Daily Writing

Thursday, 8 October 2026

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13

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).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you close the ‘kingdom, the heavens’ before the ‘men’. You, indeed, neither enter, nor those entering you permit to enter.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the one who will elevate himself will be humbled, and the person who humbles himself will be elevated. Jesus next directly addresses those He has been speaking about, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”

This is the first of eight times Jesus will proclaim woe in Chapter 23. The words are directed to the scribes and Pharisees who were supposedly the religious elite of society. And yet, Jesus directly charges them for their hypocritical attitude. In this first charge, He continues, saying, “Because you close the ‘kingdom, the heavens’ before the ‘men’.”

The words are similar to those of Luke 11 –

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge.” Luke 11:52

In other words, they are supposed to be the ones leading people into a right relationship with the Lord, thus receiving the benefits of the kingdom of the heavens. Instead of this, they essentially walked up to the doors of the gate, then closed and locked them, thus keep any from gaining access. Their actions and instructions took over in place of proper instruction.

What mirrors so many in the world today is that they were so filled with their religious life that they thought it was the way to gain God’s favor. They so deluded themselves that they couldn’t imagine God not simply fawning over them. And yet, Jesus tells them directly that, “You, indeed, neither enter, nor those entering you permit to enter.”

Again, it is similar to the second half of Luke 11:52 –

“You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

Think of anyone who is in a position of religious authority, be it the Pope in Rome, a Jewish rabbi, an Islamic imam, a Buddhist monk, etc. They dedicate their lives to what they are doing, certain that they have the keys to whatever religious reward they expect to receive. And yet, not only do they not possess the necessary access allowance, which is the shed blood of Christ, but their teachings lead others away from the truth so that none of their adherents will be saved.

Suppose an Islamic imam is presented with the gospel. He then rejects it, and he continues teaching the doctrines of Islam. In doing so, he will keep those who listen to him from salvation. This is exactly what was going on with the scribes and Pharisees. They had the law. The law pointed to Christ. Christ had come, and yet they failed to acknowledge Him. This continues in Israel to this day.

Life application: The Pope is mentioned in the main section above. God alone knows if the current Pope or any Pope along the way is saved. The point is that they have the necessary information to lead people to salvation. They have the Bible. They have the doctrines of the virgin birth, the sinless nature of Christ, the fulfilling of the law, the all-sufficient atonement, the substitution for sin, the imputation of righteousness, the resurrection, etc.

All of this is right before them. And yet, they add in heaps and heaps of religiosity that has nothing to do with the Christian faith, just as the scribes and Pharisees did. They add in the immaculate conception, Mary as the co-mediatrix, prayers to the saints, etc. They also deny that Christ’s atonement covers all sin apart from any works, even after salvation, and so on.

Just like those scolded by Jesus, it is as if they walk up to the doors of heaven, slam them shut, lock them, and throw away the key. Those who follow them will be just as shut out as they are. This is true with innumerable denominations and sects. Think of the loss of humanity because people are unwilling to pick up the word of God, accept it for what it is, and believe the simple gospel.

It is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Multitudes of humanity are lost forever because of rejecting that God has done everything necessary for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus. The debt is paid, the path is cleared, and all we have to do is believe. Pray that people will put away their stubbornness and look to Jesus.

Lord God, the greatest tragedy of all is when the gospel is rejected. We may have many troubles in this life, but if we have Jesus, we have everything we will ever need. Houses, jobs, bank accounts, large families, and long vacations won’t matter at all when our final breath is taken. If we don’t have Jesus, it will have been a pointless existence. Help us to share the good news that there is more than this futile, temporary life. Amen.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12

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).

“Who, also, he will elevate himself, he will be humbled, and who, he will humble himself, he will be elevated.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus said that the greatest among them shall be their servant. He next says, “Who, also, he will elevate himself, he will be humbled.”

