Matthew

The scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus’s disciples for violating a Jewish hand-washing tradition. In his response, he quoted Isaiah 29:13:  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from…

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,…

As the apostles were writing the New Testament, God was bringing the Mosaic age to a close. He was also establishing the messianic-age kingdom of God. Matthew’s gospel emphasizes this age change. John and Jesus had announced the kingdom of God was at hand (Matt 3:2; 4:17). Jesus had taught…

The New Testament gives a surprising report of Roman centurions. It mentions six, each a “commander of 100 men in the Roman army.” They all had a positive connection to the kingdom of heaven. Matt 8:5–13 presents the New Testament’s first centurion. His perception of the kingdom caused Jesus to…

Please don’t allow a little word to intimidate you. Syllogism may sound scary, but it is our friend. It is “a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion.” For example, “every virtue is laudable; kindness is a virtue; therefore kindness is laudable.” This post…

“Matthew . . . is the Gospel of the King and His kingdom.” We have seen this in our previous posts on Matthew. For example, the “little horn” king (Herod) opposed the King (Matt 2). And, John the Baptist preached the gospel of the kingdom (Matt 3:1). In Matthew 4,…

Preaching the kingdom of heaven was central to the early church’s ministry. This was true from the start of the gospel. God chose John the Baptist to prepare the way for Christ. His first and primary message was about the kingdom. He said, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at…