College Press -- Bible Study Textbook series
Comments
-
Dan, I had the first 3 volumes of Matthew by Fowler but was missing the last volume. I was pleasantly surprised to find it still available from college press new for $5! It just arrived last week.
0 -
Bill Turner said:
Dan, I had the first 3 volumes of Matthew by Fowler but was missing the last volume. I was pleasantly surprised to find it still available from college press new for $5! It just arrived last week.
Cool! Bill, did you know about the free PDF files from College Press? I figure you do, and hardcopy is best. But incase you don't know, you can download any of them for free.
I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
0 -
Dan,
I found the PDF's last year but they won't copy/past into a text editor for Personal Book Builder. Besides, that would be too much work even if it did work. I just hope it makes it to development. I'm afraid most people don't know the treasure this collection is.
0 -
Bill Turner said:
Dan,
I found the PDF's last year but they won't copy/past into a text editor for Personal Book Builder. Besides, that would be too much work even if it did work. I just hope it makes it to development. I'm afraid most people don't know the treasure this collection is.
Bill, I decided to copy some of his commentary, this on the temptation of Jesus, to give people a flavor of the work. This is straight from the PDF, so there are some characters that are all funky because the copy/paste was not exact. Hopefully it won't be too distracting. Note that the Fowler provides extensive commentary, but precedes it all with questions before heading into the text. This particular commentary is one of four volumes by Fowler on Matthew's gospel. I wonder if we should post this in a new thread.
CHAPTER FOUR
Section 7
JESUS IS TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL
(Parallels: Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13)
TEXT: 4:l-11
1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted of the devil,
2, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward
hungered.
3. And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son
of God, command that these stones become bread.
4. And he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God.
5, Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on
the pinnacle of the temple,
6. and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down:
for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:
and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash
thy foot against a stone,
7. Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial
of the Lord thy God,
8, Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain,
and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory
of them;
9. and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou
wilt fall down and worship me.
10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written,Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve.
11. Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered
unto him.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
a. Why was Jesus led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted?
b. Why was it necessary for Jesus to be tempted in this way?
c. Why was it necessary for Him to be tempted at this time?
d. What was wrong with each of the devil's proposals?
125
4:1-11 THE GOSPEL OF M A T T H E W
e. Do you think Jesus’ temptations were like ours?
f. Is there any way in which Jesus’ temptations do not represent ai2
g. Do you think that Jesus really could have sinned?
h. How much control does the devil really have over the world?
i. Can some attraction be a temptation to sin if you do not see the
wrong in it?
j. What do you think is the real secret of Jesus’ power amidst the
attacks of Satan?
k. Whar is Matthew’s apparent aim in bringing up Jesus’ temptations?
Or, what do the temptations prove a h t Jesus?
1. How do you think the tempter “came to Jesus”? In person? Did
he have a physical, visible body? Or did he communicate with
Jesus by putting these suggestions into His mind?
m.Do you think that the temptations of Jesus helped to develop His
character or was the character that He already possessed merely
tested by them, or both? Do temptations, as they are conquered
or allowed to conquer, develop strength of character for good or
for evil? Or, do they put to trial the character one already possesses?
PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY
our temptations?
Why?
(Cf. Ac. 5:3)
Full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was
immediately driven by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be put to
the test by the devil. He was in the wilderness forty days, eating
nothing. Afterward, when they were ended, He was starving. Further,
during this period, His only companions were the wild animals of that
area.
The tempter approached and said, “If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to becomes loaves of bread.”
Jesus answered, “It was once written and still stands: ‘Man cannot
live on bread alone: he must depend upon every word that God utters.”’
(Dt.8
)Next, the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, and causing
Him to stand on the very highest ledge of the temple, said to Him,
“If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here, for you know
what the Psalm (’91 : 11, 12) says,
‘He will give His angels charge of you to guard you,
On their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you should strike your foot against a stone.”’
126
C H A P T B R FOLJR 4: 3
“Yes,” retorted Jesus, “but the Scripture also says (Dt. 6:16), ‘You
are not to put the Lord your God on trial,’ ”
The third time, Satan took Jesus to a very high mountain, and
showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor in a
momenr of time, suggested, “I will give all this authority and glory
to you, for it has been delivered unto me and I can give it to whom
I choose. Now, if you will only fall down and worship me . , ,”
The Scripture
still means what it said (Dt. 6:13), ‘You shall worship the Lord your
God and render service only to Him.’ ”
So when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
Jesus, biding his time until another opportunity arose to tempt Him
again. Then angels came and took care of Jesus.
SUMMARY
But Jesus countered, “Get away from me, Satan!
The Spirit deliberately drove Jesus into the wilderness to be
put to the test before the beginning of His ministry. Satan posed
three deadly temptations: appetite, audacity and ambition. Jesus
repulsedeach with a perfect dependence upbn God and His Word.
NOTES
4:l Jesus was led up into the wilderness from the scene
of His baptism in the Jordan, which is below sea level, up to the
rugged, desolate, barren highlands back of Jericho. The actual location
of the temptations is unknown. During the forty days Jesus probably
wandered a great deal. Inasmuch as the Jordan flows through a
wilderness, the fact that Jesus was Jed ilzto the wilderness must mean
thedeeper solitude of the rugged uninhabited region of the wilderness
of Judea.
Only Jesus can be the original reporter of these trials which
follow. It is not certain how He intends that we understand the
account. Whether the temptations all took place in the wilderness,
the three allurements being offered to the mind’s eye of Jesus, or
whether Jesus left the wilderness to appear first in Jerusalem and
then on the summit of a high mountain, we c a n a t know. Were
these temptations offered to Jesus through mental images suggested to
Him by Satan while yet in the desert, or was He literally transported
from place to place for temptation in the presence of the physical
images of the situations offered by Satan? With their characteristic,
127
4: 1 THE GOSPEL O F MATTHEW
profound simplicity, the writers of the gospels narrate these inner
conflicts of soul in story form, in order to render them accessible
to all men.
1. Matthew and Luke both give the impression that they are
narrating an event composed of actual facts just as they
occurred.
2. However, they might be narrating a pictorial description through
symbolic rather than literal facts, Foster (Introdzlctiofi, 335)
observes that the temptations might have been just as graphic
and powerful if symbolic and presented from the depths of
the wilderness.
While the first two temptations seem to be narrations of actual fact,
the third temptation contains several elements that would require
special interpretarions if a literal view of the whole be taken. (See
comments on 4:8)
Into the wilderness. Isolation from the “world’ is no insulation
against temptations. Jesus was placed in this ascetically perfect
monastery of the badlands of Judea. His loneliness increased the
power and pull of each desire. Beware of the temptation to desire
escape from the desires of the world, since you will be taking them
along into your isolated retreat. (See special study on Desires)
Led by the Spirit. The passive verb in no way expresses a
human shrinking from the ordeal that lay ahead of Jesus. The pop1.11~
translation of Mark 1:12 seem to suggest that Jesus was somehow
“thrown out” into the desert against His own will, according to the
most obvious etymological meaning of ekbdEo (“to throw out”). Yet,
there is evidence that ekballo can also be used without the connotation
of force (Cf. Mt. 9:38; Lk. 10:2; Jn. 10:4; Jas. 2:25; Ac. 16:37).
Matthew and Luke use words (ago and anugo) which signify simply
“to lead, bring.” Thus, rather than being reluctant to face the coming
trials, Jesus willingly followed the Spirit‘s direction. The will of
God is clearly seen in the hact that this mighty battle shall be
waged at this time and not later in Jesus’ ministry. Human wisdom
might have postponed this encounter, because it was to be so decisive.
But Jesus did not either shrink from the battle nor rashly seek to be
tempted. Rather, He sought to be led by God’s Spirit.
To be tempted. But why did the Spirit put Jesus in this
position?
This is a real struggle, but how is it described?
128
C H A P T B R F O U R 4: 1
1, Jesus must be put to these extreme tests to develop that
moral vigor and firmness that is only acquired through selfdiscipline
under fire. (Cf. Heb. 2:9, 10; >:8, 9) He must
define for Himself and perfect those principles that would
govern His ministry, those goals that He would always seek,
those interests that would always control Him.
2, He must personally conquer Satan. It is impossible that Satan
should not defend himself from the attacks of this One who
is come to destroy everything that gave Satan control of this
earth’s peoples, He must become our Savior from sin by this
great victory which reached its climax in His glorious resurrection.
3. He must learn personally the full power of human desires in
order to sympathize perfectly with lost tempted men and
save them. Only he who has felt all of a temptation’s force
and yet has stood firm can help those who have fallen. He
must know fully what it is like to be a man, so as to qualify
Himself to be our Priest and yet be our Sacrifice without
blemish. (Cf. Heb. 2:9-18; Phil. 2:7, 8)
4. He must show His tempted followers how to overcome trials
by His own impressive example. No apology need be made
for Him! He has already faced our temptations and beaten
them.
Satan must have been fully aware of the impact
of the outcome of this encounter: if he could vanquish Jesus, evea
by the smallest triumph conceivable, he could retain the world. But
if he foiled to subdue Him, then he must relinquish his sway over
mankind and, trembling, await his final doom. Satan must have
known also the demands of the perfect justice of God: Jesus must
be an absolutely sinless sacrifice for sins. No marginal errors in the
life of Jesus, once committed, could be corrected, offset or made good.
The implication is inescapable that Satan knew that it would be
possible for Jesus to sin. Thus, Satan was desperately determined to
probe to the utmost this possibility for the moral corruption of God’s
Champion, The devil had laughed in God’s face as, by one seduction
or another, he had broken every man of God that had arisen since
Adorn. “So this is God‘s Messiah?
I broke the first Adam and his race; I’ll break the Second at once!”
By the devil.
Before him now stood God’s Best.
129
4:2 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights. Luke’s terse
comment, “He ate nothing,” may emphasize an absolute abstinence from
all food, or perhaps may be taken relatively to mean “He ate nothing
but such as the desert provides, drinking water only.” Compare
similar expressions in Mt. 3:4 with Mt. 11:18; Lk. 7:33. An absolute
and total abstinence from all food and all drink is not physically
impossible (Ex. 34:28; I Kg. 19:8). Chronologically, these 40 days
are wintry, cold and rainy. This is found by counting backward
from the Passover in April, using the chronological notices in Jn.
1:29-43; 2:l-13. Fifty d8ays to two months for the total calculation
would push the time back to the beginning of February if not the end
of January, depending upon whether the paschal moon occurred near
the end of March or beginning of April. How these difficult weather
conditions must have added to the Savior’s suffering in the wilderness!
It was a period perfectly adapted to try the durability of anyone’s
patient faith and physical endurance out in the wilds of that Judean
wilderness. He fdsted. There is no evidence that Jesus imposed
upon Himself any unnecessary austerities. This fast is rather a
necessity imposed by His situation in the wilderness, than a
selfimposedobservance of a law of fasting.
Afterward he hungered. He was so deeply engrossed in
thought, prayer and planning of His short whirlwind ministry thlat lay
ahead that He did not notice the effects of His fasting. Certainly,
He felt normal hunger pains before; this is now starvation. The
suggestionis made by some that the body of Jesus did not feel hunger of
the forty-day fast until its conclusion, either because it was
miraculouslysustained during that period, or else because its power of endurance
far exceeds ours since it was wholly unaffected by sin. Both views
mistake both the nature of the body of Jesus and the will of God for
His Son. God willed that Jesus should be made in every respect
like mankind (Heb. 2:14, 17). To suppose special provisions and
protections for Jesus is to create for Him that condition Satan
desired:a compromise of His incarnation by using special means to sustain
Himself. Further, moral freedom from sin does not give Jesus
freedom from “the same nature” that man shares (Heb. 2 9 , 10, 14,
17) or &om “the likeness of sinful flesh” (Ro. 8:2).
What was Jesus doing during this forty-day period? Probably
He was wrestling with the great problems He must soon resolve:
How shall He, as God‘s Messiah, save a world that has fallen before
Satan’s enticements? Will He measure up to the great expectations
130
(See notes on 6:16-18)
C H A P T E R POUR 4:2,S
expressed by the Father at His baptism? How shall He perfect the
plans of His heart? He knew the views and feelings of Israel,
their expectations, their prejudices, their sins, If He submitted to
the will of God by offering them a spiritual kingdom founded upon
spiritual principles, He would have to stand practically alone against
the whole nation. It would mean only helpless, hopeless suffering of
aU their misunderstandings, betrayals and their ultimate rejecrion. It
would mean, finally, the lonely, bitter agonies of a cross. HOW could
He hope to convince them? There are times when men must stop
thinking and act; this is a time when Jesus must not act until He
has thought through every move He must make, How often, after
some great crisis in our experience, we regret that we made the move
or said the words we did, or perhaps we see how the issue of that
crisis could have been so much happier, had we reacted to it in
some other fashion. So critical is every move, every speech, every
artitude, thar Jesus will have no room for misjudgment or error.
Each day spent in that Judean desert only increased His sense of
utter loneliness as He foresaw how difficult it would be to train
those few disciples whose minds would be the most open. The
seeming futility of such an endeavor as the prcxlaiming the good
news of God’s kingdom must have weighed down upon Jesus with
oppressive force as He grew physically weaker. It was then that the
tempter came.
I. APPETITE
4:3 The tempter came, Since both Mark and Luke declare
that during His fast, Jesus was being tempted (present participle:
pe&uzomenos), it would seem that the three temptations narrated
wereeither extended over that forty-day period, or else they are selected
by Jesus as typical of the whole range of sinful suggestions offered
Him. It could also indicate that, though He was being tempted
over the entire period, the intensity of the allurements has just been
stepped up, The outcome of this struggle
was to be so decisive, the stakes so high, he could entrust this attack
to no lesser agent. He must permit no bungling, no excuses for
failure.
The Tempter: we have just as much evidence for believing that
he exists as an evil personality as we have evidence for a personal
God, for our knowledge of their existence rests upon the same
testimony,that of Jesus. If Jesus merely accommodated His words to the
131
The devil came in person.
4: 3 THE GOSPEL O F MATTHEW
popular error of “those unenlightened times,” then what He reveals
about God loses its value to declare otherwise unknowable truth, since
this too might be mere accommodation to popular error. Jesus has left
no way for His interpreters to know when He might have been
accommodating and when He was revealing unadulterated truth. He
claimed to be the very revelation of God Himself and, unless He be
charged with dishonesty, ignorance or insanity, then His words are
to be accepted as stating the actual case. Further, He did not merely
“accommodate” for only one or two occasions (if, in fact, He ever did),
for He had much to reveal about the spirit world over which Satan
is chief. (See Mt. 12:22-29; 13:19, 38, 39; 25:41; Mk. 3:22; 4:15;
Lk. 8-12; 10:18; 11:14-23; 13:16; 22:31; Jn. 8:44; 12:41; 13:2, 27;
14:30. Study also Ac. 5:3; 26:18; I1 CO. 2:ll; 4:4; 11:14; 12:7;
Eph. 2:2; 6 : l l ; I Th. 2:9, 18; Jas. 4:7; I Pe. 5:8, 9; I Jn. 3:8,
10Rev. 2:9; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2, 3, 8, IO.)
If you are God’s Son could have two meanings, both of which
serve the devil’s purposes:
1. There was no doubt in Satan’s mind but these words are intended
to taunt Jesus, inciting Him to prostitute His divine
powers to selfish purposes: “No doubt you ARE God’s Son and
thus equipped with miraculous powers that could at once
feed your starving stomach. Admitted that you ARE His
Beloved, are you not being unjustly deprived of something
good? Should you, of all persons, suffer thus? And, YOU
can do miracles! You could put an end to your present
suffering and doubts about how to use your wonderful power.
You will become the visible possessor of this power and the
food will provide the strength to begin your life work.” This
is an invitation to doubt God’s goodness and providential care.
2. There was no doubt in Satan’s mind but these words are intended
to incite doubt in Jesus: “Has God really said, ‘You
are my beloved Son, ’and then left you to starve? Were you
REALLY God’s Son, as God seemed to suggest at your
baptism, could such a Father be trusted who leaves His ‘wellbeloved’
out here in the wilderness to die? If you had such
powers worthy of such a Son as God would claim, then you
could furnish me proof and at the same time satisfy that
gnawing hunger!” Jesus could be tempted in this case to
rebuke Satan by giving miraculous proof of His identity, but
132
C H A P T E R F O U R 4:3,4
to have done so would have resulted in obedience to Satan‘s
sinful suggestion. This is the provocation to doubt God’s
truthfulness,
3, The possibility rhar Satan doubted Jesus’ Sonship is not too
likely, else he would not have staked so much upon the
conquest of Jesus, It is more likely that Satan tempted Jesus
so thoroughly because he knew exactly who He was.
At the very heart of this suggestion lies the problem of the very
existence of Jesus: He was alone in the wilderness and about to
starve to death. Surely He had come from heaven for greater purposes
than to perish unknown right there in the desert suffering such
torture. Did not Jesus have the right
to live, even if it meant to create food iniraculously for the
sustenenceof His life?
4:4 I t is written! Jesus’ citations of Deuteronomy (6:13, 16;
8:3) demonstrate two tremendous conclusions:
1. Jesus Himself is choosing to control His desires by bringing
them into ‘subjection to the will of God as revealed in His
Word (Study the implications of the truth as applied to
life, Ro. 8)
2. Because Jesus is also God’s Anointed, sent to reveal God‘s
mind, His citation of Deuteronomy stamps the Penteteuch
collection of the first five books of the Old Testament as the
Word of God. Let those who are confused by the multitudinous
and contradictory critical theories on the origin of
those books hear the voice of Jesus!
Whatever the devil’s meaning in his equivocal phrase, “If you are
the Son of God,” Jesus did not reply to it by direct demonstration
of His identity either by miraculous proof that Satan had demanded
or by enlightening debate sustaining the proposition, “I am Gcd’s
Son.“ Rather, He reveals a more basic question involved, a problem
that touches every man: “What is the true ground of man‘s being?
Is it matter or spirit? What really
sustains man?” (Cf. Psa. 19:7-11; 119; Jn. 1:1-3; I Jn. 2:17; Col.
1:17; Heb. 1:1-3; cf. “word of God” in 11 Pet. 3:5, 7.) Jesus
graphicallydeclares the true foundation of man’s being to be “anything God
says.”
133
A man must live, it i s said,
Is it bread or the word of God?
4:4 T H EG O S P E LO F MA T T H EW
If one is faced with the choice of a life compromised by sin, or
a death for righteousness, he does not HAVE to live. A man may
choose to starve to death, rather than steal food. On the anvil of
this wilderness experience is hammered out Jesus’ decision: “My food
is to do the will of Him who Sent me, and to accomplish His work.”
(Jn. 4:34) It is far better to starve for sake of a right principle
than to eat food misappropriated..
Here Jesus was fighting like a dying man As our Champion who
faced this very real battle at His very weakest. Yet, if He is to save
others, Himself He cannot save. Self-denial is the rule of His
kingdom. Yes, even the Son of God will live as every other man,
without special provision. He will not make an exception for Himself,
for doing so would have compromised the purpose of His incarnation.
“He was made in all things like unto His brethren” for the specific
purpose of “suffering being tempted” and to “help them that are
tempted’ (Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:15). Therefore, He never utilized
supernaturalpower to alleviate His hunger, thirst, weariness, pain or grief.
If Satan suggested that Jesus, as God’s Son, has a right to help
Himself to miraculously-created bread, Jesus ignors this advice by
revealing an even wider trust in God than that which one would
expect in a miracle worker: “Man, any man and not merely God’s
Son, should trust God and live according to God’s Word, rather than
according to their fleshly needs. God knows my hunger and He is
completely trustworthy to provide in His own way. He will not give
me stones when I need loaves!”
