Advanced Commentary

Texts -- Matthew 6:1-22 (NET)

Context
Pure-hearted Giving
6:1 “Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people . Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven . 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving , do not blow a trumpet before you , as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth , they have their reward . 6:3 But when you do your giving , do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing , 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret . And your Father , who sees in secret , will reward you .
Private Prayer
6:5 “Whenever you pray , do not be like the hypocrites , because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you , they have their reward . 6:6 But whenever you pray , go into your room , close the door , and pray to your Father in secret . And your Father , who sees in secret , will reward you . 6:7 When you pray , do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles , because they think that by their many words they will be heard . 6:8 Do not be like them , for your Father knows what you need need before you ask him . 6:9 So pray this way : Our Father in heaven , may your name be honored , 6:10 may your kingdom come , may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven . 6:11 Give us today our daily bread , 6:12 and forgive us our debts , as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors . 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation , but deliver us from the evil one . 6:14 “For if you forgive others their sins , your heavenly Father will also forgive you . 6:15 But if you do not forgive others , your Father will not forgive you your sins .
Proper Fasting
6:16 “When you fast , do not look sullen like the hypocrites , for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting . I tell you the truth , they have their reward . 6:17 When you fast , put oil on your head and wash your face , 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting , but only to your Father who is in secret . And your Father , who sees in secret , will reward you .
Lasting Treasure
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth , where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal . 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven , where moth and rust do not destroy , and thieves do not break in and steal . 6:21 For where your treasure is , there your heart will be also . 6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body . If then your eye is healthy , your whole body will be full of light.

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

more

Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Aku Suka membagi [KJ.433]
  • Berilah, Bapa, Hari Ini [KJ.468]
  • Bila Topan K'ras Melanda Hidupmu [KJ.439] ( Count Your Blessings / When upon Life's Billows )
  • Dalam Dana Penuh Kerusuhan [KJ.260]
  • Tuhan, Pencipta Semesta [KJ.289]
  • [Mat 6:6] Alone With God
  • [Mat 6:6] He Will Meet You There
  • [Mat 6:6] ’mid All The Traffic Of The Ways
  • [Mat 6:6] Pray, Pray
  • [Mat 6:6] Pray When The Morn Is Breaking
  • [Mat 6:6] Secret Prayer
  • [Mat 6:6] Simple, Earnest Prayer, The
  • [Mat 6:8] My Father Knows
  • [Mat 6:8] Somebody Knows
  • [Mat 6:9] Eternal Power, Whose High Abode
  • [Mat 6:9] Father In Heaven, Hear Us Today
  • [Mat 6:9] Father Of All, To Thee
  • [Mat 6:9] Jesus, Kneel Beside Me
  • [Mat 6:9] The Lord’s Prayer
  • [Mat 6:10] All As God Wills
  • [Mat 6:10] His Way With Thee
  • [Mat 6:10] Lord Of Light, Whose Name Outshineth
  • [Mat 6:10] May We, Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill
  • [Mat 6:10] My God, My Father, While I Stray
  • [Mat 6:10] My Jesus, As Thou Wilt
  • [Mat 6:10] Not In Dumb Resignation
  • [Mat 6:10] O Father, Thy Kingdom Is Come Upon Earth
  • [Mat 6:10] O God, Whose Law From Age To Age
  • [Mat 6:10] O Shepherd Of The Nameless Fold
  • [Mat 6:10] Sun Is Sinking Fast, The
  • [Mat 6:10] Thy Will Be Done
  • [Mat 6:11] Be Present At Our Table, Lord
  • [Mat 6:11] O God, Thou Giver Of All Good
  • [Mat 6:14] Let Something Good Be Said
  • [Mat 6:14] Think Gently Of The Erring One
  • [Mat 6:19] How Happy Is The Pilgrim’s Lot
  • [Mat 6:19] Rise Up, O Men Of God
  • [Mat 6:20] Dear Lord, On This Thy Servant’s Day
  • [Mat 6:20] Great And Fair Is She
  • [Mat 6:20] Lift Up Your Hearts To Things Above
  • [Mat 6:20] Lord, When I All Things Would Possess
  • [Mat 6:20] How Happy Are They
  • [Mat 6:20] Vain Are All Terrestrial Pleasures

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Liturgy; Psalm 25; Matthew 24:5; Fasting is Feasting; An Exercise of Worship; What if God Had an Answering Machine?; Thirty-one New Testament Descriptions of Sinful Mankind; Matthew 6:19ff; All Forgivenesses Are Not Alike!; Ten Biblical & Practical Reasons to Give to the Lord’s Work; Why Give 10% or More of Your Income to the Lord's Work; Jesus Is King; Double-Mindedness; Charles Spurgeon; Matthew 6:3; A Kingdom Implies a King; Temptation

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The structure of 4:1-6:7 indicates that this offering has a close relationship to the sin offering. This offering removed the guilt of certain sins that involved trespassing against God. Trespassing means going beyond the lim...
  • Whereas the second commandment deals with a potential visualtemptation to depart from Yahweh, the third deals with a potential verbaltemptation. Two of the Ten Commandments affect the use of the tongue and speech: the third (...
  • The Israelites were not only to care for the Levites (14:27, 29) and the aliens, orphans, and widows (14:29) but also other individuals in the nation who were in need (15:1-18).15:1-11 "It is appropriate to deal with the law ...
  • These verses provide some insight into the godly character of Samuel's mother and her personal relationship with Yahweh. That she would offer her son to God's service for life was similar to asking that God would lead your ch...
  • Joab's masquerade proved effective. David agreed to allow Absalom to return to Jerusalem (v. 21). However even though he did not execute him, neither did David restore Absalom to fellowship with himself (v. 24). His forgivene...
  • "In the overall structure of chapters 15-20 (more precisely 15:1-20:22), the literary unit describing the return of King David' (v. 11) to Jerusalem (vv. 9-43) parallels that depicting his flight (15:13-37) caused by Absalom'...
  • In this section of chapters we have David's preparations for the fulfillment of those aspects of the covenant that extended beyond his reign. We can see David's belief that God would fulfill the rest of His promises in the wa...
  • For many years, believers regarded Ezra and Nehemiah as twin books. They called them 1 and 2 Ezra (or Esdras, the Greek transliteration of Ezra). Jerome, who lived in the fourth century A.D., gave 2 Ezra the name Nehemiah. Th...
  • The personal relationship that Esther and Mordecai had with Yahweh is a very interesting subject of study. The answer to this puzzle explains why God's name does not appear in the book and what God's purpose was in preserving...
  • God addressed Eliphaz but also had Bildad and Zophar in view. He evidently excluded Elihu because he had not misrepresented God as the other three friends had. Their error was limiting God's sovereignty. By asserting that God...
  • Notice that God began to prosper Job again after he interceded for his friends (v. 10), not just after he repented. His willingness to pray for his enemies showed the genuineness of the transformation that had taken place in ...
  • In the context the enemy of God's people is all the ungodly of the world from the beginning of history. David longed for God to save His people from these wicked antagonists. Zion was the place where the ark and the Lord resi...
  • 23:1 David compared Yahweh to a shepherd as he reviewed His blessings on his life (cf. 28:9; 80:1). This was a familiar role for David who had been a shepherd of sheep as a youth and who later became a shepherd of God's peopl...
  • The phrase "sons of the mighty"(NASB) or "mighty ones"(NIV) probably refers to the angels. The Old Testament writers called Israel God's son, but they did not refer to individual believers that way. The idea that every believ...
  • 51:18 David extended his request for personal blessing to the nation under his authority. God had promised to protect David from death. He now asked the Lord to protect His people as well.51:19 If God did so His people could ...
  • This psalm is another version of the one that appears in Book 1 as Psalm 14. David wrote it, and "mahalath"is a tune name. One interesting difference between this psalm and Psalm 14 is that this one contains the name Elohim w...
  • 72:15-17 In return for his beneficent rule the king would receive the blessing of his people. They would express their gratitude by bringing him wealth (cf. 1 Kings 10:10) and by praying for him. As a result of his good influ...