This truth in God’s economy is not to be missed. Adonijah exalted himself, claiming he would be king in place of his father, David. That didn’t work out so well for him. The king of Babylon said that he would ascend above the heights of the clouds and be like the Most High (Isaiah 14), but the Lord said he would be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit. Tyre exalted itself (Ezekiel 28), and the Lord judged it.

Israel had the temple, an edifice which was intended to exalt the Lord, but the Lord told them what would happen if they failed to do so –

“And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ ⁹ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore the Lord has brought all this calamity on them.’” 1 Kings 9:8, 9

Israel failed to humble themselves before the Lord. The temple was destroyed, and the people went off to Babylon. These are just a smattering of examples where this truth is presented in Scripture. On the other hand, Jesus next says, “and who, he will humble himself, he will be elevated.”

Jesus says that the reciprocal of the first clause will likewise be true. Moses was humble, and the Lord exalted him. Where Saul failed to humble himself, David humbled himself before the Lord, and the Lord established his kingdom forever. King Josiah had a humble heart, and the Lord promised to keep him from seeing the disaster He was going to pour out on the land. Again and again this truth is seen in Scripture.

Jesus wanted to make this point clear, and so this is not the only time He said it. The words are substantially repeated in Luke 14:11 & 18:14. As was seen in the previous commentary, though this is a truth that exists in God’s relationship with man, the words ultimately point to the greatest spiritual battle of all.

As noted, verse 8 said that the Christ is their Guide (or Teacher, depending on the text used), rather than them being called “Rabbi.” Verse 9 referred to focusing on the “Father in the celestial,” rather than an earthly father. In verse 10, they were told not to be called “guide” because they had one Guide, who is Christ. Each of those thoughts focused on God, be it the Father or the Son. This one ultimately does as well.

Satan exalted himself above God and His word. Because of this, there is a bad end set for him –

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10

On the other hand, Jesus humbled Himself, leaving heaven’s glory to serve humanity and His Father in the process of redemption. He upheld the word of God and always did what pleased the Father. Because of this, God honored Him for it. This is recorded in Philippians 2:5-11. In verse 9, it says –

“Through which, also, the God – Him He hyper-elevated [huperupsoó], and He granted Him the ‘Name, the above every name’.” Philippians 2:9 (CG)

Jesus’ words tell a truth concerning self-exaltation and humility before God, which can be expected for all people. But the ultimate meaning of Jesus’ words points back to Him and His position before the Father.

Life application: Reading various translations is a good thing. Preferring a translation is fine, but getting captivated by a single translation can lead to misunderstandings of what is going on in the text. For the casual reader of the Bible, this isn’t a problem.

But if you are doing studies, especially if you are doing them to share with others, it is good to have a better sense of what is being said than what just a single translation says. Although not necessarily an error, the King James translation of this verse is exceptionally poor. As seen in the NKJV and the CGT, the verbs are set uniformly in the Greek. Even a subpar translation should get this –

Who, also, he will elevate [hupsoó] himself, he will be humbled [tapeinoó],
and who, he will humble [tapeinoó] himself, he will be elevated [hupsoó].

The KJV, for whatever reason, fails to give this harmony in its rendering –

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased;
and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Be sure to check various translations as you do personal studies or prepare for classes. Referring to the original Hebrew and Greek is always a plus if you have the time and the ability.

Lord God, thank You for Your precious word. Indeed, it is a love story about You toward Your creatures. We are the ones who walked away from You, but You have pursued us even to the point of the cross of Christ. All hail the Name of Jesus! Thank You, O God, for what You have done. Amen.

Tuesday, 6 October 2026

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  Matthew 23:11

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).

“The ‘also Greater’ of you, He will be your Attendant.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told His hearers not to be called guides because there is One Guide, Christ. He next says, “The ‘also Greater’ of you, He will be your Attendant.”

The words are reminiscent of what He said in Matthew 20 –

“Not thus, also, it will be in you, but whoever, if he wills in you to ‘great, become’, let him be your attendant.” Matthew 20:26

In this verse, the adjective great is in the comparative form, greater rather than greatest, which would be the superlative. Despite this, Jesus’ words are probably referring to Himself, not necessarily those He is speaking to.

