Bible Study WELCOME TO AN IN DEPTH STUDY OF MATTHEW'S GOSPEL.

[Mike]

Their travels were from Bethlehem - just a few miles south of Jeruselem - to some unnamed location in Egypt. The largest city in Egypt at that time would be Alexandria. Just using a ruler on the map, the distance between these two cities appears to be about 320 miles (512km).

http://www.answers.com/Q/How_many_miles_did_Joseph_and_Mary_travel_from_Bethlehem_to_Egypt

Wow! If that's even close to accurate, I have always underestimated roll of Joseph in protecting his family in that move. Of course God's plan would not be thwarted, but it is still mind boggling to think of that journey in that time & place where danger would be everywhere. Keeping them safe while Mary tended to Jesus' well-being over all those miles... I really would have been begging for new directions along the way. "This town looks nice. Don't you think, Lord?"

It makes me consider my own responses when I've felt His direction in my own life. Too many times, I've thought He couldn't possibly expect me to do that!

Lord, forgive my lack of faith. I am so terribly undeserving of Your love.

 

[Sinthesis]

Day 15 Sunday 9/28/14 Matthew 2:19-23 He Shall Be Called A Nazarene.

Mat 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Mat 2:20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
Mat 2:21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
Mat 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
Mat 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

I have not been able to find a prophet in the Hebrew Scriptures that make that prophesy.

Nazareth and Nazarene share in Hebrew the same root word as the word 'branch' in:

Isa 11:1 ¶ And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:​

Lexicon :: Strong's H5342 - netser

 

[Chopper]

Day 16 Monday 9/29/14 Matthew 3:1-6 The Preacher Of Repentance.

Mat 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mat 3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

John, this name was given to him by an angel before his conception, and by his parents at his birth, Luke 1:13.

Repent. I love that word repent. I think it was the first year of Bible College that I was seeking God for a theme of the ministry that He would be guiding me into. I believe that He led me to Isaiah 58:1 "Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to My people their transgressions." I guess if you ever speak to the ones of whom I was their pastor, they would say that that verse was true in describing the ministry that my Lord gave me. Once, a man who was a part of a group that started in my living room (house church) was asked by a stranger what kind of ministry it was, he replied, my pastor is a preacher of repentance.

John the Baptist. When I first began to study just what John the Baptist was doing, I hadn't realized that Jews were even baptized. Not only that, but baptized by immersion.

The great Prophet Isaiah had told just what John would be saying. "make His paths straight."
Isaiah 40:3 "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

A lot has been said about what John the Baptist wore. As near as I can tell, it was a rough garment, with a leather belt around his waist. The garment was camel hair arranged somehow along with the skin, not smooth, writers say, but rough.

John's meals were rough as well. Much also has been written about what the locust was, and how it was prepared. Wild honey is said to be honey bee like we would see in trees. Apparently his diet was enough to keep him energized and alert.

The result of John's ministry was, people were confessing their sins and being baptized by immersion for the forgiveness of their sins.

I have only scratched the surface in these verses. Hopefully some of you will add some fresh information because I'm aware that much more can be said about this famous man of God.

 

[Chopper]

Tomorrow's Study: Day 17 Tuesday 9/30/14 Matthew 3:7,8 Fruit Of Vipers.

 

[Deborah13]

In the OT Jonathan was the close friend of King David, willing to give his life for David.
At one point Jonathan eats honey to restore his physical body.
Jonathan helps David escape death and asks David to be kind to his family. He recognized the authority that David would have in the future as King.
These are a few of the similarities between Jonathan's relationship with David and John's with Jesus.

 

[Chopper]

Day 17 Tuesday 9/30/14 Matthew 3:7,8 Fruit Of Vipers.

Matthew 3:7 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

I thought I would post what John Gill wrote about the Pharisees and Sadducees. It is rather long, and I apologize. There are some in our midst that would find this information very useful for their studies, and to those I will post.

This being the first place in which mention is made of the Pharisees and Sadducees, it may not be amiss to give some account of them once for all, and to begin with the Pharisees, and first with their name. Some derive this word from פרץ pharatz to "divide", to "make a breach", from whence Phares had his name Gen_38:29 so Jerom (u), who observes, that

"the Pharisees, who separated themselves from the people as righteous persons, were called "divisi, the divided."''

And in (w) another place,

"because the Pharisees were "divided" from the Jews on account of some superfluous observations, they also took their name from their disagreement.''

Origen (x) seems to refer to this etymology of the word, when he says,

"the Pharisees, according to their name, were διηρημενοι τινες και στασιωδεις, certain divided and seditious persons.''

And true it is, that this sect often meddled with the affairs of the government, and were very ambitious of being concerned therein. Josephus (y) observes of queen Alexandra, that she governed others, and the Pharisees governed her; hence, though they were in great esteem with the people, they were rather dreaded than loved by the government. Others derive this name from פרש "Pharas" to "expand", or "stretch out"; either because they made broad their phylacteries, and enlarged the borders of their garments; or because they exposed themselves to public notice, did all they could to be seen of men, prayed in the corners of the streets, had a trumpet blown before them when they gave alms, chose the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, greetings in the markets, and to be called of men "Rabbi": all which to be sure are their just characters. Others derive it from the same word, as signifying to "explain" or "expound"; because it was one part of their work, and in which they excelled, to expound the law; but this cannot be the reason of their general name, because there were women Pharisees as well as men, who cannot be thought to be employed in that work. The more generally received opinion is, that this name is taken from the above word, as signifying to "separate"; because they separated themselves from the men and manners of the world, to the study of the law, and to a greater degree of holiness, at least in pretence, than other persons. They were strict observers of the traditions of the elders; are said, to hold both fate and free will; they owned the resurrection of the dead, and that there were angels and spirits, in which they differed from the Sadducees. Or rather they have their name from פרס, which signifies "a reward"; they being stiff defenders of the doctrine of rewards and punishments in a future state, which the Sadducees denied. The Talmudic writers (z) say, there were "seven" sorts of them, and if it would not be too tedious to the reader, I would give the names of them; and the rather, because some of them seem to tally with the complexion and conduct of the Pharisees mentioned in the scriptures. There were then,

1. פרוש שיכמי the "Shechemite Pharisee", who does as Shechem did; is circumcised, not on God's account, or for his glory, or because circumcision is a command of his, but for his own profit and advantage, and that he may get honour from men.

2. פרוש ניקפי "the dashing Pharisee"; who walks gently, the heel of one foot touching the great toe of the other; and scarce lifts up his feet from the earth, so that he dashes them against the stones, and would be thought hereby to be in deep meditation.

3. פרוש קיזאי the "Pharisee letting blood"; who makes as if he shut his eyes, that he may not look upon women, and so runs and dashes his head against the wall, till the blood gushes out, as though a vein was opened.

4. פרוש מדוכיא the "depressed Pharisee"; who went double, or bowed down, or as others render the phrase, "the mortar Pharisee"; either because he wore a garment like a mortar, with the mouth turned downwards; or a hat resembling such a vessel; so that he could not look upward, nor on either side, only downward, or right forward.

5. פרוש מה חובתי ואעשנה the Pharisee, that said, what is my duty and I will do it? the gloss upon it is, teach me what is my duty, and I will do it: Lo! this is his excellency, if he is not expert in the prohibitions and niceties of the commands, and comes to learn; or thus, what is more to be done and I have not done it? so that he shows himself, or would appear as if he had performed all.

6. פרוש יראה "the Pharisee of fear"; who does what he does from fear of punishment.

7. פרוש אהבה "the Pharisee of love"; who does what he does from love; which the gloss explains thus: for the love of the reward of the commandment, and not for the love of the commandment of his Creator; though they say of all these there is none to be beloved, but the Pharisee of love.

When this sect first began, and who was the first author of it, is not easy to say; it is certain there were great numbers of them in the times of John the Baptist, and of Christ, and for some time after. The Jews say (a), that when the temple was destroyed the second time, the Pharisees increased in Israel....Look at the next post for the conclusion.

 

[Chopper]

Conclusion:

Next let us consider the Sadducees, who they were, and from whence they sprung. These have their name not from צדיק "Saddik righteous" (b), or צדק "Sedek righteousness", being self justitiaries; for though they were, yet this would not have distinguished them from the Pharisees, who were likewise such; but from צדוק Sadok or Saduk, a disciple of Antigonus, a man of Socho (c). The occasion of this new sect was this; Antigonus, among the instructions he gave to his scholars, had this saying;

"be not as servants who serve their master for the sake of reward; but be ye as servants that serve their master not for the sake of reward, and let the fear of God be upon you.''

Which, when Sadok and a fellow scholar, whose name was Baithos, or Baithus, heard, not rightly understanding him, concluded that there was no future state of rewards and punishments; which notion they broached and had their followers, who from the one were called Sadducees, and sometimes from the other Baithuseans: these men held the Scriptures only, rejecting the traditions of the elders; they denied fate, and ascribed all to free will; they affirmed that there is no resurrection of the dead; that the soul dies with the body; that there is no future state after this life, and that there are neither angels nor spirits. Now when "John saw" or observed "many" of both these sects "come to his baptism"; not merely to see it administered, led thither by the novelty of the thing; but to submit to it, to which they might be induced by that very great character of a very holy good man, which John had got among the people; and they were desirous of being thought so too, and therefore desired to be baptized by him; but he knowing the men and their manners,

said unto them; addressed them in a very severe style, quite contrary to their expectation, and the opinion the people had of them,

O generation of vipers! It seems their parents before them were vipers, and they their offspring were like them, in hypocrisy and malice. The viper appears very beautiful outwardly, but is full of poison; it looks harmless and innocent, as if it neither could nor would do any hurt, its teeth being hid, but is a most deadly and hurtful creature: so these men, though they made specious pretences to religion and holiness, yet were full of the deadly poison of hypocrisy, malice, and error. A very disagreeable salutation this must be to men, who were desirous of being reckoned very religious, and who boasted of, and trusted in, their being the seed of Abraham; when they were the children of the devil, the seed of the old serpent, and the offspring of the worst of men, and in whom was verified the proverb, like father like son. John proceeds and asks, saying, "who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" who has suggested this to you? from whom have ye received this hint? who has pointed out the way to you to escape divine vengeance, or the ruin which will quickly come upon you? for by

wrath to come is not meant hell fire, everlasting destruction, from which baptism could not save them; but temporal calamity and destruction, the wrath which in a little time came upon that nation to the uttermost, for rejecting the Messiah, and the Gospel dispensation; from which they might have been saved, had they given credit to Jesus as the Messiah, though only with a bare assent; and had they entered into the kingdom of heaven, or Messiah, the Gospel dispensation, by receiving its doctrines, and submitting to its ordinances, though only externally.

I remember reading about Billy Sunday, an evangelist, I think in the 30s, could be wrong on the date. He preached against alcoholism. He was a famous major league baseball player, thus being popular with the sports fans who loved their booze. It is said that, when he got to the pulpit, he would sometimes start with "You generation of vipers!" :shock Not a friendly start compared with most evangelists, but it worked! :yes

Matthew 3:8 "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance."

There's that favorite word of mine REPENTANCE. When ever I witness to anyone, I usually start by explaining why they are sinners, and how to get relief from original sin and sin in general. I always turns to repentance. If the person is not willing to repent, I know the Holy Spirit has not gone before me. As a Calvinist Evangelist, I need to know who the Holy Spirit is calling into the body of the Elect. Once I'm assured of that fact, I proceed, and every time, that person comes to Christ and stays there.

Baptism. That ordinance that should follow a genuine belief in Jesus the Christ. I have known pastor's who believe that the believer should be baptized immediately after making their profession of faith. They have Scripture to back them up on that practice. Me? No! I use these verses to cause me to be careful who I baptize. After a person has been "born again" I wait an undetermined amount of time to see any fruit of repentance. Usually I inquire with the family of the new believer to see if they have changed. Upon hearing a positive result, I then counsel that new believer in the importance and identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. When I am convinced that they intend to make Jesus the Master Owner of their lives, I Baptize him or her.

 

[Chopper]

Tomorrow's Study: Day 18 Wednesday 10/1/14 Matthew 3:9,10 Stones For Children.

 

[LovethroughDove]

This scripture goes with Luke 16:29-31 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "No, father Abraham, ' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." "He said to them, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" - Jesus speaking of unbelief. And in Matthew 3:7 - John is calling them out with their outward religious attitude, but their true unbelief.

 

[Chopper]

Day 18 Wednesday 10/1/14 Matthew 3:9,10 Stones For Children.

Matthew 3:9 "And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

I see quite a bit of spiritual admonition in the words of V.9. I see a nation called Israel who is a very proud Nation, one that Almighty God had singled out one man out of many to be the cornerstone of a great Nation. This cornerstone, Abraham, introduced to all who would come after him, the mighty action of faith. The problem was that Israel discarded faith, and pursued being justified by following the statues, rules, and commands that were given to Israel from God Himself. Faith must have seen too simple to be justified. Certainly following God's commands would be what God would demand.

All thru the almost four decades of serving my Master Jesus as a pastor of His Churches, evangelist, and teacher of the divine Scriptures, I have met folk who refuse the simple means of Salvation thru faith. They believe that they must contribute something for justification to be alloted to them. I remember one individual, named Harry P. who just could not move from works to faith. He just like Israel, could not get hold of the truth that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

So here we are on the banks of the Jordan River, the Scribes and Pharisees had come down, not to be baptized, IMO, but to stand in opposition to what John the Baptist was doing. Their message was, we don't need your baptism, we have Abraham as our Father and we're Ok. We observe the Law, that's what remits our sins, not your baptism....John's rebuttal was, If you don't get with the program (Choppers paraphrase) God could raise up these stones for children of Abraham. It is my opinion that John was speaking about the Gentiles who were considered having hearts as cold and hard as stones.

Today, the Church of Jesus the Christ is guilty of the same lack of wisdom. I believe that we are in the period of apostasy just before the beginning of the Tribulation period. The "goats" are relying on their profession of faith in Jesus made long ago, and are not demonstrating their faith with works of repentance. The "sheep's" on the other hand are conscious of their Master Owner Jesus the Christ of whom they have believed on by faith and are living their lives being surrendered to their Master's will, not their own. As the "sheep" live their lives being conscious of the fact that their sins must be forgiven as they forgive others, and then repent of their sins and cease the practice of them.

Matthew 3:10 "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Oh boy, what a warning to those self pious, prideful leaders of Israel. John the Baptist was hinting that the Messiah Yeshua was coming to set the whole of Israel upside down, or right side up depending on how you look at it. Israel would be judged as unfaithful when Jesus the Christ would come from heaven and present Himself as the incarnation of God in the flesh. The Nation of Israel as represented by these Scribes and Pharisees would reject their Messiah and eventually give the order to "crucify Him". That led to the hewing down of the root and branches of Israel as a Nation, and the entrance of the Gentile stones as the favored people of God. I thank the LORD that He will give Israel His right hand of entrance into His great family once again. The cost of re-entry into God's favor has come at a great cost. We see this in the second half of the Tribulation period called, Jacob's Trouble....I often pray for the Nation of Israel as it stands today against their enemies that would destroy Israel. I pray for her safety and victory over her enemies. I love Israel!

 

[Chopper]

Tomorrow's Study: Day 19 Thursday 10/2/14 Matthew 3:11 Baptism Of Fire!

 

[Chopper]

Day 19 Thursday 10/2/14 Matthew 3:11 Baptism In Fire.

Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."

This verse is one of the most important instructions about what the modern church is deceived about concerning the doctrine of a baptism subsequent to Salvation's baptism. There are some folk who say that this doctrine is "Chopperism" so I'll let you be the judge, and let God in His Word be the final Judge.

In Vs.11 we have the word "with". baptize you WITH water, baptize you WITH the Holy Ghost, and WITH fire. If you check any reliable source, you will find that the word WITH in this verse should be rendered Gk. ἐν which means "in" in all three cases. So it should read, Baptize IN water, baptize IN the Holy Ghost, IN fire. This little change from the Greek to our more modern translations, starting in 1611, got it wrong. I believe that Satan with held this vital information to weaken the Church of Jesus Christ! And he has accomplished just that! A weak pathetic church.

My prayer to all who read this is, don't try and pick it apart, Study out this for yourself, and I'm quite sure you will come to the same conclusion. My friends call me a "BaptiCostal" and my enemies (oh yes, I have them) call me a traitor to Baptist theology.

So, you say, what does this change from "with" to "in" mean? Oh my friend, it means Holy fire and power from the Holy Spirit, in His work not ours. Power versus weakness. Lets examine each of the instances whereby the word with should be in. Baptize in water suggests immersion rather than sprinkle. Baptize in the Holy Ghost suggests immersion in the Holy Ghost rather with the Holy Ghost, Baptize in fire, rather than with fire. Is it beginning to make sense? At Salvation, we are baptized with the Holy Spirit (Ghost), after Salvation, we must be endued with power to witness, and to be involved in what the Holy Spirit is doing by actually being in Him. We are not supposed to be with the Holy Spirit, we are supposed to be in His power, in His walk, in His life, in His ministry, just not with Him. If we are with Him, we could just as easily be without Him, but if we are in Him, the only way out is to apostatize.

Have you ever met a person who is "on fire for the Lord? That my friend is the baptism in fire. They exhibit power, authority, and and a holy drive. If you are in the Holy Spirit, you are in His authority. Man, it doesn't get any better than that, to minister in the authority of God? Folk will be healed, demons rebuked and cast out, and most of all, souls will enter the Kingdom of God....In 1990, in Florida, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Life has never been the same. When I say that the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a person, whether to be healed or warned, every time that happened the person was healed and warned because they told me later that they heeded the warning and had good results, or did not heed the warning and sin came about, and defeated them....I remember a couple who couldn't have children. The had that invetro something (sp) three times and it failed and they were going to give up and adopt. The Holy Spirit asked me to approach them and tell thim to try once more and it would work. They did and now have twins. This "Chopperism" works my friends because it is because I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and I am involved in His work.

May God bless everyone who reads and studies for themselves the Truth of this important instruction.

 

[Chopper]

Tomorrow's Study: Day 20 Friday 10/3/14 Matthew 3:12 See you at The Barn!

 

[ezrider]

Chopper,

I had an interesting thought concerning the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. In my bible study thread on the two Covenants, I go through some of the scriptures that talk about the Lord descending upon the mount in a cloud, and the people heard the Lord's voice out of the midst of the fire, for God is a consuming fire. The Children of Israel were afraid by reason of the fire, and they rejected that covenant and instead sought the covenant made with Moses. Deut 18:15-22 speaks of Jesus who would come, and Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and that the Holy Spirit would teach you all things. In a way then, when we listen to what the Holy Spirit would teach us, so that the Lord might write his laws in our hearts and minds, we are listening to the voice of God out of the midst of the fire.

 

[Chopper]

Chopper,

I had an interesting thought concerning the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. In my bible study thread on the two Covenants, I go through some of the scriptures that talk about the Lord descending upon the mount in a cloud, and the people heard the Lord's voice out of the midst of the fire, for God is a consuming fire. The Children of Israel were afraid by reason of the fire, and they rejected that covenant and instead sought the covenant made with Moses. Deut 18:15-22 speaks of Jesus who would come, and Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and that the Holy Spirit would teach you all things. In a way then, when we listen to what the Holy Spirit would teach us, so that the Lord might write his laws in our hearts and minds, we are listening to the voice of God out of the midst of the fire.

Hey old Buddy, that was good. I hadn't thought of the two fires being connected in any way but I see your point. God's fire is very strange and awesome plus mighty and powerful....thank you.

 

[Chopper]

Day 20 Friday 10/3/14 Matthew 3:13 See You At The Barn!

Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

We have here a very interesting series of events. It is always interesting to me that Scripture sometimes, like this one, uses agriculture language to teach a lesson. The only exposure to farm language was when I was the pastor of a small country Baptist Church. The head deacon was a dairy farmer, and I would help him when it was time to bring in the bales of hay into the barn. At the end of the day, I was covered with the chaff of the hay and it sure itched from the sweat and grime of the process.

The way I look at this verse is, the fan is the Gospel, the floor is the Church, the wheat are the true believers who have fruit of repentance, the chaff are the unrepentant, and the unquenchable fire is the lake of fire.