Further, Jesus depended upon His Bible for guidance, not upon
special supernatural wisdom. He used the weapon against Sat~n,
that is available to every man. Jesus had learned
the& Scriptures. Only because He had stored His memory full with
them, meditated their meaning and related them to the practical
problems of life-only because He had so thoroughly saturated Him-
Self, in the same way in which any other man could learn God’s Word,
only thus did these texts come to Him “naturally.” Here is written
our condemnation: have we such a command of our Scriptures that
we are able to expose Satan’s lies for what they are? Do we live in
such daily contact with the truth that the false is immediately exposed
because of the contrast?
If Jesus had miraculous power, whence came it? To whom did
He owe it? Since He depended upon the Father even for this power
(Jn. 5:19-36), could the Father not be trusted for bread? Of course
(Cf. Mt. 6:32; 7:9)
(Cf. Eph. 6:17)
134
C H A P T E R P O U R 4:4,5
He can, So Jesus will show the trust of any true son of God. Thougb
it is not immediately apparent from the circumstances how God will
provide the food, yet Jesus will wait and trust Him, The context
of the OT passage, on which Jesus’ resolute refusal depends, makes
His words ring the more truly. Read the whole eighth chapter of
Deuteronomy to appreciate the full impact of Jesus’ answer.
Note that Jesus did not seek to change His circumstances. He
could have wished that He had not been caught hungry, unknown and
uncrowned, Rather, He dealt with the temptation exactly as it came
to Him in that circumstance, It is yet another temptation to think
when tempted that, were the circumstances different, the response
would have been better, But the very purpose of God for letting
men be tempted or tried is to produce men who will do God’s will
under whatever circumstance.
Whether this temptation is messianically symbolic or not, certain
results with messianic ,implications would have followed from Jesus’
surrender to it. Had Jesus used His miraculous power to satisfy
Himself in this one case, it would have been much easier to use it
thus to relieve some of the stresses, strains and painful moments
of His ministry.
Are
we ever tempted to use what is in our power for our own selfish
ends? What about the money we have earned? Our talents? Exists
there a church that has never said to itself, “I must build my
cathedralbefore considering the needs for more evangelism, more Christian
education and care for the old folks and orphans”? Or, lives there
a Chsistian anywhere who, during some crisis, has never wondered,
”Does God really know I exist, that I suffer thus? Does He really
care?”
How do we face this same temptation under other forms?
11. AUDACIW
The verb “took” is probably
to be understood in the same sense in which the Spirit “led” Jesus
up from the Jordan, since the Greek verbs are the same in both cases.
Mt. 4:l uses &go; Lk. 4:1, 5, 9 uses ago and anago, whereas
in the parallel of Mt. 4:5, 8 pard1mdan.o is substituted
without apparent change in meaning.
4:5 Then the devil taketh him.
.
Pinnacle of the temple in the holy city. In Jerusalem the most
imposing height offering the longest fall would be the southeast
135
4: 5,G THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
corner of the temple court, a point which towered above the Kedron
valley some 300-400 feet, depending upon where measuremert was
taken. Arndt-Gingrich define the word perugiolz (“pinnacle”) AS the
Edersheirl (Life,
I, 244) describes a tower that was supposed to have been located on
that corner, raising the height to 450 feet. Any point in the temple
area so high that a fall from it would be fatal is probably all that
is meant.
One feature of this temptation might
not be so apparent to us upon first reading of the text, for the
temptation to presumption lies most directly upon the surface and
easy to see without reflection. This is so because of Jesus’ reply
to Satan. Yet, any precipice in the desert would have sufficed for
the mere physical of leaping from the heights to be safely, gently
landed upon the ground borne upon the hands of the angels. But
why, then, the temele’s phmcle? Is the devil suggesting that the
crowded courts or streets below would provide a fitting theatre onto
which the Lord could leap to begin His marvelous ministry with a
“sign from heaven” which would command the instant belief and
loyal obedience of the Jews? Is he opening before Him the easy
successes possible to a Superman, obscuring the lasting results that
God sought through preaching, teaching and daily fellowship, however
slow and difficult that latter way might be? If so, in succumbing
to this suggestion, Jesus would be committing God to a course of
action, forcing the Father to justify ever greater sensations, a course
foredoomed to failure. Faith that would depend upon such signs is
not the confident trust that God seeks.
If Satan is not placing before Jesus tht allurement to descend,
borne of angels into the midst of priests and people, but rather is
trying to trap Jesus in His personal response to God, then this is a
temptation to fanatic presumption. Satan could well know how prone
human nature is to go to opposite extremes. Jesus had just demonstrated
so beautiful a trust in the heavenly Father in answer to the
first temptation, that the tempter now takes advantage of this human
proneness to extremes by suggesting, “All right, if you are going to
trust God so much, show your faith by something more spectacular,
more decisive than mere patient hunger! Put some specific promise
of God to some clear-cut test. Psalm 91:11, 12 promises you God’s
protection for just such a case as this. So throw yourself down from
I t . tip, end, edge, extremity or summit of something.”
4:6 Cast thyself down.
136
C H A P T E R F O U R 4:6,7
this dizzy height to the solid rock below! By so doing, you can
demonstrate your unquestioning faith in God, and show yourself to
be the Messiah to those who see this thrilling sign from heaven!”
Yet, Jesus’
answer reveals the fallacy, The urge to hazard His life merely to
prove His trust in God and demonstrate His Sonsbip, would really
have meant to doubt God’s express declaration and presumptuously
to put God on trial. Such a trial is the more presumptuous because
God had already proved often enough that He keeps His Word. The
devil’s suggestion deliberately obscures the weightier question whether
God must yield to every unreasonable whim of those fanatics who,
while protesting faith in God, demonstrate practical disbelief of His
declarations by putting Him to a test,
He shall give His angels charge concerning thee. The
Psalm ( P l : l l , 12) that Satan quotes, when read in its entirety,
fitsthe situation quite exactly, The whole Psalm depicts the security
against various dangers, that is enjoyed by the man who trusts God.
Hence, it applies to any son of God. Satan has merely invented a
parricular test to which God’s general promise may be put to see
if He’will keep His Word. The deception does not rest in a supposed
misquotation of the verses by Satan (he left out “to keep thee in
all thy ways”), because Jesus accepted the quotation as being
substantiallycorrect. The Psalm, however, does not teach that man may
choose the path nor may he command God to act by rescuing him
from the extremes of man’s follies, Rather, it means that in faith
man must follow God, letting God be God. In this latter frame of
reference, man will enjoy the blessed security of God’s providence. ”he
trap is hidden in the phrase “to see if He will keep His word . . , I ’
4:7 Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy aod.
Again Jesus shows that He will not run before God, but chooses rather
to be led by Him. He clearly will not, of His own choice, create
unnecessary dangers, but will avoid them unless they fall in the path
of obedience to the Father’s will, He shows Himself to be a man of
common sense, true sanity and genuine wisdom. Neither will He
seek to place God under obligation to back His plans for His ministry.
Though Satan had made it appear otherwise, it took more trust in
God NOT to leap than to do so. Jesus answers simply, “Testing
is not trusting.”
137
What would be more justifiable than such a leap?
4:7,8 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Study the disappointing but enlightening history of Israel for
its examples of those who made trial of God: Ex. 14:lO-12;
16:3; 17:l-7; Num. 14:l-11; 21:4, 5. Compare the divine
commentary on these examples, offered in I Cor. l0:6-11 and
Heb. 3:1--4:ll. Testing God not only involves disbelief of
His promises but also may involve disobedience to His specific
commands not to make trial of Him. The end result may
be open rebellion. Falsifying in money matters is one way
to try God (Ac. 5:3, 4, 9). Changing the basis of salvation
is called by Peter “putting God on trial” (Ac. 15:lO).
This question of forcing God to back up His Servant Jesus will come
up again in Jesus’ ministry, suggested by the impudent challenges of
the Jews, demanding that He “show a sign from heaven.” (Mt. 12:38f;
Lk. 11:16; Mt. 161-4) In their presence He could have called upon
God to perform stupendous feats in nature. Hanging on the cross,
He would have occasion to remember this moment, for other voices
would jeer, “He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He
desires Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.”’
He corrected
a common misuse of God’s promises by showing that the interpretation
of those promises, which was offered by Satan, contradicted the clear
command of God. (Dt. 616)
(Mt. 27:43)
Again, Jesus demonstrated that He knew His Bible.
111. AMBITION
4:8 exceeding high mountain. If a literal view of these
temptations be taken, this verse contains several elements that would
require special interpretation:
1. An exceeding high mountain. Supernatural vision must
be assumed, since no known mountain peak however high
could provide such a literal panorama as the Evangelists
describe.
2. He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.
If all the worlds kingdoms be taken in its absolute sense, some
special vision is required. However, if it be taken in a
relative sense to include only those visible to the naked eye
as representative of all, then it is possible to take a literal
view of the text, since vast panoramic views are afforded
by a number of Palestinean peaks.
138
CHAP7‘11R P O U R 4:8,9
3. And the glory of them, This is a quality of those kingdoms
not visible to any normal, naked eye; hence, the phrase
must imply a miraculous, if not a mental, vision.
4. Luke adds “in a moment of time” (4:5), apparently coinpressing
the extent of such a vision into a few minutes.
There is no difficulty in assuming that Jesus had supernatural vision
to see all that Satan offered or in assuming that Satan drew word
pictures of all the world’s kingdoms and their glories, because, as a
matter of fact, the Evangelists do not tell how “lie showed Him all
the kingdoms of the world,”
4:9 All t h e s e t h i n g s will I give thee. Since Satan offered
Jesus “kingdoms,” he must have known what question was keenly
before His mind: how He would establish the kingdom of God, This
fact made Jesus a particularly clear target for this attack, Note that
the phrase, “If you are God’s Son,” is missing, Even to have mentioned
Jesus’ Sonship at this time would not have served the devil’s
purposes to make Him relax His grip on the Father in order to
worship the tempter.
Satan is desperately laying his trap, “If Jesus is really a man
of faith and common sense, surely He will take the shortest, most
direct route to that universal control He is seeking. If I can just
maneuver His natural desire for power and the normal wish to avoid
difficulty and suffering, perhaps I can make him an offer He cannot
refuse.” Turning to Jesus, the tempter spoke, “Look, Jesus, look!
What do you see? You see the grandeur of a thousand kingdoms
passing before your eyes. Look at that uncounted wealth and stunning
beauty! It could be yours. Do you hear those sounds? They are
the tramping feet of soldiers marching at your command. It is the
busy hum of commerce and industry creating new wealth to pour
at your feet in tribute, It is the shout of lusty voices proclaiming
you universal ruler of the earth. As the prince of this world, I am
in a position to offer you all this!”
How much control does the devil really hold over the world?
If Jesus knew that Satan were lying, then this would have been
no great temptation. It is worthy of note that He did not call
Satan a liar for saying that these kingdoms were his to give. However,
if he is telling the truth, then the ambitions of Jesus could
be realized in an instant and the “inevitable” cross codd be avoided.
139
4: 9 THE GOSPEL O F MATTHEW
AS stated, this was an apparently rational offer and a very desirable
proposal. The kingdom of Satan is no figure of speech, because the
Gospels contain constant reference to the power of Satan in the
world as a reign opposed to God. (Cf. Mt. 12:25-28; Lk. 11:17; see
also Mt. 6:13; 13:19, 25, 39; 25:41; Lk. 10:18; 22:3, 28, 31; Jn.
8:44; 12:31; 13:27; 14:30; 16:ll.) Satan speaks as if he were the
rightfd ruler in complete control of the whole world (Lk. 4:G). This
is certainly false, because the fact that he so persistently seeks to
temptand master men proves that he does not yet completely possess them.
Further, whatever authority he may possess is by usurpation,
Humanly speaking, Jesus needed everything that the devil was
offering. He had no reputation, no formal religious education or
degrees from accredited universities, no powerful friends who could
exert their influence in His favor in a world where men advance
their causes by treading upon each other. Yet, He is contemplating
the advancing of His Father’s rule by spiritual methods and by the
conversion of single individuals to His message of ideals. He well
understood that this latter approach would be the slowest, most
difficult, most discouraging and finally the most disappointing of the
two choices.
Assuming that Satan is telling the truth, how could he really
give all the human kingdoms to Jesus? Simply by fulfilling all of
the most common Jewish conceptions of the messianic kingdom!
Satan could rally the entire Jewish nation around Jesus, restore to
Him the throne and glory of David, force the nations to bring all
their wealth to Jerusalem and put every Jew on state payrolls. How
often the echo of Satan’s whisper was heard! (Mt. 16:22; Lk. 22:49(?);
Jn. 6:14, 15; 7:3, 4; 12:32-34; 18:36; Ac. 1:6) Jesus could forget
the hardships, the confusion, the rejection, the cross, and He could
so much more simply establish His world dominion.
These are Satan’s
terms. He chooses his words carefully, because upon them depends
his ultimate success. He knows
that worship basically involves the acknowledgement of him as true
lord and rightful disposer of kingdoms. If he can entice Jesus into
admitting His dependence upon him rather than God, then he will
have tricked Jesus into transgressing the most basic commandment
known (Dt. 5:7-9; 6:4, 13) To the western ear, the word “worship”
would immediately have warned of the idolatry involved. But Satan
uses a general word (proskuwo, see note on 2 : 2 ) that may suggest
If you will fall down and worship me.
Satan is neither ignorant nor stupid.
140
C l I A P T E I I P O U R 4:3,10
no more than the obeisance rendered by an inferior to a superior
among men. If only “worship as if offered only ro God” were meant,
Jesus would have immediately drawn back in holy horror with the
result that, for Jesus, all of the enticement would be stricken from
the temptation merely by stating jt, Admittedly, Satan’s choice of
words is admirable, because of the ambiguity.
By putting in the condition which demanded at least oriental
obeisance, Satan subtly presses Jesus for a compromise. Perhaps he
intends the comproinising of Jesus’ ideal of “a kingdom not of this
world” in favor of a worldly kingdom, Jesus could still rule the
world by using Satan’s methods: war, political intrigues, brute force.
Satan presents this attractive offer as a real, immediate victory for
Jesus, when in reality it would have been His real surrender. The
transfer would be only an illusion. It i s that old perennial lie: “Ym
may be your own king, do as you please, as long as you are my
servant! ”
But has there ever existed a church or a Christian which has
not surrendered to Satan Jesus’ ideal, “the kingdom of God,” for a
greater share of the control of the world’s kingdoms? Who has not,
at one time or another, mistaken might for right and regimentation
for regeneration? How often has ambition to rule conquered those
who have conquered all else!
4:lO High above this moving scene of glory and beauty which
Satan paints before the eyes of Jesus, the Son of God can see another
vision: the Kingdom of God in which men of every tribe, people,
nation and tongue come streaming from afar, bringing all their wealth,
glory, praise and service to lay them down in humble worship at
His feet, He can see the day of His coronation at His Father’s right
hand, enthroned to reign until all His enemies should be made the
footstool of His feet, until every tongue confess to the glory of God
that Jesus Christ is Lord! God had already promised His Son
universal world control (Psa. 2:7-12). The offer of Satan is exposed
for what it really is: a tarnishing glitter, a crumbling pile of
stones,dying men, ashes and dust.
This practical expression of idolatry
that Satan has offered Jesus is too much, Satan has lost. He has
no more to offer the Master. Jesus’ shout clarifies the issues: “Satan,
the end never justifies the means. The kingdom that I desire has at
its very heart the bringing of worship only to the Lord God, not the
14 1
Get thee hence, Satan.
4: 10,11 THE G O S P E L O F MATTHEW
crowning of your original rebellion. I cannot divide my allegiance
nor compromise God’s will even as a means to a holy end, for to do
so would contaminate the result. Therefore, the means of establishing
my kingdom must also be holy: teaching men to worship and serve
only God!” From this moment, the victory cry will continue to ring
down through time, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!”
(Jn. 1633)
4: 11 Then the devil leaveth him, baffled and disappointed.
Satan is not invincible. This smashing victory of Jesus and all the
battles won by those who dare use Jesus’ methods prove it. (I CO.
10:13; Eph. 6:lO-18; I Pet. 5:8, 9) The conquest of Satan in these
three temptations does not mean that Jesus was tempted by all
possible temptations, for temptations come in infinite variations. But
He was tempted at all points at which temptation can touch a soul.
This is one of the worlds greatest moments. It has just been proved
that one human being, reduced to his weakest physical extremity and
seduced by Satan’s deadliest suggestions, by sheer trust in God, by
unhesitating refusals and by unrelenting reliance upon God‘s
revelation,could resist temptation and refuse to sin. Jesus has just shown that it
was possible for all men not to sin.
Luke notes (4:13) that the devil departed until other opportunities
should present themselves for further attack. Further temptations
came later (Mk. 1:32-39; Jn. 6:14, 15; Mt. 16:23; Lk. 22:28;
Angels came and ministered unto him. He who would
not have Satan’s satellites as His servants, is now served by God’s
servants. (Mt. 26:53; Jn. 1:51; Heb. 16-14; cf. I Kg. 19:Sff) If
they brought Him food, then His faith, which trusted God to the limit,
is further justified in this significant way.
Mt. 27:40-43).
(Cf. 4 3 , 4)
FACT QUESTIONS
1. List the temptations of Jesus, noting the differences in the various
Gospel reports.
2. Tell why Jesus was tempted at each point, noting to what human
characteristics Satan made his appeal each time.
3. How did Jesus meet each temptation? Be specific about each one.
4. What do Jesus’ temptations mean to us?
5. Is there any connection between the temptations of Jesus and
what was said about Him at the time of His baptism?
142
C H A P T E R FOII11 4 : l - I I
6. Why did Jesus go out into the wilderness?
7. What wilderness was it?
8. What was the Holy Spirit’s purpose in taking Jesus there?
9. Why was not Jesus hungry until after the fast?
10, How could Satan have shown Jesus all of the world’s kingdoms?
11, Explain what is meant by “tempting God.”
12, Did the world’s kingdoms really belong to Satan?
13. Did the temptations have any relation to Jesus’ world mission?
If so, what relationship?
14, What is the relationship between knowing the Word and will
of Gcd and resisting temptations?
15. What does Jesus’ use of the OT as the final authority for His
actions reveal about:
a. The OT as the progressive revelation given by God to
b. the application of the Bible in general to particular problems
Wherein does their real power lie? Can
they always be recognized? If so, under what circumstances? If
not, why not? Why should we pray to avoid temptations (Mt.
6:13)? Why does God allow His Son and His children to be
tempted? Is something a temptation if one cannot see the wrong
in it?
(Cf, 4:2)
a particular people?
faced by the believer?
16. What are temptations?
SPECIAL STUDY:
TEMPTATION
I. THE LORD’S LIABILITY TO ALLUREMENT,
A. Cowld Jeszcs be tewted so u.r to sin? Yes must be the
unequivocal response, because His incarnation necessitates it. If
we are to believe that Jesus was to be tempted in all respects in
which a human being is tempted (Heb. 4:15), then we are led
to the realization that His subjection to every sort of human seduction
must have begun long before the period forty days after His
baptism. His birth was unique and miraculous, but His youth
was normal in the human environment of Nazareth. His adult life
indeed was marvelous, one.of-a-kind, yet fully human. It must be
ever remembered that the Word was God before He became flesh
and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:1-14), but that fact must never be
made to cast doubt upon the reality of the flesh in which He
dwelt (Heb. 2:14). With the Father He shares these characteristics:
143
4:1-11 T H E GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
1 . He lived without sin (Heb. 415; 7:26; I Pet. 1:19; 2:21;
3:18; Jn. 8:46; I Jn. 3:5; I1 Cor. 5:21).
