Bible Study series: Luke 18:15-17. Stories of church abuse of children are now surfacing almost everyday. May they continue to be exposed.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Luke 18:15-17
15 And then they brought to him babies, so that he would touch them. When the disciples saw this, they began to rebuke them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Allow them to come to me also; don’t prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such ones. 17 I tell you the truth: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a child in no way enters it.” (Luke 18:15-17)
Comments:
15:
“babies”: it is the noun brephos (pronounced breh-foss) and means “babies,” “infants.”
“touch”: apparently the parent held the baby, while he just touched them. Matt. 19:13 adds that the people brought them so that he would touch them and pray.
“disciples”:
The disciples miss the boat again, not catching on. Why were they so protective? Were they tense because they were on their way to Jerusalem, and the crowds didn’t know anything about his mission. Jesus did repeatedly predict that he was about to be tried and executed (Luke 5:35; 9:22, 43-45; 12:50 13:32-33; Matt. 16:21; Mark 2:20). So the disciples were afraid, maybe. Or maybe they were simply obtuse. It’s tough to read the inner thoughts of a person, when the text does not disclose them.
“rebuked”: the verb could be translated as “scolded,” “warned,” “censure.”
16:
I like the picture of Jesus calling for or summoning the parents holding their babies. He probably looked disapprovingly at the overprotective disciples. Just as they were scolding the parents with words, he called for them with words that canceled out theirs.
“them”: it refers to the children.
“kingdom of God”: What is it? As noted in other verses that mention the kingdom in this commentary, the kingdom is God’s dominion or realm over which he exerts his power, authority, rule, reign and sovereignty. He exerts all those things over all the universe but more specifically over the lives of people. It is his invisible realm, and throughout the Gospels Jesus is explaining and demonstrating what it looks like before their very eyes and ears. It is gradually being manifested from the realm of faith to the visible realm, but it is not political in the human sense. It is a secret kingdom because it does not enter humanity with trumpets blaring and full power and glory. This grand display will happen when Jesus comes back. In his first coming, it woos people to surrender to it. We can enter God’s kingdom by being born again (John 3:3, 5), by repenting (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:5), by having the faith of children (Matt. 18:4; Mark 10:14-15), by being transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son whom God loves (Col. 1:13), and by seeing their own poverty and need for the kingdom (Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; Jas. 2:5).
Bible Basics about the Kingdom of God
Questions and Answers about Kingdom of God
Basic Definition of Kingdom of God
1 Introducing the Kingdom of God (begin a ten-part series)
“belongs”: it could be more literally translated: “For the kingdom of God is for such ones.”
17:
“I tell you the truth”: Jesus’s faith in his own words is remarkable and points to his unique calling. In the OT and later Jewish writings is indicates a solemn pronouncement. It means we must pay attention to it, for it is authoritative. He is about to declare an important and solemn message or statement. The clause appears only on the lips of Jesus.
That is, in Paul’s epistles, for example, he never says, “I truly say to you.” That phrasing had too much authority, which only Jesus had. The word appears in a Jewish culture and means “let it be so.” So Jesus speaks it out with special, divine emphasis. “Let this happen!” “Let what I’m about to say happen!” We better take it seriously and not just walk by it or read over it with a casual air.
“welcome”: It could be translated as “receive.” So it is possible to receive the kingdom of God. Welcome or receive Jesus, and thereby you welcome or receive the kingdom of God. He represents the kingdom, and we could even say he is the kingdom of God (Luke 9:48; 17:21).
“like a child”: The word baby, brephos (v. 15), changes to paidion (pronounced pye-dee-on). The second word means (1) “very young child, infant”; (2) “child.” So the first definition looks like it corresponds closely to brephos. These children were really young. It is possible to be blessed by Jesus.
Note that Jesus says we are to welcome the kingdom like little children. He did not say we remain as little children after we receive it. We need to grow up (1 Cor. 13:11). We need not to overthink things when we initially receive the kingdom. Then we can use our heads. Recall that Jesus said we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30). Don’t disengage your minds after you enter the kingdom.
“in no way”” one translation says “certainly does not enter.” The negation (not) is emphatic, so I chose “in no way.”
“enter”: speaking of entering, we can enter the kingdom. To enter it, a boundary line has to be crossed from the kingdom of the unredeemed, dark, worldly kingdoms to the kingdom of God, the Redeemer and the light (Col. 1:13). To enter the kingdom, you must be born again (John 3:3, 5)
Here is a remedy for not forbidding children: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4, ESV). “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:20, ESV). In other words, don’t exasperate or frustrate your children with heavy-handed rules. This old saying is wise: “Rules without relationship breeds rebellion.” Have a relationship with them. Let them hang out with you. In doing so, they will absorb your Christ-like and kind behavior and loving attitude. They will imitate and follow your relationship with the Lord.
As noted in Luke 15, Prov. 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6, ESV). Some academics and severe and austere teachers tell us that this verse in Proverbs is a general statement tucked inside the genre of wisdom literature. It is not a hard-and-fast, guaranteed rule. That may be true, but when parents hold on to this verse and pray it out loud, I believe God is pleased with their faith. He will arrange circumstances to bring the wayward child to his senses. God will work overtime to bring the child to his senses. I for one would never go on national TV or radio and tell parents not to “claim” this verse as a foundation to pray. Pray, parents, pray! Use this verse, and never give up on praying for them until the day you die. My mother prayed from her oldest son until the day she passed, and finally, a few years before he died, he too got his heart right with God. No doubt the two had a relieved and happy reunion Up There.
GrowApp for Luke 18:15-17
1. How do you pray for your children to have a relationship with Jesus? If some have already grown up and do not have this relationship, how do handle this? Self-condemnation? Anxiety? Sense of failure? Or do you pray and trust that God is working behind the scenes?
2. We initially enter the kingdom as children, but does God expect us to remain as children after we enter it? Read 1 Cor. 13:11 and explain it.
RELATED
11. Eyewitness Testimony in Luke’s Gospel
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 