Matthew (Written)

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. Matthew 10:34

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Not you should deem that I came to cast peace upon the earth. Not I came to cast peace, but a sword” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus finished the thought about confessing Him or denying Him. Now, the results of such a decision are noted by Him, beginning with, “Not you should deem that I came to cast peace upon the earth.”

Here, Jesus introduces the word eiréné, peace, to the New Testament. It is believed to be from the primary verb eiro, to join. As such, it would signify peace through enjoinment, such as when God and man are reconciled. It leads to a state of wholeness where parts are joined together.

The idea of using the word “cast” is that people might suppose that the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) would come and simply toss out peace upon the earth like casting a net over it. Jesus says this is not why He came.

Rather, by the very nature of claiming to be the Messiah, people would take a side for Him or against Him. A decision has to be made. In such a decision, peace between those who decide contrary to one another is not possible.

The peace that Jesus provides is a result of the decision of the individual, bringing a state of peace between himself and God, a state which currently is one of enmity –

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:14-18

Rather than casting peace upon the earth, Jesus says, “Not I came to cast peace, but a sword.” The decision for peace between oneself and God will, by the very nature of the decision for Jesus, result in a sword, figuratively or actually, for those who reject His offer.

For example, if someone says, “I believe Jesus is the Messiah,” after hearing His words to the disciples about Him being the only way to reconciliation with God, someone else might say, “That is not true! All paths lead to God.”

Or they may say, “Jesus is a false Messiah! His disciples say that Gentiles are accepted through Him. No way, Jose!” In fact, this is just the reaction that the Jews of Jerusalem exhibited when Paul said that he was sent to the Gentiles.

In such instances, enmity between adherents and those who reject will arise. Throughout the ages, since the time of Jesus’ ministry until this day, this has been the case. Many swords have been drawn and much blood has been spilled because of the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ.

Life application: If you want trouble in this world, believe in and proclaim Jesus. Trouble of some measure is likely to follow. If you want more trouble, learn and apply proper doctrine concerning Jesus to your walk. Even believers will stand at enmity with you when they disagree with your position, even if it is the correct one.

The peace Jesus brings is, is as described in Luke 2 –

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14

God is glorified through Christ, and His peace will rest upon those who accept what He has done. A state of eternal harmony between the Creator and His creatures is realized. This is the peace that Christ offers. Until those who oppose this message are removed, the world will remain in a state of strife, and the sword will remain.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

Lord God, how good You are to us to have sent Jesus Christ our Lord to reconcile us to You. We are the enemies of Your goodness. We have failed You. And yet, You, out of love for Your creatures, have sent Jesus. He is our Peace, and He is our Lord. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Monday, 9 June 2025

But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:33

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And if, whoever, he should deny Me before men, I will deny – I also – him before My Father, the ‘in heavens’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that whoever will assent in Him before men, He will assent that person before His Father in heaven. Now, taking the opposite angle, He says, “And if, whoever, he should deny Me before men.”

Jesus introduces the word arneomai, to contradict. As such, it signifies to disavow, reject, refuse, etc. As an example, it says this in Acts 3 –

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied [arneomai] in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴ But you denied [arneomai] the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” Acts 13-15

Jesus is saying to the apostles that when they go forth spreading their message, those they encounter will have to decide. If they assent in Him, He will speak likewise before the Father. However, those who deny Him, “I will deny – I also – him before My Father, the ‘in heavens.’”

The words bear a strong emphasis, just as in the previous verse. Jesus adamantly avows that those who deny Him, He too will deny. As with the previous verse, the words here speak of free will. There is nothing forced, and God leaves the decision up to the contemplation of the individual.

Jesus is speaking to those of Israel whom the apostles will encounter. The apostles are not directed to go to anyone outside of the cities of Israel, and Jesus’ ministry is – by His own words – directed to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10:6 & Matthew 15:24).

Further, Jesus’ words precede the completion of His ministry and fulfillment of the law. He is speaking about matters in that context.

Life application: How many times have you heard someone cite the words of Matthew 10:33 to indicate that a person can lose his salvation? As noted, the context is not speaking of those in the church. It is speaking of those of Israel, even before the completion of Jesus’ ministry.

Further, notice the use of the same word, translated as denied, in Acts 3 cited above. Who was Peter speaking to in those verses? He was speaking to the people of Israel who had denied their Messiah. Peter was appealing to them to change their minds and believe. Therefore, there is a chance for someone who had denied Jesus to “undeny” Him and believe.

Paul uses the same word in 2 Timothy 2 –

“This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
¹² If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny [arneomai] Him,
He also will deny [arneomai] us.
¹³ If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13

But though often interpreted as such, those verses do not speak of a loss of salvation. Refer to the Superior Word commentary to understand what Paul is saying.

Since the completion of Christ’s ministry, He has fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant and established the New Covenant. Gentiles are accepted into this New Covenant through faith, just as Jews are. Believing the gospel leads to salvation. Salvation is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14

Jesus didn’t speak of these things because His work was not yet complete. The message of salvation by faith through grace as a guarantee through the sealing of the Holy Spirit only came about after His atoning death for the sins of the world.

When someone believes, he has no longer denied Jesus. He moves from death to life, eternal life. Be sure to read the commentary on 2 Timothy 2:12, 13 to understand what Paul is referring to. And the next time you hear someone cite Matthew 10:33 as proof that one can lose his salvation, be sure to correct his thinking.

Lord God, despite not knowing everything about what You have done for us, we know that You have saved us, fully and forever, through belief in Your gospel. We know that nothing can ever separate us from Your love because of Jesus. We are saved – forever and ever. Amen.

Sunday, 8 June 2025

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“All, therefore, whoever he will assent in Me before men, I will assent – I also – in him before My Father, the ‘in the heavens.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus reassured His apostles that they were of more value than many sparrows. He next turns to words which have to be considered in their intended context.

Jesus is still speaking to His apostles (disciples as recorded in Luke 10). He is doing so while they go out into the cities of Israel to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. He has not yet been crucified for the sins of the world. Thus, His words speak solely of the relationship between Israel and Jesus.

Understanding this, He begins the first of two verses which must be considered with those points in mind, saying, “All, therefore, whoever he will assent in Me before men.”

The first thing to understand is that not every “every” means “every” and not every “all” means “all.”

Mark 1:5 says, “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” However, Luke 7:30 says, “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”

This is not a contradiction. Rather, the word “all” as used by Mark, as is often the case, is given as a general statement concerning who went to be baptized.

Jesus is making a broad statement concerning those who are going forth and those who will hear and attend to their message. Those who hear the message and assent in Him, acknowledging the word, will be in one category. That category is defined by His next words, “I will assent – I also – in him before My Father, the ‘in the heavens.’”

Jesus emphatically declares that He will then confess such a person before His Father. The proposition depends on the free will assertion of the individual hearing the good news. In response to that free will assertion, Jesus Himself will likewise assent concerning that person.

The expression en emoi, in Me, demonstrates a uniting of the confession with the individual. Despite this, these words are spoken prior to the giving of the Spirit, which first occurs in Acts 2 and which is spoken of in the epistles as a guarantee of eternal salvation, such as in Ephesians 1:13, 14.

Therefore, that process of salvation cannot be what Jesus is referring to here. Rather, He is speaking of a general confession of Him and not necessarily the uniting of an individual with the Spirit. That will become clear through analyzing the next verse.

Life application: The words of this verse and the next are constantly quoted by Christians concerning other Christians who then make claims of salvation or condemnation based on what Jesus is saying here. As an example –

“It means to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, and our dependence on him for salvation, and our attachment to him, in every proper manner. This profession may be made in uniting with a church, at the communion, in conversation, and in conduct. The Scriptures mean, by a profession of religion, an exhibition of it in every circumstance of the life and before all people. It is not merely in one act that we must do it, but in every act. We must be ashamed neither of the person, the character, the doctrines, nor the requirements of Christ. If we are; if we deny him in these things before people; if we are unwilling to express our attachment to him in every way possible, then it is right that he should ‘disown all connection with us,’ or deny us before God, and he will do it.” Albert Barnes

That is not the gospel. In fact, what Barnes says is in complete contrast to the gospel, which says one is saved by grace through faith and that when one believes, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption.

If what Barnes (et al) says is true, then it means that salvation is not of Christ but of our own efforts. Mixing the words of Jesus in the dispensation of the law with the words of Paul in the dispensation of grace will inevitably lead to confusion of thought and a contradiction in one’s theology.

Lord God, help us to walk with You all our days, living in a manner that is pleasing to You and in the joy of the salvation which You have given to us. When we fail in this, we know that You will still be with us, but it is we who will suffer the lack of fellowship as we do things our own way. May it not be so! Help us to hold fast to You always. Amen.

Saturday, 7 June 2025

Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Therefore, not you should fear, many sparrows you excel – you!” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the very hairs of one’s head are numbered. Next, He says to the apostles, “Therefore, not you should fear.” These words take the reader back to verse 28, where Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”

If God so minutely knows the number of hairs on one’s head, and if a person is proclaiming the words of Christ, then that person, who is known in such minute detail, is being carefully considered as he proclaims his message. There will be caring for and tending for that person. Jesus explains this next, saying, “many sparrows you excel – you!”

One can see the emphatic nature of His words. God is aware of the falling of a single sparrow. God is aware of the number of hairs on the head of man. Therefore, God is aware of the threats against those who proclaim His word. If one of them falls to the ground because of the proclamation of His words, it will not have been in vain. God will remember him and raise him according to His promises.

The emphatic nature of the word “you” is telling His apostles that because of their trust in Jesus and their continued proclamation of the gospel, the matter is so. This cannot mean that it is a universal statement applying to all men.

The very people who would oppose them have already been seen to have a fate worse than Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 10:15). Therefore, the words now are not inclusive of those who stand opposed to the gospel, but they would logically include those who received them and accepted their words.

In other words, the state of man is one that is at enmity with God. It is the acceptance of the gospel that changes that state. God would have all come to a saving knowledge of the gospel, changing their default position and bringing them back to Himself. But those who reject the gospel remain separated from Him.

Worse, however, is the fact that they voluntarily did so. When one rejects the higher revelation, their condemnation must therefore be greater.

Understanding this, we see that the words of this verse can only apply to those who belong to God because of the gospel, not humanity in general.

Life application: One of the great problems found in churches with a social gospel is that the focus is on the “love” side of God, without any consideration for His just and righteous character. Without leading someone to Christ, all the feeding ministries on the planet are worthless.

It is pointless to feed someone into hell. It is ridiculous to tend to a marginalized community, taking care of their needs and being close friends with them, if you are not going to share with them the only news that can restore them to God.

However, this is what social gospel ministries do. Those conducting them think they are gaining God’s favor for doing good stuff for others, even if they don’t have a heart for the Lord. Those they minister to will die apart from God without the gospel. In the end, everyone connected to such a “giving” ministry will wind up in hell unless Jesus is in the equation.

It is better to be a person on the side of the street handing out tracts with the saving message of Jesus than it is to be catering to sinners in a feeding ministry without telling them of the consequences of their sin and their need for Jesus to cleanse them.

Keep things in the proper perspective. Any deed done in faith will receive its reward, no matter how small. Any deed not done in faith will receive no reward, no matter how great and expansive it is.

Lord God, may our faith in You and love for You stir in us the desire to share the good news with others. Help us in this, O God. People need Jesus. Without Him, there is no hope. But with Him, there is eternal surety and security. Thank You for Jesus! Amen.

Friday, 6 June 2025

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And you! Even the hairs of the head, they are all having been enumerated” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that despite the fact that sparrows are almost of no monetary value to man, not one of them falls to the ground apart from the will of the Father. Now, in emphatic contrast to that, He begins with, “And you!”

In other words, there are the lowly sparrows that the Father is completely aware of in their existence, and then there are the people of the earth who are God’s highest creation. Of them, Jesus next says, “Even the hairs of the head, they are all having been enumerated.”

A new word, arithmeó, to enumerate, number, count, etc., is introduced. One can see the clear etymological ancestor of our modern word arithmetic, that dreaded or beloved discipline of our school days, depending on how our brains are put together in regard to numbers.

Jesus, after His emphatic declaration, thus separating the sparrow from man, notes that the Father is aware of every hair on our head. However, the use of the perfect participle (having been enumerated) is striking. It is not just that He knows at this time, but He knew and continues to know. As such, it is like saying, “When you lose a hair on your head, God is aware of it.”

Something so seemingly trivial is not unknown to God. Jesus’ words tell us that God is minutely knowledgeable about what we might think is unnecessary or impossible to discern.

Life application: Of this, Charles Ellicott steps over the border of propriety and says, “The apparent hyperbole of the figure is but the natural expression of the thought that even the incidents of life that seem most trivial are in very deed working together for good to those that love God.”

It is incorrect that Jesus’ words are hyperbole as if God really isn’t aware of such things. There is nothing in the universe, even the number of atoms or quarks in a red giant star, that God is unaware of. It may seem trivial or hyperbolic to think God would actually count the number of hairs on one’s head, but that is not the point of Jesus’ words.

God doesn’t need to count them. He simply knows the number, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He also knows the definition of a hair, so that when someone is balding, what once was a hair no longer is. Jesus’ words, therefore, speak of the intimacy in which God knows everything about us, but they also convey the surety that everything is completely known to God at all times.

As it says in Isaiah –

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?” Isaiah 40:12

Concerning the complete understanding and knowledge of man, David says –

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.” Psalm 139:6

The words of Scripture, therefore, give us a double-edge to consider. On one side, there is God’s absolute knowledge of us as we fellowship with Him. He knows the moment we first believed, and He sees and records every act of faith we have ever demonstrated. Nothing that is to be rewarded will be left out.

On the other hand, God is intimately aware of our every fault. The things we think, do, or fail to do are all known to Him. Therefore, we should strive to be pleasing to Him at all times. In Christ, we are forgiven – past, present, and future. However, forgiven is not the same thing as losing rewards.

For those not in Christ, the imperfection of their lives sets up the need for eternal judgment by the infinite God. When the world complains against God’s judgment, it is due to a lack of understanding concerning the nature of God. He is not vindictive. Instead, He is perfectly holy, just, and righteous.

Man must be judged. This is the wonder of what God in Christ has done. For those who come to Him, man’s judgment was taken out on Him. Understanding what God has done ensures us, absolutely and entirely, of the doctrine of eternal salvation.

If it were not so, the cross would have been a pointless gesture on the part of God. All would be lost in their continued imperfection. But because of Christ, His righteousness is now imparted to us. Thank God for Jesus Christ, who has made this reconciliation possible for man. Take time to read Psalm 139 and think about the marvel of our Creator!

Lord God, thank You for the glory of Jesus’ cross. We stand in awe of what You have done. Thank You! Thank You for all eternity, Amen, and amen.