.

11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Mark 9:33-50

33 And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house He asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And He sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And He took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me.

38 And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me.

40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Luke 9:46-50

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by Him,

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

In this lesson, we will learn together about some of the things the Lord Jesus taught His disciples after He and they returned from the Mount of Transfiguration to His lodging in Capernaum. We think that was Peter’s house.

Matthew 18:1

1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Mark 9:33-35

33 And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house He asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And He sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Luke 9:46

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

After returning to Capernaum from the Mount of Transfiguration, upon entering the house, the Lord Jesus asked Peter about paying the Temple tax, as we learned in the previous lesson. Then, the Lord Jesus asked the disciples what they had been discussing along the way. The disciples remained silent in response to the Lord’s question because they found it difficult to answer, as along the way, they had been discussing among themselves who would be the greatest, implying who would be the leader among the Lord’s disciples.

The Lord Jesus sat down, called the twelve apostles to Him, and told them, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

“To be first,” according to the disciples’ understanding, meant to be the leader in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Last of all” refers to taking the lowest position among everyone.

“Servant of all” refers to taking on the role of serving everyone.

The Lord’s statement does not mean that if someone wants to be first, they must humble themselves and serve others. Rather, it is a warning to those who are ambitious and who desire to be the leader in His Kingdom or His Church. Such an ambitious person will be humbled by God, becoming the least among everyone and serving all. The Lord Jesus did not present a method to follow in order to become a leader by one’s own will; instead, He warned that those who desire to be first will end up becoming the last of all and a servant to everyone.

A person who desires to be above others is someone who considers themselves more important than others, wanting everyone to admire them and follow them. This is not the nature of God’s people. God’s people are those who learn from the Lord in meekness and humility. They love the Lord above all things and above all people. They are content in living according to God’s Word, loving their brothers and sisters more than themselves, and eagerly serving everyone as though serving the Lord. They do not desire to be above their brothers and sisters. If the Lord places them in a leadership position, it is by His will and His choice.

After hearing the Lord speak in this way, the disciples came near and asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Through the Lord’s words, the disciples understood that being greater in the Kingdom of Heaven is not something that a person can obtain simply by desiring it. However, they still wanted to know who would be the greatest, so they directly asked the Lord. Perhaps they wanted to know who this person was so they could compare themselves and see in what ways that person was better or different from them. God’s people should not have a spirit of comparison or competition with one another.

In reality, as the Lord Jesus later revealed to John, all twelve of the Lord’s apostles hold equally elevated positions. Their names are written on the twelve foundations of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which descends from heaven to the new earth in the Eternal Kingdom (Revelation 21:14). It is very likely that the name of the Apostle Paul replaced the name of Judas Iscariot, as Paul was personally called to the apostleship by the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 18:2-5

2 And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me.

Mark 9:36-37

36 And He took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me.

Luke 9:47-48

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by Him,

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

The Lord Jesus knew the question in the hearts of the disciples, so He brought a child and placed the child among them. Then He took the child in His arms, perhaps to draw the disciples’ attention to the child, and He said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

What is important is not being great or small in the Kingdom of Heaven, but being able to enter it. For someone to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they must repent of their sins, that is, the violation of the Ten Commandments of *God, and believe in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. When someone genuinely repents of their sins and believes in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ, God creates them anew, causing them to “be converted, and become as little children.”

Being “converted, and become as little children” does not mean that a person’s physical body is transformed back into that of a child. Nor is it something that people can achieve by themselves. Rather, it is a renewal created by God, making a person without the desire to sin, like a young child who is not yet conscious of sin.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Colossians 3:8-10)

Following the renewal by God to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a person must humble themselves, like a child who is not conscious of sin, in order to be considered great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In reality, many people profess with their mouths to be disciples of Christ, yet their lives still violate the Ten Commandments of *God. The commandment they most willfully break is the fourth commandment, which is to keep holy the Sabbath of God, the seventh day of the week. This violation is often justified by deceptive arguments taught by churches that bear the name of the Lord.

In reality, many people profess with their mouths to be disciples of Christ, but they remain prideful, considering themselves more worthy of respect than others. They have not learned or understood the commands of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” (Philippians 2:3).

Today, there are still many people like Diotrephes from long ago who have the ambition to lead in the Church, and in the name of the Lord, they commit countless evil deeds (3 John verse 9).

