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

[Chopper]

IS 35:5-6
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing,
is 61:1
LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

When Jesus answered John He did not say yes see all I have done, Much more beautiful He referred to Isaiah and the promise every one looked for.
He used the words of the prophet to clearly state who He was. See all these things HAVE happened!

Hey! My old friend Rev. I'm so glad to see you again in our Bible Study. You have always had something of value to add to our discussions. If you can, stick around for awhile....Love you,

 

[RevSRE]

Did you know there are two Christian Forums sites, I have been on the wrong one for a while. I found my way home now.

 

[Chopper]

Did you know there are two Christian Forums sites, I have been on the wrong one for a while. I found my way home now.

Yes, ours is CF.net the other is CF.com. I think I heard maybe by Reba, that the two are somehow connected. Any way, WELCOME HOME!

 

[Karl]

Did you know there are two Christian Forums sites, I have been on the wrong one for a while. I found my way home now.

That's funny, could there be a wrong Christian Forum?

Glad to see you here, and please step in and continue to comment.

 

[RevSRE]

could there be a wrong Christian Forum?
NO!
.........................................
Word......Prayer.....Praise......Worship.......Think about it!

 

[reba]

Chopper, The Book of Matthew has been around a couple thousand years... we dont need to hurry.. it will be here tomorrow..
Most Bible Studies are done weekly .. You could do the same here.. Personally 52 Bible studies a year means we have you for the whole year... 52 in about 6 weeks is over whelming ... Those are my thoughts ...

 

[Deborah13]

I'd like to add that weekly Bible Studies cover a larger amount of text than just a few verses. Closer to the idea of the themes that are within a chapter or parables, whatever. Don't know if that is making sense or not.

 

[Chopper]

Chopper, The Book of Matthew has been around a couple thousand years... we dont need to hurry.. it will be here tomorrow..
Most Bible Studies are done weekly .. You could do the same here.. Personally 52 Bible studies a year means we have you for the whole year... 52 in about 6 weeks is over whelming ... Those are my thoughts ...

Ok Reba, that sounds good to me.So I'll post a few verses every Monday, and everyone can have fun commenting on it....Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Chopper]

I'd like to add that weekly Bible Studies cover a larger amount of text than just a few verses. Closer to the idea of the themes that are within a chapter or parables, whatever. Don't know if that is making sense or not.

Yes it does make sense. I used to post like that. So I'll start doing that. Thanks for the reminder..

 

[Chopper]

Day 95 Wednesday 1/14/15 Matthew 11:20-24 Miracles Don't Impress.

I remember wondering about a statement in:
Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Look at what the rich man said to Abraham (It has always surprised me that in the "place of torment and the bosom of Abraham that they could speak back and forth) Lazarus said "If one went unto them (his family) from the dead, they will repent." Then, Abraham said "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

This is preciously what happened in these Cities that Jesus visited and many miracles were done by Him. Just like the rich man, you would think that a dramatic supernatural event taking place right in front of their noses, the people of those Cities would have fallen on their knees and repented of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. The Jewish mind is certainly a rebellious thing. The fact that God purposely blinded their minds to the reality of Jesus' purpose on earth, I almost feel sorry for the Jewish Nation because for just a few Jewish folk (a remnant) that did repent and follow Jesus, the rest were doomed to reject.

I realize that probably if the Jewish people did understand the Gospel and be converted, they would have refused to take the message to the Gentiles, so it had to be done this way for the Gospel to go out to the Gentile people. Wow, God's ways are not our ways.

I'll be honest here, if God did blind the eyes of the Jewish people to understand the Gospel, why is God rebuking these cities for rejecting Jesus?

Can we discuss this question that I have?

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

 

[Karl]

Good question Chopper,

Here's what I think, since God knows the beginning from the end and He knew the end of the 69th week of the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9 was about to be fulfilled, that there would be an interval of roughly two millennium Hos 6:2 and the next time He again started to work with the nation of Israel, ...yes Jesus upbraided the cities, but I think it was in and with Love (kinda like how we feel hurt when we offer a gift and it isn't well received or even rejected, He was expressing righteous anger), God/Jesus is Love, He had to reach the Gentiles with the Gospel, Israel had failed in their mission, so as we read in Hosea of a brokenhearted Husband that had to write a certificate of divorce for His adulterous wife, but at the same time He still provided for her in her adultery, ...I think we are going to meet many Jews in Heaven that had a saving faith in God during these last two thousand years, I believe the faithful remnant is always present, ...I don't think it is any different with the Jew or the Gentile, there some that believe and then see (saved) and some that need to see before they can believe (unsaved).

