Please explain this verse. Is this purgatory or earthly punishment?

Question

The latter half of Matthew 18, parable of an unmerciful servant...

"In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" Matt 18:34-35

Answer 1

You need to read it all..

Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT)
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No!” Jesus replied, “seventy times seven! 23 “For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26 But the man fell down before the king and begged him, ‘Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.”

The idea of the story is that if God will forgive us our sins each time we make a mistake and sin how much more should we forgive those who have sinned against us?

Jesus died for our sins (debts) God has forgiven them (as long as we repent).

If God has forgiven us then we turn around and don't forgive others who have sins (debts) against us....

Then God will not forgive us of our sins...

"Mark 11:25 (NLT)
25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”


And if our sins are not forgiven (the punishment is death) *Not* a temperary situation where

1. This sin costs you so long in torture
2. That sin will cost you 100 years more

***It is Death***

Answer 2

I think it is neither. You are overlooking the entire point of the parable. A parable is a short story that is used to show a religious point. The point isn't seen in one or two sentences. It is seen throughout the entire story. It is also allegorical in nature. Things are symbolic and aren't meant to be taken in a literal manner. I think you know this, but you are overlooking part of it.

Matthew 18:21, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" That is the key to the entire scriptural parable. Jesus isn't talking about punishment. Rather, he is talking about forgiveness. One of the key lessons that Christ taught is that we shouldn't just expect God to forgive us if we are not willing to forgive other people. The sermon on the mount says that we are to settle the differences we have with our brothers and sisters before we are to come to God in worship. The Lord's prayer has us asking God to forgive us AS we forgive others around us. The king's servant had a debt with his king. The king is the symbol for God. The debt is any sin that we may commit. We come begging God to forgive our debts. In the parable, the King forgave the servant. The servant's friend had someone that owed money to him. Just like in our lives we have friends that may do something wrong to us. The servant refused to forgive his friend. The servant expects to be forgiven, but isn't willing to forgive. We cannot act like this. That is the point of the parable. It's not about actual punishment. It is about the spiritual punishment that any sin that is unforgiven keeps us from God. Sin seperates us from God. Don't look at things too literally. You miss things sometimes.

Answer 3

Earthly punishment. There is no purgatory. That is a false teaching. There is only Heaven and Earth until judgment day. To which then there is a Hell. Or rather the pit of Fire.

It has more to do with unforgiving in our hearts to ALL those who have hurt us in some fashion. We can forgive them without their presence, and asking God to forgive them or ourselves. It must be from one heart when doing so. But it is better to go to them and forgive them (or ask for forgiveness) if one can or is able to.

Answer 4

You must read from the beginning Matt:18:22 to truely understand the rest. Jesus was saying that you must forgive in order for you to be forgiven by God.

"Jesus said to him,'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servents. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment be made. The servent therefore fell down before him saying, 'Master have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'pay me what you owe!' So his fellow servant fell at his feet and begged him saying,' Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison.....Then his master after he had called him said to him,"You wicked servant! I forgave you all the debt because you begged me. should you not also have had the same compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

Answer 5

It is not literal. It is not metaphor. It is hyperbole, intended to prevent the behavior, not describe some peculiar divine justice. What could such a person actually "pay" under the circumstances? The important thing is to treat other people with at least as much compassion as you have been shown.

Answer 6

It is earthly punishment for those who refuse to forgive their brothers after God has forgiven them.
The tormentors are demons.
If this fits your situation, repent, forgive, and call upon the Lord to deliver you.

Answer 7

Ugh. It sounds like a scene from an Iranian prison.

And certainly not a part of any loving god.

Answer 8

That's not referring to any "purgatory" (since purgatory doesn't exist).

This referrs to earthly consequences of being an unforgiving jerk.

Answer 9

The wages of sin is death. If we cannot forgive our debtors, then we shall pay the full wage due--death. Pretty simple.

Answer 10

What Jesus was telling us, is "if" we have a hatred for our fellow believer to the point where we wish he or she was dead...then how can we expect his father, our God and Creator, Jehovah, forgive us for our sins?