7:1 This is not a prohibition against honest recognition of others' faults, but rather a warning against passing judgement in a spirit of arrogance, or while forgetting one's own faults. 7:3 'Splinter' is also translated as mote; and in this case, refers to light sins. 7:5 While 'hypocrites' most commonly refers to scribes and Pharisees (in Matthew), here it is applied to those erring Christian disciples who ignore their own serious offenses while focusing on the minor faults of others. 7:6 'Dog and swine' were Jewish terms of contempt for Gentiles; in light of other Matthew teachings, we read this to apply to obstinately unrepentant fellow Christians. Some commentators (Haydock among them) expand it to refer to those who are enemies to the truth of Christ. 7:8 "Whatever we ask necessary to salvation with humility, fervour, perseverance, and other due circumstances, we may be assured God will grant when it is best for us. If we do not obtain what we pray for, we must suppose it is not conducive to our salvation, in comparison of which all else is of little moment." (Haydock) 7:12 In the 18th century, dubbed the "Golden Rule," it is found in both negative and positive forms, in both pagan and Jewish sources, both earlier and later than the gospels. Thus we can perhaps conclude it is a universal wisdom that humans come to. "For this is the law and prophets" means "this is the sum of the law and of the prophets, the whole law of the Jews" (Menochius). 7:13-28 These verses are a series of antitheses, contrasting two ways of living within the Christian community: those who follow the words of Christ and those who don't. 7:15-20 As in the OT, those who claimed to speak in the name of God were called prophets. And also like the OT, there were both true and false ones. 7:17-18 These verses are not to say that a man cannot change and start to bear good fruit, nor that a man once producing good works always remains so. It is to show that as a man is in a certain state (sin or grace), the fruit he bears will be marked by this. 7:28-29 'When Jesus finished these words'...this or similar words used by Matthew to conclude each of the five great discourses.
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Judging Others 1 “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. 2 For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. 3 Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? 5 You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. Pearls before Swine 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. The Answer to Prayers 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, 10 or a snake when he asks for a fish? 11 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. The Golden Rule 12 “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. The Narrow Gate 13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. 14 How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. False Prophets 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So by their fruits you will know them. The True Disciple 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ The Two Foundations 24 “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26 And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” 28 When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. 6:1-18 We are warned against doing good in order to be seen, and are given three examples: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. In each, the conduct of the hypocrites is contrasted with the conduct demanded of the disciples. The reference to the heavenly Father makes it clear this is a moral exhortation. 6:1 In later Judaism, almsgiving had become a bit legalistic. Thus it was not the giving itself that was condoned, but the attitude towards it. Those who today say "Well, I gave my 10%" [towards church] are displaying the same poor attitude. Alms were given via 1) "alms of the dish" (food and money received daily for distribution) and 2) "alms of the chest" (coins received on the Sabbath for widows, orphans, strangers, & the poor. (4) 6:2 Hypocrites is often referenced as the scribes and Pharisees (alms/charitable gifts were given in the synagogues on the sabbath). This attitude shows not only the controversies during Jesus' time but also displays some of the tension between Pharisaic Judaism and the church when Matthew was written. 6:2 Saint Basil expounds upon this: "Let us avoid vain glory, the agreeable plunderer of our good works, the pleasant enemy of our souls, which presents its poison to us under the appearance of honey." 6:4 Here, as elsewhere in the Bible, is the clear indication that good works are meritorious. We are to do them by direct command of the Lord. 6:5 As with almsgiving, the "stand and pray" was a normal, expected part of Jewish life. Adult Israelite males were to pray at morning and evening and before and after meals. 6:7 It is not long prayer (as long prayer sessions were displayed many times in the Bible) that is warned against here, "but rhetorical and elaborate prayer, as if we thought to persuade God by our eloquence" (12). 6:9-15 Matthew's form of the Lord's Prayer follows the liturgical tradition. Luke's less developed form is probably closer to the original words of Jesus. See "Bible Questions: The Lord's Prayer" for details/theology on each verse. 6:16 The only fast prescribed/required in Mosaic law was that of the Day of Atonement, however, fasting had become a regular religious practice in later Judaism. 6:24 'Mammon' is an Aramaic word meaning wealth or property. We cannot serve both God and the world; the spirit and the flesh; justice and sin. The retention of the Aramaic word emphasizes the word (wealth) personified becoming an evil Master (and thus the person worshipping it a slave). 6:25-34 Jesus is not denying that humans have needs or condemning tending to those needs, but is rather advising against becoming overly anxious about them, thus becoming slaves to them. 6:34 Menochius expounded upon this verse, saying "Christ does not prohibit all care about temporal concerns, but only what hinders us from seeking the kingdom of heaven in the first instance; or what makes us esteem more the things of this world, than those of the next" (12) Teaching about Almsgiving 1 “[But] take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. 2 When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, 4 so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. Teaching about Prayer 5 “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. 7 In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. The Lord’s Prayer 9 “This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; 13 and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. Teaching about Fasting 16 “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. Treasure in Heaven 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. The Light of the Body 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be. God and Money 24 “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Dependence on God 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. 5:1-2 Unlike Luke's sermon, this is more clearly directed at not only the disciples, but also the crowds. While Luke's sermon doesn't omit the crowds, Jesus still clearly raises his eyes and looks at his disciples when he speaks. In addition, this chapter does not immediately follow the one preceding. Its location in the Book of Matthew is an indication of its importance. 5:3-12 The Beatitudes do match up perfectly between Matthew and Luke. This is not to say that Jesus did not say them all; it is to say that they were recorded differently by different authors. This is logical, as it is unlikely any of the disciples sat taking notes while Jesus talked. In addition, most scholars believe the great discourses recorded to have been combinations of teachings given by Jesus over time...thus while they are a true presentation of the substance, they may not be exact quotes of Jesus. All of the Beatitudes can be viewed in two lights: as literal (aka- those who mourn...those who mourn for loved ones or are sad) and as spiritual (aka- those who mourn for their sins). It depends upon the scholar as to which view (or both) they subscribe to. 5:3 In the OT, the poor in spirit referred to those without material possession, but whose confidence is in God. "In spirit" is meant to be extended to all, whatever their wealth, who recognize their complete dependence on God. We could also read "poor in spirit" as "humble." Luke simply says "blessed are you who are poor." 5:4 Mourn for their sins, not worldly mourning. 5:5 In the OT, "the land" meant the land of Palestine. Here it references the kingdom of heaven. 5:8 We should note the emphasis here between the purity of the heart (which includes thought, intention, emotion, and moral disposition) versus the ritual cleanliness (purity) practiced and required by the law. 5:9 This does not apply just to peacemakers between the nations. It applies to those who try to sow peace in their everyday lives, reducing conflict, etc. 5:10 Righteousness: here, as usually in Matthew, means conduct in conforming with God's will. 5:13-16 By their deeds the disciples are to influence the world for good. If they fail in good works, they are as useless as flavorless salt or a lamp whose light is concealed. 5:17-48 See Bible study for this section. 5:22 The concept of punishment of sinners by fire either after death or after the final judgment is found in Jewish apocalyptic literature (e.g. Enoch), but the name 'Geenna' is first given to the place of punishment in the NT. 5:26 The severity of the judge in the parable is a warning of the fate of unrepentant sinners in the coming judgment by God. 5:29-30 No sacrifice is too great to avoid total destruction in Gehenna. Actual physical mutilation is not being advocated. 5:31 In the OT, it is commanded that a bill of divorce be given to a woman; this statement implies the legitimacy of divorce. Here Jesus is making it clear that divorce is NOT acceptable. 5:33-37 It is debatable whether Jesus was prohibiting all oath taking or just the practice of frequent, common oaths that don't respect the seriousness of oath taking. 5:38-42 The OT meaning of "eye for an eye" was intended to moderate punishment; during those times it was common for people to kill in retaliation for theft, for example. In the NT, Jesus goes further and says even this proportionate retaliation is not acceptable. 5:39 What is here commanded is a Christian patience under injuries and affronts and to be willing even to suffer still more, rather than to indulge the desire of revenge. This does not mean one may not calmly go to the law for redress of injury or, perhaps, in some circumstances, sanction war in extreme cases. 5:46 The tax collectors of the time were a set of men, odious and infamous among the Jews, for their extortions and injustice. 5:48 In the gospels, the word 'perfect' occurs only in Matthew, here and in Matthew 19:21. The Lucan parallel demands that the disciples be merciful. We are to imitate, as far as we can with our human limitations, the divine perfection. 1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He began to teach them, saying: The Beatitudes 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. 6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you." The Similes of Salt and Light 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. 16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Teaching about the Law 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Teaching about Anger 21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny." Teaching about Adultery 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.s It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna." Teaching about Divorce 31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Teaching about Oaths 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one." Teaching about Retaliation 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 40 If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41 Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow." Love of Enemies 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Chapter 3 and 4 cover the baptism of Jesus, the temptation by Satan, the very beginning preparations of Jesus' ministry. It is our introduction before the great Sermon on the Mount. Two themes throughout this section: 1) Repentance and the coming of the kingdom. John the Baptist preaches repentance and baptism to begin again. Jesus rejects temptation in the desert. And then Jesus goes on to preach repentance. The proclamation of the near arrival of God's kingdom is the central message of Jesus and, along with the resurrection, the basis and object of Christian hope. We have seen Jesus in humanity and suffering; we look forward to seeing His kingdom come again in faith, glory, justice, and peace on Earth. 2) The beginning of the apostles. We see the first four disciples gathered towards the end of the Chapter 4. We see their complete abandonment of previous life in order to follow Jesus. Note that this is different from the normal teacher-student behavior. Students come to the teacher to learn. Here (and following), we see Jesus gather up certain people, the closest he comes to founding a church. 4:1-11 Jesus was proclaimed Son of God at his baptism. He is now called upon to display the character of true sonship, obedience. He does this by resisting Satan's three attempts at temptation: the first two are subtle, the third overt. Matthew and Luke tell almost identical tales, likely having drawn upon the same source. While the historicity of the event is not doubted, one can note that the relaying of it to us "thus represents a narrative midrash or interpretation of the event in such a way as to make it pastorally useful for believers." (1, p.639) 4:2 Forty days and forty nights is intended to recall the forty years of Israel wandering in the desert, as well as the forty nights of Moses and Elijah. 4:5-7 The devil attempts to use scripture to support his temptation, but Jesus answers with scripture to refute the temptation. 4:8 The devil offers all the kingdoms of the world and their glory/magnificence. We should note Jesus' refusal of this (outer spender and wealth) and his choice instead to be faithful to God. 4:11 Angels come to aid Jesus like they did with Elijah. 4:12-17 Zebulun and Naphtali are a fulfillment of Isaiah 8:23-9:1 (though one should note that Capernaum is actually only in Naphtali). "Galilee of the Gentiles" meant "the circle of the Gentiles," i.e. encircled by Gentiles- Galilee was by Matthew's day at least half Gentile in population, half pagan, and bilingual. 4:17 Jesus takes up the message of John of the Baptist, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 4:18 We see Simon with his original name, but Matthew also tells of his future renaming as Peter, upon whom the rock is built. 4:18-22 The call of the first disciples requires them to abandon their way of life and go with Jesus. As with the temptation, we can interpret (if we wish) that there might have been some slight time delay while the disciples talked to Jesus/spiritually grew and realized they should follow. 4:24 The phrase "gospel of the kingdom" is unique to Matthew, and occurs three times. 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. 3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 4 He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’” 8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 9 and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 10 At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him. 12 When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” 17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. 23 He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. 24 His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. 25 And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him. 3:1 John the Baptist comes from the priestly Essene milieu and is referenced outside the Bible by Josephus. 3:2 When John says the "kingdom of heaven" is at hand, he is referring to the coming of God. Devout Jews at the time avoided using God's name out of reverence. Mark, Luke, & John all refer directly to the coming of the Lord. 'Repent' = to change one's mind for the better. 3:4 Jews expected the return of Elijah from heaven to prepare Israel for the final coming of God's kingdom. John's austere dress echoes that of the prophet Elijah, who did not die, but rather ascended into heaven. John's dress and austere eating later became a model for monks. On a side note, it is likely his clothing was not made of actual camel's hair (which was fairly expensive once woven), but rather simple dressed camel's skin. 3:6 Ritual washing was a powerful and frequently used symbol at the time. Here it is a religious rite of cleansing/purification, but performed by John instead of by the penitent sinner alone. This was not just a symbolic act; they were to go forth and make serious changes in their lives and return to God. In addition, John's baptism was performed once-only in contrast to ritual washing. 3:7 Pharisees & Sadducees (see 'Beyond the Bible, 'People' section). The fairly harsh words of John ("You brood of vipers!") are directed to them rather than the crowds that came out of honest interest/faith. 3:8 'Bear fruit' = good works. 3:9 Salvation is no longer exclusive to the children of Abraham. Gentiles can be saved. 3:11 In contrast with John's baptism of water, Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Some scholars find them synonymous: both related to the the purifying and refining characteristics of fire. Others take fire as a threat of destruction of the unrepentant during God's judgment. 3:12 A winnowing fan was a fork-like shovel with which the threshed wheat was thrown into the air. The good kernels fell to the ground; the light chaff, blown off by the wind, was gathered and burned up. 3:13-17 The baptism of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit equips Jesus for his coming ministry. He has received the power, wisdom, and holiness he needs for that role. All four gospels include this incidence (though slightly differently), emphasizing its importance. 3:14-15 The dialogue between John and Jesus here only occurs in Matthew. It reveals that John is well aware of Jesus' superiority. 3:15 "to fulfill all righteousness" means to submit to God's plan for the salvation of the human race. Here Jesus is identified with the sinners around him by also accepting baptism. |
Jennifer Becker Landsberger
Who am I? Freelance writer (magazines, websites, & copywriting), Catholic, military wife, and Mensan. Double Bachelor's in History & Psychology. Witnessing by charity and love are above all. Studying the Bible and beyond helps me on this quest. Feel free to join my walk into the Bible.
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Oh creator of the universe, who has set the stars in the heavens and causes the sun to rise and set, shed the light of your wisdom into the darkness of my mind. Fill my thoughts with a loving knowledge of you, that I may bring you like to others. Just as you can make even babies speak your truth, instruct my tongue and guide my pen to convey the wonderful glory of the Gospel. Make my intellect sharp, my memory clear, and my words eloquent, so that I may faithfully interpret the mysteries what you have revealed. Categories
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I promise: 1. I will pray that God's grace helps illuminate all of our interactions- both those of simple reading and more active conversations. 2. I will communicate with you respectfully and civilly. These are (rightly) issues which we feel passionate about. But even in disagreements, I will respect you fellow "seekers of truth." 3. I will not fall into negative behavior or words, such as insinuations, exaggerations, blames, or personal attacks. I respectfully ask you to do the same. 4. I will pray we will all find the truth and strive to fulfill the two greatest commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31) This site will occasionally feature paid posts! I always 100% verify everything I endorse. You will not see posts for products or sites I would not use myself.
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