2018

Herod the Great has passed before us on Matthew’s pages (Matt 2:1–23). We revolted at his “murder of the innocents” (here). His was a cowardly action based on fear of the King born in Bethlehem. Now, we encounter Herod Antipas (Matt 14:1–12). This member of the Jewish dynasty also performs…

We are using our prophetic model (inmillennialism) to interpret selected passages in Matthew. We have come to a passage (Matt 13:46–52) that contains two sayings of Jesus. The setting is important. Jesus gave them in the “last days” (Heb 1:2) of the Mosaic age. He was about to take the…

Our last post (here) discussed Jesus’s parables of the “treasure” and the “pearl of great price” (Matt 13:44–46). Our view of them agrees with the majority view on a key point. In these stories, “Jesus is comparing the kingdom of God to the treasure and to the pearl.” We disagree,…

The usual view of the parables of the “treasure” and the “pearl of great price” (Matt 13:44–46) is glorious. Christians must “abandon anything that would stand in the way of wholehearted allegiance to Christ and the priorities of the kingdom.” Scripture supports this teaching. We should place a high value…

“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” — Prov 29:18 (ESV) Prophecy leads God’s people to obey their Lord. But, several ingredients must be present. First, God must give us a vision. When Samuel was young, “the word…

This post will appear during Thanksgiving week. Our forefathers in the United States established a tradition of thanking God for the year’s harvest. We continue that practice and here acknowledge our Father’s blessings this year. A harvest of a different kind is the subject of our blog this week. We…

Matthew has prepared us for the parables of Matt 13. He has given us Jesus’s discussions of the Mosaic and messianic ages. Jesus spoke of the age transition in Matt 9. He said the disciples would not finish their mission to Israel before he, the Son of Man, came. He…

Commentators often say the kingdom of God is Matthew’s major theme. For example, Donald A. Hagner says, The central emphasis of the book is found in . . . ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ (Matt 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; cf. 26:13), namely, the good news that the reign or rule of…

This post will appear on October 31, a day famous for at least two reasons. First, some Christian traditions call it “All Saints Day,” “All Hallows Day,” or some similar name. On this day, they celebrate the strong bond that exists between saints in heaven and those on earth. Second,…

A brother has asked for our view of Col 3:4. Paul told the Colossians, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” This brother wants to know how this statement affects our interpretation of 1 John 3:2 (here). He makes several…