The New Testament and Psalms, with references

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CHAPTER 2. Visit of the Magi

NOW when Jesus was A; bom in Bethlehem of Judsea in the days of ^ Herod the king, be-

1(1. 16). Six Marys are to be distinguished: (i) [Mary the mother of Jesus; always clearly identified by the context. (2) Mary Magdalene, a woman of Magdala, "out of whom went seven demons" (Lk. 8. 2). She is never mentioned apart from the identifying word "Magdalene." (3) The mother of James (called "the less," Mk. 15. 40) and Joses, the apostles. A comparison of John 19. 25, Mt. 27. 56, and Mk. 15. 40 establishes the inference that this Mary, the mother of James the less, and of Joses, was the wife of Alphaeus (called also Cleophas, John 19. 25), and a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. Except in Mt. 27. 61, and 28. i, where she is called "the other Mary" (i.e. "other" than her sister, Mary the Virgin); and John 19. 25, where she is called "of (Cleophas," she is mentioned only in connection with one or both of her sons. (4) Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, mentioned by name only in Lk. 10. 39, 42; John 11. i, 2, 19, 20, 28, 31, 32, 45; 12. 3, but referred to in Mt. 26. 7; Mk. 14. 3-9. (5) The mother of John Mark, and sister of Barnabas (Acts 12. 12). (6) A helper of Paul in Rome (Rom. 16. 6).

2(1. 16). The changed expression is important. It is no longer, "who begat," but, "Mary, of whom was born Jesus." Jesus was not "begotten" of natural generation.

3(1. 16). Christ (C/zr/5/o5=anointed) , Greek form of the Hebrew "Messiah" (Dan. 9. 25, 26), is the official name of our Lord, as Jesus is His human name (Lk. 1. 31; 2. 21). The name, or title, "Christ," connects Him with the entire O. T. foreview (Zech. 12. 8, note) of a coming Prophet (Deut. 18. 15-19). Priest (Psa. 110. 4), and King (2 Sam. 7. 7-10). As these were typically anointed with oil (1 Ki. 19. 16; Ex. 29. 7; 1 Sam. 16. 13), so Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Mt. 3. 16; Mk. 1. 10, 11; Lk. 3. 21, 22; John 1. 32, 33), thus becoming officially "the Christ."

4(2. i). Herod the Great, son of Antipater, an Idumean (see Gen. 36. i, note), and Cypros, an Arabian woman. Antipater was appointed Procurator of Judaea by Julius Caesar, B.C. 47. At the age of fifteen Herod was appointed to the government of Galilee. B.C. 40 the Roman senate made him king of Judaea. An able, strong, and cruel man, he increased greatly the splendour of Jerusalem, erecting the temple which was the centre of Jewish worship in the time of our Lord.

2 2]

ST. MATTHEW.

[2 17 hold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born 1^ King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and 2 scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where & Christ should bebom.

5 And they said imto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: ^for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 dAnd thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall ^rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have foimd hin^i, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the yovmg child was,

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and

6 Lit. the Christ.

c Christ {First Advent).

d Quoted from Mic. 5.2.

/Lit. an angel.

g Lit. by the Lord through the prophet.

h Quoted from Hos. 11.1.

fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

I And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The night into Egypt.

13 And when they were departed, behold, / the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying. Arise, and take the yotmg chUd and his mother, and fiee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the yoimg child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken ^of the Lord by the prophet, saying, s/jQut of Egypt have I called my son.

Herod's slaughter of the innocents.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and imder, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which

1(2. 2). "The King" is one of the divine titles (Psa. 10. 16), and is so used in the worship of the church (1 Tim. 1. 17), but Christ is never called "King of the church." He is "King of the Jews" (Mt. 2. 2) and Lord and "Head" of the church (Eph. 1. 22, 23). See "Church" (Mt. 16. 18; Heb. 12. 23).

2(2. 4). Gr. grammateis, "writer." Heb. sopherim, "write," "set in order," "count." The scribes were so called because it was their office to make copies of the Scriptures; to classify and teach the precepts of the oral law (see "Pharlisees," Mt. 3. 7, note), and to keep careful coiint of every letter in the O.T. i vrritings. Such an office was necessary in a religion of law and precept, and was an O.T. function (2 Sam. 8. 17; 20. 25; 1 Ki. 4. 3; Jer. 8. 8; 36. 10, 12, 26). ! To this legitimate work the scribes added a record of rabbinical decisions on I questions of ritual (Halachoth) ; the new code resulting from those decisions ;(Mishna); the Hebrew sacred legends (Gemara, forming with the Mishna the Talmud); commentaries on the O.T. (Midrashim) ; reasonings upon these I (Hagada) ; and, finally, m^^stical interpretations which found in Scripture mean- I ings other than the grammatical, lexical, and obvious ones (the Kabbala) ; not ! unlike the allegorical method of Origen, or the modem Protestant "spiritual- 1 izing" interpretation. In our Lord's time, to receive this mass of writing I superposed upon the Scriptures was to be orthodox; to return to the Scriptures ! themselves was heterodoxy — our Lord's most serious offence. ■ 3(2. 15). The words are in Hos. 11. i, and the passage illustrates the truth i that prophetic utterances often have a latent and deeper meaning than at first [appears. Israel, nationally, was a "son" (Ex. 4. 22), but Christ was the 1 greater "Son." See Rom. 9. 4, 5; Isa. 41. 8, with Isa. 42. 1-4; 52. 13, 14, where the servant-nation and the Servant-Son are both in view.

I 3

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ST. MATTHEW.

[3 7 was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

i8 ^ In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

The return from Egypt to Nazareth (Cf. Lk. 2. 39, 40).

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an & angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that ^ Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might a Quoted

from Jer.

note. cSon of

Herod the

Great (Mt.

Malthace, a

Samaritan

woman.

Deposed

A.D. 6. d See Acts

17.30, note, e Repentance.

Acts 17.30.) f Kingdom

28.) g Gospel, vs.

Rev. 14. 6.) h Jehovah.

Cf.Isa.40.3. iSin. Rom. 3.

23, note.

be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. He shall be called a Nazarene.

Chapter 3

Ministry of John the Baptist (Mk. 1. 3-8; Lk. 3. 2-17; John 1. 6-8, 19-28).

TN those days came John the -*■ Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And <Zsa3dng, ^Repent ye: for /the 1 kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the ^Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and aU the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their tsins.

7 But when he saw many of the 2 Pharisees and sSadducees come

1(3. 2). (i)_This phrase (literally, kingdom of the heavens), is peculiar to Matthew and signifies the Messianic earth rule of Jesus Christ, the Son of David. It is called the kingdom of the heavens because it is the rule of the heavens over the earth (Mt. 6. 10). The phrase is derived from Daniel, where it is defined (Dan. 2, 34-36, 44; 7. 23-27) as the kingdom which "the God of heaven" will set up after the destruction by "the stone cut out without hands" of the Gentile world-system. It is the kingdom covenanted to David's seed (2 Sam. 7. 7-10, refs.); described in the prophets (Zech. 12. 8, note)] and confirmed to Jesus the Christ, the Son of Mary, through the angel Gabriel (Lk. 1. 32, 33).

(2) The kingdom of heaven has three aspects in Matthew: (a) "at hand" from the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist (Mt. 3. 2) to the virtual rejection of the King, and the announcement of the new brotherhood (Mt. 12. 46-50; (&) in seven "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," to be fulfilled during the present age (Mt. 13. 1-52), to which are to be added the parables of the kingdom of heaven which were spoken after those of Mt. 13., and which have to do with the sphere of Christian profession during this age; (c) the prophetic aspect — the kingdom to be set up after the return of the King in glory (Mt. 24. 29-25. 46; Lk. 19. 12-19; Acts 15. 14-17). See "Kingdom (N.T.)" (Lk. 1. 33; 1 Cor. 15. 28). Cf. "Kingdom of God," Mt. 6. 33, note.

2(3. 7). From a Heb. word meaning "separate." After the ministry of the post-exilic prophets ceased, godly men called "Chasidim" (saints) arose who sought to keep alive reverence for the law amongst the descendants of the Jews who returned from the Babylonian captivity. This movernent degenerated into the Pharisaism of our Lord's day — a letter-strictness which overlaid the law with traditional interpretations (cf. Mt. 15. 2, 3; Mk. 7. 8-13; Gal. 1. 14). The Pharisees were strictly a sect. Its members vyere "chaber" (i.e. "knit together," Jud. 20. 11), and took an obligation to remain true to the principles of Pharisaism. They were correct, moral, zealous, and self-denying, but selfrighteous (Lk. 18. 9), and destitute of the sense of sin and need (Lk. 7. 39). They were the foremost persecutors of Jesus Christ and the objects of His unsparing denunciation (e.g. Mt. 23. 13-29; Lk. 11. 42, 43).

3(3. 7). Not strictly a sect, but rather those amongst the Jews who denied the existence of angels or other spirits, and .all miracles, especially the resur-

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ST. MATTHEW.

[4 4 to his baptism, he said unto them, O ^ generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for & repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water imto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the ^Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with imquenchable fire,

Baptism of Jesus (Mk. 1. p-ii; Lk. 3. 21, 22; cf. John 1. 31-34)

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14 But John cZ forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

a Lit. progeny, b Repentance .

Acts 17.30.) c Holy Spirit.

/ Lit. This is

my Son — the

Beloved.

Eph.1.6. a Holy Spirit.

Acts 2.4.) MTemptation.

Jas.1.14.) i Satan, Gr.

diabolos, accuse!', vs.l,

1; Rev. 20. 10.) j Quoted from

Deut.8.3. k Inspiration.

1; Rev. 22. 19.) I Jehovah.

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, 1 Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all ^righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16 And 2 Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, / This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Tho temptation of Jesus (Mk. 1. 12, 13; Lk. 4. 1-13; cf. Gen. 3.6).

3 n^HEN 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 was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, K thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said. It is written, jMan shall not live by bread alone, but by ^ every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ZGod.

rection. They were the religious rationalists of the time (Mk. 12. 18-23; Acts 5. 15-17; 23. 8), and strongly entrenched in the Sanhedrin and priesthood (Acts 4. i; 5. 17). They are identified with no affirmative doctrine, but were mere deniers of the supernatural.

1(3. 15). Why one needing no repentance should insist upon receiving a rite

which signified confession (v. 6) and repentance (v. 11) is nowhere directly

explained. It may be suggested: (i) That Jesus was now to receive His

anointing with the Holy Spirit (v. 16) unto His threefold office of Prophet,

Priest, and King. In the Levitical order (Ex. 29. 4-7) the high priest was first

washed, then anointed. While Christ's priestly work did not begin till He

"offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb. 9. 14), and His full manifestation

i as the King-Priest after the order of Melchisedek awaits the kingdom (Gen. 14.

\ 18, note), yet He was then anointed, once for all. (2) But John's baptism was

\ the voice of God to Israel, and the believing remnant responded (v. 5.) It

i was an act of righteousness on the part of Him who had become, as to the

I flesh, an Israelite, to take His place with this believing remnant.

! 2(3, 16). For the first time the Trinity, often foreshadowed in the O.T., is

i fully manifested. The Spirit descends upon the Son, and at the same moment

j the Father's voice is heard from heaven.

I 3(4. i). The temptation of the "last Adam" (1 Cor. 15. 45) is best under- ! stood when contrasted with that of "the first man Adam." Adam was tempted : m his place of lord of creation, a lordship with but one reservation, the knowl- ■ edge of good and evil (Gen. 1. 26; 2. 16, 17). Through the woman he was : tempted to add that also to his dominion. Falling, he lost all. But Christ ! had taken the place of a lowly Servant, acting only from and in obedience to I the Father (Phil. 2. 5-8; John 0. 19; 6. 57; 8. 28, 54. Cf. Isa. 41. 8, note), \ that He might redeem a fallen race and a creation under the curse (Gen. 3. j 17-19; Rom. 8. 19-23). Satan's one object in the threefold temptation was to induce Christ to act from Himself, in independency of His Father. The j first two temptations were a challenge to Christ from the god of this world

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ST. MATTHEW.

[4 21

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the i^holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him. If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, &He shall give his ^angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any lime thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, dThou shalt not tempt the « Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devU taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the 2 world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith 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.

Jesus comes to Capernaum and begins His public nriinistry (Mk. 1. 14; Lk. 4. 14, is).

12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13 And leaving Nazareth, he a Sanctify, holy {things) --.T.). Mt.7.

b Quoted from Ps. 91. 11, 12.

cHeb.1.4, note.

fir Jehovah, h Quoted from

Isa.9.1,2. i Christ (First

Advent).

Acts 1.9 ) j Repentance.

30.) k Kingdom note. (Lk.l.

15.28.) fMt.3.2 note, m Peter and

John were

already disciples (John

1.35-42.)

This is a call

to service.

came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15 ^The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, bfeyond Jordan, Galilee of the i Gentiles;

16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, :/ Repent: for the fe kingdom of heaven lis 3 at hand.

The call of Peter and Andrew to service (Mk. 1. 16-20; cf. Lk. 5. 2-11).

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw ^two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

The call of James and John, sons of Zebedee.

21 And going on from thence, he to prove Himself indeed the Son of God (vs. 3, 6). The third was the offer of the usurping prince of this world to divest himself of that which rightfully belonged to Christ as Son of man and Son of David, on the condition that He accept' the sceptre on Satan's world-principles (cf. John 18. 36; Rev. 13. 8, note). Christ defeated Satan by a means open to His humblest follower, the intelligent use of the word of God (vs. 4, 7). In his second temptation Satan also used Scripture, but a promise available only to one in the path of obedience. The scene gives emphasis to the vital importance of "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2. 15).

1(4. s). In the N.T. one word, hagios, in its various forms, is rendered, 'holy," "holiness," "sanctify," "sanctified," "sanctification." Like the Heb, qodesh, it signifies "set apart for God." The important references follo\^ Mt. 4. 5, marg.

2(4.8). The word yfe05W05 means "order," "arrangement," and so, with th( Greeks, "beauty"; for order and arrangement in the sense of system are a the bottom of the Greek conception of beauty.

When used in the N.T. of humanity, the "world" of men, it is organizei humanity — humanity in families, tribes, nations — which is meant. The won for chaotic, unorganized humanity — the mere mass of men — is thalassa, th "sea" of men (e.g. Rev. 13. i). For "world" (kosmos) in the bad ethics sense, see John 7. 7. ^^fs-

3(4. 17). "At hand" is never an affirmation that the person or thing sai to be "at hand" will immediately appear, but only that no known or predicte event must intervene (Phil. 4. 5). In the knowledge of God, not yet disclosec lay the rejection of the kingdom (and King), the long period of the mysterj form of the kingdom, the world-wide preaching of the cross, and the ou calling of the church. But this was as yet locked up in the secret counse of God (Mt. 13. II, 17; Eph. 3. 3-10).

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ST. MATTHEW.

[5 15 saw other two brethren, i James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a «ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the & gospel of the <^ kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they (^brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were ^possessed with devils, and those which were limatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great /multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.