W. Argyles: The Role Of Forgiveness In The Book Of Jesus

Authorship The authorship of various books throughout the Bible seems to be a constant question for many, and the authorship of the book of Matthew is no different. No one really knows the person responsible for writing the first gospel of the New Testament for a number of reasons. As Leon Morris points out, the oldest known translation of Matthew is written in Greek, but there is considerable agreement that the disciple Matthew did not know Greek. Additionally, William Hendriksen concludes that since the book of Matthew draws knowledge from the gospels of Mark and John, it does not seem practical that one of Christ's disciples would need these other books as a template. Although the author is not known, A.W. Argyle states that there
The passage is located in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew (Matthew has twenty-eight chapters). The passage before the parable of forgiveness is entitled "A Brother Who Sins Against You" (Matthew 18:15-20). The lesson following the forgiveness parable is one that deals with divorce in marriage. Although the teaching about divorce is not related to my passage, the six verses (15-20) preceding it are of great importance. These verses give guidance as to how to approach someone that has sinned against you. Verse 15 begins with the words, "If your brother sins against you…" (NIV). They deal with the responsibility and accountability of the sinner. The forgiveness parable follows in a practical sequence of events because it addresses how one should handle a person that has sinned against him or her. Verse 21 begins by saying, "The Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive a brother when he sins against me?'" In this way, the verses preceding the parable of forgiveness set up a situation in which forgiveness is present. The overall meaning of the book would not be affected if my passage was omitted. However, the parable of forgiveness demonstrates how forgiveness works in the New