Matthew and the Birth of Jesus

by Doy Moyer Matthew describes the birth of Jesus succinctly and factually: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way” (Matthew 1:18). This is after he has spent time on the genealogy of Jesus, showing that He is the rightful King descended through the line of David. He is expressly called “the…

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He Got Up and Followed Him

by Doy Moyer Think about this for a moment. Jesus passed by “Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’ And he got up and followed Him” (Mark 2:14). What an impression Jesus must have already made on Levi (Matthew) to cause him to get up…

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Don’t Be a Victim

 by Perry Hall The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), in modern lingo, teaches these two counter-culture concepts: Suffering doesn’t make you a victim when you find your blessing from God and not circumstances. Victimizing others doesn’t make you powerful when your victims refuse to get their dignity through your oppressive eyes. Check out the…

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Why does Matthew quote Zechariah but attributes it to Jeremiah?

Question: Hello brother, I have a question about Matthew 27:9. A brother from church pointed out this verse where it says that it references Jeremiah, but I can’t find that reference anywhere. Instead, I found it in Zachariah. Do you know why this is? Answer: “Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was…

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Is it “end of the world” or “end of the age”?

Question: Hello, My son has fallen into the web of denominational teachings, including some off-the-wall organizations with the typical anything-goes philosophies, premillennialism, rapture, etc. He and I have finally begun to discuss the truth with the myths he believes. I have sent him several of your articles on the “End of Times, Rapture, etc” he…

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Examining the Great Commission

by Jefferson David Tant Among the most familiar Bible passages that are known and memorized, are the words Christ spoke to his disciples before he returned to his home that he left 33 years before. There is more to the passage than memorized words, and we want to give some thought to what Christ said.…

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Why did Jesus cite only six of the Ten Commandments to the young ruler?

Question: I visit your site often to look up topics and articles. There is very good information cited in them. I have a question, you might be able to answer. In Matthew 19:18-19, why did Jesus only cite six of the ten commandments to the rich young ruler and not all? Thanks. Answer: The account of…

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Was the great commission only commanded to the apostles?

Question: Was the great commission only commanded to the apostles? Answer: “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy…

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I’m still confused why Matthew used “Eli” while Mark used “Eloi”

Question: Your explanation of the above subject is a bit confusing because we are told that the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew to English while the New Testament was translated from Greek to English. So, I expect them to pick the pronunciation of the same words uttered before translation into English or any other language. Thanks. Answer:…

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Reading Matthew 25 as a Unit

by Matthew W. Bassford The wise and the foolish virgin by Jan Adam Kruseman, 1848 Through the years, God has managed to hammer a few insights about the Bible into my thick head. One of them is that in the gospels, the order of stories matters. It’s common for the Evangelist to arrange material so…

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Who were raised at Christ’s death and where did they go?

Question: Matthew 27:52-53 says “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” I have a friend who, based on this, believes all the Old Testament saints were raised at this…

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Lessons from Matthew

by Raymond Warfel, Jr. of Palestine, IL April 8-13, 2018 My Beloved Children (I John) Mankind Is My Business Christianity Concentrate (Matthew 5-7) Compassion (Matthew 9) This Isn’t What I Expected (Matthew 11) Does Jesus Offend You? (Matthew 15) Faith in God’s Man and Method (Matthew 16-19) Truly Great Commitment (Matthew 20)

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Your site is one of my favorites

Question: Hello, I just had to thank you again for your site. I consider it a favorite. I loved your article on Matthew 24. I think it is right on. I am in what you might call an institutional church of Christ. Thanks again. Answer: I’m glad you are finding the material useful in your studies.

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What does Jesus mean by “either in this age or in the age to come”?

Question: In Matthew 12:32 what does the phrase “either in this age or in the age to come” mean? Why in this age? Answer: Biblical history can be viewed as divided into three ages (long, indeterminate periods of time). Patriarchal Age – This was the time when the head of the family (the patriarch) was…

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Why is the last phrase in Matthew 19:9 missing in some translations?

Question: In Matthew 19:9, I can’t find the phrase “and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” in my translation. Answer: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9 NKJV). “And I say…

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Is there no proof who really wrote the four gospels?

Question: What evidence do we have that the four gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? I hear a lot of people saying they were anonymous, and we have no proof they were written by the people whose names are given to them. Answer: To claim there is no evidence would require setting terms on…

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Does Matthew 19:9 only refer to fornication prior to marriage?

Question: Hi, I am confused about your definition of porneia in Mathew 5:32 and Matthew 19:9. In your answer to the question “My wife is leaving me after only seven months of marriage. Where does this leave me?” you said that: “One of the reasons for the divorce has to be because the other person…

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Why didn’t John the Baptist get killed with the rest of the children?

Question: Why didn’t John the Baptist die, as is stated in Matthew 2:16, but lived to adulthood, baptized Jesus, and was ultimately beheaded, or is Matthew 2:16 simply wrong? Answer: When the wise men came, Herod found out where the Messiah was to be born. “And when he had gathered all the chief priests and…

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What is “Sexual Immorality” in Matthew 19:9?

by Kyle Butt, M.A. via Apologetics Press Copied by permission. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible repeatedly stresses the fact that God designed the institution of marriage (Genesis 2:22-25). He has, from the beginning of human history, given very specific ideas about what composes a divinely approved marriage (Matthew 19:1-4), consisting of one man and one woman.…

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Who was Jesus addressing in Matthew 24:45?

Question: In Matthew 24:45, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant?” Was Jesus addressing this to a particular group of people or every individual? Answer: Matthew 24 and 25 is the recorded of Jesus teaching his disciples in response to their question: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him…

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Your notes on Matthew 24 really help

Question: I am a student of Theology. I love your website. I stumbled on it through Google’s search engine while trying to research the events in Matthew 24. I appreciate your explanatory notes on the subject because it proffers a solution to the assignment given to me from school. I pray that Jesus Christ will continue to…

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Why does Matthew mention the exception to divorce but Mark and Luke don’t?

Question: Why is the exception clause “except it be for fornication” in Matthew 19:8 regarding the teaching of Jesus on divorce and remarriage not included in Mark’s account of this teaching (Mark 10:2-10) or in Luke’s account (Luke 16:18)? Answer: Each gospel account was written to different audiences with different purposes. None give a complete…

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What is meant by “so the last error shall be worse than the first”?

Question: In Matthew 27:64, what does “so the last error shall be worse than the first” mean? Answer: “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception…

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What is meant by “so the last error shall be worse than the first”?

Question: In Matthew 27:64, what does “so the last error shall be worse than the first” mean? Answer: “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception…

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Was Matthew only clarifying what Jesus said on the Cross?

Question: In Was Matthew originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic? you stated: This verse is one of several in Matthew which shows that Matthew was originally written in Greek. You see, if it was written in Hebrew or Aramaic as has been recently popular to claim, there would be no need to explain Hebrew or Aramaic phrases.…

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Why is Matthew 23:14 missing in some versions?

Question: How come every single Bible I have ever seen (I mean every kind, every version, every one) has a verse missing. The verse is Matthew 23:14. It’s like it doesn’t exist, the Bible goes 13 then 15 but no 14. Look at any Bible and I can almost guarantee that it is not there!…

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Could Matthew and John not be eyewitness accounts?

Question: My friend sent me this critique on the gospels of Matthew and John not being eyewitness accounts. He said, according to the majority viewpoint, this gospel is unlikely to have been written by an eyewitness. While Papias reported that Matthew had written the Logia this can hardly be a reference to the Gospel of Matthew.…

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Does Matthew 5:28 only apply to lusting after a married woman?

Question: I am a Christian and worship in a congregation of the Church of Christ.  I would like to ask you something, that has been vexing me for some time, and I know the general and most common answers but I would truly applicate your reply. We as a rule tend to take the most…

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Is it “Eli” or “Eloi” in Matthew 27:46?

Question: God bless you my brothers and sisters of this church. Now I noticed when I was reading one of your articles on the calling that Jesus shouted while on the cross; I noticed that you have Matthew 27:46 incorrect. What it should say is “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Not Eli. Answer: The verse is quoted correctly.…

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What does Jesus mean by the “last penny?”

Question: In Matthew 5:25-26, it reads:  “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come…

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How could “out of Egypt I have called my Son” be about Jesus?

Question: About the “from Egypt I called my son” prophecy: Was God applying the same thing to Jesus and to Ephraim? Answer: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son” (Hosea 11:1). Egypt was a nation given over to idolatry. Hence, when Israel left Egypt they also…

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Why do we cite Matthew regarding divorce since Jesus lived under the Old Law?

Question: As I understand Matthew 19:9 and Matthew 5:32 concerning divorce, Jesus is answering the Pharisees (Jews) as they were tempting him on this question. His answer was the same as the law that they were under (except for fornication). Such as in the case that Joseph thought Mary was in. Why do we in the church today…

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Is the antecedent of “it” “church” or “rock” in Matthew 16:19?

Question: A little help, please.  Where Matthew records; “….and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  What is the “it” referring to?  I have heard some say it was the “church.”  Others, that it was the “rock,” Christ. According to your studies of the Greek definition, what is the “it”? Answer: In Greek, a…

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