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Second Quarter 2016 (April–June)
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF MATTHEW
Week 9: May 21–27
COMMENTARY ON IDOLS OF THE SOUL
(AND OTHER LESSONS FROM JESUS)
Following is a combined commentary on the material included in the Bible Study Guide with references as necessary to the supplemental passages included in the E. G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all biblical quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
Saturday - 5/21/2016
“1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"·2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them·3 and said,·"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.·4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.·5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,·6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matt 18:1-6 ESV
In this passage Jesus uses a Child as an object lesson for greatness in the kingdom of heaven. The point is that greatness isn’t defined in heaven as we define it on earth. We should trust God in faith as Children do good parents.
The lesson then juxtaposes this against the ways of the world. This is a fair comparison as the values of this world are not based on scripture. One would hope that the world at least governs itself by sound reason but even in that we are not always very lucky. Faith must have an object, and in the Christian faith that object is Christ. So let this passage be a lesson to place our trust in Christ to save us from our wicked sins.
Christ is the only one who truly is Great. His humility is demonstrated in the incarnation, this is, he humbled himself and came down in human flesh crushing the head of satan with his infant feet. Then thirty three years later tearing that flesh apart for our sins. In this his greatness is imputed to us in the eyes of God.
“9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” Php 3:9 ESV
Sunday – 5/22/2016
The problem with today’s lesson is that it confesses the heresy of pelagianism. What is that? It is an ancient heresy in Christian history that denies original sin. This isn’t easy to pick out though because the heresy is hidden in some modern evangelical cliché’s.
Here is an example.
“If you are on the wrong path in your life, then that’s because you’re on your own path. The solution is simple: humble yourself and get back on God’s path through obedience to His Word.”
First let’s answer the question, what is the wrong path? What is your own path?
“1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” Eph 2:1 ESV
"None is righteous, no, not one; 11·no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12·All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Rom 3:10-12 ESV
Everyone is a sinner, we are born that way in Adams sin.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” Rom 5:12 ESV
So the answer is simple, you are on the wrong path. It’s not a question, this isn’t something to ponder or go figure out. The Bible is clear, this applies to you. The problem is that the only solution given by this study guide is to pull yourself up by your own boot straps:
“humble yourself and get back on God’s path through obedience to His Word”
Good luck with that obedience thing being the solution! Jesus says the standard is perfection!
“48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:48 ESV
Before you get all interprety with that verse first accept that Jesus qualifies perfection as the perfection of the Father in heaven. If you lower the bar of perfection he sets there, then you’re also lowering the perfection of the Father in heaven to wherever you have set that bar. This is why you are perfect in the eyes of Christ through faith. You should seek the righteousness of God, not the righteousness of yourself.
This lesson speaks of being on one of two paths, and there is truth in that concept. One path leads to hell and the other to heaven. The one you want to be on is the one that is through faith in Christ. Pulling yourself up by your own obedience will only put you in hell.
“9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” Php 3:9 ESV
Monday - 5/23/2016
This lesson is about Church discipline and forgiveness, both are very important and I believe that on the whole Mondays lesson handles the issue fairly. They also do good to point out the context of verse 20 which I wish more people did. Not that I don’t think there are not broader understandings, but lets face it, people get a great deal of mileage out of that verse that isn’t conveyed in the entire periscope.
My only concern is this comment on forgiveness near the end:
“but if we don’t forgive others the way we have been forgiven by God, we can face dire consequences”.
If by dire consequences you mean eternal wrath in hell then yes I would agree. Be careful never to lower the bar of the law. It is absolute perfection and that never changes. If you are going to be saved by your own righteousness then that is the eternal perfection you must reach on your own.
Instead I would recommend placing your trust in Christ who fulfilled that standard for you. This is not a license to sin, but he did take the penalty for you. The idea is that we do our best to always do good works because our neighbor needs them. Your neighbor needs your forgiveness and you should give them that. But we do not do good works to merit salvation. Instead, we do them out of love because we are grateful for what Jesus has done for us!