2. He faultlessly expressed God’s character and nature (I1
Cor. 4:4-6; Jn. 8:29; 10:30; 12:45; Col. 1:15-19; 2:9;
Heb. 1:l-3).
1. He fulfilled all of God’s purposes (Jn. 10:17, 18, 36-38;
12:27; 15:lO; Eph. 1:3-11; I1 Cor. 5:19).
4. He maintained that unique contact with God in a union
unknown to all human experience and unshared by any
other (Jn. 1:1-14; 10:30; 5:19, 20; 12:49, 50; 14:10, 11).
However, there are significant differences between the Father and
the Son:
1. God cannot be tempted with evil, while Jesus was subject
to all human temptations (Jas. 1:13; Heb. 2:14-18; Heb.
4: 15) although He did not surrender Himself to any.
2. God is not subject to spiritual growth (I Pet. 1:le Mt.
5:48), while Jesus advanced toward spiritual maturity (Lk.
2:40, 52; Heb. 2:lO-18; 5:7-9), qualifying Himself to be
man’s Savior.
3. The Father was the object of Jesus’ faith and the Hearer
of His prayers (Heb. 5:7; Mt. 11:25, 26; Jn. 11:41, 42).
Although Jesus was the Revealer of the mind of God, yet
He received the Word of God as already revealed in the
OT, putting His trust in it and obeying its precepts
impeccably.
4. Jesus was born subject to law (Gal. 4:4); God was not.
“Born under law” to Jesus meant responsibility for keeping
or breaking it. If Jesus could not sin by breaking law,
the law would be meaningless to Him.
5. The point of Jesus’ assumption of human nature is that He
might die for man’s sins (Heb. 2:9, 14, 15); God could
not die. (Cf. I Ti. 1:17; 6:16)
6. Jesus was fully man (Ro. 5:17-21; I Co. 15:21; Ac. 17:31),
a body for the dwelling of all the fulness of Deity (GI.
1:19; 2:9)
He was
Human ignorance and per-
The incarnation is the unique ezperience of Jesus only.
thoroughly mm and thoroughly deity.
144
C H A P T B R FOUR 4: 1.1 1
sonal “lack of” experience of this verity does not militate against its
historicity. It is to be received on the strength of Jesus’
truthfulnessand His authority to reveal it.
There are several consequences that follow from believing that
He could not actually be tempted to sin, Rejection of all that
the Scriptures say regarding His human nature is serious enough,
for that blames God for condemning man without knowing what
being a man is really like, Further, if Jesus did not genuinely share
all our human desires, His victory over Satan is a hollow, meaningless
conquest as far as it concerns our facing of temptations.
In that case, He could not provide us a true example that would
help us to overcome, since there would always remain in us the
suspicion that Jesus was some sort of angelic machine which
“could not be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses,”
But the Scripture evidences the fact that Jesus could sin by
surrender to the devil’s enticements. Out of this truth flow
exciting conclusions.
1. Jesus has felt the fullest intensity of every temptation to
sin, because He did not yield. It is not the man who
is allured before feeling the last full measure of temptation
who fully understands that seduction before which he has
fallen, nor can he be perfectly sympathetic with other
sinners in their trials, for he sinned before knowing the
full power of the enticement. Only the sinless Jesus, who
has resisted the pull of the desire clear to its end, can
effectively come to the aid of those who have fallen.
2. Jesus conquered Satan, not as God but as man, any man,
could have repelled the tempter. By using no special defences
available only to the “Son of God,” He wrestled
sin’s mightiest champion as would any “son of Gd’-
and won! But by doing this, He strikes from our mouths
all of the lame excuses we offer for our sins. By risking
all of Jesus’ purity, and consequently, the world’s salvation,
on the outcome of such temptations as those in the wilderness,
God shows for all eternity the inexcusability of
human sin. Were there any question before, now no doubt
is left as to why God is justified in sending the whole
human race to hell, (Ro. 3:9, 19, 20, 23; 11:32; Gal. 3:22)
The hesitation to admit the
liability of our Lord to temptation is probably traceable to defective
B. Whereiii wus Jesus tempted?
145
4:1-11 T H EG O S P E LO F MA T T H EW
views of His nature. These arise out of a natural tendency to
over-emphasize either His deity or His manhood. Also the feebleness
of human language to express such majestic truth as the
incarnation of God “in 25 words or less,” often cripples the truth
rather than strengthens or clarifies it. May we generalize just to
this extent: if the baptismal event of Jesus says to the world that
this Man was God, then the temptation experience proclaims to all
ages that this God also became Man. It is from this latter point
of view that we study His temptations.
Jesus was perfectly sinless before and after the temptations,
but He was a perfectly sinless hwwn with all the desires that
characterize life in the human body. Incarnation brings with it the
characteristics of the cmnis. flesh, one of which is temptability.
But what is temptation?
A temptation is anything that throws the character into the
crisis of choice. This is done by an incitement of mtud desire.r
to go beyond the limits set. Temptation is also a conflict of
loyalties, a putting other good things above one’s first loyalties.
(Cf. Mt. 10:36 with MI. 3:21; Jn. 12:27) The power of temptation
lies in hmm deshes. These are created by God in the makeup
of the human personality, but may all be stimulated by Satan to
thwart God’s purpose for those desires. The Greeks had one
word for these God-given desires (epithumh), a word which they
used to describe right desires or longings as well as desires for
something forbidden, The complex of desires in the human personality,
as God designed it, is like a powerful rocket which can
hurl an astronaut into space to explore the universe and advance
man’s knowledge, or it can hurl a nuclear warhead at other men
to destroy lives. The rocket has the capacity for both operations.
What it actually does depends upon who determines its use and
controls it. The desires in our personality serve as fuel and
power for the rocket, while our conscience is the guidance system.
Thus, what we do depends upon the orientation data fed into our
conscience, which, in turn, controls our desires. But, unlike the
electronic brain in the rocket, our conscience can be affected by
our desires, and it is exactly at these desires that temptations make
their attack. If so, then Jesus, “who was tempted in all points
like us we are (kuta prmta kuth holmoiot~ta),” felt the stress and
strain of His basic human desires. But what are these desires?
We shall see them more clearly as we are led to understand . . .
146
C H A P T E R FOIJR 4: 1-1 I
11. OUR SUSCEPTIBILIlY TO SINFUL SUGGESTION.
A, A Matter of Dsske, The Christian view of personal desires
is expressed by James: “Each person is tempted when he is
lured and enticed by his own desires.” (Jas. 1 :14 RSV) The
following passages clarify this view. The Greek words, which are
used to express the desire, are included in parenthesis for further
comparison, Note that the passages are arranged into two groups:
those expressions of right and proper desires, and those expressions
that degenerate human desire into passion and lust. The more
significant passages are printed in italic type.
GOOD, PROPER EXPRESSIONS DESIRE AS LUST, PASSION
OF DESIRE
(epithmia, e pithme a”) (epitbwuia, epizhimed)
Mt. 13:17; Lk. 15:16; 16:21; Mt. 5:28; Mk, 4:19; Jn. 8:44;
17:22; 22:15; Gal, j:17; Phil, Ac. 20:33, 34; Ro, 1:24; 6:32;
1:23; I Th. 2:17; I Tim. 3:l; 7:7f; 13:9, 14; I Co. 10:6; Gal.
Heb. 6:ll; I Pet. 3:12; I Jn. 2:15- 5:16, 17, 24; Epb. 2:3; 4:22; Col.
17 (?) 3 3 ; I Th. 4:5; I Tim, 6:9; I1
Tim. 2:22; 3:6; 4:3; Tit. 2:12;
(epipothed) 3:3; Jas. 1:14; 4:2; I Pet. 1:14;
Ro. 1:11; Phil, 1:8; 2:26; I1 Co. 2:ll; 4:2, 3; I1 Pet. 1:4; 2:lO;
5:2; 7:7, 11; 9:14; I Th. 3:6: I1 3:3; I Jn. 2:1J-17; Jd. 16, 18;
Tim. 1:4; I Pet. 2:2
I Cor. 12:31; 14:1, 39; 11 Cor. I Cor. 13:4
11:2; Gal. 4:18 (?)
(tbelb) (tbeld)
Mt. 16:24; 19:21; 26:39: Mk. Mt. 16:25: Jn. 5:40; h:67; 8:44:
10:43, 44; 14:36; Jn. 7:17; 15:7: I Th. 3:IO
12:21; Ro. 7:15, 18, 19
Mt. 6:21, 33; Lk. 12:31, 34: Jn,
5:30, 44; 7:18; 8:50; Ro, 2:7:
Col. 3:lff; 11 Cor. 12:14
(epizbtea”): Heb. 1.3:14
(oregomai) : Heb. Il:l6
(ewdokica): Ro. 1O:l: I1 Tb. I:I1
Rev. 9:6
(ZdEOa“) (Ze“LOl3)
(zbted)
147
4: 1-11 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Some OT examples of good desries are the following: Ps. 21:2;
27:4; 37:4; 145:19; Prov. 10:24; 11:23; I1 Chron. 15:15; Isa. 268)
The following is a list of desires common to every man. AS
you respond to their force in your life, who or what governs
what you will do about their demands?
1. The desire to PRESERVE SELF: satisfying body needs for
food, clothing, shelter; self-defense by flight or fighting;
repulsion.
2. MATING desires: ser; care for family; the appeal of one’s
young.
3. SOCIAL desires; gregariousness; companionship; approval;
self-assertion; pride; ambition; competition.
4. Desires to SUBMIT: tendency to imitate heroes; conform
to law; to regard higher powers with respect.
