Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

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Matthew XVIII. 6.
be at peace among yourselves, again points back to the strife among
the disciples, from which the discourse took its rise. We must then
prove that these words respecting the oKavdaXi^eiv stand connected
with the entire discourse. For, even granting that they had origin-
ally been spoken in other circumstances by the Lord, this much is
clear, that both evangelists meant here to place them in a fitting
connexion. It only remains, then, that we regard the sense of /ii/cpof,
little, as modified in such a way that the expression here forms the
counterpart of iJ-^yag, great. Usually the New Testament employs the
term [iiKpog, little, little one, to denote believers, the regenerate in
general (see more fully on this point at Matth. x. 42), but again we
also find a distinction drawn between the great and the small in the
kingdom of God (see at Matth. xi. 11, and v. 19). Applying this
distinction here, the connexion of the passage may be taken in this
way. The strife among the disciples as to their place in the kingdom
of God might have given off'ence to the other believers, so that
they were perplexed as to whether the truth dwelt within the circle
where such things could occur. This led the Lord to declare his
mind as to the guilt of those who gave offence, even to the weakest
among the believers. The seventh verse, in Matth. however, seems
to be in opposition to this view of the connexion, for the offences
are there ascribed to the world. But in reference to this, we must
observe, that the disciples, in so far as they gave offence to believers,
did themselves belong to the world, and thus the Saviour here
passes over from the particular to the general, just as at Matth. xvi.
23, he traces Peter's declaration at once to the origin of evil from
whose influence he was not yet wholly free. With this, also, ver. 8,
seq., well agrees, where he speaks of self-offence {Lavrov oKavdaXi^etv),
man being thus presented as in a conflict between the new and the
old principles of his nature.
As to the meaning of andvdaXov, the old form of the word oKav-
ddXriTpov properly denotes a trap for ensnaring animals, then in
general, a noose, a snare, laying loait for. In the New Testament
it is transferred to spiritual things, and under oicdvdaXov everything
is included which can hinder the development of spiritual life, or
deter men from faith in the Divine = KpooKOfj.jj.a, in Hebrew ^|5'», a
cord, a noose, or Vs tsa offence. (On this account also in the New
Testament, rrayig, d/jpa, stand connected with onavdalov, see Rom.
xi. 9.) The verb oKavdaXLC^eiv consequently means to give offence,
to prepare spiritual obstruction, oKavdaXi^eaOai, to take offence.
There is a peculiarity, however, in the meaning of oKavdaAi(^etv in
ver. 8, of this passage, according to which the oKavdaXi^ojv and the
oKavdaXi^ojiEvog appear united in the same individual. This internal
conflict in man himself is to be explained, as has been already said,
fiom regeneration, through which the new man is brought into life