John Gill

What did Jesus mean when he said, “I will build my church”? In last week’s post (here), we defined the terms “church” and “kingdom” as Jesus used them in Matt 16:18–19. The church (Gk. ekklēsia) comprises all persons in covenant relationship with God during the messianic age. The kingdom is…

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,…

“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…

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…

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…

Jesus commissioned at least three distinct evangelical missions. We mentioned one in our last post (here). The Lord commanded his servants to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matt 28:19). John Gill says this means to “make them disciples by teaching them; or, as the Persic version, by way of…

We Christians would do well to remember an important aspect of the gospel. In the New Testament, the kingdom of heaven was at the core of the “good news.” As we have seen, John the Baptist preached this message. He proclaimed, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at…