Matthew 18:1-9 - The Question About Who Is Greatest

¹ At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, 'Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?'

² And Jesus having called near a child, did set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, 'Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens; ⁴ whoever then may humble himself as this child, he is the greater in the reign of the heavens. ⁵ 'And he who may receive one such child in my name, doth receive me,

⁶ and whoever may cause to stumble one of those little ones who are believing in me, it is better for him that a weighty millstone may be hanged upon his neck, and he may be sunk in the depth of the sea. ⁷ 'Woe to the world from the stumbling-blocks! for there is a necessity for the stumbling-blocks to come, but woe to that man through whom the stumbling-block doth come! ⁸ 'And if thy hand or thy foot doth cause thee to stumble, cut them off and cast from thee; it is good for thee to enter into the life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast to the fire the age-during. ⁹ 'And if thine eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee; it is good for thee one-eyed to enter into the life, rather than having two eyes to be cast to the gehenna of the fire.

³³ And he came to Capernaum, and being in the house, he was questioning them, 'What were ye reasoning in the way among yourselves?' ³⁴ and they were silent, for with one another they did reason in the way who is greater; ³⁵ and having sat down he called the twelve, and he saith to them, 'If any doth will to be first, he shall be last of all, and minister of all.' ³⁶ And having taken a child, he set him in the midst of them, and having taken him in his arms, said to them, ³⁷ 'Whoever may receive one of such children in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth not receive me, but Him who sent me.'

⁴⁶ And there entered a reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them? ⁴⁷ and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself, ⁴⁸ and said to them, 'Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all -- he shall be great.'