In other words, verse 8 said that the Christ is their Guide (or Teacher, depending on the text used), rather than them being called “Rabbi.” Verse 9 referred to focusing on the “Father in the celestial,” rather than an earthly father. In verse 10, they were told not to be called “guide” because they had one Guide, who is Christ. As such, the focus of each of these has been on God, be it the Father or the Son.

Therefore, Jesus is most likely continuing this thought. He is telling them that the evidence of His ministry being greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees is that He would be their Attendant. If this is so, it would logically follow that the word Jesus uses, diakonos, will later be ascribed to Him. And it is. Paul uses it in Romans 15 –

“I say, indeed, Christ, ‘Attendant [diakonos], He has become’ of circumcision for ‘truth, God’, to the ‘confirm the promises, the fathers’.” Romans 15:8

This is just what Jesus came to do. To guide the people through the time of the law and into the time of the promises given to the fathers. He is that Attendant. As this is so, He is giving those He is addressing the ultimate example for them to follow.

Life application: Whether or not the translation above is correct, which assumes the words are directly speaking of Jesus, they convey the truth that Jesus is the greater among them and that He did, in fact, become their Attendant.

This is the point of all of Scripture: that God Himself was willing to do for His creatures what they could not do for themselves. And He did it in a manner that demonstrates the greatest humility and servanthood ever to be found.

This is because Jesus is God. And yet, God incarnate humbled Himself, even to the point of death, the most humiliating aspect of human existence. This is because death is the penalty for sin. Jesus’ death, however, was not for His own sin, but in an even more self-deprecating manner, He took on our sin.

The world of lies, murders, adulteries, and every other wicked design of man was laid upon the sinless Christ. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:22

He became our sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him! Imagine that. Consider the humility of the Christ. How could God be so good to us to do what He did? Is He not worthy of all honor, praise, and glory for what He has done?

Let us never fail to return to God what He is due for the magnificence of Christ Jesus our Lord. Forever and ever may we glory in God and in His marvelous and tender love for His creatures.

Lord God, the story in the Bible is Your story. We are told of the most wonderful of all events in the coming of Jesus Christ. And the culmination of that time is when He was crucified for our sins and then when He rose from the dead without our sins. Total restoration has been realized for Your people because of what You have done. Praise You, O God, forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, 5 October 2026

And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. Matthew 23:10

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 also you should be called guides. One, indeed, of you, He is the Guide: the Christ.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told His hearers not to call anyone on earth their father, for they have one Father in the celestial. He continues now, saying, “Not also you should be called guides.”

This is the same word introduced into some manuscripts of verse 8, kathégétés, a guide. For other manuscripts, this is its first use. Either way, it will be used one more time in the next clause and not again in the New Testament.

It signifies a leader or teacher of others. Jesus says to those He is addressing that they should not claim such a title. The reason for this is stated next, saying, “One, indeed, of you, He is the Guide: the Christ.”

Remember the context. Jesus is speaking to those who are still under the Law of Moses. His ministry is not yet complete, even if it is only days away. A guide of the law, a leader, is a person who is fully trained in the law and who does not stray from it. In other words, for those under the law, there is the expectation of perfect obedience. Grace is excluded in such a situation.

How can a fallen person be considered a guide of others when he himself cannot properly meet the strict demands of the law? He can’t. Therefore, to follow such a person can only lead to condemnation. But Jesus is not fallen. He was born without sin and had not sinned under the law. As such, He can be the perfect Guide for those who must find satisfaction under the law to obtain the life promised in Leviticus 18:5.

This is what Jesus is referring to. Following any other guide, or claiming to be such a guide, will only lead people astray from being released from the burden of the law.

Life application: To this day, there are innumerable rabbis in Judaism. There are many branches of Judaism as well. Some of these branches are like cults in Christianity. They proclaim their leader is the Messiah. Some of these “Messiahs” have been dead for hundreds of years, but their adherents follow their teaching and claim theirs is the true spiritual path.

