Bible Studies in the Gospel of Matthew

I

Matthew 1:1: Christ manifested in the flesh. By nature we are biased in favor of something that is not true. We are big hypocrites; therefore it is also written to God’s people to put off lying, hypocrisy, and guile! We cannot put off something we do not have. When we read that Jesus was the Son of David, we think “kind of.” When we think about being kings and priests, we think “pretend”—until God has done a work in us so that we believe it. Romans 1:3-4: Not a “pretend” brother, but a brother in truth. He put on flesh and blood just like ours, a self-will, an “I,” just like ours. Having sin is not the same as sinning. To sin is to follow your inclinations. 2 Timothy 2:8: He was raised from the dead because He was of the seed of David. Acts 2:22, 29-30: Jesus was accused because He said that He was the Son of God; we are accused because we say that He is the Son of Man. Isaiah 11:1-2, 10: The term “Gentiles” refers to all the nations except the Jewish people. Isaiah 53:2: Jesus was the first One to partake of a divine life that grew out of dry ground, and we follow Him. It is watered by God’s grace and power, and so it grows. Dry ground means unfruitful. If Christ had a holy flesh, or a divine flesh, who would then dare to call it dry ground? Acts 3:22. Deuteronomy 18:15: Christ is our real brother. (The same flesh and blood, the same spirit; He is not a “pretend” brother.) Hebrews 2:11-18: Why is He not ashamed to be called our brother? Because He is our brother as truly as we have received the same Spirit and we walk in Him. With a crucified flesh, we are members of His body. Adam before the Fall was immortal. V. 16. 1 John 3:17-18.

Matthew 13:55: Because Joseph was Mary’s husband, Jesus was called the carpenter’s Son, but that is not what He was. From His birth, Christ was like we are from the time when we are born again. Isaiah 7:14: See how it was prophesied about Him long ago. Jesus began His life among animals; He was born in a small town; He didn’t own as much as a fox or a bird owns, as long as He lived; He ended His life on Calvary outside Jerusalem between two criminals in a place of reproach. By this He has shown us that we have no use whatsoever for cultured, great, fine, mighty, noble, beautiful, and learned people: we must follow Him.

Numbers 12:6-7: When God speaks to us through a dream or a vision, it is because we cannot hear or understand His will directly by means of the Word and the Spirit. It is actually not praiseworthy. Job 33:15.

Matthew 2:16: Herod wanted to search for the Child in order to kill Him; this also applies to all the life of Christ that is born into the world. As soon as people discover the life of Christ in us, they begin to persecute it in order to kill it; but just as they were unable to kill the Child Jesus, so they will not be able to kill this life in us. Thanks and praise!

II

John was a man of the Spirit who was given a tremendous task. He didn’t have time for all the usual hustle and bustle. He would have lost spiritual strength and fullness by being in the city, eating and dressing like the others, and interacting with them on a daily basis on a human level. If you can be as dead as a doornail among them, that is the same as being in the wilderness. 2 Timothy 2:4: The more interested we are in the things of this world, the more we take from the time and the strength that should have been used for the kingdom of God. The habitual, earthly pursuit of food, clothing, talk, etc., steals a huge amount of strength and energy, far more than we suspect. 2 Thess. 3:11.

He sensed his great unworthiness when compared to Christ, in spite of his great spiritual strength and his extreme life of self-denial. He was very humble. Seeing that he was such a great man of the Spirit, what then can we not attain to?

Spirit and life correspond to grace and truth. John 1:17.

There is no mercy in truth or in fire; fire consumes. The truth divides, separates, enlightens, and consumes. We enter into many temptations when the truth judges us severely, likewise when we encounter a person who tells us the truth. God is the Chief Shepherd, and He has oversight over all of us, even if the shepherd is bad. We need to sense God’s grace, His goodness, mercy, forbearance, and longsuffering with us, but also the truth, and we should treat others in the same way. The baptism of the Spirit is the baptism of grace; the baptism of the truth is like fire. The Pentecostals emphasize the baptism of the Spirit, but they reject the fire. They teach that in order to receive the baptism of the Spirit you have to surrender completely on the altar; then the fire will consume everything; and then they are finished with the fire. They hold on to the forgiving grace but deny the chastening grace. The truth of life is the fire; for example, “Do not show partiality!” “Love of money.”

Everything is top quality, the height of perfection; there is room only for thanksgiving and praise if we are wholeheartedly for Him. Ephesians 5:18-21: This also describes the fire. Be filled with the Spirit so it becomes like that. We can easily be in subjection to one another precisely because the fire consumes arrogance, conceit, and the love to quarrel, etc. Greed, wantonness and covetousness have to be burned up so we can be thankful for all things; otherwise it will be only a thankfulness that is mouthed, which is the same as hypocritical politeness. The Spirit shows me the way; the fire burns up everything that hinders me from going on the way. Jude 16: People are full of unbelief; they flatter people for the sake of gain, in order to get something. In the Old Testament it is written about 400-500 false prophets who prophesied lies and flatteries, and that the people liked it that way.

It is terrible to hear those who say they have gone the whole way when they were saved, baptized, and baptized in the Spirit. All they have done is entered a covenant, but keeping it is the way. It is vital to be filled with the Spirit so that there will be a complete end to murmuring, complaining, envy, anxiety—even all sin. The baptism of the Spirit is the end of the Pentecostals’ doctrine, but according to God’s Word it is the beginning of living, as the Word says. When you build a house and begin at the end, what becomes of the building? Nothing!

We are filled with power by being baptized with the Spirit (Acts 1:8), receiving the gift of tongues (2:4), the gift of prophesy, visions, and dreams (2:17-18), the spirit of faithfulness and prayer (2:42), the spirit of oneness and redemption from earthly bonds (2:44), boldness to speak God’s word and to testify (4:31), faith (11:24), praise (10:46), intensity, truth, fire (13:9-10), and joy (13:52).