1. The Gospel: For almost four decades, I have preached the Gospel because I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. It is an amazing fact that the death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ, if nothing else was preached, will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, save souls. I have witnessed evangelists who preach all about the love of God, the benefits of being a Christian, the wonderful benefits of heaven, etc, etc, etc. These sermons will produce a few recipients of salvation. Some are genuine, but most are not, they are seduced by the pretty picture that the evangelist painted of heaven.

The Gospel, preached right, separates the true believer from the false believer. There are these folk in every church in the world.

2. The Garner: Is the barn where only the wheat is stored. In my mind, this is a temporary abode of the truly repentant believer with fruit that reveals their position in Christ Jesus. Their permanent abode is the New Jerusalem.

3. The chaff: Are those like the parable of the sower of the seed, whereby only one would be considered wheat, and the other three are chaff. This brings us to a very controversial doctrinal position. This verse speaks of "but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire". I see two issues here. 1. "burn up" and 2. "unquenchable fire." Now, I see that the chaff will burn up. That means to me that the chaff, or unrepentant, exists no more, they are gone. The unquenchable fire means that the fire continues to burn up new chaff, or unrepentant believers, that come along after the first chaff was burnt up.

I'm simply looking at what the text literally speaks to me, without going ahead to the final rewards to the true believer, or wheat, and the final judgment of the unbeliever in the Lake of Fire.

 

[Chopper]

Tomorrow's Study: Day 21 Saturday 10/4/14 Matthew 3:13-17 This Is My Son.

 

[reba]

Wow i have some catching up to do

 

[Chopper]

Wow i have some catching up to do

I was beginning to think I was the only one interested is the study. I knew you were busy, but the others have been silent the last few days. I thought for sure I'd get some posts back on post #272. Either it was new news to them or old news but glad to get a fresh look at the Baptism in the Holy Ghost.

 

[Deborah13]

Day 20 Friday 10/3/14 Matthew 3:13 See You At The Barn!

Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

We have here a very interesting series of events. It is always interesting to me that Scripture sometimes, like this one, uses agriculture language to teach a lesson. The only exposure to farm language was when I was the pastor of a small country Baptist Church. The head deacon was a dairy farmer, and I would help him when it was time to bring in the bales of hay into the barn. At the end of the day, I was covered with the chaff of the hay and it sure itched from the sweat and grime of the process.

The way I look at this verse is, the fan is the Gospel, the floor is the Church, the wheat are the true believers who have fruit of repentance, the chaff are the unrepentant, and the unquenchable fire is the lake of fire.

1. The Gospel: For almost four decades, I have preached the Gospel because I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. It is an amazing fact that the death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ, if nothing else was preached, will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, save souls. I have witnessed evangelists who preach all about the love of God, the benefits of being a Christian, the wonderful benefits of heaven, etc, etc, etc. These sermons will produce a few recipients of salvation. Some are genuine, but most are not, they are seduced by the pretty picture that the evangelist painted of heaven.

The Gospel, preached right, separates the true believer from the false believer. There are these folk in every church in the world.

2. The Garner: Is the barn where only the wheat is stored. In my mind, this is a temporary abode of the truly repentant believer with fruit that reveals their position in Christ Jesus. Their permanent abode is the New Jerusalem.

3. The chaff: Are those like the parable of the sower of the seed, whereby only one would be considered wheat, and the other three are chaff. This brings us to a very controversial doctrinal position. This verse speaks of "but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire". I see two issues here. 1. "burn up" and 2. "unquenchable fire." Now, I see that the chaff will burn up. That means to me that the chaff, or unrepentant, exists no more, they are gone. The unquenchable fire means that the fire continues to burn up new chaff, or unrepentant believers, that come along after the first chaff was burnt up.

I'm simply looking at what the text literally speaks to me, without going ahead to the final rewards to the true believer, or wheat, and the final judgment of the unbeliever in the Lake of Fire.

I agree with you that this verse simply states that the chaff is burnt up. It is the fire that continues to burn.
G2618
κατακαίω
katakaiō
kat-ak-ah'ee-o
From G2596 and G2545; to burn down (to the ground), that is, consume wholly: - burn (up, utterly).

I love your title. "See you at the Barn!"