The general themes of the discourse are the anticipation of a future community of followers, and the role and "spiritual condition"[3] of his apostles in leading it.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: The expression "at that time" or "in that hour" "connects what follows very closely with the tax incident (Matthew 17:24-27), and shows that the two things were intimately associated in the mind of the evangelist".

[12] The fact that Jesus states that "it would be better"[12] to have such a heavy thing around one's neck and fall into the waters of the sea than to commit a deed shows how serious the act of leading someone astray is.

In Matthew 18:7, Jesus utters "an exclamation of pity at thought of the miseries that come upon mankind through ambitious passions".

[2] Cross reference: Matthew 16:19, John 20:23 This verse opens with "Again, truly ..." in the New International Version, drawing on the inclusion of Greek: ἀμὴν, amēn, in some manuscripts.

[24] Henry Alford links this verse with Mark 10:35, where James and John "nearly repeat these words", but without properly understanding them: "Teacher", they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask".