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

[Chopper]

Thank you Karl for another wonderful commentary on these verses. I liked your fire-cracker story, it makes sense.

 

[Malachi]

10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

When we look at these two verses, we must remind Christians that the Lord was speaking prophetically. While in Matthew 10 the "disciples" were sent to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (unsaved Jews) the time would come after Christ's ascension that these prophecies would be fulfilled in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (and would apply to Paul also, since he was the apostle to the Gentiles). As one goes through the book of Acts, one sees these prophecies being fulfilled. Both Peter and Paul were imprisoned, and we see them both before councils, governors, kings, and Gentiles.

 

[Karl]

Thank you Karl for another wonderful commentary on these verses. I liked your fire-cracker story, it makes sense.

Cool huh, the problem is He seems to do it most often when I'm ruminating on the Word while driving, by the time I can stop to write down what He revealed to me I have forgotten most of it.

 

[Karl]

When we look at these two verses, we must remind Christians that the Lord was speaking prophetically. While in Matthew 10 the "disciples" were sent to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (unsaved Jews) the time would come after Christ's ascension that these prophecies would be fulfilled in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (and would apply to Paul also, since he was the apostle to the Gentiles). As one goes through the book of Acts, one sees these prophecies being fulfilled. Both Peter and Paul were imprisoned, and we see them both before councils, governors, kings, and Gentiles.

Thank you Malachi for your input, I respect the knowledge and wisdom the Lord has given you about His Word and look forward to your comments.

 

[Chopper]

Cool huh, the problem is He seems to do it most often when I'm ruminating on the Word while driving, by the time I can stop to write down what He revealed to me I have forgotten most of it.

I know what you mean Karl. When I was a full time pastor, I can't tell you of the many times part of my message for the next Sunday would enter my mind but with no paper or pencil to jot things down, I would rehearse what the Holy Spirit spoke to me about, only to completely forget when I got to my office. Grrrr. There was a time when I almost purchased one of those small voice recorders, but because they were so expensive I couldn't afford one. That would have been a great help.

 

[Karl]

I know what you mean Karl. When I was a full time pastor, I can't tell you of the many times part of my message for the next Sunday would enter my mind but with no paper or pencil to jot things down, I would rehearse what the Holy Spirit spoke to me about, only to completely forget when I got to my office. Grrrr. There was a time when I almost purchased one of those small voice recorders, but because they were so expensive I couldn't afford one. That would have been a great help.

Yeah, I carry a note pad now and try to scribble down the important words or at least the theme or idea of what He was revealing, but it doesn't really work, I still forget, I guess it just emphasizes how we are taught by the Holy Spirit and only the Holy Spirit and without Him we can do nothing.

Keeps us humble, ....no?

And it certainly shows us we are human, ...and not Divine like some are trying to teach in the Church today.

And I guess it also causes us to search for those lost gold mines when we study the Word.

 

[Karl]

Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Father, thank you that we can receive John as both the forerunner to Christ and he has come in the spirit and power of Elijah, Father, open our ears to what Your Spirit has to say to us today through this teaching, …we pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

VS 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

I truly believe those that are serving the devil know what they are doing, whereas the majority followers are deceived, sincere, but sincerely deceived and here I think we see an example of this, …from the time John started preaching, “Repent ye, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” Matt 3:2 the rulers of Israel were antagonistic against him and later Jesus.

Imagine the signification behind this statement, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, a kingdom of heavenly-violence, that’s an oxymoron, we think of Heaven as a place of peace and security, joy and long life, but yet Jesus tells us there are those that are taking the Kingdom by violence, …what is there in this statement from our Lord that we can use to discern those that are taking the Kingdom by violence?

May I suggest we observe the character of the King of the Kingdom, flawless, perfect, calm even when angry, totally in control in every situation, then how do we know if we are deceived followers of someone with/in authority that is trying to take the Kingdom by violent force?

We examine them in the light of the Good Shepard, are they under-shepherds of the same character, do they feed and serve the flock, are they humble servants, do their lives and ministry glorify their Master, are they in constant prayer, do we see it in their lives, waiting on the Lord for instructions from Him for the flock He has entrusted them, is the church progressing, does it have a missionary program to spread the Gospel in the world?

Then in our own personal lives, are we growing in our walk with the Lord from the washing and teaching of the Word, are we useful, that is, is our gift being used to build up and edify the church, is the church glued/held together with agape love, …instead of doctrine?

I believe Jesus was/is giving us a warning for today, with so much false teaching and deception in these end times, we need to be sure of who we are following.

VS 13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

All of the prophets and the Law, what Jesus is saying is there is something new coming, a new dispensation and He had plainly told them, in the previous verse, it was the Kingdom of Heaven that John had come proclaiming.

VS 14. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

Here Jesus takes them again back to Malachi, as He had made reference to in vs 10 to get their attention, to this verse,

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: Mal 4:5

John, when asked by the Pharisees if he was Elijah, denied it, but here we find Jesus saying the Baptist was Elijah, …if you can receive it, …signifying, giving a hint, it had to be by faith, …FAITH, the foundation of the new dispensation and one of the fundamental principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.

VS 15. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Another foundational principle of the new dispensation called the Church, how many times have we heard Jesus say that, …why the ears,

…because faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God Rom 10:17
And,
For we walk by faith, not by sight: 2 Cor 5:7

Jesus often said things that were hard for them to understand which could only be received/discerned by faith and here is a perfect example concerning Elijah and telling them he had come. Which exemplifies the Church and it’s teachings are spiritual and they have to be spiritually revealed by the Holy Spirit and spiritually discerned with the help of the Holy Spirit, we hold on to them by faith, …that is what He meant when He said there are those that take it by force or violence, they teach their followers to rely on experience and what they have seen to claim the Kingdom for themselves, …rather than entering in by/with simple childlike faith.

Jesus knew He would be rejected as their King, but here we see Him in loving patience teaching them about the Kingdom that most would probably miss out on.


Comments, additions, thoughts are welcomed,

Tomorrow’s study, Matthew 11:16-19

Lord bless you, God loves you.

 

[Deborah13]

Nice coverage, Karl. Thanks.

There is one verse that I have learned a different interpretation of, verse 12.
When John and Jesus came the ones who had the wealth and power didn't receive either of them because they didn't fit the bill to free them from oppression and take power in their world.
Jesus says...
Luk 7:33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
Luk 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

But the tax-collectors, the poor, sick, harlots, the sinners were glad to receive them. These were the ones that were looked down on and pushed aside. They grabbed onto the Messiah. They did things like the woman with the issue of blood who was so determined to reach Him that she broke the law by leaving her home and forced her way through the crowd.
I believe that these are the ones spoken of as the violent who take the Kingdom by force. They weren't about to let anything keep them away from receiving what He offered them.

 

[Malachi]

Mt 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Jesus often said things that were hard for them to understand which could only be received/discerned by faith and here is a perfect example concerning Elijah and telling them he had come.

That's right. The King-Messiah was right there before them and this forerunner of Messiah at His first coming had come "in the spirit and power of Elijah" as prophesied to John's father by the angel (Lk 1:17). Had Israel repented completely and received King-Messiah as Lord and Savior, that prophesy in Malachi would have been fulfilled. But it was not to be. Hence there is also a future fulfillment when the real Elijah comes to earth from Heaven before the second coming of Christ (Rev 11:3-14).

As to "the spirit and power of Elijah" we should hark back to the time when Elijah boldly challenged the priests of Baal, and spoke out against the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel. John challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees, and spoke out against the wickedness of Herod and Herodias, but he lost his head. Elijah, on the other hand, was taken up in a chariot of fire. Yet Christ said regarding John -- that there was none greater among humans born of women. God's ways are not our ways, and God's thoughts are not our thougths.

 

[Chopper]

This portion of Scripture has had a lot of questions over the years. What in the world does "The Kingdom suffereth violence" mean? I like what John Darby had to say. "Nevertheless from the time of John the Baptist there was a notable change. From that time the kingdom was announced. It was not established, but it was preached. This was a very different thing from the prophecies that spoke of the kingdom for a yet distant period, while recalling the people to the law as given by Moses. The Baptist went before the King, announcing the nearness of the kingdom, and commanding the Jews to repent that they might enter into it; Thus the law and the prophets spake on God's part until John. The law was the rule; the prophets, maintaining the rule, strengthened the hopes and the faith of the remnant. Now, the energy of the Spirit impelled men to force their way through every difficulty and all the opposition of the leaders of the nation and of a blinded people, that they might at all costs attain the kingdom of a King rejected by the blind unbelief of those who should have received Him. It needed — seeing that the King had come in humiliation, and that He had been rejected — it needed this violence to enter the kingdom. The strait gate was the only entrance. (Compliments of e-Sword)

 

[Deborah13]

This portion of Scripture has had a lot of questions over the years. What in the world does "The Kingdom suffereth violence" mean? I like what John Darby had to say. "Nevertheless from the time of John the Baptist there was a notable change. From that time the kingdom was announced. It was not established, but it was preached. This was a very different thing from the prophecies that spoke of the kingdom for a yet distant period, while recalling the people to the law as given by Moses. The Baptist went before the King, announcing the nearness of the kingdom, and commanding the Jews to repent that they might enter into it; Thus the law and the prophets spake on God's part until John. The law was the rule; the prophets, maintaining the rule, strengthened the hopes and the faith of the remnant. Now, the energy of the Spirit impelled men to force their way through every difficulty and all the opposition of the leaders of the nation and of a blinded people, that they might at all costs attain the kingdom of a King rejected by the blind unbelief of those who should have received Him. It needed — seeing that the King had come in humiliation, and that He had been rejected — it needed this violence to enter the kingdom. The strait gate was the only entrance. (Compliments of e-Sword)

Yep that is what I was trying to say. Hope he, Darby, included the women pushing into the Kingdom as well. Just joking I'm pretty sure he did.
Personally I think that is why there are so many more healings and miracles in third world countries. The people take it by violence, they press in. I also think that is why there are certain groups that have more miracles happen, because they don't give up, they believe and press in.

 

[reba]

He was crowned King He is King .His kingdom was established when He was born... and brought out at His death /resurrection
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The Cross of Christ changed the world... His sacrifice opened the whole world to salvation... It tore down the walls which help people captive..
For me i see the Cross and every thing about the Cross as the center of God's history...

 

[Chopper]

Yep that is what I was trying to say. Hope he, Darby, included the women pushing into the Kingdom as well. Just joking I'm pretty sure he did.
Personally I think that is why there are so many more healings and miracles in third world countries. The people take it by violence, they press in. I also think that is why there are certain groups that have more miracles happen, because they don't give up, they believe and press in.

Thank you Deb. I think you are on to something I hadn't thought of, and that is the amount of supernatural working of Jesus in area's where people are so hungry for Jesus, their determination to persevere until Jesus responds, might actually be why they are so successful in miracles....Thanks for that new thought.

 

[Karl]

Very good points you all, I'm happy for the input, the Word is limitless and to try and present a Bible Study in 45 minutes, or 30 minutes, is practically impossible, let alone three pages of A4.

This is what Paul was talking about in Eph 4,

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Eph 4:12, 13

I'm truly blessed with this study, it's my only contact in the world with brothers and sisters (Tahiti is my Patmos) who want to study the Word and grow and I'm probably learning more than you all are, ...thanks for the fellowship.

 

[Chopper]

Very good points you all, I'm happy for the input, the Word is limitless and to try and present a Bible Study in 45 minutes, or 30 minutes, is practically impossible, let alone three pages of A4.

This is what Paul was talking about in Eph 4,

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Eph 4:12, 13

I'm truly blessed with this study, it's my only contact in the world with brothers and sisters (Tahiti is my Patmos) who want to study the Word and grow and I'm probably learning more than you all are, ...thanks for the fellowship.

You are truly welcome Teacher, you have become a very important individual here at CF.net. Especially in the Bible Study forums. I feel honored being your friend, and receiving biblical truth from your posts....Thank you for your commitment.

 

[Deborah13]

Karl And you are a blessing to us. I'm very happy that you have chosen to fellowship with us.

 

[Karl]

Yep that is what I was trying to say. Hope he, Darby, included the women pushing into the Kingdom as well. Just joking I'm pretty sure he did.
Personally I think that is why there are so many more healings and miracles in third world countries. The people take it by violence, they press in. I also think that is why there are certain groups that have more miracles happen, because they don't give up, they believe and press in.

Yes, you are correct, we have experienced many miracles and healings since coming here, most of them were for our benefit either of the help in an emergency variety or a healing that was needed and like I have stated before, the only ones that knew of them were the servants the Lord used, whether coming from our hands or someone's else, however I must confess a failure on my part, there have been times I felt in my heart the Lord wanted to use me and I didn't respond, partly because I didn't want to appear foolish if it was my vain imagination, but most of the time because I am too logical in my thinking, that is, if the Lord were to preform a miracle in public and many people were to come to Him, there isn't one church here where they could go and be nurtured, fed and loved on by the Lord and His children......, sad commentary huh, I have lived almost 24 years in faith on a daily reliance the Lord will take care of me, and He has, but I don't have the faith He can take care of others.

 

[Deborah13]

Yes, you are correct, we have experienced many miracles and healings since coming here, most of them were for our benefit either of the help in an emergency variety or a healing that was needed and like I have stated before, the only ones that knew of them were the servants the Lord used, whether coming from our hands or someone's else, however I must confess a failure on my part, there have been times I felt in my heart the Lord wanted to use me and I didn't respond, partly because I didn't want to appear foolish if it was my vain imagination, but most of the time because I am too logical in my thinking, that is, if the Lord were to preform a miracle in public and many people were to come to Him, there isn't one church here where they could go and be nurtured, fed and loved on by the Lord and His children......, sad commentary huh, I have lived almost 24 years in faith on a daily reliance the Lord will take care of me, and He has, but I don't have the faith He can take care of others.

I spent much of my Christian yrs. in unforgiveness. Talk about pride and fear getting it the way of serving the Lord, it surely does. Some of us can be such a sad lot.
But you are in a much more difficult situation. May the Lord lift you up, be of good courage, He loves you.

 

[19DuggarFan]

What strikes me as I read Matthew 11:1-19 is that John the Baptist was a humble man by any standards, yet He was declared by our Lord as the greatest man who ever lived. (Mt 11:11, NIV 2011).

But what really astonishes me, is that you and I even if we are the least in God's kingdom have been declared greater than John (Mt 11:11, NIV). We are here in a different order of reality.

Amen, and it is really hard for me to live by John the Baptist words about Jesus:
He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30

 

[RevSRE]

Hi Reba. This is the question. And Deb, here is a statement of John Gill, one of your favorite expositors. (Compliments of e-Sword).
Mat 11:4
art thou he that should come?

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!