Mat 11:1 In light of the circumstances facing the Jewish believers at the time Matthew was writing, what is the significance that the word Jesus used in Mat 11:1 to instruct his disciples about the oppositions they would face means literally to arrange carefully or make precise arrangement, so that it came to be used…
Mat 10:32-33: What does it mean to confess Jesus before men? Cf. the two other uses in Matthew of the Greek word used here for confess, Matt 7:23 (NAS “declare”), Mat 14:7 (“promise”). Is there a difference between believing in Jesus and confessing Him? See Joh 12:42 and observe that to “confess in/with/by” (literal) another…
Mat 10:26-31 What admonition does Jesus give His disciples three times in these verses? See Mat 10:26, 28, 31. For what reason does Jesus say in Mat 10:26 they should not fear the opposition they will encounter? Need they fear the hidden plots or secret snares of men? Cf. Act 9:23-24, 29-30, 14:5-6, 20:3, 23:12-16,…
Mat 10:17-20 What encouragement does Jesus give his disciples in Mat 10:19-20 to face the inevitable oppositions they will encounter? What examples do we have in Scripture that this is true? See Joh 9:24-34, Act 4:13-14, and Paul’s defenses before the Jews, Felix, Festus and Agrippa (Act 22-26) in spite of his lack of eloquence…
Mat 10:16 How does Jesus in Mat 10:16 describe the apostles in relation to the world into which He is sending them? What is the nature of a sheep? See Isa 53:7, Jer 11:19, Mat 26:63, 27:12-14. What is the nature of a wolf? See Eze 22:27, Zep 3:3, Act 20:29. Considering how their nature…
Mat 10:5-6 Many Jews at the time Matthew was writing were rejecting the gospel because of the argument by its opponents that it was a Gentile belief, as was plain from the fact that so many Gentiles were gladly receiving it, and anything so welcome to the despised Gentiles couldn’t be for the Jews; how…
Mat 10:2-4 Was it at this time that Jesus chose the twelve apostles from among His disciples, or when? Cf. Luk 6:12-13. What is the difference between an apostle and a disciple; i.e., what is the main calling of an apostle? Hint: the Greek word apostolos means literally one who is sent out as a…
What key phrase in Mat 10:1 marks an important point of expansion in Jesus’ salvation ministry to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mat 10:6)? See Mat 7:29, 8:9, 9:6-8. What authority did Jesus give his twelve apostles, and how was this an answer to the prayer commanded in Mat 9:38? See Mat…
Mat 9:32-34 What is meant by a “dumb” (NAS, KJV) man? Note: the Greek word used (kophos) means literally dull or blunt, and may refer to one who is either deaf or mute; cf. Mar 7:32-35 and consider how being deaf and mute are related. What was the cause of the man’s dumbness? How did…
Mat 9:27-31 Consider the numerous accounts in the gospels of Jesus healing the blind: see Mat 12:22, 15:30-31, 20:30-34, 21:14, Mar 8:22-26, 10:46-52, Joh 9:1-6; what is the spiritual significance that the blind were so often objects of Jesus’ mercy (Mat 9:27) and that He seems to have had a special compassion for them (Mat…