5. ACQUISITIVE desires: joy of ownership.
6. CREATIVdEe sires: pleasure of being a power or a cause
capable of creating or destroying.
7. AESTHETIC desires: enjoyment of the beautiful.
Though God has integrated these desires into our personality, yet
they are the very targets of Satan’s keenest temptations. Let it
never be thought that Jesus, as Man, did not experience every one
of these desires. Certainly, the incitements to sin came to Jesus
from without; nevertheless, appeal was made to what truly existed
within Him. It seems that the tempter can pit one or two of
these desires against each other and against other desires in such
an unshakeable combination that we become confused about which
way is right!
How often perfectly good attitudes and desires are so close to
sinful desires and a godless mentality! Here is another reason why
we have such difficulty steering a straight course through life.
Compare the following short list of good traits that Satan can twist
into vices:
Caution and prudence is so often close to cowardice and
Belief taken without sufficient evidence becomes credulity.
Agreeableness and tact are often mistaken for compromise and
(See Ro. 7:13-25)
indecision.
false hood.
148
C H A P T E R FOUR 4: 1-11
Concentrarion of one’s devotion may become just bigotry or
Confidence may swell into cocksureness and presumption.
Contentment oversleeps into self-satisfaction and appeasement.
Frugaliry and farsightedness struggles with miserliness and greed,
Humility could devolve into blind submissiveness.
Righteousness when praised nurtures hypocrisy.
Tolerance of too much becomes indiscrimination.
Curiosity about the affairs of others becomes meddling and
An inquiring mind, when it refuses to know, becomes agnostic.
Broad-mindedness is close to spinelessness, too often without
But resolution is near to stubbornness.
And bravery or fearlessness is nigh unto folly and foolishness.
By taking advantage of the natural needs expressed by human
desires, Satan makes his allurements appear harmless, What often
makes a temptation so attractive is the list of apparently excellent
reams for going along with it. The only true safeguard against
this confusion is to seek to know and obey God as our deepest
desire and highest joy. Perhaps the most enlightening spiritual
exercise to discover our vulnerability to temptation is simply to
ask ourselves what we desire. Here are some problems for reflection
that will help one see himself as temptation’s target:
1. What is the ONE compelling loyalty, interest or desire of
my life?
2. What one goal am I seeking to accomplish with my life?
3. What or where is the true treasure of my heart? For what
do I spend the most of my money? my leisure time? my
conversation among friends?
4, How do all my other basic desires align themselves with
the one basic motivation for my life? Or, how may these
be subordinated to it when conflicts arise?
5 , In my social relationships, whose praise do I seek?
fanaticism.
I
nosiness.
strong convictions.
149
4: 1-11 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Other questions might be helpful. But, in the light of these
suggested, it is seen that the problems in resisting temptations and
solving conflicts of interest involve all that makes us men. This is
why sin is not a single act unrelated to what we are. This is also
the reason why conversion to Jesus cannot be reduced to a
mechanical five-point ritual, but must mean the commitment of
every thought and desire to obedience to Him:
B. Some Lessons to be Lemmned:
1. There are two viewpoints to every trial or temptation.
a. Temptation by allurement for evil purpose to ensnare
in evil;
b. Putting character to the test for the purpose of proving
its mettle.
(Study the following passages to see how both viewpoints
can be very closely interwoven into the fabric of the same
temptation, even if one or the other viewpoint will be
more clearly in evidence: Mt. 6:13; Lk. 8:13; Jn. 6:6; Ac.
20:19; I Cor. 10:9-13; I1 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 6:l; I Th. 35;
I Tim. 6:9; Heb. 11:17, 37; Jas. 1:2, 12-14; I Pet. 1:6;
I1 Pet. 2:9.)
2. How temptdtions are offered or $reselzted. Just as the
temptations of Jesus were many-pronged, appealing to the
fleshly appetites, to His moral character and to His spiritual
perception, even so our daily allurements will be manysided,
attacking at once the body and soul by driving one
to the limit of endurance, while keeping the other off
balance by uneven stresses and strains. Satan is not so
stupid as to put people on their guard by coming to them
boldly and telling them that what he is about to suggest
will be sin. Rather, he begins subtly and reasonably to
prepare the mind for seduction. He must first corrupt
the principles before his real purpose can be made clear.
Once the confidence of the victim is gained and his desires
excited, the enticement is presented in its most appealing
form to that particular person. Satan repeats his
approach, varying his emphasis, until the victim falls.
150
C H A P T E R 17OIIII 4 : 1 - 1 I
3, Why matt mt4st be Ivied or temfted. If there were no
choice, no power nor pressures to do evil, we could not
have any moral victory over evil, nor would we have that
proof of character that is obtained only by self-control
under fire, We must win the victory over Satan, not by
never having fought him during temptations, but by overcoming
him in actual combat. Precious promises are
offered to those who overcome (Rev. 2:7, 10, 11, 17,
26-28; 3:5, 11, 12, 21) and victories the order of the day
for the people of God (1 Jn. 2:13, 14; 4:4; 5:4, 5 ; 11
Cor. 2 :4).
4. The dmgerow deceitfabss of temptations. The inability
to see the sinful implications hidden under pages of good
reasons for our indulgence of any desire does not remove
that sinfulness. It is the devil’s most practiced art to
present wrong as right, pleasant, popular. He can also
raise so many doubts about right actions as to make them
appear to be wrong and worthy of all condemnation, The
most frequent problem to solve as one faces temptation
is to recognize it as a temptation. If he does not see what
could be wrong about a particular action, he may justify
that act for himself and be satisfied with his justifications.
However, failure to sense wrong in a thing does not change
God’s condemnation of the sin involved. Since temptations,
in their very essence, are/wrong courses of action deceitfully
disguised as right actions, we must learn to recognize them
for what they are. How? We niust avail ourselves of
God’s means.
5. The way o/ victory over temptartjon:
l a. Jesus conquered by COMPLETE RELIANCE UPON
GOD’S WORD. God has given revelation of great
principles which govern ALL of our basic decisions,
although He has not revealed specific prohibitions of
every minute misdeed we might dream up. Our responsibility
is to h o w these principles (I1 Tim. 2:15,
25, 26; 3:14, 15), practice them by daily meditation
and actual experience, in order that, when specific temptations
call us to violate these great, far-reaching prin-
151
4: 1-1 1 THE GOSPEL O F MATTHEW
ciples, our first and almost automatic reaction would be,
“How can I do this great wickedness and sin against
God? (I cannot!)” (Gen. 39:9b)
b. By UNHESITATING REFUSALS, If we wish to be
done with temptations, we must get rid of the tempter!
Jesus fought him honorably and victoriously, then commanded
him to leave. Likewise, we must put up a stiff
fight, but in the same way as did Jesus. Satan is no
match for the firepower available to one man who trusts
God! (See Jas. 4:7; I Pet. 5:8, 9; Eph. 610-18) We
must reject without hesitation any evil suggestion.
Sometimes flight is just as honorable as fight (I Tim.
6:ll; I1 Tim. 2:22, 23; I Cor. 6:lS; 10:13, 14), as in
the case of Joseph (Gen. 39:12), if flight means resistance
to temptation by refusing any longer to listen to
the tempter’s appeals to our dpires. It may also mean
choosing, by means of a strategic retreat, the ground
upon which the battle shall be fought. Some men need
to stop facing a particular temptation until they have
fled to the Father’s side for instruction, encouragement,
warning and strength, before continuing the battle.
Contrast the reasons given for the failure of those
who are overcome by temptations. They turned away
from listening to the truth, choosing teachers that suit
their desires (I1 Tim. 4:3, 4). Ever listening to anybody,
they can never arrive at a secure knowledge of
truth (I1 Tim. 3:7). All along they have been following
their own desires which they let deceive them into
thinking they possessed the true, happy life (I1 Pet.
3 : 3 ; Jude 16, 18).
6. We are mot the ody OMS remped. Just as Jesus did not
wrestle with Satan to gain the mastery only for Himself,
but also for us, even so we must keep our mind on others
in our striving against sin in ourselves. This will help
us to be wary of our own susceptibility to sin, when we
reach out to help those who are sorely tempted (Gal.
6: 1, 2). Further, our God-given freedom to do many things
that some would consider wrong or forbidden might tempt
them to join us in the enjoyment of those freedoms which
their conscience does not permit them. In this case, their
152
C H A P T E R POIIR 4: 12.17
conscience is violated, since they had doubts. Thus, they
are condemned for sinning against their conscience and it
is our fault! (Cf, Mt, 18:1-14; Ro. 14:l-15:7; I Co, 8;
10:23-33) We are, with every one of our fellow men,
waging this warfare against Satan, so let us not Le their
devil to tempt them by what we do (cf. Mt. 1623) but,
rather, let us provoke them to love, faith and good works!
(Heb. 10:23-25)
Section 8
JESUS PREACHES IN GALILEE
(Parallels: Mark 1:14, 15; Luke 4:14-5:l; John 4:l-45)
TEXT: 4:12-17
12. Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into
Galilee;
13. and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which
is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali:
14. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the
prophet, saying,
15. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea,
beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
16. The people that sat in darkness saw a great light,
And to them that sat in the region and shadow of death,
To them did light spring up.
17. From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
a. What influence does human activity or human weakness have upon
(Cf. Mt.
b. Why do you suppose Jesus left Nazareth and dwelt in Capernaum
Why should He choose to leave His own hometown?
c. In what sense is the ministry of Jesus to this area the bringing
d. What is the essence of the kingdom of God?
e. What does Jesus mean by “repent”?
153
the plan of God, as realized in the ministry of Jesus?
4:12; 834; 13:58; Mk. 1:45)
at this time?
of “light” to them? How were they “sitting in darkness”?
