PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2
Arthur Lukyn Williams [1853-1943] · 606,924 words · 664 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 361
ohnmbeJ', ta.king combined action a.ga.inet Christ in these subtleties, but rather asked him. for a. solution of the genera.I problem-Of Ver. 85.-A lawyer; 110µ11<~1, called by what n11.tnre was the precept which should be St. Ma.rk "a soribe "-a term of wide!' signi- regarded ea" first" (Mark) in the Law? We flonl…
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-commandml'nt; but Christ is not antisfied {l()pe. He and th~ PhAristlcls had some with propounding an absfrnct proposition; common ground, which WM ,vanting in the he shows how this great precept is to be rose of the Se.dduccrs and Hcrodinna (oomp. mede pmctical, how one command involves Acts xxiii. 6); he would us…
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ignornnce or deceU on the pn.rt or Christ: ecripte here give fnro,cJ,,.., .. ~., ,ro/fwv <1ov, i.e. either the.t he did not know the.t the Till I put thine enemie8 wndMneath thy feet. authorship we.a· wrongly e.ttributed to De.vid; Some few have both {n,""o/J,ov e.nd fnro,cd,,,,.,, ond the.t the ,pee.Im really referred…
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HOMILETICS. V ers. 1-14. -The parable of the ma,rriage f e,ast, I. THE FIRST INVITATION. 1. The King. 'l'his parable resembles t.he parable of the great supper in Luke xiv.• bu11 it was delivered at a different time, under different circumstances. It diffe~ also in its ending and in many of its details. It cannot p…
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apostles and evangelists sent forth to preach after the great Day of Pentecost. Now tho Sa.orifice had been offered, the Victim had been slain. The eternal purp<1ee of God had been fulfilled in that one sufficient Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. All things were now ready. These ot…
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<lisc0nteD'.,ed 1?usb~ndmen, eh. x_x. 13, and ?Your Lord to Judas, eh, xxvi. 60), "how cRmrst thou m hither not h1wmg a weddmg garment?" The question is gently expressed, but the negative particle used (I'¾ rx..,.,) seems to appeal to the man's consciousness; it ~eems to imply that he Wl\8 aware of his condition and…
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there nre illnny open elnners, many more utt.crly apathetic and in,lifferent, nn,1, alas I even C\mong those who outwardly obey the calling, who come to church, ancl use the appointed means of grace, even among those who come to the holy table of the Lord, there n.re (we fear, in so.dness and perplexity) not a Few w…
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\at€ the conduct of men in all ages. "Render therefore unto Cmsl\r the things which are Crosar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Crosar had hie rights; the fact that his coin was current in Palestine showed that ihe Jews were under his govern- ment, under the protection of his laws. The Lord does not enter i…
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II. Tm: LoRn's REPLY. 1. To their question. "Ye do err," he said. They were wandering thie way and that, far from the truth ; and the cause of that error wa~ : (1) Their ignoranc11 of the Scriptures. We observe that the Lord did not attribute the error of the Sadducees to their rejecUon of an oral Mosaic tradition, wh…
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Vers. 34-46.-17ie Pharisees. I. THE QUESTION OF THE LAWYER. 1., The gather- i11g of the Pharisees.. The multitude were astonished at the wisdom, the deep and: holy teaching, of the blessed Lord. He had answered the pretended diffioulties-ofthe: Sadduoees, and had proved the great doctrine of the resurrection from the v…
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ments. We must not be contented with our spiritual state unless we are sincerely anrl earnestly striving to obey it. The measure of that love is the measure of the whole heart and soul and mind: the heart, the centre of our being; the soul, the seat ol the affections and desires; the mind, the home of thought and re…
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HOMILIES DY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-14.- Tlie marriage feast. The opening of this parable reminds us of the feast of wisdom in the Book of Proverbs (ix, 1-6), But there is an advance beyond the Old '.l'estament ideas. Now the interest is no longer centred in the abstraction "wisdom," but the ~ing and his son, represe…
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Vera. 15-22.-Tribute ta Oresar. It is ea.ey to aee the trap that the Pharisce11 induced the Harodians to set for our Lord. If he refused to sanction the paying of tribute to Cmsar, ho could be accused of sedition against the Roman government; if he consented to sanction it, he could be held up to tb.e Jews as unpatriot…
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love _and faith as ~he God of our fathers, _Still, lt may be 111\ld, while thie helps us ln- relat1on to God, 1t d?8e not reveal anyth1!1-g concerning the present existence of the blessed dead. We thmk of God as he waa 111 relation to those departed tnen • thus we come to a certain knowledge of God; but this rests e…
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•.ho child of love. Our love to God is a. reflection of Go<l's love to us; it is our re;,po1is,, tu bis goodness a.nd kindness. 2. He claims love. God is not indifferent to our a.tti- tudo towards him. He cannot be if he loves ns. In his own wonderful fatherly love ho seeks the affection of his children, Therefore a co…
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Vers. 1-13.-.E.r,eu,ses. I. One of the commonest excuses which men make to themselves for not 11.CCPpting God's salvation is THE DESIRE TO l\lAKE SOME KIND 01!' !'REPARATION FOB COMING TO CHRIST. .. How can I come, who have no conviction o, sin, no deep repentance, no earnestness?" But uniformly in God's Word salvat…
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But nport from the donger, your first question oucrht to be in this a.!! in all other matters, "le it my duty to delay? What ought I n;w to do?"-D. Vere. 15-33.-Question of the Badducees: "Whose shall she be 1" The attempt 0f the Pharisees to ensnare our Lord in his talk Wa.!! the result of a meeting called for the pu…
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all without including the 'l'Rtisfaction of our best aff'~ctions and the eJtercise of our highest p0wers. No satisfactory idea of salvation can be cherished which doos not include the prospect of a time when we can frame a life for ourselves according to our late acquired wisdom and our fruitless repentance here. Bu…
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punfsl,ed accordingly, (1) The murdorere were destroyed. The Romans were God's armies sent in his wrath to destroy them. The Assyrian armies were the rod of hi~ Qngor against Ephraim (~ee Isa. x. 5). The Medes and Persians were the armies of God's wrath against Babylon (see Isa. xiii. 4, 5). The angels of famine, pesti…
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image and titles to be stamped on the current coin is by those who use it acknow- ledged as the ruler. (2) The issue was whether by a joint effort of the nation it was not their duty to God to throw off the Roman yoke. It involved many considera- tions, such as: (a) The origin of the Roman power. (b) The manner in w…
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1111persoription. By Christ kings reign. His religion is no enemy to civil government (see Rom. xiii. 1). Cmsar is to claim nothing but what is "Cresar's." He is neither to claim, nor are we to render to him, what is "God's." (2) Cresar may claim honour, v.iz. in return for the government protection afforded to life, p…
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that ye might h!lve life" (~ee John v. 39, 40). (2) All dest.itute of this covenant life of purity are dead-" dend in trespasses and sins," obnoxious to be treated BB the MCrifices had been (cf. Eph. ii. 12; Jer. xxxiv. 18, 19). Those who despise the over- )11Bting covenant e.re liable to the "much sorer punishment" of…
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commandment, some the law of sacrifice, some that of circumcision, and some pleaded for the wearing of phylacteries. They now referred the resolution of this vexed question to Jesus, who astonished them by giving precedence to love. The Talmud reckons the commandments at six hundred and thirteen; of which three hundred…
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Vers. 41-_46.- Wisdom's question. In teaching hie interrogators to love God, Jesus proceeds ~ d1:;ect them to the God theY, ought to love. This question1 "What think ye of Christ? was put to a representative assembly-Herodians Sadducees scribes or Ke.mites. and especially Phe.risees, beside his disciples and the people…
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ransom." 3. As the Christ he is O'lllT King. (1) He is the King of glory. Sitting on the r!ght hand implies partici,IJatio~ in th~ reg~f. power. But th_e _Lord of ~avid is on the right hand of Jehovah. (2) His rule 1s spmtual. The domrn10n to which David himself is subject implies a heavenly King and a heavenly kingdom…
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Ver. 9.-The free invitatwn of the gospel. There is an immedie.te reference to those whom our Lord addressed in this parable. He was speaking to men who prided them- selves on being in the specie.I favour of God-God's invited guests. Our Lord was bringing home to their hearts the consequences of the Jewish neglect of Go…
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or rune in harmony with, the things our Lord ie enforcing. It seems as if it suddenly etruck our Lord that what be bad been saying was open to misconstruction. "The perception of the abeolute, unconditioned freedom of entrance, the sense borne in on their mind that they were the objects of God's love and invitation, mi…
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I. CHRIBT1B REPROACH. "Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?" Tl::ls must han annoyed them, and made them fear that they would do but little with him, Thm impressed the people, who were listening, and made them feel sure that he was more th1m a match for the entanglers. II. CIIRIBT's REQUEST. "Show me a penny." As it had t…
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common, earthly, sensual relRtions and associations; but man does not become true man save as he rises a.hove these, and, by the help of them, conceives the "uns-een.'1 It is the glory of man that he is able to create in imagination what he has never seen realized in fact. He can think of relations between beings in wh…
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permanently divided into sexes. They had to learn that souls have ,w sex, so their quest.ion, so far as it applied to them, was absurd,-R. T, Ver. 42.-0ur thoughts of Ohrist's &mhip. "What think ye of Christ? whose Son is he?" 'l'his is what may be called a Socratic dialogue. Our Lord asks questions, and leads his he…
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judge and lawgiver. Thie le elater! u.e an in stern language such inooneietent pro- nndoubted fe.ct (l1<d8ur ..11), with no idea or fessora (Rom. ii. 21-23). blame attached. Literally, ,at on the ,eat of Ver. 4.-Bind heavy burden■ and griev- Mo,e, from time immemorial. Tbcee (mean- ou~ to be borne; Bv,r/Jd!T'l'lll<'Tll…
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by aelf-eooking 11nd ambition. They never sacred Law. They e.re also intended to re- penetrated beyond externalism. See this mind ne of the goodness of the Almighty in spirit reproved in the sermon on the mount having delivered our forefathers from the (eh. vi. 1, 2, etc.). " They loved the glory slavery in Egypt." …
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elples 11, leeeon in humility. The pr~oun (Ka871i"1-r1)t Lwder), even [the] Christ. Hera ie emphatie, "But ye, be not ye oailed." Jesus e.nnomces himself, not only e.s their They are not to be eager for auch die- Teacher, but e.s the Messiah, their Ruler and tinclioue, indiOBtive of spiritual superiority, Guide, He i…
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di(ltiona and the woes; bnt it is not very Ver. U.-Seco,id IDOIJ-&gaiust rape.oity ,;u(lc,el!l!ful, being often forced and nnnatur&l; and hypocrisy. There is some doubt about nnd it is better to regard the oontrBBt in a the genuineness of this verse, and our Re- general view, and not to attempt to press it visers ha…
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Jewish religion, and In some cu.ses the tnres which they tanght, and the ritual of enforcement of oiroumcision on vu.nquished which they were the expwents. The Lord enemies (see 'Ant.,' xviii. 3, 5; xx. 2. 4; repeats the epithet" blind" (vere. 17, 19, 24). 'Bell. Jud ..' ii. 17. 10; 'Vita,' § 23). Whosoever shall sweu.…
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lme altar eho 11 be holy" (oomp. Ezek. xli. 8), and wae hnng np in tho synagogue for 22). The off,·ring is one with tho alt.&r. its frngrance. "Anise" ('1"'1160~) is known Ver. 20.--Sweareth by it, eto. One can to us as " dill," and is mncb used in see what an inveterRte evil our Lord wu medicine and for seasoning. …
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must be taken as eipreeeive or the fastidious- wherover it goes. "Keep thy heart with ness whioh had to make a strong effort to all diligence; for out of it are the issues of e-veroome its dietnate at thia little insect. life" (Prov. iv. 23). The wino, before drinking, wo.s carefully Vers. 27, 28.-Snenth woe-against…
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ing themselves from the guilt of their fore- Thi.a i■ the only means to eeoape the damna- fathel'II wu by hearkening to those who tion of hell; but how rare is thl.a grace after now pree.ohed the gospel of aalvation-the a phe.risaical life I" (Quesnel). Hypooriay very last thing which they were pnrposed is a bar to …
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tation beoomeajudgment. To have B man'■ ture, and regarding the Book! or Chronicle■ blood upon oue'a head ia to be helcl guilty BB the conclusion of Jewish history. Thia of the orl.me of murder, and lo be liable to (thongh it would exclude the murder of make the required atonement for it. Bo in other prophet&, e.g. Jer…
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city on a.n;ither oo088ion Christ had need and cbe.titisement, impenetrable to Jong- the same words (Luke xiii. 84, 85) ; he re- suffering love, ungrateful for meroies, the peats them now a.e he takes hie final fa.re. Jews repulsed all efforts for their amend- well He speaks with Divine tenderness, ment, and blindly…
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expounded the Low. Therefore the Lord enjoined obedience to their precepts. But we must mark the word "therefore." They were to be obeyed because they sat in Moses' seat-as the successors, in some sense, to his. authority, as the expounders of his Law. Bo far they were to be obeyed; but not, the Lord himself elsewhere …
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"Be not ye called Rabbi" the Lord said. There is one Teacher, one Father, one Master. The Lord's peopie must not seek for distinctions, for pre-eminence; they are all brethren. We are not t.o take the words literally. To do so would be to follow the Pharisees. They wer_e slaves of the letter; the Lord's lessons are spi…
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Is the father of lies. God loveth truth. These hypocrites, the Lord said, shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. The kingdom of heaven was the Christian Church which the Lord had come to establiah upon earth. There were multitudes willing to listen to the gospel of the kingdom, ready to enter in. But the Pharisees …
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ditions of our human nature it is necessary for ua that. special places should be dedi- cated to hie service, and associated in our thoughts with bis presenee and his worship. 'l'he sacredness of thing& or places is derived entirely from that association with God•s presence and service. Then to swear by them-by the …
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are tho good people?' They will be Moses and Joshua, but not Samuel. Ask in the times of Christ, and they will be all the former prophets with Samuel, but not Christ and bis aposLles." May the Lord save ue from this spirit of unworthy jealousy, and teach us to honour goodness, not only in the remote distance, which ie …
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He sorrows over the whole city, not only for the ecribee and Pharisees whose hypocrisy be had denounced ; bis glance takes in the whole population, the poor and ignorant as well as the rich and learned; the deceived 611 well 611 the deceivers, His glance takes iD all times, not only the present rejection of his grac…
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I. THE OBBATI0N 01!' NEEDLESS BURDENS. 1. Their character. These burdens are ofvu.rious kinds, (1) VellBtious observances. Rites of religion hu.ve been multiplied and elaborated, until, ceasing to ~erve their true end as instruments of devotion, they hu.ve checked the worship they could not sustain. (2) Difficult doctr…
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Ver. 13.-The woe of the hypocrites. A most important part of the work of Christ was to expose the utterly false and worthless character of the venerated religious leaders of his day. It was a thankless task, one that brought odium on the head of its Author. A weaker man would have shrunk from it, and a less sensitive m…
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to stmin out the gnat and yet to swallow the camel. They would be vrrry careful in avoiding minute formal improprieties, while they committed great sins without compunction. I. THE EVIL HABIT. rhis is seen in many forms to-day, 1. In rrwral wnduct. People are found to be very scrupulous about points of politeness, and…
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before recognizing the merits of the best men. The applause that 11ursts out so rapturously after they have left the BI.age is of no comfort to them now, It would have been better t-0 have shown them more kindness during their lifetime. In homelier regions much heartbreaking might be spared, and many bitter regrets av…
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hie saving grace. But at last the end bas come. The day of grace must be fol10wed by the day of judgment. 2. Even OhriBfB desire to save may be jrU1Jtrated. It is not enough to know that he yearnB to eave. Men may be lost now, as Jerusalem was lost. 3. Obstinate refection of Christ will lead to ruin. Man's will may thl…
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Vers. 1-12.-Ethics of authority. After Jesus had put the Jewish sectaries to silence, he addressed his disciples and the people, who had witnessed his encounters, as to how they should deport themselves in respect to the scribes and Pharisees. L SECULAll AUTHORITY SHOULD BE RESPECTED. 1. Jewish magistrates were to b…
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literally interpreted Exod. xiii. 16 and Deut. vi. 8, and wore scrolls of paper or parch- ment with t~xts of Scripture written on them, bound round their wrists and forehead,i. 'l'he fringes on their garments, which God enjoined upon the Israelites to remind them of doinl!: all the commandments (see Numb. xv. 38), they…
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their prey on the earth, some widow's ho11Be" (Henry). (4) Some think it probable that the scribes and Pharise01 eold their "long prayers," as the Romish priests sell their Masses. Through sympnthy.for their deceased husbands, widows might fall easy victims t.o the avarice of those who" make merchandise of souls." 2. I…
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hypocrite he affects to scorn, In rejecting and crucifying the Just One. All sinnere will have "their portion with the hypocrites" (see oh. x.xiv. 61).--J. A. M. Vera, 16-22.-Bwearing, From the doing, of the soribes and Pharisees the Lord Jl88&es to their teaching; and be commences with their refinement in respect to…
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to him (cf. 1 Cor. vii. 14; Titue i. 15). (3) "By all things thereon." The substitu- tion of this phrase here for the gold suggests a reference to the sacred fire, and to the ministration of the priests. Appurtenances pass with the principal (cf. Ps. xxvi. 6; xliii. 4). (4) A.11 forms of oaths are by God reduced to the…
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"Ne.tnro, like a bee.nteoua WAIi, Doth oft close in pollution." (Shakespeare.) {2) As an adorned tomb la but the gamiture of death e.nd corruption, so is tho external sanctity of the Pharisee in disgusting contrast to his inward turpitude. (3) The meat .and drink in the platter and cup, externally so scrupulously cl…
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.fa(hers of the wicl.,ed wue th6 pers_ecut<>rs of the good. (1) The older Pharisees wero- gmlty of the blood of the more auc1eut.,,prophet-~. Rulers, civil and ecclooiastic:\l alike, :;er_e persccutor_e. N?te ;, (a) Rulers _are generally what the people will have them. ~1ke people, hke priest. (cf. Isa.. xxiv. 2; Je…
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children In the Roman invasion. (r.) As the Babylonians did not demolish the first temple until after the Sbechinah had abandoned it, so neither did the Romans destroy the second temple until after Jesus had left it. (3) It is remarkable that, in leavina the temple, he followed the course indicated by the Shechinah (Ez…
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they readily take up the idea. that it is permissible in themselves, and 80 Ohrist'a truth is dishonoured and his service misoonceived.-R. T. Ver. 5.-Thefascination of human praue. "All their works they do for to be seen of men." It is right for us to desire acceptance and favour with our fellow-men, The desire for …
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Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.