It is a subtle but theologically significant difference.
Tuesday – 5/24/2016
I appreciate how the author of this days study handled the text. They are not very clear, but he does distinguish between law and gospel in his narrative. Most notably, this story conveys the condemnation of the Law.
Based on the text I do not believe the rich young ruler kept the law even as good as he says he did. The Bible is clear that all have sinned.
"None is righteous, no, not one; 11·no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12·All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Rom 3:10-12 ESV
So from the start we see this rich young ruler is guilty of lying about his piety. Jesus points this out by then preaching the law to him. He lays it on thick and hits the ruler right where his weakness is, in his pocket book.
We do not really see the gospel taught in this passage, instead it is a heavy application of the law. And in this case it condemns the ruler as he does not turn to Christ but only to himself. His heart is hardened to the word and he walks away, much like some of the examples given in the parable of the sower (Matt 13).
Let this be a lesson to anyone, the law condemns, and if you cling to it and rely on it then it will drag you right down to hell where you belong.
Wednesday – 5/25/2016
What today’s lesson misses from the text is that the Eye of the Needle parable precedes Peter’s question. This passage lends clarity to the text that the author seems to skip over.
“23And Jesus said to his disciples,·"Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."·25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"·26But Jesus looked at them and said,·"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."·27Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Matt 19:23-27 ESV
Some try to allegorize the eye of the needle and make it as if it’s just really hard to get into heaven but you can pull it off if your clever. With this text it is best to take it at its plainest. Earning heaven by yourself is like a camel trying to walk through that tiny part of a sewing needle that you put the string through. Good luck with that. This is the same as what Jesus says in Matt 5:48
“48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:48 ESV
Keep in mind, Peter would have thought of the Rich as being the greatest. The concept of individual equality wasn’t a thing back then like we enjoy today in contemporary society. So to him, this standard Jesus is setting means that nobody at all can be saved! Even the rich!!
Peter is begging for his life!
“See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”
Peter is groping out for some kind of hope!!
In response Jesus gives Peter the Gospel, First he gives him the promise of eternal life. This is Jesus saying that it will work out in the end.
·“29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.·30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Matt 19:29-30 ESV
Then Jesus gives the parable of the labors in the vineyard. In this story the Son himself is sacrificed for the sake of the servants even though they themselves kill him. And this is what Jesus has done for us, we do not have to squeeze ourselves through the eye of a needle. Christ is our Passover lamb who has bourn our sins to the grave. And who has resurrecting conquering our own infirmities.
Thursday - 5/26/2016
My concern with today’s lesson is that it takes the historic narrative of James and John and their encounter with the Lord in Matt 20 and attempts to turn it into an allegory of your personal life and your problems.
Jesus teaches that the scriptures are about him and what he has done for you:
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.·“ John 5:39 ESV
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27 ESV
Allegorizing them into a story of yourself misses the point. Obviously there are texts that teach God’s people will go through tribulations and persecutions. But it isn’t fair to say that these are some kind of means of testing your true commitment either.
The promise is that in the end such things will be swallowed up in Christ and will no longer trouble you.
“29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” Matt 19:29 ESV
Friday – 5/27/2016
This final thought gives us a strange paradigm….
I take it from the author that we are to reject nature law as received in God’s “second book”, that being nature, and cling to the law of the Bible in it’s place as nothing else is reliable.
If he means nothing else is reliable for damning you to hell then I agree 100%!
You don’t just throw the law out there and hide the gospel. One is to lead to the other, it isn’t right to never end up there somehow. The law is to stop the mouth of the sinner so that they will be ready to hear the gospel (Rom 3:19-20). The Law reveals sin and how we don’t measure up.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not making an antinomian argument. I am just pointing out that the writer of this lesson saw fit to make you go all Friday long and not hear the gospel at all. Well if you read this commentary I am not going to let you leave without it.
“1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,·2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,·4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” 1 Cor 15:1-4 ESV
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,·9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph 2:8-9 ESV
“21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21 ESV
“9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” Php 3:9 ESV
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