  • The writer returned to his former thought of all creation being under God's authority (vv. 4-5). He now summoned all creation to praise God at the prospect of His righteous rule. Verse 13 is one of the clearest and most thril...
  • 25:1 A group of scholars who served during King Hezekiah's reign (715-686 B.C.) added more of Solomon's 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32) to the former collection (1:1-22:16). These men lived about 250 years after Solomon. Solomo...
  • Agur began with three declarations. The subject of each is God.30:2-4 Behind this ironical section one can perhaps imagine Agur's sons claiming to be wiser than their father. Agur confessed his own limited understanding while...
  • Isaiah moved from a hymn of praise to a prayer that has two parts: present waiting for God (vv. 7-10) and future expectation from God (vv. 11-19).26:7 Presently the path of the righteous is smooth in that the trip from justif...
  • Isaiah continued to show that Yahweh was both willing and able to deliver His people, a theme begun in 42:10. He confronted the gods, again (cf. 41:21-29), but this time he challenged them to bring forth witnesses to their de...
  • The people would need to listen to and rely on God's unconditional promise, but their salvation would cost them nothing.55:1 "The introductory particle (hoi) is mainly an attention-getting device, but it expresses a slight to...
  • This transitional pericope introduces the problem that the previous sections of the book posed, which I have tried to explain just above. It also begins the explanation of the solution by placing in stark contrast two opposin...
  • Again Isaiah presented the folly of simply going through a system of worship without changing one's attitudes and conduct, especially in relationships (1:10-20; cf. Zech. 1; Matt. 5-7). In chapter 1, God threatened His people...
  • Isaiah contrasted God's conception of fasting with that of His people.58:6 The type of fasting that pleases God is giving up wickedness, oppression, enslavement, and binding of other people, not just food. Isaiah did not mean...
  • It seemed to Isaiah's audience that the promises in chapter 60 could hardly come to pass since the Babylonian exile was still ahead of them. The Lord assured them that He would surely fulfill these promises."Much of this chap...
  • God not only will be faithful to His promises in spite of Israel's unfaithfulness (63:1-65:16), but He will demonstrate His ability and desire to provide righteousness for sinful humankind by creating new heavens and a new ea...
  • 36:16-17 The Lord told Ezekiel that when the Israelites had lived in the Promised Land they had defiled it by the way they lived. They resembled a woman during her menstrual period who defiled everything she touched (cf. Lev....
  • 6:10 The new decree did not deter Daniel from continuing to pray for the welfare of the city where God had sent them into exile and for the Jews' return from exile. That this was the subject of his praying, among other things...
  • 12:9 The angel reminded Daniel that much of what he had received would remain obscure until the end time (cf. v. 4). Then people will be able to look back, marvel at the total fulfillment of prophecy, and glorify the sovereig...
  • 14:9 In that day Yahweh would rule over the whole earth. He would be the only king; there would be no others. His name would be number one in the earth; there will be no other so-called gods (cf. Deut. 6:4-5). This verse refe...
  • Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
  • I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
  • Matthew gave much prominence to Jesus' teachings in his Gospel. The first of these is the so-called Sermon on the Mount (chs. 5-7). To prepare the reader for this discourse, the writer gave a brief introduction to Jesus' mini...
  • Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
  • This brief resumé (cf. 9:35-38) stresses the varied activities and the geographical and ethnic extent of Jesus' ministry then. It sets the stage for the discourse to follow (chs. 5-7) implying that this is but a sample o...
  • The Sermon on the Mount is the first of five major discourses that Matthew included in his Gospel. Each one follows a narrative section, and each ends with the same formula statement concerning Jesus' authority (cf. 7:28-29)....
  • This pericope describes the character of the kingdom's subjects and their rewards in the kingdom.236"Looked at as a whole . . . the Beatitudes become a moral sketch of the type of person who is ready to possess, or rule over,...
  • Jesus proceeded to clarify His disciples' calling and ministry in the world to encourage them to endure persecution and to fulfill God's purpose for them."Some might think that verses 11-12 constitute the concluding Beatitude...