In the land of Israel today, there are billboards proclaiming one person or another is the Messiah. This is the context of Jesus’ words. He is not speaking about the church in the manner commentaries normally state. He is warning those around Him (in verse 1, it says Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples) concerning whom they will follow.

To follow anyone other than the true Christ, who is Jesus, will leave them bound under the law. When the time of their rejection of Him reached its fulness, which occurred in 70AD, they again went into a time of punishment promised in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. That will only end when the nation receives Jesus.

In the church, the same concept is true anytime someone claims to stand in the position of Jesus. David Koresh, Jim Jones, and a host of others have followed this path. There are people today who claim to be the Christ within Christianity. But the context of Jesus’ words is that of Israel under the law. His words ring as true today as they did two thousand years ago.

Lord God, You have sent Your Son into the world to lead the people of the world back to Yourself. For those in Israel, they need Jesus to be freed from the Law of Moses. From there, they can enter the New Covenant. We lift up the nation of Israel today, Lord. Help them to open their eyes and find the One they have missed for so long. Amen.

Sunday, 4 October 2026

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Matthew 23:9

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 ‘father’, none you should call, of you, upon the earth. One, indeed, He is the Father of you, the ‘in the celestial’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus instructed those in attendance not to be called Rabbi. There was to be one Guide for them. Next, Jesus continues in the context of instruction, saying, “And ‘father’, none you should call, of you, upon the earth.”

The meaning comes from the habit in rabbinic schools of calling the founder or main rabbi abba, father. The idea of calling someone not your actual father by that term is to elevate him to a particularly special place of eminence, as if he were like his natural father in this regard.

But being a father is something that, by its very nature, produces a particularly close, even intimate bond. If the Lord is the Giver of the instruction, meaning the Torah (the Law of Moses), then He is to be considered the Father.

A teacher is just one who analyzes the instruction. Thus, calling him abba removes the true respect for God that He deserves, placing it on someone who does not deserve it. The words of Malachi reveal the relationship that was to exist –

“Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?” Malachi 2:10

Understanding the context, Jesus is speaking to people who are under the Law of Moses, and in the Israelite society, the relationship to God was to be considered as a Father/child relationship. Lowering the title to men diminished this relationship. Continuing, Jesus says, “One, indeed, He is the Father of you, the ‘in the celestial’.”

Exactly as Malachi had said, so it was to be among those Jesus instructed. They were to understand that the Lord was to be given the honor of the title.

Life application: As seen in the previous commentary, Jesus’ words to these people were instruction under the law. They are not how things work within the church. The church sprang out of Christ’s completed work. Christ had not completed His work when speaking to these people.

Further, the people who Jesus is speaking to were people of Israel bound to the Law of Moses. No other group of people on the planet was under the law. Paul gives the point of giving the law for us to understand –

“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:21-25

So, who was it that needed the tutor? If nobody else was under the law, it was those under the law, meaning the nation of Israel, who needed the tutor. It was to be a guide to lead them to Christ. We can learn from that and say, “Oh, I get it! If I were under the law, I would need Jesus!” But that is as far as it goes with those not under the law. Either way, however, the point of the law was to lead people to Jesus.

This is what Jesus is conveying to those He is speaking to in Matthew. “You are under the law. These people are teachers under the law. The way they are acting, the titles they have, the adoration they are shown… those things belong to God, not to mere men who are under the law given by God.”

Christ is the One to make the law understandable by leading the people from the law to Himself. This will truly only come about when He is crucified in fulfillment of the law and in the introduction of the New Covenant. This is the instruction that tells us only God is worthy of the title of Father.

Lord God, thank You for the lesson of the law. It is recorded for us to learn from. We don’t need law, and we certainly don’t need more law. What we need is grace. Thank You for Jesus Christ, the embodiment of Your grace! Yes, thank You for Jesus. Amen.