A child, innocent and without the awareness of sin, is neither prideful nor desires to be great. Compared to the Lord’s disciples, the child may seem the most humble. However, it is precisely the child’s innocence and lack of awareness of sin that is the standard for being called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Even in this life, whoever receives such a child in the name of the Lord Jesus is, in fact, receiving the Lord Jesus. And receiving the Lord Jesus is also receiving *God, who sent Him into the world to carry out the redemption of humanity.

Receiving a child in the name of the Lord Jesus means both literally accepting the child as the Lord accepts them and metaphorically embracing and learning from the child’s humility and purity concerning sin. In doing so, that person has obeyed and followed the teachings of the Lord Jesus, which is equivalent to receiving Him. A person who receives the Lord Jesus is also receiving *God because they believe that the Lord Jesus is the Christ, sent by *God into the world to carry out *God’s salvation for humanity.

Those who are humble and live according to God’s Word are the ones who are called great in the Kingdom of Heaven, even though they do not desire such greatness.

Mark 9:38-40

38 And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me.

40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

Luke 9:49-50

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

The Apostle John mentions the case of a person who did not follow the Lord Jesus but, in the name of the Lord, cast out demons. John and his companions tried to stop that person from doing so. However, the Lord Jesus told His disciples not to forbid those who do such things, even if they do not follow Him.

The person casting out demons in the name of the Lord must be someone who believes in His name. And certainly, that person cannot speak ill of Him or oppose Him and His disciples. It is possible that this person, due to family circumstances, cannot follow the Lord Jesus outwardly like His disciples. However, they have faith in the Lord Jesus, follow Him in their hearts, and boldly use the Lord’s name to cast out demons.

In the original Greek of the Bible, Mark records: “For he that is not against you is for you.” Luke writes: “For he that is not against us is for us.”

Mark uses the pronoun “you,” while Luke uses the pronoun “us.” Perhaps the one narrating to Mark quoted the Lord’s words accurately, while the one narrating to Luke paraphrased them slightly differently. Nevertheless, this difference does not distort the meaning that the Lord Jesus conveyed to His disciples.

Anyone who does not oppose us regarding our faith or our proclamation of the Gospel has already created an advantage for us. Moreover, if that person speaks positively about our faith or repeats our preaching, even if they do not openly profess the Lord, they are still supportive.

Mark 9:41

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

A person who does not believe in the Lord but treats God’s people well will be rewarded by the Lord. This reward will occur even in this life, through God’s blessings in material ways and by providing them with opportunities to understand and accept the Gospel. If they still do not accept the Gospel, they will be lost. We believe that, very likely on the final judgment day, the humble and unselfish good deeds of those who do not believe in the Lord may help to lessen their punishment. For the Lord will judge each of their deeds.

Matthew 18:6

6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Mark 9:42

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Causing a child who believes in the Lord to stumble means leading them to sin; or causing them to lose their faith in the Lord; or treating them unjustly, resulting in harm and suffering.

Grandparents and parents need to reflect deeply on this statement of the Lord Jesus. They are responsible before the Lord for the souls of their children and grandchildren, which is the heritage entrusted to us by *God. We can cause our children and grandchildren to stumble by allowing them to be infected by the evils present in society; by not strictly disciplining them as commanded by God, which can lead them to become corrupted.

One of the greatest ways to cause our children and grandchildren to stumble is by overlooking their disobedience and unruliness. This is a sin deserving of death, according to God’s Word. Failing to strictly control their use of phones and computers, allowing them access to immoral, violent, superstitious, or gang-related content also causes them to stumble. Additionally, it is possible that causing our children and grandchildren to stumble often stems from the vices and bad habits of the grandparents and parents themselves.

When children sin and do not repent, confess their sins to the Lord, and turn away from them promptly, the devil will take the opportunity to tempt and incite them to sin even more.

The day of Christ’s return to take the Church out of the world is approaching. Grandparents and parents need to diligently guide their children and grandchildren according to God’s Word so that they are not left behind to suffer during the seven years of tribulation. Love your children and grandchildren according to God’s Word; do not love them based on fleshly emotions that indulge their wrongdoing, leading them to suffer and ultimately be lost. Teach your children and grandchildren to “be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). Ensure that you, too, do not conform to this world and set a bad example for them.

As those whom the Lord has entrusted to watch over the souls of your children and grandchildren, you will have to answer to the Lord for their loss.

Matthew 18:7

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

“Woe unto the world” means “woe, sorrow to the world.” The reason is that there are things in the world that cause sin. God allows these causes of sin to occur so that humanity can exercise its freedom of choice: to choose to live according to God’s Word to attain eternal happiness with Him, or to choose to live contrary to God’s Word and suffer eternally in separation from Him.

Right from the beginning of creation, the ancestors of humankind, Adam and Eve, had the freedom to choose whether to obey God’s Word or not. Satan, through a serpent, lied and tempted them not to obey God’s Word, and they chose not to obey. From that moment, sin entered the world. All suffering and death are the consequences of sin entering the world. From then on, humanity has been bound by the power of sin, which is causing them to continue sinning, resulting in injustice and suffering for themselves and others.

The causes of sin can come from someone’s lies; from someone’s unjust actions; from someone’s greed or pride; from someone’s hypocrisy; from difficult or impoverished circumstances, etc. However, perhaps most significantly, it comes from the irresponsibility of grandparents and parents, who have the duty to guard their children and grandchildren as they would guard the pupil of their eye.

Anyone who causes another to sin will face severe punishment from God. We understand that those who lead others to sin will also be held accountable for the sins of those who sin.

Matthew 18:8

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

Mark 9:43-46

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

In Matthew 5:29-30, similar teachings about the eye and hand causing a person to sin are recorded.

Often, a person sins by unjustly satisfying the desires of the flesh. The flesh has legitimate desires because God created it with those needs, such as hunger prompting a desire to eat, thirst prompting a desire to drink, and the desire to fulfill sexual pleasures. However, if one satisfies hunger and thirst by stealing or taking food and drink from others or satisfies sexual pleasure through fornication, then this is an unjust fulfillment of the desires of the flesh, which is sin, violating God’s commandments.

The hand can commit sins like stealing, robbing the property of others, or assaulting others. The foot can lead one to unclean and sinful places. Therefore, the reference to cutting off the hand or foot mentioned by Jesus here is to be taken literally. It means that if hands and feet continually lead a person to sin, it is better to cut them off so that one does not sin anymore.

“It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire” means causing the physical body to lose a hand or a foot in this life to avoid sinning, so that in the next life, one may enter into eternal life. In that eternal life, the physical body will be resurrected or transformed into a complete and glorious form.

Being “cast into everlasting fire” is synonymous with “to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.” This is the eternal punishment reserved for those who continue to live in sin without repenting or abandoning their sins. Hell is where the lake of fire is.

In the lake of fire, the worms on the bodies of the sinners will never die, just as their bodies will never die in the fire that never goes out. Three times the Lord Jesus quoted the prophecy from Isaiah 66:24. It is difficult for us to imagine the sight of sinners’ bodies burning in the fire of hell without being consumed, continually gnawed upon by worms day and night. The incident of the thornbush being burned in the fire but not being consumed, as recorded in Exodus 3:2, helps us understand that the physical body can indeed be burned in hell without turning to ash.

Matthew 18:9

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Mark 9:47-48

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

The eye can lead a person to sin through pride, greed, and sexual immorality. The act of plucking out an eye can serve as a constant reminder for a person to no longer use their gaze to commit sin. This action also expresses the determination of that person not to continue sinning.

We need to understand that it is not the cutting off of hands or feet or the plucking out of eyes that allows a person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Rather, these actions can help a person stop sinning so that they can repent and receive *God’s salvation.

Some people believe that the Lord Jesus’ teachings about cutting off hands, feet, or plucking out eyes should not be taken literally. However, we believe that the Lord Jesus used a literal meaning in His statements, emphasizing that it is better to enter into life with one hand, one foot, or one eye than to be lost.

“Enter into life” and “enter into the Kingdom of God” have the same meaning. For only in the Kingdom of God is there true life.

Mark 9:49-50

49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

In the lake of fire, each person will be salted with fire. This is the baptism of fire that John the Baptist preached about, as recorded in Luke 3:16, intended for those who do not accept *God’s salvation. Those who accept *God’s salvation are baptized by the Lord Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

The bodies of God’s people are living and holy sacrifices, like unleavened bread in the grain offering, presented to *God (Romans 12:1). Every offering made to *God is to be seasoned with salt. Salt is a sign of *God’s covenant, as written in Leviticus 2:13. The saltiness of salt purifies, enhances flavor, and preserves food. Therefore, salt symbolizes purity, holiness, and steadfastness in the relationship between *God and those who obey Him. Salt also represents the holy lifestyle, faithfulness, and obedience of God’s people.

Salt that loses its saltiness cannot be used to season food or to sprinkle on offerings. God’s people who lose their holiness and faithfulness can no longer belong to the Lord. God’s people must lead a holy life, demonstrate faithful obedience, and love one another to live in harmony with each other. Living in harmony will prevent discussions or arguments over who is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven, but will always involve humbling oneself and serving one another.

Matthew 18:10-11

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.

11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

“Take heed” is one of the warnings that the Lord Jesus often used.

“Despise” (G2706) means to regard lightly or not to value. Even a little child is a creation made in the image and likeness of God and deserves respect. In fact, a little child has more value than an adult because they have not yet sinned on their own. The Lord Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like little children (Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). Once again, true people of God need to remember and practice the Lord’s words in Philippians 2:3. That is, they should humble themselves and regard others more highly than themselves, even if that other person is just a child. The Lord Jesus placed the value of children in the Church on par with Himself when He said that whoever receives a child believing in Him in His name receives Him.

Through the words of the Lord Jesus, we understand that each child who believes in the Lord has an angel from *God protecting them. Hebrews 1:14 tells us that angels are ministering spirits sent by *God to serve those who will inherit salvation, which means every one of God’s people.

Angels are constantly face to face with *God, gazing upon His face. This is something we will experience not long from now when Christ brings us into heaven.

The term “the Son of Man” is the self-designation of the Lord Jesus, affirming His human identity. He is God the Word made flesh to fulfill the atoning death for humanity.

“Which was lost” refers first to all of humanity, which has been lost due to the transgression of *God’s Ten Commandments. Next is the corruption of the physical heavens and earth, along with all things in them, as a consequence of the sins of angels and humanity. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ redeems humanity and restores all things, except for the sinful angels and those people who do not repent of their sins and do not believe in His atoning death.

The little children who believe in the Lord have also been redeemed by the pure and precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, they have been elevated to a noble position with Him. Thus, no one has the right to despise them.

Matthew 18:12-14

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples the parable of a lost sheep. First of all, we need to remember that the Lord Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, and those who believe in Him are likened to His sheep. The parable of the lost sheep does not refer to those who do not believe in the Lord, nor does it refer to those who, after believing in the Lord, still live in sin.

A person who has believed in the Lord can still stray from His ways due to ignorance, carelessness, or momentary weakness. In such circumstances, that person feels fear and remorse and cries out to the Lord for rescue, asking to be brought back to His fold, which is the Church. A child of God who goes astray but is rescued by the Lord is a cause for greater joy than the joy over those who do not stray.

*God’s will is for everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Therefore, He does not want anyone who has been saved to become lost, leading to their destruction, especially the little ones in the Church.

All the children in the Church who are lost are due to the negligence of their grandparents and parents. The people of God have the duty to raise and discipline their children according to the Word of God until they reach the age of 20. From the age of 20 and onward, they will be fully responsible for their choice to live in sin.

The Lord Jesus seeks and saves His lost people through the preaching of the Word of God by pastors, the counsel of elders, and by anyone in the Church who reminds those who have strayed, meaning those who are living in ways contrary to the Word of God. Any child of God who fails to fulfill their duty to raise and discipline their children according to the Word of God is also considered lost. In the spirits of the lost, the Holy Spirit works to help them understand the words of preaching, counsel, and reminders, and He calls them to repentance.

There are things that are not sins but are not beneficial, do not glorify God’s name, and may only satisfy our desires while potentially setting a bad example for others; therefore, we should not do them. As in the past, the Apostle Paul would not eat meat if doing so would cause others to stumble.

There are things we do not allow our children and grandchildren to do because, although these things are not sins, they lead to an environment conducive to sin, which can cause our children and grandchildren to go astray. In our time, allowing children to use smartphones is not a sin. However, if we do not control their phone usage and let them access inappropriate online content, such as pornography, superstition, or demonic worship, these exposures can lead them to stray, resulting in their destruction. Similarly, allowing them to associate with bad friends who do not believe in God and follow unhealthy trends, interests, and fashions is also concerning. Allowing them to participate in cultural and social activities with non-believers, whether in school or in the community, poses similar risks.

We would like to borrow this phrase from Revelation to conclude our lesson: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.”

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
10/05/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.