  • This verse summarizes all of Jesus' teaching about the Old Testament's demands (vv. 21-47). "Therefore"identifies a conclusion."Perfect"(Gr. teleios) often occurs in a relative sense in the New Testament, and translators some...
  • 6:5-6 Jesus assumed that His disciples would pray, as He assumed they would give alms (v. 2) and fast (v. 16). Again He warned against ostentatious worship. The synagogues and streets were public places where people could pra...
  • 6:16 Fasting in Israel involved going without food to engage in a spiritual exercise, usually prayer, with greater concentration. Fasting fostered and indicated self-humiliation before God, and confession often accompanied it...
  • Thus far in the Sermon Jesus urged His disciples to base their understanding of the righteousness God requires on the revelation of Scripture, not the traditional interpretations of their leaders (5:17-48). Then He clarified ...
  • 6:19-21 In view of the imminence of the kingdom, Jesus' disciples should "stop laying up treasures on earth."329Jesus called for a break with their former practice. Clearly money is not evil. The wise person works hard and ma...
  • Jesus first laid down a principle (v. 1). Then He justified this principle theologically (v. 2). Finally He provided an illustration (vv. 3-5).7:1 Jesus taught His disciples not to be judgmental or censorious of one another i...
  • This section of verses brings the main body of the Sermon to a climactic conclusion.7:7-8 In view of such hard opposition Jesus' disciples need to pray for God's help. He will always respond positively to their words, though ...
  • Matthew described Jesus' ministry as consisting of teaching, preaching, and healing in 4:23. Chapters 5-7 record what He taught His disciples. We have the essence of His preaching ministry in 4:17. Now in 8:1-9:34 we see His ...
  • Here is another of Matthew's formulas that ended a discourse (cf. 7:28-29; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). Matthew had no concern for recording what happened when the Twelve went out having received Jesus' instructions. He passed over th...
  • Matthew's record of this miracle, which all four Gospels contain, stresses Jesus' power to create, His compassion, and the disciples' responsibility to minister to multitudes as Jesus' representatives. It also previews the ki...
  • 15:10-11 Jesus had been responding to the question of His critics so far. Now He taught the assembled crowds the same lesson and at the same time gave a direct answer to the Pharisees and scribes. He responded with a parable ...
  • 16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
  • Jesus proceeded to clarify the way of discipleship. In view of Jesus' death His disciples, as well as He, would have to die to self. However, they could rejoice in the assurance that the kingdom would come eventually. Glory w...
  • Chapter 18 contains the fourth major discourse that Matthew recorded (cf. chs. 5-7; ch. 10; 13:1-53; chs. 24-25), His Discipleship Discourse. This discourse continues Jesus' instruction of His disciples that He began in 17:14...
  • From a discussion of discipline Jesus proceeded to stress the importance of forgiveness. Sometimes zealous disciples spend too much time studying church discipline and too little time studying the importance of forgiveness.18...
  • Matthew evidently included this instruction because the marriage relationships of His disciples were important factors in their effective ministries. Jesus clarified God's will for His disciples that was different from the co...
  • The Triumphal Entry happened on Monday. The cursing of the fig tree took place on Tuesday, and the disciples' mention of its withering followed on Wednesday (cf. Mark 11:1-14).78021:18-19 Jesus passed the lone fig tree somewh...
  • 23:1 As we have seen, there were three groups of people present in the temple courtyard. These were the disciples of Jesus, His critics, namely the various groups of Israel's leaders, and the crowds of ordinary Israelites. Je...
  • This lamentation should help us realize that the judgment Jesus just announced in such strong language was not something that delighted Him. It broke His heart. This is also clear from His personalizing the people in Jerusale...
  • This parable illustrates the two attitudes that people during the Tribulation will have regarding Jesus' return.24:45-47 The servants (Gr. doulos) are Jesus' disciples to whom He has entrusted the responsibility of managing H...
  • Jesus concluded the Olivet Discourse with further revelation about the judgment that will take place at the end of the present age when He returns. He had referred to it often in the discourse, but now He made it a special su...
  • 26:26 "And"introduces the second thing Matthew recorded that happened as Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover meal, the first being Jesus' announcement about His betrayer (v. 21). Jesus took bread (Gr. artos, 4:4;...
  • This pericope illustrates the importance of facing temptation with vigilance and prayer. What is more important, it reveals Jesus' attitude toward what He was about to do. Until now, Jesus seems to have been anticipating His ...
  • Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
  • Some of the other parables Jesus taught that day included the following that Matthew recorded. He taught the parable of the weeds (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43), and the parable of the yeast hidden in the meal (Matt. 13:33) to the m...
  • This is the third part of the incident centering on the cleansing of the temple (cf. vv. 12-14).11:20-21 This event happened on Wednesday morning. "Withered from the roots"means that death was spreading through the tree begin...
  • 14:3 For thematic reasons Matthew and Mark both placed this event within the story of the hostility of Jesus' enemies. It is apparently out of chronological order (cf. John 12:1). This rearrangement of the material highlighte...
  • The setting of this controversy is the same as the previous one, Levi's banquet.5:33 The religious leaders (v. 30; Mark 2:18) and John's disciples (Matt. 9:14; Mark 2:18) raised the question of fasting. They did so because it...
  • The similarities between the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and what Luke recorded in 6:20-49 seem to suggest that Luke condensed that Sermon. However the introductions to the two sections have led many students of these ...
  • Luke's version of this important address, primarily aimed at Jesus' disciples, is much shorter than Matthew's (Matt. 5:3-7:29). Matthew's account contains 137 verses whereas Luke's has 30. Both accounts begin with beatitudes,...
  • Jesus' explanation of the importance of true righteousness was the heart of the Sermon on the Mount as Matthew narrated it (Matt. 5:17-7:12). He reported that Jesus spoke of true righteousness in relation to three things: the...
  • Jesus now gave His disciples information that enabled them to understand the deeper teaching of the parable. The proclaimed Word of God does not in itself yield a uniform response of faith. Response to it is all important.8:1...
  • Luke's record of Jesus' teaching the Lord's Prayer differs significantly enough from Matthew's account that we can safely conclude that Jesus gave similar teaching on separate occasions. This repetition illustrates the import...
  • 12:16-18 Jesus told the parable of the rich fool to illustrate His point (v. 15). He presented the rich man as an intelligent farmer. The farmer did only what was reasonable. Jesus was not faulting him for his plans. Likewise...
  • 13:1 Luke linked this incident chronologically with the preceding one. Apparently messengers from Jerusalem had just arrived with news about Pilate's act. This is the usual force of the Greek verb apaggello, translated "repor...
  • Jesus' began His response to the Pharisees' rejection of His teaching by pointing out the importance of submitting to God's Word.16:14-15 Jesus rebuked His critics for their hypocrisy. They were able to explain their covetous...
  • 17:1-2 The introductory "and"(dein the Greek text, untranslated in the NIV) indicates a logical connection with what has preceded. It is inevitable that disciples retard the spiritual progress of others occasionally because n...
  • 17:7-9 Jesus told this parable to teach His disciples that warning sinning disciples and forgiving those who sinned and repented was only their duty. It was not something for which they should expect a reward from God. The Ph...
  • The superficial connection between this pericope and the preceding one is that they both contain parables about prayer. However the more significant link is the people of faith (v. 8). This parable graphically contrasts the r...
  • Luke organized his narrative so Jesus' praying in the garden follows immediately His instructions to the disciples about their preparing for the crisis to come. The present pericope shows Jesus' proper approach to it and the ...
  • Jesus proceeded to vindicate His claim that He was the One who would raise the dead and provide life (v. 25).11:38 Jesus again felt the same angry emotion as He approached Lazarus' tomb (cf. v. 33). Tombs cut into the limesto...
  • "In the Synoptic account of the events of this evening we read of a dispute among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. John does not record this, but he tells of an action of Jesus that rebuked their lack ...
  • 17:11b The title "Holy Father"appears only here in the fourth Gospel and is a reminder of both aspects of God's nature. It balances ideas of ultimate purity with intimate paternity and so prepares for what lies ahead, namely ...
  • Luke now moved from describing what took place on a particular day to a more general description of the life of the early Jerusalem church (cf. 4:32-5:11; 6:1-6). Interestingly he gave comparatively little attention to the in...
  • Before showing the guilt of moral and religious people before God (vv. 17-29), Paul set forth the principles by which God will judge everyone (vv. 1-16). By so doing, he warned the self-righteous.2:1-4 "Therefore"seems more l...
  • In the foregoing verses Paul spoke of God's plan for creation and the believer. In these verses he showed how central a place His children occupy in the plan He is bringing to completion in history.8:26 Hope helps us in our s...
  • This passage is transitional concluding Paul's defense of his apostolic authority (9:1-23) and returning to the argument against participating in cultic meals (ch. 8). Metaphors from the athletic games fill the pericope.9:24 ...
  • Paul continued to give reasons why we need not lose heart. The themes of life in the midst of death and glory following as a result of present suffering also continue.What about the believer who dies before he or she has foll...
  • Paul was not only proud of the Corinthians but he also rejoiced over the Christians in Macedonia, the Corinthians' neighbors to the north. This joy connects the present section with the former one.8:1-2 Paul tactfully began h...
  • Paul concluded his exhortation regarding the collection by reminding his readers of the benefits God inevitably bestows on those who give liberally. He did this so they would follow through with their purpose and believe that...
  • 1:17 Paul returned to his concept of God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3; cf. Matt. 6:9). He combined with this fact the idea that all glory belongs to the Father (vv. 6, 12, 14; cf. Acts 7:2; 1 Cor. 2:8).Paul as...
  • Paul had explained that Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ (2:15). Therefore he prayed that they might experience the unity that was theirs spiritually in their relations with one another. Verses 14-19 are also one sentence ...
  • 3:22 Paul probably made this section longer than the preceding two because he sent this epistle to Colosse with the Epistle to Philemon. Onesimus, Philemon's run-away slave, carried them.166Moreover there may well have been m...
  • The apostle's first positive instruction to Timothy regarding his leadership of the Ephesian church was that believers should offer prayer for all people. He gave this directive to emphasize its importance, defend its value, ...
  • Paul had not finished all he wanted to say about money, so he returned to that subject briefly with a word of instruction for the wealthy Ephesian believers. He gave these directions to balance what he had said earlier in thi...
  • 4:16 It was customary under Roman law for accused prisoners to have a preliminary hearing before their trial. At this hearing, witnesses could speak on behalf of the accused. In Paul's case no one had come to his defense. Thi...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
  • The Book of James teaches us that faith in God should result in behavior that is in harmony with God's will. The theme of the book is "living by faith"or "spiritual maturity."James' concern was Christian behavior (ethics) as ...
  • James did not want us to draw the conclusion that because God permits us to experience trials He is the source of temptation. That deduction might encourage us to give in to sin.1:13 God is never the source of temptation. He ...
  • James proceeded to explain in 1:26-2:13 what a doer of works (1:25) does.1:26 "Religious"(Gr. threskos, used here only in the New Testament) describes someone who fears or worships God. In particular, it refers to the outward...
  • 2:12 The law of liberty (1:25) is the law of God that liberates us now. It is the same as the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) in contrast to the Mosaic Law. As free as we are under the law of Christ, we need to remember that God wil...
  • 5:2 The riches that rot are presumably perishable commodities such as food and drink. Garments were one of the most popular forms of wealth in the biblical world. People used them to pay for things. They were also heirlooms a...
  • 5:7 Because of the dangers James just expounded, believers should adopt a patient attitude. The verb makrothymesate(be patient) describes "self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong."182The Lord's return is near ...
  • It is not surprising to find that James dealt with physical sickness in this epistle. He referred to the fact that departure from the will of God sets the Christian on a course that, unless corrected, will result in his or he...
  • Peter continued the exposition of Leviticus 19 that he began in verse 16.48"Peter's point is that if he and his readers have a special relationship to God by virtue of their calling and their new birth, then it is all the mor...