4: 12-17 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY
Now after John was arrested and imprisoned by Herod, the report
of the incident reached the ears of Jesus. Another factor enters to
account for what follows: when the Lord knew that the Pharisees
were aware of His ministry and that He was making and His disciples
were baptizing more followers than John, Jesus left Judea. He returned
in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. Jesus decided that He had
to pass through Samaria. Coming to Sychar, He declared Himself
to be Messiah to a Samaritan woman at Jacobs well. She, in turn,
called the attention of the entire city to Him. That two-day revival
in Samaria caused many Samaritans to conclude that Jesus was indeed
the Savior of the world. (Jn. 4:5-42)
After the two days, Jesus departed for Galilee. At this point,
He Himself testified that a prophet is not appreciated by His own
people. But when He came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him,
for they had seen all that Jesus had done in Jerusalem at the feast,
since they too were there. Jesus’ reputation spread through all the
surrounding country. He taught in their synagogues to the great
admiration of everyone.
Next, Jesus came again to Cana in Galilee where He healed
the son of a Capernaum nobleman by “remote control.” (Jn. 4:46-54)
From Cana He went to Nazareth where He had been brought
up. On the sabbath, He went into the synagogue, as was His practice.
There He read Isaiah 61:1, 2 and preached a sermon on that text,
that got Him thrown out of the synagogue and of Nazareth. (Lk.
Leaving Nazareth, Jesus settled down at Capernaum, a likeside
town located on the northwestern shore of Lake Galilee in the ancient
territorial divisions of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus’
move to Capernaum resulted in the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1, 2,
which reads thus:
4~16-30)
Land of Zebuhn and Land of Naphtali,
The Land of the Road by the Sea, and beyond the Jordan,
With Galilee of the Gentiles-
The people that were living in darkness
And, for those who were living in the land of the shadow of death,
Have seen a great Light,
A Light has dawned.
154
C H A P T E R FOUR 4: 12
It wsls from this period that Jesus began to proclaim the message of
God’s good news, saying, “This is the time: the kingdom of God is
almost upon us!
NOTES
You must repent and believe the good news!”
I. GOD’S GRACE GIVEN TO GALILEE
Upon first reading of Matthew 4:11, 12, the distinct impression is
received that Jesus’ withdrawal into Galilee follows hard upon His
victory over the tempter in the wilderness. However, let it be
rememberedthat Matthew does not pretend precise chronological order
for his narration, and it will not be surprising to learn that the fol-
Iawing succession of events carries the full story:
1. Ministry of John the Baptist: Mt. 3:l-12; Mk. 1:2-8; Lk,
2. Baptism of Jesus: Mt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Lk. 3:21-23
3. Temptation of Jesus: Mt. 4:l-11; Mk. 1:12, 13; Lk. 4:l-13
4. First Acquaintance with early disciples at Jordan: Jn, 1:35-51
5. Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee: Jn. 2:l-11
6. Change of Residence to Capemaurn: Jn. 2: 12
7. Cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem at Passover: Jn. 2:13-22
3:l-18; Jn. 1
<
8. Early Judeari Ministry-miracles, teaching, baptieing: Jn. 3:22,
4:1, 2
9. Teaching Nicodemus in Judea: Jn. 3: 1-21
10. Arrest of John the Baptist: Mt. 4:12; Mk. 1:14a; Lk. 3:19, 20
11. Departure for Galilee through Famaria 8 or 9 months later:
Mt. 4:12; Mk. 1: 14a; Lk. 4:14a; Jn. 4:3, 4
12. Samaritan Woman and Samaritan Revival: Jn. 4:5-43
13. Beginning of Galilean Campaign: Mt. 4:12; Mk. 1:14a; Lk. 4:14,
15; Jn, 4:44, 45
14. Nobleman’s Son of Capemaurn healed, Jesus at Cana: Jn.
4:46-54
15. First Rejection at Nazareth: Lk. 4:lG-30
16. Return to Capernawn: Mt. 4:13-17; Mk. 1:14, 15; Lk. 4:31
17. Call of Four Fishermen: Mt. 4:18-22; Mk. 1:16-20; Lk. 5:l-11
155
4: 12 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
With this chronologically harmonized outline for comparison of the
Gospel accounts, it becomes much more comprehensible why Jesus
should decide to withdraw into Galilee at this time.
John the Baptist had unmasked the Pharisees and Sadducees for
the hypocrites they really were. His popular appeal galled them at
first, then, alarmed them. Then came this Jesus of Nazareth into
their stronghold, the temple, challenging their position. He drove out
of the temple courts their profitable sources of revenue and He openly
questioned their righteousness. Besides these attacks, He wrought
many miracles in the Jerusalem area (Jn. 2:23; 3:2), and began
gathering such a following (Jn. 2:23) that the more intimate disciples
of John began to fear for their master’s waning glory in the light of
the ascendent popularity of Jesus (Jn. 3:26). What the hierarchy had
perhaps secretly hoped would be a temporary manifestation of religious
fervor is no longer to be regarded with disdain but genuine alarm.
The movement seems to be growing to revolutionary proportions:
Judea is excited.
At just this moment in the tension-charged atmosphere of Judea,
one of John’s sermons struck home to the tetrarch of Galilee and
Perea, H e r d Antipas. John openly rebuked this petty king’s flagrant
immorality and gross violation of God’s laws. (Cf, Mt. 14:3-5; Mk.
6:17-20; Lk. 3:19, 20) Herod could not tolerate this accusing finger
pointed at his sins, nor could he permit this ground-swell of public
sentiment to rise into a crescendo of national revolution (Josephus,
A*$. XVIII, 5, 2). Perhaps John was handed over to Herod (“delivered
up,” see #uir&o“nti isn 4:12; Mk. 1:14a) by the Pharisees
themselves. (Cf. Mt. 17:12; Jn. 4:l.). At this crisis, i.e. when Jesus
heard that John was delivered up, He made His move north.
AmchBreG may be translated
“go away, return, withdraw, retire, take refuge” ( Arndt-Gingrich).
If Jesus is seeking to avoid some impending danger, what is it?
Certainly, Jesus could not hope for escape from a similar fate as that
of John by His deliberate entrance into the political jurisdiction of
Herod Antipas himself. Apparently, Herod’s informants had not yet
singled out Jesus as the new Leader of the growing reform movement,
or else, Jesus had not yet launched the same condemnation as had
John, and thus would not have been noticed and apprehended. Jesus
could foresee those who would be His real enemies and so chose
not to bring matters to a show-down at this time, for such a crisis
could d y end in a premature cross. Thus, rather than seek at once
156
He withdrew from what or whom?
CHAPTER FOUR 4: 12
the fullest notariey in the heart of Jewish world and provoke thereby
the wrath of the religious hierarchy at Jerusalem (Jn. 4:1-3), Jesus
chose the out-district of Galilee as the rraining and testing ground
forthose disciples who would establish the Church, He must yet train
them in evangelism, Their false concepts of the Messiah and God’s
Kingdom must be corrected, The crisis of the cross must indeed
come, but not yet, He must preach to the rest of the nation first,
Thus, Jesus left Judea for several reasons:
1. John was imprisoned and Jesus wanted to maintain the
momentum of John’s labor and gather around Him John’s
lost, leaderless disciples.
2. The growing anxiety of the Pharisees needed to be cooled,
3, He already had a large following in Galilee (Jn. 2:23; 4:45).
Therefore, Jesus took the shortest, quickest route to Galilee, spending
only two days in Samaria (Jn. 4:4, 40, 43).
Jesus came to Galilee: what genius! Though Galilee was
not large, it had been uniquely prepared for His arrival. Galilee is
that territory located in northern Palestine, bordered on the north
by the heathen Syrians and Phoenicians; on the west by the plain
of Accho and Mount Carmel; on the south by the half-breed Samaritans;
and on the east by the Jordan River and Lake Galilee. The
land area thus circumscribed was approximately that of modern Israel,
north of Mount Carmel: about 60 miles long by 40 miles wide,
Josephus (Wm,11 1, 3, 3) describes Jesus’ countrymen thus: ’
The Galileans are inured to war from their infancy, and
have always been very numerous; nor hath the country ever
been destitute of men of courage, nor wanted a numerous
set of them. Their soil i s uniformly rich and fruitful and
full of plantations of trees of all sorts, insomuch that it
invites the most slothful to take pains in its cultivation, by its
fruitfulness: accordingly it is cultivated by its inhabitants and
no part of it lies idle. Moreover, the cities lie here very
thick, and the very many villages there are here are everywhere
so full of people, by the richness of their soil, that
the very least of them contain above fifteen thousand inhabitants.
Jesus’ tactical genius is seen in His choice of Galilee, Galilee’s
geographic and social relations as well as its religious history
rendered157
4: 12,13 T H E G O S P E LO F MA T T H EW
it particularly open to the reception of new ideas. The Galileans,
because of their constant contact with the “outside world” of Rome,
Syria, Phoenicia, could not be expected to be such sticklers for
traditionalorthodoxy as the Judeans. These inborn characteristics of the
Galileans created particularly fertile soil for the new message of
Jesus.
He chase to
labor among these despised Galileans of mixed ancestry, corrupted
from purer Judaism by the liberalizing habits of surrounding
heathenism.Before Jesus arrived, life seemed to be dominated by evil. Men
existed without genuine hope or exalted purposes. All of religion
seemed to be solely the possession of a few Judean Pharisees. But
Jesus’ entrance into Galilee shouts the joyful news to the mixed
fragments of ancient Israel: “God’s Kingdom is almost upon you!
Evil is not the ultimate force in the universe; despair is not the
finalmeaning to life; nor is death the last word!” Thus, God’s grace was
extended even to Galilee.
4:13 and leaving Nazareth. Though k&&ipo (“leave”) may
be neutral, meaning simply a “departure from a place,” yet it has
the predominant flavor of leaving behind something or someone
(Arndt-Gingrich). Had Matthew intended merely “departure,” he had
a wealth of words to say so (@erchomai, metkd, ufi&2mi, porezcok1
mcho”re8, chdrizo, exeimi, cbdred, or metdmh.0). Jems left Nuzaretb
behim!. Although the words Nazareth and C~@erna~mar e obviously
geographical place names, yet Jesus’ move is not without symbolical
significance, and, considered the complete story of this move, these
names suggest also the people who dwelt there. While Matthew does
not spell out the reason for this seemingly normal change of residence
to Capernaum (kcttoiksd), Luke tells the story behind it (Lk. 4:16-30).