Also, Abraham's Bosom and the Place of Torments are both places that exist in the supernatural, the scientists tell us the center of the Earth is molten, since the body of dust remains on the surface and only the spirit and soul descended it's possible the spirit, where we hold our knowledge and wisdom, could also communicate (our thoughts) without the restriction of the cranium.

Just my two cents.

 

[Deborah13]

Just my thoughts...
When did God blind them? Which ones did He blind? Why did He blind them?
Mat 23:13 `Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter.
So there were those who were not blinded but their leaders turned them away from accepting Him. They chose to listen to their leaders rather than Jesus. Was that what happened in these towns that Jesus rebuked them for their lack of belief?

I don't think God blinded some of them just so the Gentiles would get a chance. I think it had something to do with the nation of Israel being so far from God and His ways. The leaders didn't want to give up their place of power to receive Him. The bringing in of the Gentiles in this way was with the intention of making the Jews jealous and causing them to return to God and reject those who stand between them and receiving Christ. Maybe a two-fold purpose.
Rom 11:11 I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation is to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy;

 

[jocor]

I'll be honest here, if God did blind the eyes of the Jewish people to understand the Gospel, why is God rebuking these cities for rejecting Jesus?

Can we discuss this question that I have?

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

The Almighty did not blind Israel before those cities rejected Yeshua. First they rejected Yeshua, then the Jews were blinded. Praise Yahweh that, in His mercy, He will lift that blindness soon.

 

[Malachi]

The Almighty did not blind Israel before those cities rejected Yeshua. First they rejected Yeshua, then the Jews were blinded. Praise Yahweh that, in His mercy, He will lift that blindness soon.

This is absolutely correct and consistent with the character of God. Those cities had privileges like no cities on earth at any time, and had multiple opportunities to repent. Finally they were condemned for their unbelief, as was the nation of Israel.

 

[jocor]

This is absolutely correct and consistent with the character of God. Those cities had privileges like no cities on earth at any time, and had multiple opportunities to repent. Finally they were condemned for their unbelief, as was the nation of Israel.

I would not say the nation of Israel was "condemned" for their unbelief. The nation is under a temporary blindness, but not condemned (if, by "condemned," you mean lost forever). When their blindness is lifted they will have an opportunity to believe. By doing so they will be grafted in again.

 

[Malachi]

I would not say the nation of Israel was "condemned" for their unbelief. The nation is under a temporary blindness, but not condemned (if, by "condemned," you mean lost forever). When their blindness is lifted they will have an opportunity to believe. By doing so they will be grafted in again.

I think you would agree that all the unbelieving Jews of the apostolic period and until 70 AD were condemned to Hell. But the nation itself is in blindness until the second coming of Christ, when they will not only mourn, but truly repent and be converted, so that their sins are blotted out. In the meantime all unbelieving Jews today are also on their way to eternal damnation. Hence the necesity of the Gospel to both Jew and Gentile. We can praise God that many Jews are being saved as we speak.

 

[reba]

God's plan was in effect from the beginning . His timing .. The timing of Jesus' earthly life was not by chance....
Chopper sometimes the answer is just a simple.. Cuz He is God.

 

[jocor]

I think you would agree that all the unbelieving Jews of the apostolic period and until 70 AD were condemned to Hell. But the nation itself is in blindness until the second coming of Christ, when they will not only mourn, but truly repent and be converted, so that their sins are blotted out. In the meantime all unbelieving Jews today are also on their way to eternal damnation. Hence the necesity of the Gospel to both Jew and Gentile. We can praise God that many Jews are being saved as we speak.

No, I would not agree. The Jews were blinded before 70 AD. There were many Jews that never met Yeshua while he walked in Israel. In fact, there are still Jews today, and even back then, that never heard the gospel. It is only those who heard or had a first hand knowledge of him, but rejected him that are condemned.

 

[reba]

point and counter point made that is fine ,lets not go to full debate. admin

 

[Chopper]

The Almighty did not blind Israel before those cities rejected Yeshua. First they rejected Yeshua, then the Jews were blinded. Praise Yahweh that, in His mercy, He will lift that blindness soon.

You are right my friend. I guess I got mixed up with Isaiah's prophecy being for Israel before Christ came. His prophecy was about the people Jesus was teaching.