Contradiction with Matthew 6:14
Matthew 6:14 emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, stating that if you forgive others, your Heavenly Father will forgive you, which contrasts with the action of not forgiving in Matthew 18:30.
Matthew 6:14: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Contradiction with Matthew 5:7
This verse states, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy," encouraging mercy rather than the lack of forgiveness seen in Matthew 18:30.
Matthew 5:7: Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Contradiction with Luke 6:36
Here, it is advised to "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful," which contradicts the unforgiving attitude described in Matthew 18:30.
Luke 6:36: Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Contradiction with Colossians 3:13
In this verse, believers are instructed to forgive others as the Lord forgave them, contrasting the refusal to forgive in Matthew 18:30.
Colossians 3:13: Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye. [quarrel: or, complaint]
Contradiction with Ephesians 4:32
This verse encourages kindness, compassion, and forgiveness towards one another, opposing the unforgiving action in Matthew 18:30.
Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Paradox #1
The contradiction in Matthew 18:30 could involve the expectation of forgiveness and mercy. In the surrounding passages, the theme is forgiving others as God forgives us. The inconsistency arises if someone, who has been shown mercy, then refuses to forgive someone else. This conflicts with the teaching that we should forgive others just as we have been forgiven.