Jesas left Nazcreth, thus, is no empty phrase, for He had faced the
hard reality that a “prophet is not without honor except in His own
country,” (Lk. 4:24). Nevertheless, He had endeavored to speak to
His own townspeople, but the more He revealed of His true identity,
the more difficult they found it to believe Him. He did return
later for one last time to try again to convince Nazareth, but she
thought she knew too much to believe His claims (Mt. 1353-58;
Mk. 6:l-G). But, He must leave behind His hometown for now.
This is another early intimation of the tragedy that will culminate
158
Jesus came to Galilee: what mercy and grace!
C H A P T E R P O U R 4: 13, 14
in Calvary, It was at Nazareth of Galilee that the Light had shined
in the darkness, but the darkness could neither master it by
comprehending,learning or understanding it, nor seize it with hostile intent
to destroy it. (Jn. 1:9f) He came and dwelt in Capernaum.
Even if Nazareth rejected her great opportunity to enjoy the great
Light come to her and was content to sit in her darkness, yet other
cities would receive the Light, The loss of Nazareth meant the gain
of Capernaum. Jesus had already moved from Nazareth to Capernaum
earlier (Jn. 2:12), but now He makes the latter city His headquarters
for the Galilean campaign. That earlier move to Capernaum suggests
that Jesus had already foreseen the Nazareth rejection and had already
planned His ministry in Galilee long before going south to Judea
for the Passover (Jn, 2:12, 13). Then the events in Judea merely
triggered His plan.
The ruins of Tell Hum,
now generally identified as the site of Capernaum, lie on the north
shore of the Lake. Borders of Zebulun And Naphtali: Capernaum
actually lay in the ancient tribal territory of Naphtali (Josh.
19:32f),and near that of Zebulun (Josh. 19:lOf): however, these old boundary
lines had long ceased to divide the territories. Matthew uses these
lines to draw attention to the prophecy which finds fulfillment in
chis zone which roughly corresponds to Galilee, (Study the following
passages to appreciate the intimacy of Jesus’ connection with
Capernaum,that date from this move: Mt. 8:5; 11:23; 17:24; Mk. 1:21;
2:l; 9:33; Lk. 4:23, 31; 7:l; 10:15; Jn. 4:46; 6:17, 24, 59,)
Capernaum which is by the Sea.
11. GLADDENING GLORY GRANTED TO THOSE GROPING
IN GLOOM
4:14 that it might be fulfilled. Jesus’ beginning to evangelize
Galilee was not with the malicious intent to produce a mechanical
correspondence between His actions and the glorious prophetic
predictionsconcerning the age of the Messiah. Jesus came north, not to
fulfill messianic prophecy, but to save people. His move was prompted
by loving mercy, by personal familiarity with Galilee and its people,
and by events in Judea. As a result of His transfer to Galilee, the
-great messianic prediction of Isaiah 9: 1-7 was fulfilled. Jesus, the
Light of the world” (Jn. 1:9; 8:12) completely fulfilled the prophecy
as no prophet either before or after Him could have done. (Cf. Jn.
7:52 and Lk. 1:78, 79).
159
4: 14-16 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Isaiah‘s intention was to present a well-grounded hope to these
provinces of Israel that, because of their geographical position as
buffer-states, had suffered the greatest affliction and spiritual
degradation.This people had suffered because of their false religious orientation
begun when J e r o b caused Israel to sin, because they corrupted
themselves by imitation of the practices of their more “civilized
neighbors, because they trusted false gods and the false hopes these
latter could offer, and because no complete return to whole-hearted
worship of the true God, Jehovah, ever came about. Add to this
religious tragedy the constant unrest that accompanies almost incessant
war with the Syrians and the Assyrians. To this situation Isaiah
addressed these words of hope. The geographic terms:
1. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali: see above on 4:13.
2. Toward the sea: (hdm thhrsih) may be translated, following
a Hebrew idiom contrary to Greek usage, “toward
the sea” (Arndt-Gingrich). Literally, it is “the road by the
sea” (Delitzsch, Isaiah, I, 244), and speaks of that tract of
land on the western shore of the Galilean Lake.
3. Beyond the Jordan: Perea, as viewed from the west side
of Jordan.
4. (ialilee of the Gentiles: see above on 4:12.
In Jewish thinking, the only fitting place for the beginning of the
glorious reign would be Judea with His capital at Jerusalem. The
concept of a Galilean Messiah was to them a self-contradiction. (See
Jn. 7:52. P 66 has the article “the,” thus making reference to “the
prophet” i.e. “the Messiah”.) Galilee was the last place on earth
a Jew of that period would choose for a similar purpose. The whole
area was, according to the opinion of “enlightened Jerusalem,” quite
“in the dark’ intellectually, morally and culturally. This latter was a
position based upon quite unjustified personal pride on the part of the
Judeans, whereas the language of Isaiah truly describes the actual
position of the Galileans: t h y sd in hkmss and k the re& md
shadow of death. The context of Isaiah (5:30; 8:21, 22) proves that
this sad plight was self-inflicted, indicating the greater need for
light.To Jesus, these were just good reasons why He should labor in Galilee!
While this passage is a graphic description of the conditions
among the Galileans, it may also describe all men who try to live
160
C H A P T E R FOUR 4: 16,17
without God. Compare Paul’s masterful analyses: Ro. 1:18-32; Eph.
Other passages which develop the theme of light and darkness:
Mr. 5:14-16; 623; Lk. 252; 8:16; ll:34-36; Jn, 1:4-9;
3:19-21; 8:12; 9 5 ; 11$, 10; 12:35, 36, 46; Ac. 2618, 23;
Ro. 2:19; I1 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:8, 13; I Th. 5:5; I Tim. 616;
Jas. 1:17; I Pet. 2:9; I Jn. 1:5, 7; 2:8-10; Rev. 22:5.
2:1-3; 4:17-19.
111, THE G~ST AND GENIUS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD
4:17 From that time is to be taken with reference to Jesus’
return to Galilee, Jesus now begins the thorough evangelization of
Galilee, Matthew cannot mean that He is beginning for the first
time to preach anywhere, for Jesus is just returning from Judea where
He taught and wrought miracles (Jn. 2 : 1 3 4 : 3 ) . Likewise, He
passed through Samaria (Jn. 4:4-45) where He openly declared Himself
to be the Messiah as well as where He accepted the open appraisal
of His teaching as those of “the Savior of the world” (Jn. 4:42).
Rather, Matthew intends only what he states: that when Jesus withdrew
into Galilee, from that time He began to preach in Galilee.
Prior to this time Jesus had not evangelized there; now He launches
His “Great Galilean Campaign,” Jesus’ fame as a preacher dates from
this campaign (Ac. 10:37), and His complete identification with
Galilee from this move (cf. Lk. 23:5-7; Jn. 7:41, 52).
Repent ye; for the kingdom’ of heaven is at hand.
This is certainly Matthew’s summary statement that boils down into a
very few words hours of preaching and teaching done in Galilee.
Yet, Matthew has not omitted anything essential:
1, With reference to God Himself, the GIST of His Government
is His unquestionable right to command repentance of sinful
I rebels. Objectively, the gist of His government, or kingdom,
is the inclination of men’s repentant hearts to do His will.
I (See on 3:15)
l
l
2. ”he GENIUS of God’s Kingdom that corrects all the failures
of every human reign is the fact that it begins with the
willing choice of the subject to be entirely transformed by
His King, In God’s Kingdom there must be no unwilling
subjects.
I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
0 -
Dan DeVilder said:
Bill, I decided to copy some of his commentary,
Uh, wow, Dan..... I am glad you kept your cut & paste short for us netbook guys!
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
0 -
Bill Turner said:
Dan, I had the first 3 volumes of Matthew by Fowler but was missing the last volume. I was pleasantly surprised to find it still available from college press new for $5! It just arrived last week.
You do realize everyone who purchased that volume by subscription in the 1970's is a little jealous at the cheap deal you got. They were going for $20~$30 per volume (and that was 1970's dollars when gasoline was $1.00 a gallon!)
I want to stress to those eyeing the Pre-Pub pricing that $229 is really a great deal for what we will be getting. Bill's super find of $5 for the one hardback is artificially low, and very fortunate for him. [:D]
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
0 -
Your so right Super Tramp, I was fortunate to find the one volume I was missing and for such a low price! This collection was handed down to me by my uncle Jim Turner, a faithful servant of God and gospel evangelist who passed away last year. I am truly blessed to have this resource and it means even more that it was passed down from Jim and recommended by my dad. I'm signed up for the LOGOS edition because it's that good! As a new gospel evangelist, I've benefited greatly from it. Some of the authors are available already in LOGOS such as James E. Smith and Wilber Fields.
Thanks Dan for the excerpt, very helpful!
0 -
Super Tramp said:Dan DeVilder said:
Bill, I decided to copy some of his commentary,
Uh, wow, Dan..... I am glad you kept your cut & paste short for us netbook guys!
yeah, ummmm, it was a tad long, eh? But Jim found it helpful! (or, he was just being nice . . . [:)])
I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
0 -
Dan DeVilder said:
(or, he was just being nice . . .
Jim is very nice. [:D]
You're cool Dan.[;)] Anything to keep this resource visible.
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
0 -
I have a complete set of these commentaries if you would like to have them. They are free to anyone who can use them. They are located in Wilmington, NC
0 -
Matthew C Jones said:Dan DeVilder said:
(or, he was just being nice . . .
Jim is very nice.
You're cool Dan.
Anything to keep this resource visible. ...i miss you, buddy...
I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
0
