Instructions

17 Now He said to His disciples, “^(A)It is inevitable that ^[a]stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! ^2 (B)It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he ^[b]is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to ^[c]sin. ^3 [d]Be on your guard! ^(C)If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you ^(D)seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

^5 (E)The apostles said to ^(F)the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

⁵ But ^(A)if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not for me, but in some degree—^[a]not to say too much—for all of you. ⁶ Sufficient for such a person is ^(B)this punishment which was imposed by the majority, ⁷ so that on the other hand, you should rather ^(C)forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ For to this end ^(D)I also wrote, so that I might ^[b](E)put you to the test, whether you are ^(F)obedient in all things. ¹⁰ But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes ^(G)in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ so that no advantage would be taken of us by ^(H)Satan, for ^(I)we are not ignorant of his schemes.