  • Why did Peter write more about the conduct of women (vv. 1-6) than of men (v. 7)? He evidently did so because his concern was for Christian wives who were married to pagan husbands. A Christian wife married to a pagan husband...
  • Peter drew application for his readers and focused their attention on how they should live presently in view of the future.3:11 Peter believed that an understanding of the future should motivate the believer to live a holy li...
  • John continued a structural pattern that he established in the previous section (vv. 6-7) in which he used pairs of clauses to present a false assertion followed by his correction.1:8 This second claim (cf. v. 6) is more seri...
  • 5:6 As with our dreams, John's vision contained some unusual features. John saw the Messiah as a Lamb.229The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ at His first advent, meek and submissive to a sacrificial death as our substitute (...
  • Most interpreters who see the first beast as an individual also see the second beast as one. Others who see the first beast as a power or movement tend to view the second beast similarly. Many of the Reformers identified the ...
  • In contrast to the earth-dwellers, God's people will rejoice when Babylon falls (cf. 11:10). The songs in 19:1-5 may be their response to this invitation. Heaven rejoiced over the fall of ancient Babylon too (Jer. 51:48-49).6...
  • 18:21 The angelic act of throwing the millstone into the sea is symbolic of Babylon's fate (cf. Jer. 51:63-64). As it is impossible for that huge stone to rise to the surface, so the economic system that has driven this world...
  • 22:12 Jesus Christ repeated His promise to return soon (v. 7, cf. 1:3; 22:20)."Nowhere is a date set, nor was there any definite promise that the consummation would occur within the lifetime of the first century Christians. N...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Matthew 1-8
  • Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites...
  • Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.'--Matt. 6:6.AN old heathen who had come to a certain extent under the influence of Christ, called prayer' the flight of the solit...
  • After this manner therefore pray ye.'--Matt. 6:9.AFTER this manner' may or may not imply that Christ meant this prayer to be a form, but He certainly meant it for a model. And they who drink in its spirit, and pray, seeking G...
  • Our Father which art in heaven.'--Matt. 6:9.THE words of Christ, like the works of God, are inexhaustible. Their depth is concealed beneath an apparent simplicity which the child and the savage can understand. But as we gaze ...
  • Hallowed be Thy name.'--Matt. 6:9.NAME is character so far as revealed.
  • Thy kingdom come.'--Matt. 6:10.THE Lord reigneth, let the earth be glad'; The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble,' was the burden of Jewish psalmist and prophet from the first to the last. They have no doubt of His present...
  • Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.'--Matt. 6:10.IT makes all the difference whether the thought of the name, or that of the will, of God be the prominent one If men begin with the will, then their religion will be...
  • Give us this day our daily bread.'--Matt. 6:11.WHAT a contrast there is between the two consecutive petitions, Thy will be done, and Give us this day! The one is so comprehensive, the other so narrow; the one loses self in th...
  • Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors'--Matt. 6:12.THE sequence of the petitions in the second half of the Lord's Prayer suggests that every man who needs to pray for daily bread needs also to pray for daily forgive...
  • And lead us not into temptation.'--Matt. 6:13.THE petition of the previous clause has to do with the past, this with the future; the one is the confession of sin, the other the supplication which comes from the consciousness ...
  • But deliver us from evil.'--Matt. 6:13.THE two halves of this prayer are like a calm sky with stars shining silently in its steadfast blue, and a troubled earth beneath, where storms sweep, and changes come, and tears are eve...
  • Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.' Matt. 6:13.THERE is no reason to suppose that this doxology was spoken by Christ. It does not occur in any of the oldest and most authoritative manuscripts ...
  • Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, a...
  • Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.'--Matt. 6:19-20.THE connection with the previous ...
  • For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'--Matt. 6:21.YOUR treasure' is probably not the same as your neighbour's. It is yours, whether you possess it or not, because you love it. For what our Lord means her...
Back to Commentary Page


TIP #23: Navigate the Study Dictionary using word-wheel index or search box. [ALL]
created in 0.12 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA