Tag: The Commands of Christ

How to Avoid Being Judgmental

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Human nature encourages us to pay far more attention to the shortcomings of others than to our own faults. We tend to evaluate others on the basis of a lofty standard of righteousness that somehow is not applicable to our own performance.

The disciples of Jesus had been highly influenced by the leadership style of the Pharisees, who didn’t bring the best out in people. They were critical, picky, and thought the worst concerning people. Their ministry didn’t offer hope, but condemnation. Their criticism was spawned out of self-righteous pride. They were condescending and didn’t believe in what God could do or was doing in the lives of people.

The larger context of this passage is about proper relationships. The unChristian study revealed a lot of perception when it comes to Christianity.

  • Proper relationship with Christian brothers (Matthew 7:1-5).
  • Proper relationship with unreceptive unbelievers (Matthew 7:6) Proper relationship with God the Father (Matthew 7:7-11).
  • Proper relationship with all people (Matthew 7:12).

Our Focal Passage Today is Matthew 7:1-12 – Questions:

1. What would you say is the orientation of our church, doubting and criticizing people or believing and hoping the best for people?

2. Can you be a nonjudgmental person yet make moral and theological judgments? If yes explain why? (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, 1 Timothy 4:1-6, 6:3-5, 1 John 4:1-3, Jude 3, Revelation 2:2).

3. How does Jesus himself make a moral judgment? (Matthew 7:6)

4. What is the difference between dogs and hogs? (Matthew 7:6)

5. What causes us to be less condemning (or judgmental) and more merciful? (James 2:12-13)

6. What is the negative command that Jesus give his disciples and Matthew 7:1?

7. Why is it advantageous not to judge others? (Matthew 7:16)

8. What happens to a person that is constantly faultfinding and nitpicking? (Matthew 7:2, Luke 6:37, Proverbs 26:27)

9. What should our “standard of measure” be? (Matthew 7:2)

10. how can you know whether you possess a judgmental spirit? Write the six principles from the following passages. I possess a judgmental spirit when…

  • 1 Corinthians 4:5
  • Romans 14:3-5, 10, 12-13, Colossians 2:16
  • Luke 18:11-14
  • John 7:24, 8:15, 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
  • Romans 2:1
  • Matthew 7:5, 1 Corinthians 11:28, Galatians 6:3-5

11. What part of the human body does Jesus use to illustrate his point that we ought to first examine ourselves? (Matthew 7:35)

12. Why is it so outrageous for the person in Jesus illustration to claim to be an eye surgeon? (Matthew 7:45)

13. What does Jesus call people who find fault with others? (Matthew 7:5a)

14. What does the command in Matthew 7:5 demand of us?

15. What does self-examination involved? (Matthew 7:5b)

16. What does a self-examination prepare us to do? (Matthew 7:5c)

Six Steps to Avoid a Judgmental Spirit:

Step 1 – Do Not be Judgmental (Matthew 7:1a)

What it does NOT forbid…

  • Judging between what is legal in a court of law (Matthew 5:22).
  • Making moral distinctions (Matthew 5:21, 27, John 4:15-18, 8:1-11).
  • Passing judgment on false religious leaders (Matthew 7:15-20, 1 John 4:1–3, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, 1 Corinthians 14-29, Acts 17:11, Revelation 2:2).
  • Deciding where people are in their receptivity to God’s Word (Matthew 7:6, Matthew 10:14, Acts 13:31, 18:5-6).
  • Determining God’s will (Romans 2:18, Philippians 1:10).

In John 7:24, Jesus said, “do not judge according to appearance but judge with the righteous judgment.” This verse presupposes that some kind of judging are not only legitimate but mandated.

What it DOES forbid…

  • Deciding what a person’s motive is without asking (1 Corinthians 4:5).
  • Measuring everyone else by your self-made standards or personal convictions (Romans 14:3–5, 10, 12, 13, Colossians 2:16). “Other may but I cannot,” dealing with gray areas and amoral issues.
  • Justifying yourself by condemning other people (Luke 18:11–14). When I have to elevate myself by lowering others I’m in trouble.
  • Making a first impression based solely upon external appearances (John 7:24, 8:15, 2 Corinthians 5:16–17, 1 Samuel 16:17). Coming down hard on others when you so miserably fail in the same area (Romans 2:1).
  • Quickly judging others before examining oneself (Matthew 7:5, 1 Corinthians 11:28, Galatians 6:3–5, also 1 Corinthians 11:31, 2 Corinthians 13:5).

Step 2 – Be Prepared for the Boomerang Effect Response (Matthew 7:1b-2)

The command “do not judge” is present imperative. This verse ends with the purpose clause, “so that you will not be judged.” Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that critical and picky preachers breed critical and picky congregations. This is not a reference to God’s judgment because he is just and will judge all of us by the eternal standard of his word.

If you want others to judge and condemn you, you start it. If you want them to be understanding, loving, believing, then begin by being that way yourself. A positive attitude is as contagious as the flu. Unfortunately, so are frowns, sighs, cutting sarcasm, and harsh words (Proverbs 26:27)

Jesus says a judgmental spirit has a boomerang effect and it will come back upon the one who was initially judgmental (Matthew 7:2)

Charles Swindoll calls, the Law of a Echoes,” telling the story of a young boy who lived with his grandfather on the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps. He would often love to hear the sound of his own voice echoing back to him, he would go outside and shout “hello” and the sound would come back “hello, hello, hello.” One Day the boy misbehaved and needed some discipline. The boy resented receiving it so much that he shouted to his grandfather, “I hate you,” and the rocks and boulders across the mountains responded in kind.

Step 3 – Answer the Why and How Questions (Matthew 7:3–4)

Jesus chose the eye to illustrate his teaching because this is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. Jesus is using colorful hyperbole here. He is exaggerating to make his point vivid. There is no way a log can get stuck, unnoticed, in someone’s eye. Jesus may have even dramatized this point, which would have made this teaching quite humorous.

The word “speck” refers to a little splinter, a small twig, a bit of dried stalk or stick; perhaps like a speck of sawdust. The word “log” refers to a beam that supports the roof of the building. It signifies a large 6×8 beam, a timber cut out of the trunk of a tree. Jesus is describing a timber that is more like a telephone pole than a plank.

Although a speck is small in comparison to a log, it is not an insignificant object to have in the eye. Jesus’ comparison is not between very small sin or fault and one that is large, but between one that is large and one that is gigantic.

The word for “look” is the present tense and stresses the “continuous gaze or focus upon” that speck. Jesus wants them to recognize that they are so quickly to notice, pay attention, or call attention to that speck because it is a little piece of our own log. This suggest that we become most critical of that in others, which is a major problem in ourselves.

The word “notice” means “to perceive clearly, to consider closely, carefully, and thoroughly, to understand fully.” The term conveys the idea of serious, continuous meditation or thought. Jesus is saying in effect, “Why don’t you stop and think about your own sin? Until you have done that how can you confront another about their shortcomings?”

When Jesus asked the question, “How can you say to your brother…” It is like a blind surgeon trying to remove a splinter from someone else’s eye.

Step 4 – Stop Play Acting (Matthew 7:5a)

Jesus accused the person he described in Matthew 7:4 with these words, “you hypocrite.” The word “hypocrite” refers to the Greek and Roman play actors who spoke into large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of their voice. Hypocrites referred to people who are pretending to be somebody or something that they aren’t.

In this context the word hypocrite could refer to the condemning the brother who is guilty of the same sin but has done nothing about it (Romans 2:1, Romans 2:3, Romans 2:17–24, James 4:11–12).

Step 5 – Make it Your First Priority to do Self-examination (Matthew 7:5b)

The Pharisees judged and criticized others to make themselves look good (Luke 18:9–14). In contrast, Christ commands his disciples to judge themselves so that they can help others look good. There is a huge difference. Since the Pharisees didn’t have an adequate definition for sin, they had a very inadequate appreciation of their own faults. If they knew how worthy of blame they themselves were, they would have been less ready to blame others.

Jesus commands us to “first take the log out of our own eye.” The aorist tense denotes urgency, the imperative mood demands immediate action and obedience.

There were two extremes that must be avoided in this matter of self-examination:

Shallow Examination – sometimes we are so sure of ourselves that we fail to examine our hearts honestly and thoroughly. A quick glance into the “mirror of the word” will never reveal our true situation. It’s only when one “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty” (James 1:25) that he sees what kind of person he really is.

Perpetual Autopsy – sometimes we get so wrapped up in self-examination and introspection we become discouraged, guilt ridden, and defeated. Satan longs to accuse us (Revelation 12:10) and put us on a permanent guilt trip that immobilizes us from active service in the kingdom. We need to acknowledge our sin, own it, morning over it, confessed it, and fully experience God’s forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)

Step 6 – Help Your Brother (Matthew 7:5c)

When you’re able to see clearly, then you’re able to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. When we judge ourselves rightly and deal with the log in our own eye, only then are we able to see clearly enough to help our brother. God wants us to be good listeners but eye surgery involves more than just listening to the patient. Eventually the eye surgeon must do the delicate and tender work of operating on the patients eye. So, the Christian eventually needs to speak into the other lives of other people.

Jesus doesn’t call us to be parakeets but Paracletes who “come beside” our brother to help him. Jesus doesn’t want to us to parakeet our brothers words and say nonjudgmental statements back to a brother caught in a trespass (Galatians 6:1). Jesus instructs us here to discern what is constricting our brother’s vision and to intentionally attempt to remove it.

Discernment versus Judgment:

1. Regarding Personal Sins:

  • A discerning person – One who discerns by thoroughly examining himself before evaluating the actions of others (Galatians 6:4, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 31, 2 Corinthians 13:5).
  • A judgmental person – One who judges by condemning others for their visible problems but fails to realize that their attitude stem from root problems which he himself has not yet overcome. (Romans 2:1, 14:10).

2. Regarding Facts or Evidence:

  • A discerning person – One who discerns by checking the accuracy of all the facts and related factors before reaching a conclusion. (1 Corinthians 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 John 4:1).
  • A judgmental person – One who judges by forming opinions on first impressions or hearsay, then looks for evidence to confirm his opinions even though the evidence may be out of context. (John 7:24, 51, James 4:11).

3. Regarding Exposure:

  • A discerning person – One who discerns by dealing as privately as possible with the problems he sees. (1 Corinthians 6:5).
    A judgmental person – One who judges by publicly exposing those he condemns. This may cause others to condemn him for having the same route problem such as pride, lack of love, or a critical spirit. (Luke 6:37)

Definitions of Words:

The Root Meaning of Judgment: The Greek verb is used in Scripture to describe the scope and action of judgment. KRINO no means to pass judgment on, to sentence, to mentally or judicial condemn, to conclude, to decide, to determine.

The Root Meaning of Discernment: there are several Greek words to describe the scope and action of discernment.

  1. DOKIMAZO means to test, to examine, to interpret, to discover, to approve, to prove, to demonstrate.
  2. ANAKRINO means to ask questions, to examine, to evaluate, to scrutinize, to investigate, to search out.
  3. DIAKRINO means to make a distinction (between persons), to weigh thoroughly each part.

Take a look at this word study document (by Rick Leineweber) to see the categories of uses of these words in Scripture. [ Go ]

Understanding The Bible Commentary:

Jesus says, Do not judge. The Greek construction (mē plus the present imperative) carries with it the idea of “ceasing what you are now doing.” Judging, in this context, implies a harsh and censorious spirit. If you insist on condemning others, you exclude yourself from God’s forgiveness. Although it is psychologically true that a critical spirit receives from others a harsh response, Jesus is here speaking of final judgment. The NIV correctly translates, “or you too will be judged.”

The admonition not to judge is often taken incorrectly to imply that believers are not to make moral judgments about anyone or anything. That this is not what was intended is clear from Matthew 7:15–20, which warn of false prophets who can be known by the fruit they bear. Jesus does not ask us to lay aside our critical faculties but rather to resist the urge to speak harshly of others. The issue is serious in that God will judge us by the same standard we apply to others. This rather frightening truth should change the way in which we tend to view other people’s failings.

Matthew 7:3–5 present the ludicrous picture of someone with a long beam or rafter protruding from his eye trying to extract a tiny chip of dried wood (or perhaps a speck of dust) from the eye of another. Obviously we are dealing with Eastern hyperbole (like Matthew 19:24, with its scene of a camel going through the eye of a needle!). How hypocritical to be concerned with the minor fault of another in view of one’s own personal failure. Taken in an unqualified sense, this would put a complete stop to helping others with their moral difficulties. Undoubtedly it is intended to restrict hypocritical correction of others rather than to prohibit all helpful correction.

Matthew 7:6 is proverbial and difficult to interpret in its present context. Dogs and hogs are derogatory terms applied to the Gentiles. Some think that in the present context they refer to all who are not disciples of Jesus. Probably the words should be understood in a more general way as counsel against sharing spiritual truth with those who are unable and unwilling to accept it. Practically, it would be unthinkable to take sacred food and give it to dogs or valuable pearls and feed them to pigs. The point is, use discretion as you share the truth of God with others.

Matthew 7:7–11 – Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:5–15) Matthew brought together a portion of Jesus’ teaching on the subject of prayer. Now he expands it by stressing how important it is for believers to be persistent in prayer. The present imperatives, “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking” indicate that prayer is not a semi-passive ritual in which we occasionally share our concerns with God. In Luke, the narrative is immediately preceded by the story of the man awakened from sleep at midnight by an importunate neighbor who needs bread to feed a guest (Luke 11:5–8). Prayer requires stamina and persistence. Divine delays do not indicate reluctance on God’s part. In the time of waiting we learn patience, and the intensity of our desire is put to the test. God, through Jeremiah, told the exiles in Babylon, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). It is those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” that are satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

Jesus now reasons that since earthly fathers who are less than perfect will not mock a child who asks for food, does it not follow that God will give good things to those who ask? Jesus is not making a theological statement about absolute human goodness but is drawing a comparison between parents’ natural acts of kindness toward their children and the perfection of God’s generosity toward those who seek his favor.

Matthew 7:12 – This verse is commonly called the Golden Rule. In its negative form it is found in many ancient cultures. Confucius said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” In the fourth century B.C., the Athenian orator Isocrates said, “Whatever angers you when you suffer it at the hands of others, do not do it to others.” Apparently it never was stated in the positive form (Do to others what you would have them do to you) by anyone before Jesus. Some writers hold that the shift from negative to positive is without any particular significance. However, in its negative form the Golden Rule could be satisfied by doing nothing. The positive form moves us to action on behalf of others; it calls us to do for others all those things that we would appreciate being done for us. Now we have moved from justice to active benevolence. This kind of outgoing and dynamic concern for others sums up the Law and the Prophets (cf. Weymouth). It is “the essence of all true religion” (Phillips). The Golden Rule brings into focus the ethical intent that lay behind all the Old Testament legislation on matters of interpersonal relationships. The law of love is the ultimate expression of the ethical teaching of both law and prophetic injunction (Matthew 5:17).

This last section is from, Mounce, R. H. (2011). Matthew.
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (64–67). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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How to Set Priorities

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Our passage for today is Matthew 6:25-34 – the commands are DO NOT BE ANXIOUS (Matthew 6:25, Luke 12:22), LOOK (Matthew 6:26), OBSERVE (Matthew 6:28), SEEK (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31), CONSIDER (Luke 12:27, 29), DO NOT SEEK, DO NOT KEEP WORRYING (Luke 12:29), DO NOT BE AFRAID (Luke 12:32). Worry distracts from the Word (Matthew 13:22, Mark 4:19, Luke 8:14, 10:41). See also Philippians 4:6, 2:20, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 Corinthians 7:32, 33, 34, 12:25, 2 Corinthians 11:28).

Group Questions:

1. What would you do with the money if you won $1 million in a lump sum, or $50,000 per year for 20 years?

2. What does your answer reveal about your priorities? (Matthew 6:21)

3. Do you think that long-term savings, retirement plans, insurance policies, and real estate holdings reduce our sense of dependence on God? Do they give us missed placed security? (Matthew 6:19-20)

4. How does the issue of stockpiling things (Matthew 6:19-24 relate to our command passage on worry? (Matthew 6:25-34)

5. What is the root meaning of the word anxious? (Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34)

6. What three aspects of life to people worry about more than anything else? (Matthew 6:25, 27)

7. Why are we commanded to look at the birds? (Matthew 6:26, Job 38:41a, Psalm 147:9b)

8. What did Jesus say in Matthew 6:27 that were he was in capable of accomplishing?

9. Why are we commanded to observe help the lilies of the field grow? (Matthew 6:28, 29, 30)

10. What phrase did Jesus frequently used to describe his disciples when they were filled with anxiety or fear? (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, Luke 12:28)

11. What characteristic of God should eliminate any need for anxiety on our part? (Matthew 6:31, 32, Luke 12:30b)

12. What does God want us to do when we are anxious about something? (Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7)

13. Who are the Gentiles? Why do they seek after the necessities of life? (Matthew 6:32a, Luke 12:30a)

14: how should we prioritize our lives if we want God to tend to our private concerns? (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31)

15. Why is it wrong to worry about tomorrow? (Matthew 6:33)

How to Set Priorities and Overcome Anxiety:

1. Invest in your eternal portfolio for the future (Matthew 6:19-24)

Our response to these two commands will determine our focus (Matthew 6:22-23) The lamp or lens of the body is the eye, it is our only means of vision. It’s through the eye that the body finds its way. If our vision is clear, which means the single, undivided, then the entire person has direction. When Jesus refers to the eye being bad, he’s probably using the Jewish colloquialism that means grudging or stingy. (Deuteronomy 15:9, hostile, Proverbs 23:6, selfish) hey man with an evil eye is one who chases after wealth (Proverbs 28:22).

Our response to these two commands will determine our service (Matthew 6:24). John Calvin said, “when riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost his authority.” The orders of the two masters are diametrically opposed and cannot coexist.

2. Take time to get an eternal perspective (Matthew 6:25-32)

The words “for this reason” look back to the previous verses (Matthew 6:19-24) that warned against stockpiling material things, which would ultimately monopolize our focus and become our master. When we become a slave to material things, we don’t own our possessions, they own us. Material things become a distraction to ministry. It appears that Jesus’ disciples were anxious about their future and these basic provisions.

The word “worry” literally means, “to divide, part, rip or tear apart.” The Greek word is generic and can be used in a positive way or a negative way. This God-given emotion when used in a positive way is the best translated “concern” or “care” and it describes an emotional energy that is available to tear apart the problems that we are facing today. You cannot turn this emotion on or off but you can turn it around or redirect it. Here are a few examples of this emotion directed in a positive way (2 Corinthians 11:28, Philippians 2:19-21, 1 Corinthians 12:25).

When you are concerned, that concern begins to mobilize the energies in your body. The adrenaline surges through your bloodstream. You find your muscles begin to tighten, you begin to get ready to do things, and you are prepared for action. But if you’re concerned is directed toward the future, tomorrow rather than today, all that emotional energy that is designed to tear up the problems now begins to tear you up. This is why people that worry get stomach ulcers. All sorts of chemicals begin sloshing around inside of their stomachs. Those chemicals begin to eat at the lining of the stomach walls.

Anxiety may will be the most common psychiatric disorder in the United States. Some 65% of all new prescriptions that physicians write are for anxiety. As many as 4% of the population suffers from anxiety disorder, with 2% experiencing panic attacks.

A. There are two ways this emotion is used negatively. The first way this emotions can be used in a sinful way is when it focuses on temporal values or things of lesser importance. This worry is a dividing care, distracting the heart from the true objective of life (Matthew 13:22, Luke 10:38-42).

Noticed that “the many things” over which Martha is worried is contrasted with the “one thing” that is necessary. Even in our daily responsibilities there is a priority list of concerns. Our value system normally controls our choices.

What one thing is necessary for you to do today? If you could only do one thing what would it be? Martha appears to be driven by her anxious spirit over many things related to entertaining her Lord, but Mary had learned how to choose what was most important. Mary understood that the master wanted to feed them spiritually but Martha was worried about feeding the master.

B. The second way that this emotion can be used in a sinful way is when we become anxious about tomorrow or the future. It is sinful because it distracts us from the responsibilities of today and focuses our attention on something that we can do nothing about and that we cannot even be sure about. The New Testament instructs us to take these kinds of worries to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the disciples anxiety about three things:

FOOD (Matthew 6:25-26) – in our society people determine how secure they are by how much they have stored up, which is a little crazy because who knows how much is enough. One person has $10,000 in the bank and feels a day away from destruction while another has $100,000 and he’s paranoid. Then there is a little, trusting, child of God who has $100 in the bank and feels secure for the rest of his life.

If your security is in that what you have in the bank, you don’t have security at all because recession, inflation, depression, war, health problems, and your security disappears.

Jesus is simply saying that humans are more important than birds. What is got done for the birds? He created them and he sustains them. What has God done for humans? He’s made them in his image, sent his son to die on their behalf. Do you see the point? If God created and sustains the birds, what will he do for those he has saved and adopted into his family?

FUTURE (Matthew 6:27) – worry could be related to longevity. We shouldn’t worry about our life expectancy either. Our culture is obsessed with trying to lengthen life. We exercise, we carefully, supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals, get regular check ups, and countless other things in the hopes of adding a few more years to life. Yet God has an appointment for man to die, you don’t die early or late (Hebrews 9:27).

FASHION (Matthew 6:28-30) – Jesus wants us to “observe” because he wants us to study their growth process and the way God clothes these beautiful flowers. The Lily was the wildflower the graces the hillside and fields of Galilee. Those beautiful decorations of nature make no effort to grow and have no part in designing or coloring themselves. Despite their beauty, flowers are not eternal. These verses say that they are here today and tomorrow they’re gone.

Worry is not a trivial little issue because it questions God’s love and faithfulness, or it declares our heavenly father to be untrustworthy in his word and promises. This is why on four other occasions Jesus rebuked his disciples with the phrase, “you of little faith” (Matthew 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, Luke 12:28).

Worry is something that is characteristic of the heathen, not the child of God. The heathen should worry. They don’t have the heavenly father. The gods of the gentiles were man-made gods, inspired by Satan. They were gods of fear, dread, and appeasement who demanded much, promised little, and provided nothing. Our Heavenly Father provides everything that we need.

The word “knows” the note a full knowledge. It is in the perfect tense. God knows your need now, he has known them in the past. God has never said “oh no, one of my children has a need down there, I almost forgot about him.” That never would happen because God knows your needs intimately.

3. Seek his rule and character in your life (Matthew 6:33)

The command in this verse is to continually be seeking (present tense) God’s rule (kingdom) and character (righteousness) in our lives and ministries. This is to be our first priority. A priority is a value that has surfaced to the top. Since we have so many competing values in our lives, it is important to be very intentional about setting this as our top priority.

We are commanded to seek his kingdom and righteousness. This means to “seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after.” It also means to try “to obtain, desire to possess.”

Jesus makes a conditional promise in the spurs to take care of our basic needs, but it’s contingent on whether we are advancing his kingdom as our first priority.

4. Give attention to the priorities of today (Matthew 6:34)

Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles. Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair. It does a lot of work, but you don’t get anywhere. When we focus on tomorrow, we were robbed of the emotional energy that we need to tear up today’s concerns, which then makes our troubles of tomorrow compounded.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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How to Reconcile Relationships

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Wow, we have now come to the third command in this Adult Stage or Equip Level of disciplemaking, on how to reconcile relationships in Matthew 5:21-26. The commands (each present imperative) are found in Matthew 5:23, 25 – LEAVE, GO first BE RECONCILED, MAKE friends quickly. We find this also outside of the gospels (Acts 9:36, 26:18, 1 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Timothy 3:3).

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you tend to internalize or ventilate anger?

2. What do you do when you become aware that someone is angry at you?

3. When is it better to just let a matter lie? (Proverbs 10:12, 17:9, 19:11, Colossians 3:13, 1 Peter 4:8)

4. What Type of anger are we justified in having? What type is Jesus condemning? (Ephesians 4:26)

5. Why is it important to deal with anger as soon as possible? (Ephesians 4:27)

6. Have you ever broken the the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17, Matthew 5:21)

7. With whom was Jesus contrasting his teaching? (Matthew 5:22)

8. Is verbal homicide as serious before God as physically killing someone? (Matthew 5:21-22)

9. Is Jesus condemning all uses of the word, “fool?” (Matthew 12:34, 15:19, Mark 7:21, Matthew 23:17)

10. Where did the expression “the fiery hell” (literally, Gehenna of fire) come from? (Matthew 5:22)

11. Who is liable for the same punishment as an actual murderer? (Matthew 5:22, 1 John 3:15)

12. What two illustrations does Jesus use to expose the seriousness of anger? (Matthew 5:23-26)

13. Why is it important to be reconciled based on these two illustrations?

14. What commands does Jesus give to us whether we are the innocent or guilty party? (Matthew 5:24-25)

15. Are some people irreconcilable? What are we to do then? (1 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Timothy 3:3, Proverbs 18:19, Romans 12:18)

Exegesis:

Matthew 5:21, You have heard the ancients were told – These were rabbis and scribes who came up with the many traditions that became burdensome, which had virtually replaced the authority of Scripture. Jesus refers to the traditional interpretations of scriptural commands.

Matthew 5:21, you shall not commit murder – This is straight from the Ten Commandments, and Jesus had already affirmed his support for the Law (Matthew 5:17). His problem was how the ancients interpreted the law, as merely taking a human life. Genesis 9:6 affirms this principle long before there was any Law of Moses. “Murder” in the NASB and “kill” in the KJV do not refer to capital punishment (apparently a divine allowance against those who take an innocent life, essentially to commit murder). Killing is permitted in a just war, according to divine plan, and is permitted in the case of self-defense, because we all have the right to protect the image of God in our lives and the lives of others when they are assaulted or attacked by those who would kill them. Nor does this refer to accidental deaths, according to Deuteronomy 19).

Matthew 5:22, but I say to you – The law goes much deeper than just our actions, it addresses the attitude of the heart. The attitude behind murder is hate or anger (Matthew 5:22, 15:19, 1 John 3:15). Anger is a God given emotion that when misused will tear us up or tear up others.

  1. Tearing up Others: Vented Anger (Proverbs 12:16, 14:29, 15:18, 16:32, 29:11, 29:22, Galatians 5:19-20)
  2. Tear up Ourselves: Internalized Anger (Ephesians 4:31, Proverbs 30:33)

The command in Ephesians 4:26 is to be angry, yet do not sin, and don’t let the sun go down on your anger. When we don’t express our anger it becomes a toxic waste of bitterness, resentment, and holding grudges. We can bury it, but it will eventually leak. In Ephesians 4:27, such anger gives the devil an opportunity or beachhead, the word actually means “place” or “foothold.”

Matthew 5:22, Saying raca (or good for nothing) shall be guilty before the court – basically unable to escape the punishment of the court. “Fool” literally means “Empty-headed” or “brainless idiot.” It was a word of arrogant contempt. Jesus suggested here that the verbal abuse stems from the same sinful motives (anger and hatred) that ultimately lead to murder. The internal attitude is what the law actually prohibits, and therefore an abusive insult carries the same kind of moral guilt as an act of murder.

Although there is a progression in the evil attitudes cited, Jesus intends to show that behind the overt act of murder is the disposition of anger, hostility, or contempt. Although attitudes may not be tried in court, they are as dangerous as the overt acts of wrong for which one is tried in court or for which one stands in danger of hell fire, unless one experiences God’s forgiveness in Christ.

Matthew 5:22, the fiery hell – This is a reference to the Hinnom Valley, southwest of Jerusalem. Ahaz and Manasseh permitted human sacrifices there during their reigns (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6, Jeremiah 7:31, Ezekiel 16:20, 23:37), and therefore it was called “The Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 19:6). In Jesus’ day, it was a garbage dump where fires burned continually and was thus an apt symbol of eternal fire. Josiah abolished these practices and defiled the area by making it a dumping ground for executed criminals (2 Kings 23:10). Later, this valley has eschatological references (Matthew 10:28, 23:15, 33, 18:9) dealing with punishment.

Matthew 5:23, presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you – The point is “suddenly” remember (aorist, passive subjunctive) where subjunctive affirms the possibility; it assumes the idea is NOT a fact but may become one. The passive indicate the subject is being acted upon, receiving the action. So, the subject is you and God is causing you to remember something. We often don’t take such initiatives in relationships, but God will bring to mind what we are to do, because unresolved anger in the heart hinders worship. We are preoccupied with hatred or anger of the other person who has offended us, but this passage tells us to be equally concerned for when we provoke anger in others intentionally or unintentionally.

Reconciliation is important because it can become intensive and explosive. Anger distorts facts. The longer we wait to resolve a situation the more distorted and exaggerated the situation becomes in the eyes of the offended one and minimized in the eyes of the offender.

  1. In Matthew 5:23-24, the one with the gift may be innocent, the fault may be on the one who holds the anger against him (so his anger stands in the way of him worshiping).
  2. In Matthew 5:25-26, the one who is about to deliver someone to the judge is becoming angrier over time and will demand satisfactory restitution.

It is interesting to note that Jesus is not give steps to dealing with OUR anger, but with OUR offense that has provoked anger in someone else.

We are to make friends or agree quickly. Jesus calls for reconciliation to be sought eagerly, aggressively, quickly, even if it involves self-sacrifice. It is better to be wronged than to allow a dispute between brethren to be a cause for dishonoring Christ (1 Corinthians 6:7). Our adversary is the opponent in a law case. Prison would mean debtor’s prison, where the person could work to earn back what he had defrauded.

Therefore, we get to the commands…

LEAVE (aorist imperative) your offering – Leaving immediately, aorist stresses urgency.

GO (present imperative) – When communicating to an angry person it is important to speak softly (Proverbs 15:1).

First BE RECONCILED (aorist passive imperative) to your brother – “First” stresses that reconciliation takes priority over worship, but leaving the gift anticipates the worshiper returning after obeying the command. This is not an isolated teaching on reconciliation (Acts 7:26, 1 Corinthians 7:11).

Reconciliation among people refers to mutual concession after mutual hostility. The Bible teaches that God does not need to be reconciled to us, but we must be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 20, Ephesians 2:16, Colossians 1:20, 22). God is not hostile toward us, we are hostile toward God.
Some people are irreconcilable (2 Timothy 3:1-3, Romans 12:18).

And then COME and PRESENT (present active imperative) your offering – Once he returns to the temple, resume presenting the offering.

MAKE friends quickly (present imperative) with your opponent… – The Message reads Matthew 5:25-26 “Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.” To make friends means to settle the account quickly before he faces judgment.

The Age of Rage:

Defining Anger

  • It is a God given emotion
  • We are commanded to be angry at some things (Ephesians 4:26)
  • The anger of Jesus (Mark 3:5, Hebrews 4:15)
  • The anger of men (James 1:20)

Mismanagement of Anger (Ephesians 4:27) It all starts when the enemy gets a foothold, stronghold, beachhead, opportunity.

Sources of Anger

  • Immature love (1 Corinthians 13:5) Agape does not get angry.
  • Psychological abuse (Proverbs 15:1)
  • Learned behavior (Proverbs 22:24-25)
  • Unwilling to deal with first emotions (anger is the second emotion, jealousy is the first emotion)
    • Cain’s anger with Able (Genesis 4:5)
    • Jacob’s anger with Rachel (Genesis 30:1-2)
    • Simon and Levi’s anger with Dinah’s rape (Genesis 34:7-25)
    • Jacob’s anger over Joseph’s favoritism (Genesis 37:4, 18)
    • Predisposition or sinful nature (John 8:44, 2 Peter 1:4)

Assessment of Anger

  • Acknowledge your angry feeling.
  • Backtrack to the first emotion
  • Confess sinful anger (1 John 1:9)
    • Sinful anger nurses a grudge (Ephesians 4:31) It is connected to rights.
    • Sinful anger has outbursts (Proverbs 29:11, 22b) Good anger is in control.
    • Sinful anger goes to bed upset (Ephesians 4:26) This anger is unused, or did not attack the problem.
      • We either bottle it up or we blow up.
      • Deal with the problem while it is fresh, hot, don’t delay or avoid.
      • The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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Being a Contagious Christian

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This is the second command at the Adult Stage or the Equip Level of disciple-making. Last week was on persecution and handling false accusations, and today it is how to be salt and light in the world; how to be a contagious Christian and a person of influence.

Read Matthew 5:13-16

We find our main command in Matthew 5:16 (LET your light shine), Mark 9:50 (HAVE salt in yourselves), Luke 11:35 (WATCH out). The book of Acts illustrates this principle (Acts 9:36, 26:18), and the letters, too (Philippians 2:15, Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 2:12).

After the beatitudes, Jesus shifts from pronouncements of blessing to instructions about His “new law” (see Matthew 5:21 for example). He compares His followers to salt and light, elements commonly used as metaphors in Jesus’ day. His point in this section is to show that disciples who fail to live a kingdom lifestyle are like something tasteless or devoid of light—undesirable and of no value.

Salt was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel (see Leviticus 2:13). It is a preservative, a flavor enhancer, and a purifying agent. Jews called the law the salt of the earth. Jesus claimed that His disciples exerted this influence. Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5 speak of “a covenant of salt,” possibly describing the covenant God had established with Israel as one He would preserve forever.

Pure salt cannot lose its flavor or effectiveness, but the salt that is common in the Dead Sea area is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals and may have a flat taste or be ineffective as a preservative. Such mineral salts were useful for little more than keeping footpaths free of vegetation.

Having Lost its Savor:

The kindred noun (μωρός) means dull, sluggish;

  • applied to the mind, stupid or silly;
  • applied to the taste, insipid, flat.

The verb here used of salt, to become insipid, also means to play the fool. Our Lord refers here to the familiar fact of salt losing its pungency and becoming useless.

Dr. Thompson (“The Land and the Book”) cites the following case: “A merchant of Sidon, having farmed of the government the revenue from the importation of salt, brought over a great quantity from the marshes of Cyprus—enough, in fact, to supply the whole province for many years. This he had transferred to the mountains, to cheat the government out of some small percentage of duty. Sixty-five houses were rented and filled with salt. Such houses have merely earthen floors, and the salt next the ground was in a few years entirely spoiled. I saw large quantities of it literally thrown into the road to be trodden under foot of men and beasts. It was ‘good for nothing.’ ”

Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Matthew 5:13). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

As preservatives, disciples are to hinder the world’s corruption. The salt deposits along the Dead Sea contain not just sodium chloride but a variety of other minerals as well. This salt can become good for nothing when the rain washes out its saltiness over the years (see Colossians 2:20).

Christians in the World:

The word “world” in the New Testament is sometimes used as in the Old Testament to mean this earth, the good natural order that God created. Usually, however, it designates humanity as a whole, now fallen into sin and moral disorder, radically opposed to God. People in the world incur guilt and shame by their misuse of created things. Paul can even speak of creation itself yearning for deliverance from the evil occasioned by the fall of Adam and Eve (Rom. 8:20–23).

Christians are sent into the world of fallen humanity by their Lord (John 17:18) to witness to it about God’s Messiah and His kingdom (Matthew 24:14, Romans 10:18, Colossians 1:6, 23) and to serve its needs. But they are to do so without…

  1. Falling victim to its materialism (Matthew 6:19–24, 32)
  2. Its lack of concern about God and eternity (Luke 12:13–21)
  3. Its pursuit of pleasure and status above all else (1 John 2:15–17).

The outlook and mindset of human societies reflect more of the pride seen in Satan, who for now continues to influence them (John 14:30, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 5:19, Luke 4:5–7), than the humility seen in Christ. Christians are to empathize with people’s anxieties and needs in order to serve them and communicate God’s love for them effectively.

Christians are to consider themselves pilgrims in this fallen world, through which they momentarily pass as they travel home to God (1 Peter 2:11). The Bible sanctions neither monastic withdrawal from this world (John 17:15) nor worldliness (Titus 2:12). Jesus encourages His disciples to match the ingenuity of the unredeemed who use their resources to further their goals, but specifies that the disciples’ proper goals have to do, not with earthly security, but with heavenly glory (Luke 16:9).

Christians are to be different from those around them, observing God’s moral absolutes, practicing love, and not losing their dignity as bearers of God’s image (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:17–24, Colossians 3:5–11). Separation from fallen humanity’s values and lifestyles is a prerequisite for practicing Christlikeness in positive terms (Ephesians 4:25–5:17).

The Christian’s appointed task, therefore, is threefold:

  1. The church’s main mandate is evangelism (Matthew 28:19, 20, Luke 24:46–48), and every Christian must seek to further the conversion of unbelievers, not least by the example of one’s own changed life (1 Peter 2:12).
  2. The church is to love their neighbors and should constantly lead the Christian into deeds of mercy for all people, believers and unbelievers alike.
  3. Finally, Christians are called to fulfill the “cultural mandate” that God gave to mankind at creation (Genesis 1:28–30, Psalm 8:6–8). Humanity was created to manage God’s world, and this stewardship is part of the human vocation in Christ, with God’s honor and the good of others as its goal. The Protestant “work ethic” is essentially a religious discipline, the fulfillment of a divine “calling” to be stewards of God’s creation.

Knowing that God in providential kindness and forbearance continues, in the face of human sin, to preserve and enrich His erring world (Acts 14:16, 17), Christians are to involve themselves in all forms of lawful human activity. By acting in accord with Christian values they will become salt (a preservative agent) and light (an illumination that shows the way) in the human community (Matthew 5:13–16). As Christians thus fulfill their vocation, they will transform the cultures around them.

Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version. Nashville: T. Nelson.

Sulfa Drugs and Streetlights:

Following Christ goes far beyond private spirituality. It also involves a believer’s public life, particularly through work and participation in the community. Jesus used two metaphors to describe that dynamic: salt (Matthew 5:13) and light (Matthew 5:14–16).

In Jesus’ day, salt was used to preserve foods like fish from decay. In the same way, believers can help to preserve society from moral and spiritual decay. Of course, in our culture, salt has given way to chemical preservatives (many of which have come under attack in recent years for their alleged role in causing cancer). So Jesus might use a different metaphor were He speaking today.

Perhaps He would talk in terms of an infection-fighting drug, such as an antibiotic like penicillin, or the sulfa drugs developed in the 1940s that have proved so valuable in fighting meningitis and pneumonia. Christians can help to ward off spiritual infections and diseases in the larger society. One of the most powerful arenas for influence is the workplace, particularly jobs that affect values, laws, and public opinion. That’s why believers need to pursue careers in education, government, and journalism, among many others. They may not be able to transform the entire society, but they can use whatever influence they have to promote Christlike values and hinder evil.

Jesus also called His followers “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), an image that fits perfectly into modern society. The Lord’s first-century listeners would be astonished at the availability and importance of light in our culture. We use it not only to illuminate but also to communicate. Thus, Jesus wants us as His followers to shine, to be visible and attractive, not to bring attention to ourselves, but to bring people to God (Matthew 5:16). Again, our vocations are one of the primary means we have to reflect Christ to others.

Jesus’ teaching here challenges us as His followers to ask:

  1. How are we engaging our society?
  2. What spiritual infections are we fighting to overcome?
  3. What positive changes are we trying to promote?
  4. What impact for God are we having through our work?
  5. Have we lost our saltiness (Matthew 5:13)?
  6. Are we standing like burned-out streetlights, ineffective and waiting to be removed? Or are we shining brilliantly with the love and truth of Christ?

Word in life study Bible. 1996 (electronic ed.) (Mt 5:13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Questions Regarding Christian Influence:

1. Since coming to Christ, do you have a greater influence on the world around you or does it have a greater influence on you?

2. Without what positive attitude would we become isolated from the world (Matthew 5:11-12)? Rejoicing and being glad. When persecution comes because we are Christians, and the world casts insults at us, without this positive attitude, we would huddle up and avoid the world for the sake of self-preservation and avoidance of persecution.

3. Do you spend more or less time with friends that you had before you followed Christ?

4. In what ways do you see yourself as a difference maker in your spheres of influence (work, neighborhood, extended family, marketplace)?

5. What is the first step in Christ’s simple strategy to make a difference in the world (Matthew 5:13, Colossians 4:16, Luke 4:22)?

6. What happens when your talk doesn’t match your walk (Matthew 5:13)? Your Christian witness is damaged. Tasteless salt is good for nothing but to be thrown out sand trampled underfoot, which happens to the believer who lives contrary to the claims of Christ. This is a false profession of faith. The person is claiming to be a follower of Christ yet has no lifestyle to back up that claim.

I’m not talking about verbal witnessing. The fact is that we are ALL witnesses if we profess to be followers and disciples of Jesus; the issue is whether we will be GOOD witnesses or BAD witnesses.

7. What did people do with contaminated salt in the first century Palestine (Matthew 5:13)? They would throw it away as unusable; it was no longer useful in the purpose for which it was created.

8. What is the second step in Christ’s strategy for making an impact on our world (Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:15)? We are the light of the world, setting an example of righteousness. Those without Christ are lost and dying is a world of darkness looking for hope. Imagine walking through your house with no power, no streetlamp, no night light, no moon light, no candles… in total darkness. Remember the joy as the power returns, the fear dissipates, the darkness flees, we are again part of a community in view of one another.

9. Jesus refers to what good works (Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14)? These are OUR good works; yet these works are not for OUR benefit. They reveal a deeper relationship we have with the living God. God affects not only our theology, but our sociology. We live in a world that need

10. How do you feel when someone does something extraordinarily unselfish for you just because you matter a lot to God and them? Do you have an example to share?

11. Jesus came to not only seek and save, but also to do what (Matthew 20:28, Luke 19:10)?

12. What is the purpose of letting our light shine (Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12)?

13. What is the lie we believe that hinders us from adopting the strategy of Jesus (Matthew 5:15)?

Relational Network Diagram“The pulpit, not the media, is to be the most powerful voice in our land.” Bill Gothard

How to Become a Contagious Christian: (Hybels and Mittelberg, 1994)

HP + CP + CC = MI
High Potency + Close Proximity + Clear Communication = Maximum Impact

1. Develop a Contagious Christian character: Difference makers are highly potent in Christian character.

Here is how The Messages translates Matthew 5:13… Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

The ATTRACTIVENESS of authenticity (honest, truthful, genuine) – Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and SINCERITY of heart (Acts 2:46). We must be authentic in identity, emotional life, confession, living by conviction (in class I will tell about my Marine friend trained to correctly make up his bunk).

The PULL of compassion…

  • Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37)
  • Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Mark 1:41)
  • But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)
  • But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. (Matthew 12:7)
  • “A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. (Matthew 12:20)

The STRENGTH of sacrifice… small investments make big dividends. Sacrifices move people, melting the heart, they stop in their tracks and ask, “Why would you go out of your way for me?”

  • And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)
  • So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)

2. Build Spiritually Strategic Relationships: Difference makers are in close proximity with lost people; there is no impact without contact.

Radical identification while maintaining a radical difference… (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, 17:25, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 3:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 6:12, James 1:27, 1 John 2:15-17).

  • “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. (John 17:6)
  • I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
  • As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:18)

Rubbing shoulders with irreligious people…

  • The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19)
  • For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)

“Unconventional approaches that strategically mix the spiritual “haves” and “have-nots” are not merely acceptable; they are essential to God’s redemptive efforts.” – Bill Hybels (Super Bowl parties, Valentine’s Day parties)

3. Do ministry outside the four walls of the church: difference makers have a healthy ministry image and presence in their community. Here is the life of Jesus…

  • Jesus was invited to come and do ministry (John 4:45-47).
  • The new spread quickly (Luke 4:14, Matthew 4:24, Mark 7:36-37, Luke 7:11, 16-18).
  • People came from all over to hear him (Luke 6:17-19, 8:4, Mark 6:31, Matthew 15:3).
  • People were “wowed” (Luke 5:27, Mark 2:12, 5:20, Matthew 9:33, 15:31, Mark 7:37).
  • People immediately recognized him (high profile, Mark 6:54-56).
  • This kind of influence was repeated in the early church (Acts 2:47).

A healthy ministry image affects three areas:

  1. The degree to which people will learn.
  2. The intensity level people will have in identifying with the cause of the group.
  3. The amount of effort people will expend in bringing others into the group.

All of this is called, “attractional” but let’s look at four characteristics of Jesus’ ministry that fueled his healthy ministry image:

  1. A clear mission (Mark 1:38, Luke 4:43, 19:10, Matthew 20:28). He did not waiver in his mission; he was focused and clear. He was about making disciples who would take the mission and carry it on from generation to generation.
  2. A message of hope (Luke 4:18, Matthew 4:17). Jesus offered words of life, the good news. He spoke it with authority and grace proclaiming the time is fulfilled and the kingdom is at hand (Mark 1:15).
  3. A lifestyle of grace and truth (John 1:14, Luke 4:22). His words were full of grace yet full of truth, a winning combination.
  4. An attitude of expectancy (Matthew 6:30, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20, also Matthew 18:10, 15:28). Jesus was always dependent on the Father and constantly expected supernatural workings of the Spirit. He also challenged people to have great faith.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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Jesus Values Availability

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We have finally come to the last command in the Youth stage, or the Build level of disciple-making. Availability is crucial to the mission of Jesus; no matter how gifted someone is, or knowledgeable of the Scripture, or talented, or popular… they cannot be used of God if they are not available.

The purpose for today is to encourage believers to respond to the call to follow Christ in being trained in evangelism without looking for the perfect alibi, excuse, or reason why they cannot serve. God wants wholehearted volunteers, rather than those who are reluctant, delaying, defensive, or putting it off. Availability is more rare than ability. The worker shortage in the church is not because the church is not full of capable people. It is because the church is full of people who are unwilling to rearrange their schedule around eternal values.

Something else we see in this lesson: Jesus continues to develop another generation of disciples (at the Youth stage or Build level) at the same time he was pouring into the lives of the Twelve (at the Adult stage or Equip level). Volunteers may drop off with excuses, but we must continue to recruit others along the way. After the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem (John 7:11-8:9) Jesus appointed 72 volunteers (Luke 10:1 – there are 72 according to the NIV and NLT, the NASB indicates 70). Perhaps the 72 workers were recruited by the Twelve when they went out two by two (6 [3 groups of 2] X 12 = 72). The first thing Jesus teaches these new recruits is to pray for more workers for the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Background: Jesus’ ministry turns toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and on the way he is rejected by the Samaritans as he was passing through (Luke 9:52-56). James and John wanted to call down fire on them (Luke 9:54) but Jesus uses this as an opportunity to reinforce his ministry and mission (Luke 9:56). Three would-be followers approach Jesus but he is steady on the fact that his followers cannot waiver concerning service in the kingdom.

Here are the commands at this point: FOLLOW Me & ALLOW (Matthew 8:22), FOLLOW & ALLOW, GO & PROCLAIM (Luke 9:59-60). We see this outside of the gospels (Acts 13:5, 15:36-41, 2 Timothy 4:10-11).

Opening:

  1. What was your favorite excuse for not doing something?
  2. How does Jesus respond to the excuses of these three men (Luke 9:57, 59, 61)?
  3. Of these excuses, which might you be tempted to use (comfort, social obligation, family concerns)?

Read Luke 9:57-62, 14:16-24

1. How would you define availability? Perhaps, “Making my own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those I am called to serve” versus self-contentedness (Philippians 2:3-4, 20-21). Availability does not mean that you have lots of time on your hands; it requires managing your schedule and saying “no” to some good things so you can do what is best. Our two passages today mention many people who gave Jesus a bunch of excuses.

2. How do we know this passage is a call to serve and not a call to discipleship (Matthew 8:21, Luke 9:62, 10:1-2)? The three men in Matthew’s story were already disciples (Matthew 8:21). The word for “another” implies that the scribe (Matthew 8:19) and the man who wanted to bury his father are both already followers of Jesus. Each of these people were invited to be trained in evangelism and to work in the harvest field. The plow was a symbol of work. When they gave excuses for their unavailability, Jesus recruited 70 others for the work (Luke 10:1).

3. How did Peter and John display availability (Matthew 4:19-20)? They immediately left their nets (Matthew 4:20, Mark 1:18, Luke 5:11).

4. What name might you give these three unnamed disciples?

Mr. Too Quick (Luke 9:57-58)

  • How does Matthew describe Mr. Too Quick (Matthew 8:19-20, Luke 9:57-58)? Matthew identifies him as a scribe (Matthew 8:19) and a disciple (Matthew 8:21). Scribes were highly educated authorities of the Jewish Law and closely associated with the Pharisees.
  • What do you think was Mr. Too Quick’s motive for volunteering to serve (Luke 9:58)? His motive may have been popularity or fame. As an OT scholar he probably thought that by accompanying Jesus on his mission, he would share in the glory or fame of his kingdom. Jesus used the term, “Son of Man” to identify himself with the predictions of Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus connects his physical relationship to David and Abraham as their heir to the throne, so the term refers to the union of God and man in the One who would be the king of Israel. Mr. Too Quick had the right person, but the wrong timing (1 Peter 1:11), and motive.
  • Why does Jesus make references to holes and nests (Luke 9:58)? Wild animals have a place to lay their head at night, safe from natural enemies, but not so with Jesus. They would be homeless; no home and no throne.

Mr. Too Slow (Luke 59-60)

  • What did Mr. Too Slow want to do before following Jesus (Luke 9:59)? He wanted to take care of his father’s funeral. Burial was a religious duty that took precedence over studying the Law, temple services, killing the Passover sacrifice, and circumcision. Priest were not allowed to touch a dead body but could if it was a near relative (Leviticus 21:1-3). It was scandalous if left undone.
  • Jesus’ response seems insensitive but it establishes the priority of proclaiming the gospel (Luke 9:60). If proclamation of the gospel is not done, it should be scandalous to the believer.
  • What was even more scandalous, the father was likely not even dead. The phrase used was common in the middle east that emphasizes a son’s responsibility to help his father in the family business until he passed on, and handled his final affairs. It could have been a long time of delay if the father was still young and healthy. Mr. Too Slow was motivated by materialism.
  • What did Jesus mean by “allow the dead to bury their dead” (Luke 9:60, Matthew 8:22)? It was a proverbial figure of speech meaning, “let the world take care of the things of the world.” Basically, spiritually dead people (Luke 15:24, 32, John 5:25, Romans 6:13, Ephesians 2:1, 5:14) make great morticians. They are capable of performing these tasks, but YOU go and do that which only a believer can do, share the gospel.
  • What did Jesus command this man to do (Luke 59-60)? FOLLOW, ALLOW, GO, and PROCLAIM are aorist tense which indicates urgency, leave now. The present tense indicates that we keep on proclaiming.

Mr. Too Easy (Luke 9:61-62)

  • What did Mr. Too Easy want to do before putting his hand to the plow (Luke 9:61)? He wanted to say good-bye to those at home. This seems harmless enough but it appears this guy did not have the strength to break away from loved ones; being too emotionally tied to family relationships. Consider what Elisha did when Elijah met him (1 Kings 19:19-21). I hope you noticed a significant difference between Elisha and Mr. Too Easy. There was no turning back for Elisha whereas Mr. Too Easy may have been persuaded to not follow and serve Jesus.
  • This idea is supported by the phrase “to say good-bye,” which signifies “to set apart or assign, as a solder to his post.” It carries the idea of deployment, sent out with orders. He was looking for his orders and last instructions from his family rather than Jesus.
  • Notice the words in “Lord, first, me” (Luke 9:61). “I will follow you, but first permit me” – It could be he is really saying, “I will follow you, but first me.” There can never be “me first” when it comes to following and serving Jesus; there are no “buts.”

5. What kind of people are not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62)? This is certainly a word picture in the NT, a farmer who wants straight rows continues to look ahead. The text literally says, “looking at the things behind.” “Not fit” would indicate “well-placed, suited for, adapted to,” which could indicate an inconsiderate impulse, conflicted duties, or a divided mind. Jesus wants total commitment, not just adding him to an already complicated and full life. The NIV adds the word “service” in the kingdom of God, but the word is not in the Greek NT.

6. Did Luke record the outcome of these conversations (Luke 10:1)? It may be that these three did not respond positively to Jesus’ invitation, so he recruited 70 “others.”

7. How can we increase the number of laborers in God’s harvest field (Luke 10:2)? Prayer in the key.

8. What do you think about this quote from Chuck Swindoll?

Anyone who sets out to serve Christ can be sure that many escape routes will appear so that you can relinquish your responsibilities. Voices will call out to you to cut inches off the cross. Twelve legions of angels stand ready to deliver you from the path of sacrificial service.

9. How do you determine God’s call for service in your life?

10. How has this command impacted your soul; your mind [thoughts], will [decisions], and emotions [feelings]?

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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Building Compassion

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This lesson deals with Jesus building into the lives of the disciples a character trait that is necessary for reaching people with the gospel. The disciples needed to learn about compassion. A lack of compassion will cause disciples to not see the needs of people around them, and will prevent them from engaging people in hopes of sharing the gospel with them. Jesus’ mission was to seek, serve, and save the lost (Matthew 20:28, Mark 1:28, 10:45, Luke 4:43, 19:10).

Read Matthew 9:9-13

Once these two pairs of brothers committed to follow Jesus in order to be trained in evangelism (Luke 5:1-11), Jesus led them into one of the cities near the Sea of Galilee. A man full of leprosy saw Jesus and bowed down before him. While not being demanding, this outcast acknowledged the sovereignty of Jesus and his power to heal him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2). Mark says that Jesus was moved with compassion, and proceeded to heal him (Mark 1:41). Immediately the man was cleansed and he was told to go to the priests so they could verify the cleansing and announce to the nations that the Messiah had arrived (Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:44, Luke 5:14, Leviticus 14-15).

The theme of compassion is a thread which runs through this level of disciplemaking. Jesus appealed to Hosea on two different occasions to stress the importance of showing compassion (Matthew 9:13, 12:7). Cleaning this man with leprosy was followed by a lot of publicity (Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:44-45, Luke 14-15).

Jesus ended this first tour through Galilee by forgiving and healing a paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26). Jesus showed concern for more than man’s physical well-being (Matthew 9:2-6, Mark 2:5-10, Luke 5:20-24) because he came to save those who were lost.

The command for the day (the third in this level) is to GO (Matthew 9:13) and LEARN (Matthew 9:30).

1. What was Matthew’s occupation (Matthew 9:9, Luke 5:21)? He was a tax-collector or publican, who served the Roman empire against his own people. While he owned his own franchise, his first loyalty was to Rome. He collected taxes for Rome and kept anything above that for himself. He basically had a license for extortion, backed by the power of the Roman army. As you can imagine, he was a despised man, considered a traitor by his own people. They accepted bribes from the wealthy which made the common people hate him even more. A man like Matthew was barred from the synagogue and forbidden to have social contact with the Jews. He was on the level of unclean animals.

2. What did people think about that profession in Jesus’ day (Matthew 9:9, Luke 3:12-13)? Matthew himself gives five little words to describe his formed character, “Sitting at the tax office.” This phrase marked him as the most despised, vile, corrupt man in Capernaum. The fishermen likely thought that because of his profession, Matthew was an unlikely candidate for disciple training.

3. What was Jesus inviting Matthew to do (Matthew 9:9, 4:19, Mark 1:17)? Jesus invited Matthew to join these fishermen that he was training to fish evangelistically for men.

4. Did Jesus know Matthew before giving his this call to be trained in evangelism (Luke 19:1-10)? It seems obvious that Matthew had investigated the claims of Christ and placed his faith in him before signing up for this evangelism training. Jesus’ first encounter with another tax-collector was to bring him to the place of repentance for salvation (Luke 19:1-10, Luke 3:12-13). Jesus focused on getting lost people saved before training them to win others to faith in Christ.

5. Did Matthew accept Jesus’ invitation (Matthew 9:9, Luke 5:28)? That simple call was enough for Matthew to turn his back on everything he was and possessed. Notice that Matthew was too humble to even mention his name in the story. He knew that once he left his post, he would never be able to return to his tax-collecting position. Of all the disciples, Matthew appears to have made the greatest sacrifice of material possessions, yet he makes no mention of it in his gospel. Following Jesus is costly and not just another add-on to an already busy life.

6. What was the first thing that Matthew did after enrolling in Jesus’ evangelism school (Matthew 9:10, Luke 5:29)? Luke is the one who mentions Matthew throwing this party at his own expense. But catch what is happening, Matthew has all these lost friends, who are also outcasts, and now he has the opportunity to influence this crowd with the message of the gospel. He was building evangelistic bridges, which shows a lot about Matthew’s heart; he wanted his buddies to hear the gospel, too.

7. Who was invited to this party hosted by Matthew (Matthew 9:10)? Matthew’s old co-workers. Jesus intentionally wants his disciples to spend time with people who are not near to God. This was not a one-time happening, but Jesus regularly spent time with the riffraff of society (Matthew 11:19). Jesus was called a friend of tax-collectors and sinners. Jesus wants us motivated to reaching our circles of influence.

8. Who objected to the guest list (Matthew 9:11, Luke 5:30)? The religious leaders. This may happen ever today!

9. How did Jesus answer their accusatory question (Matthew 9:11-13, Luke 5:30-32)? He answered with a logical argument (Luke 5:31b), Scripture (Matthew 9:13), and mission (Luke 5:32).

10 The argument from LOGIC: It is so simple, a doctor doesn’t surround himself with healthy people, but goes to where they are sick! The Pharisees where experts in diagnosing the sinful condition of others yet had no desire in providing a cure. We are not suppose to disassociate ourselves from lost people (1 Corinthians 5:9-11, John 20:21). Every believer has a spiritual Hippocratic Oath!

11. Is the fear of being contaminated by unbelievers a valid concern? Fulfilling the Great Commission demands that we be in proximity with lost people. There is no impact without contact. As a doctor takes precautions to not get infected with the disease, we too must take precautions. There is a danger in identifying with the culture when the Christian is minimally involved with other believers. We can be absorbed back into the darkness. We are to be IN the world yet not OF the world (John 17:16, 18). We are good for nothing if we are no longer salt and light (Matthew 5:13).

12. What did Jesus command these Pharisees to do (Matthew 9:13, Hosea 6:6)? To GO and LEARN about compassion. LEARN is aorist imperative which denotes urgency. The phrase was familiar to these rabbis because they used it to rebuke those who did not know that which they should have known.

13. The argument from SCRIPTURE (Hosea 6:6): Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom between 755-717 BC during the last days of King Jeroboam II (as they were enjoying political peace and material prosperity, they also had moral corruption and spiritual bankruptcy). After Jeroboam died (753 BC) anarchy prevailed (4 of 6 kings were assassinated in 20 years) and Israel declined rapidly. The prophet of the day warned against moral decline and their breach of covenant with God. Judgment was coming, soon. (See 2 Kings 14-20, 2 Chronicles 26-32 for historical perspective).

God used Hosea’s personal experience of an adulterous wife to illustrate Israel’s spiritual adultery. They were going through religious motions but their hearts were not in it, they didn’t love God or other people. The form and ritual became more important than substance. God wanted a spirit of compassion and forgiveness in contrast to their judgmental and condemning attitudes.

The Pharisees were the apostates of Israel whose focus was on preserving the temple ceremonies while forsaking the substance of it. Truly redeemed people have a heart that become increasingly tender toward God and lost people. It is easy for us to fall into this same trap! Don’t get all wrapped up in the performance trap of doing things for God without a heart of compassion for others. Don’t let your heart grow cold. Are you growing in tenderness toward lost people? Do you ache for lost family and friends? Are you getting bolder and more creative in your personal witness?

God is never pleased with religious routine and activity that does not come from a heart of compassion for other people.

14. What does the word “compassion” mean (Hosea 6:6)? It means “to be compassionate” in the Old Testament, but Matthew uses the Greek word meaning, “an outward manifestation of pity, it assumes need on the part of the one who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of the one who shows it” (Vines, page 403). God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4, Titus 3:5).

The word also is used in the NT meaning, “taking another person’s condition or situation into the bowels” (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 18:27, 20:34, Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22, Luke 7:13, 10:33, 15:20). Compassion make your sick to the stomach. Compassion is fully identifying with another person (terror, grief, sorrow, pain, agony, despair, humiliation, shame, hopelessness, fear, lostness). The Pharisees made no emotional connection.

Biblical compassion moves you to action. Pity is often used to feel bad for another but does nothing; compassion calls the heart to action.

15. The argument from MISSION (Matthew 9:13, Luke 5:32): The Pharisees were likely jealous that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and did not spend time with the self-righteous, religious establishment who were unaware of their falleness. He articulated his mission and target audience: sinners who are in need of repentance.

We need to stay on God’s mission, too. God could have saved us and taken us home, but we are here on this planet because we have work to do. The church doesn’t exist for itself, but for those who are outside of the church. It is not a country club for saints but a hospital for sinners. Avoid “koinitis” which is a perversion of koinonia (fellowship, sharing a common life).

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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Come and Follow Me

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Having completed the first six commands at the Infant Stage, we are now into the first of four commands in this Youth Stage. In John 1 Jesus called to the disciples, “Come and see” (John 1:39), indicating that Jesus is a person worth investigating. Now Jesus calls this fishermen to “Come and follow me” (Matthew 4:19-22).

For nine month between the events of John 1 and Matthew 4, the disciples were investigating the words and works of Jesus.

  1. At the wedding at Cana the disciples became believers (John 2:11)
  2. They went to Capernaum and visited with Jesus (John 2:12)
  3. They celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem (John 2:13-25)
  4. They were present when Jesus and Nicodemus had their nighttime meeting (John 3:1-21)
  5. They spent time in Judea with Jesus (John 3:22)
  6. They went with Jesus through Samaria (John 4:1-42)

While in Samaria, Jesus cast vision into these early disciples, to have a heart for the lost (John 4:35-36). They experienced the excitement of seeing people come to faith in Christ. This stirred something in these young believers. They saw Jesus do it but didn’t have the person “how to” class, so the disciples went back to fishing, and then Jesus came to Galilee (John 4:44-45) preaching in the surrounding areas (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14b-15, Luke 4:14b-15). Jesus preached the gospel in Cana (John 4:46-54) and preached and was rejected in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-31a), before they settled in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13-16).

Jesus is now trying to establish these disciples in their faith in order to grow them toward maturity. They needed training in evangelism, Jesus wanted it to be a part of their DNA. “Follow Me” is the first command in the Youth Stage (or Build Level) of discipleship. The following are the areas of spiritual formation upon which Jesus focused in this phase:

  1. Decisiveness: Jesus invited new believers into an accountability relationship to be trained in evangelism. They had to decide whether they wanted Jesus to make them into fishers of men. We live in a culture where no one likes to be made to do anything. (Matthew 4:18-22)
  2. Spiritual Warfare: Their first experience was a confrontation with the spirit world, in of all places, in church (Mark 1:21-28)
  3. Peer Care (acts of compassion): Jesus served others out of a heart of compassion (Mark 1:30-31).
  4. Solitude: Jesus modeled getting away to a lonely place to seek the Father in order to set his priorities (Mark 1:35-39).
  5. Dropouts: Jesus addressed the fears of his disciples who returned to their fishing business after committing to this Youth Stage (Luke 5:1-11). Maybe believers don’t follow through and need encouragement and nudging.
  6. Peer Share (friendship evangelism): Jesus maximizes his relationship with Matthew to reach his lost friends (Matthew 9:10-13).
  7. Spiritual Disciplines: Jesus assured the disciples of John the Baptist that the spiritual habits like fasting and prayer would need to be practiced (Matthew 9:14-15).
  8. Flexible Conscience: Jesus carefully fulfilled the law and exercised his freedom in amoral areas. Training the conscience is important to help the new believer obey God’s commands yet be flexible enough to exercise the freedom to use their new wineskins (structures, forms, approaches) to culturally adapt to their target audience when sharing the gospel (Matthew 9:16-17).
  9. Sabbath Rest: Jesus honored the sabbath (Matthew 12:1-21) yet refused to obey the traditions of men. He taught that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath (Mark 2:27). They needed to establish rhythm in life and avoid ministerial burnout.

Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20

  1. What were the brothers doing when Jesus called them? Casting their nets. The phrase identifies their habitual employment; a humble vocation that called for skill, alertness, patience, and persistence.
  2. What were the second pair of brothers doing when Jesus called them? In the boat mending their nets; repairing or cleaning the nets after a night’s work. The idea was to “restore to a former condition.”
  3. What do we know about the fishing business on the Sea of Galilee? Nine towns and Bethsaida could be translated “Fishtown.” It was big business, so we must put to rest the idea that these men were ignorant and in poverty. While they were not trained in theology, they were NOT illiterate, stupid, or destitute. They had given up MUCH to follow Jesus (Matthew 19:27).
  4. How did both sets of brothers respond to Jesus’ call? They immediately left their nets. The call was instant and complete; they were not indecisive.
  5. How might father Zebedee felt? While the boys made a sacrifice to follow Jesus, their father also involved sacrifice since this was no small fishing company. There were hire men. The sons and heirs walked away, perhaps the nickname, “sons of thunder” applies to Zebedee’s reaction thundering at this situation watching his boys walk away from all he had built up for them.
  6. Who was Zebedee’s wife? He name was apparently Salome (Matthew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40) and even was Mary’s sister (John 19:25). So, James and John were cousins of Jesus.
  7. Why does Jesus call two pairs of brothers? Jesus was beginning a relational movement; the brothers knew other family and others in the business. The expansion of the early church was through household evangelism (Matthew 10:11-14, Acts 2:46, 5:42, 10:2, 11:14, 16:15, 31, 33-34, 18:8, 20:20, Romans 16:5, 10-11, 1 Corinthians 1:16, 16:15, Philippians 4:22, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2).
  8. What motivated them to answer the call of Jesus? They were tired of stinky fish. They watched Jesus model evangelism and they were convinced that they wanted to invest their lives for destinies rather than dollars.
  9. What do we learn about the leadership style of Jesus?
    1. Jesus was a relationship builder.
    2. Jesus cast a vision for seeing souls saved.
    3. Jesus took initiative to approach lost people.
    4. Jesus made the “ask” and engaged people in spiritual conversations.
    5. Jesus promised to shoulder the responsibility, “I will” make you fishers of men.
  10. What was required of these disciples other than a willingness to follow?
  11. What did you leave behind in order to follow Christ?
  12. Where are you spiritually?
    1. Preparing the nets?
    2. Leaving the boat?
    3. Following hard after Jesus?
    4. Feeling left behind?

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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Six Problem Passages

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Six Problem Passages for Water Baptism:

1. Mark 7:4 – “and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse [literally sprinkle] themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing [literally baptizing] of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)”

Western and Syrian manuscripts add “couches” at the end of the sentence (A.T. Robertson). For those who don’t immerse, they ask, “How would the Pharisees go about submerging “couches or beds” in their ceremonial washing? (Leviticus 15:20)” You would need a large body of water like a pool or river. So, this passage seems to permit a mode of baptism to be sprinkling or pouring. The Mishnah (the first part of the Talmud) devotes 30 chapters to the purification of vessels.

There is allowance to dismantle the beds in order to immerse and purify them. So, in Jesus’ day, these beds were constructed in a way to dismantle them when needed. Strong’s Systematic Theology is accurate when he says that every use of the word baptism in the Bible requires or allows the meaning “to immerse.”

2. Mark 16:16 – “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

At first glance it appears that baptism is necessary for salvation, but notice it does not say, “he would does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.” The issue is FAITH, not baptism. The thing that condemns a person is not the lack of baptism but the lack of faith.

Why does Mark tie baptism to salvation? He is stressing the importance of baptism, which is a part of the Great Commission. A church history professor once told me, “Baptism doesn’t save anyone, but how can you be saved without it?” When we are truly saved, we will WANT to follow Jesus is believer’s baptism. If we refuse, we should question that person’s conversion.

In the rest of the NT, baptism is clearly not a part of the gospel. Paul makes this very clear in 1 Corinthians 1:17. If baptism was necessary for salvation, Paul would have been more earnest in communicating that teaching. If it were necessary, 1 Corinthians 1:14 makes no sense.

Charles Ryrie states: “The original ending of Mark’s Gospel is the subject of much debate. It is doubtful that what we designate as Mark 16:16 was part of the genuine close of the Gospel. At best, it would be unwise to base any doctrine on the content of Mark 16:9–20. However, it is also possible that if Mark 16:16 is a part of the inspired text that the reference is to baptism of the Spirit. After all, the Lord would have spoken Mark 16:16 at almost the same time as He spoke Acts 1:5 concerning the imminent baptizing ministry of the Spirit.”

Norman Geisler states: “A basic principle of Bible interpretation is that difficult passages should be interpreted in light of the easy, clear verses. One should never build a theology on difficult passages. The clear verses indicate that one is saved by faith in Christ (e.g., John 3:16–17; Acts 16:31). In Mark 16:16 it is clear that it is unbelief that brings damnation, not a lack of being baptized: “he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” When a person rejects the gospel, refusing to believe it, that person is damned.”

3. John 3:5 – Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

John 3:5 does not teach baptismal regeneration. In fact, it is not even referring to Baptism. The point is that you must be born again (John 3:3). Nicodemus asks how can a man enter his mother’s womb and be born again (John 3:4). Then comes the born of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5). Jesus is simply stating that a man must be born of water (born physically), and goes on to say that this second birth is spiritual in nature. The teaching here is not that water baptism is necessary, but that physical birth is necessary! People must be born before they can be born again. John 3:6 confirms this interpretation.

4. Acts 2:38 – Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Many claim that one must be baptized to receive remission of or forgiveness of sins, but this is easily refuted when we look at the original words of the New Testament. There is a little preposition “eis” that is translated “for” has the casual force and should be translated, “on the basis of” or “because of.” That makes a big difference.

Casual force in English is like, “He was arrested for stealing,” is better understood as, “He was arrested on the basis of stealing.” He was arrested “in order that” he might steal, makes no sense. If someone is commended for bravery, it is on the basis of his bravery, not in order to make him brave.

“Eis” does not promote purpose or result, that forgiveness of sin is the purpose or goal of baptism, but based upon the previously received remission of sins, we would engage in this outward testimony of this inward experience. Other NT examples of “eis” are: Matthew 12:41 and Luke 11:32.

Charles Ryrie states: “Baptismal regenerationists understand this verse to teach that repentance and baptism lead to the forgiveness of sins. Unquestionably baptism was a clear proof in New Testament times of conversion, whether it be conversion to Judaism, to John the Baptist’s message, or to Christianity. To refuse to be baptized raised a legitimate doubt as to the sincerity of the profession. Therefore, when the Jewish crowd asked Peter what they must do, he quite naturally said to repent (change their minds about Jesus of Nazareth) and be baptized (give clear proof of that change).

Though it is true that exegetically the text may be understood to say that baptism is unto (eis) the forgiveness of sins, it is equally true that it may say that baptism is not for the purpose of the forgiveness of sins but because of forgiveness (that had already taken place at repentance). Eis is clearly used with this meaning in Matthew 12:41—they repented at (on the basis of, or because of) the preaching of Jonah. It certainly cannot mean in that verse that they repented with a view to [or for the purpose of] the preaching of Jonah. So Acts 2:38 may be understood that the people should repent and then be baptized because their sins were forgiven.

5. Acts 22:16 – Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

Paul is recounting his conversion experience, and some declare that a person is saved through the waters of baptism (sins being washed away).

Charles Ryrie states: “The verse contains four segments: (a) arise (which is a participle, arising); (b) be baptized (an imperative); (c) wash away your sins (another imperative); and (d) calling on the name of the Lord (another participle). To make the verse teach baptism as necessary for salvation necessitates connecting parts b and c, be baptized and wash away. But rather than being connected to each other, each of those two commands is actually connected with a participle. Arising is necessary before baptism, and calling before sins can be washed away. Thus the verse should be read this way: arising, be baptized; wash away your sins, calling on the Lord. The verse correctly understood does not teach baptismal regeneration.”

“Be baptized” is in the aorist middle imperative, which denotes urgency, while the middle voice places the responsibility to obey this command squarely on Paul. He immediately obeyed three days after his conversion, but when were his sins washed away, at his baptism or his conversion?

6. 1 Peter 3:21 – Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

John MacArthur states: “First Peter 3:18–22 stands as one of the most difficult NT texts to translate and then interpret. For example, does “Spirit” in 3:18 refer to the Holy Spirit, or to Christ’s Spirit? Did Christ preach through Noah before the Flood, or did He preach Himself after the crucifixion (3:19)? Was the audience to this preaching composed of the humans in Noah’s day, or demons in the abyss (3:19)? Does 3:20, 21 teach baptismal regeneration (salvation), or salvation by faith alone in Christ?

First, every time we see the word “save” in the NT, don’t jump to the conclusion that it is referring to our deliverance from the wrath of God and the punishment of a Christless eternity in hell (Romans 5:9-10). This passage actually says that baptism is an opportunity to be rescued from a dirty conscience. Peter is clear that he is not speaking of a dirty body (its purpose is not a bath that removes filth from the body) but it is an appeal to God for a good [clean] conscience.

A person with a clear conscience knows that no one can point a finger at him and say, “You’ve offended me, and you have never asked for forgiveness.” Baptism is an opportunity to publically set things straight. We need a conscience without offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16). Without a clear conscience, our witness is diminished (1 Peter 3:15-16) and some suffer shipwreck with regards to their faith (1 Timothy 1:19).

The point is, use your baptism as an opportunity to invite lost friends and family. Invite those you have offended in the past. Explain that God has forgiven you of your past sins and you desire their forgiveness as well.

In his commentary on 1 Perter 3:21, MacArthur writes:

an antitype which now saves us. In the NT, an antitype is an earthly expression of a spiritual reality. It indicates a symbol, picture, or pattern of some spiritual truth. Peter is teaching that the fact that 8 people were in an ark and went through the whole judgment, and yet were unharmed, is analogous to the Christian’s experience in salvation by being in Christ, the ark of one’s salvation.

baptism … through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter is not at all referring to water baptism here, but rather a figurative immersion into union with Christ as an ark of safety from the judgment of God. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates God’s acceptance of Christ’s substitutionary death for the sins of those who believe (Acts 2:30-31; Romans 1:4). Judgment fell on Christ just as the judgment of the flood waters fell on the ark. The believer who is in Christ is thus in the ark of safety that will sail over the waters of judgment into eternal glory (cf. Romans 6:1–4).

not the removal of the filth of the flesh. To be sure he is not misunderstood, Peter clearly says he is not speaking of water baptism. In Noah’s flood, they were kept out of the water while those who went into the water were destroyed. Being in the ark and thus saved from God’s judgment on the world prefigures being in Christ and thus saved from eternal damnation.

the answer of a good conscience toward God. The word for “answer” has the idea of a pledge, agreeing to certain conditions of a covenant (the New Covenant) with God. What saves a person plagued by sin and a guilty conscience is not some external rite, but the agreement with God to get in the ark of safety, the Lord Jesus, by faith in His death and resurrection (cf. Romans 10:9-10; Hebrews 9:14; 10:22).

The Believer’s Bible Comentary explains: First let us see what it may mean, and then what it cannot mean.

Actually, there is a baptism which saves us—not our baptism in water, but a baptism which took place at Calvary almost 2000 years ago. Christ’s death was a baptism. He was baptized in the waters of judgment. This is what He meant when He said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50). The psalmist described this baptism in the words, “Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me” (Psalm 42:7). In His death, Christ was baptized in the waves and billows of God’s wrath, and it is this baptism that is the basis for our salvation.

But we must accept His death for ourselves. Just as Noah and his family had to enter the ark to be saved, so we must commit ourselves to the Lord as our only Savior. When we do this, we become identified with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. In a very real sense, we then have been crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20), we have been buried with Him (Romans 6:4), and we have been brought from death to life with Him (Romans 6:4).

All this is pictured in the believer’s baptism. The ceremony is an outward sign of what has taken place spiritually; we have been baptized into Christ’s death. As we go under the water, we acknowledge that we have been buried with Him. As we come up out of the water, we show that we have risen with Him and want to walk in newness of life.

An antitype which now saves us—baptism refers to Christ’s baptism unto death on the cross and our identification with Him in it, which water baptism represents.

The verse cannot mean that we are saved by ritual baptism in water for the following reasons:

  1. That would make water the savior, instead of the Lord Jesus. But He said, “I am the way” (John 14:6).
  2. It would imply that Christ died in vain. If people can be saved by water, then why did the Lord Jesus have to die?
  3. It simply doesn’t work. Many who have been baptized have proved by their subsequent lives that they were never truly born again.

Neither can this verse mean that we are saved by faith plus baptism.

  1. This would mean that the Savior’s work on the cross was not sufficient. When He cried, “It is finished,” it wasn’t really so, according to this view, because baptism must be added to that work for salvation.
  2. If baptism is necessary for salvation, it is strange that the Lord did not personally baptize anyone. John 4:1-2 states that Jesus did not do the actual baptizing of His followers; this was done by His disciples.
  3. The Apostle Paul thanked God that he baptized very few of the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:14–16). This would be strange thanksgiving for an evangelist if baptism were essential for salvation! Paul did baptize some shows that he taught believer’s baptism, but the fact that he baptized only a few shows that he did not consider it a requirement for salvation.
  4. The penitent thief on the cross was not baptized, yet he was assured of being in Paradise with Christ (Luke 23:43).
  5. The Gentiles who were saved in Caesarea received the Holy Spirit when they believed (Acts 10:44), showing that they then belonged to Christ (Romans 8:9b). After receiving the Holy Spirit, that is, after being saved, they were baptized (Acts 10:47-48). Therefore, baptism was not necessary for their salvation. They were saved first, then they were baptized in water.
  6. In the NT, baptism is always connected with death and not with spiritual birth.
  7. There are about 150 passages in the NT which teach that salvation is by faith alone. These cannot be contradicted by two or three verses that seem to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation.

Therefore, when we read in 1 Peter 3:21, Baptism … which now saves us, it does not mean our baptism in literal water, but Christ’s baptism unto death and our identification with Him in it.

Not the removal of the filth of the flesh. The ceremonial worship of the OT, with which Peter’s Jewish-Christian readers were familiar, provided a sort of external cleansing. But it was not able to give the priests or the people a clear conscience with regard to sin. The baptism of which Peter is speaking is not a question of physical or even of ritual cleansing from defilement. Water does have the effect of removing dirt from the body, but it cannot provide a good conscience toward God. Only personal association with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection can do that.

But the answer of a good conscience toward God. The question inevitably arises, “How can I have a righteous standing before God? How can I have a clear conscience before Him?” The answer is found in the baptism of which Peter has been speaking—Christ’s baptism unto death at Calvary and one’s personal acceptance of that work. By Christ’s death the sin question was settled once for all.

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How do I know that God is satisfied? I know because He raised Christ from the dead. A clear conscience is inseparably linked with the resurrection of Jesus Christ; they stand or fall together. The resurrection tells me that God is fully satisfied with the redemptive work of His Son. If Christ had not risen, we could never be sure that our sins had been put away. He would have died like any other man. But the risen Christ is our absolute assurance that the claims of God against our sins have been fully met.

My only claim for a good conscience is based on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The order is as follows:

  1. Christ was baptized unto death for me at Calvary.
  2. When I trust Him as Lord and Savior, I am spiritually united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.
  3. Through the knowledge that He has risen, my request for a clear conscience is answered.
  4. In water baptism, I give visible expression to the spiritual deliverance I have experienced.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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The Command of Baptism

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We are now up to the fifth command in this initial infant stage, or Win Level. So far we have…

  1. Come and see – John 1:39
  2. Repent and Believe – Mark 1:14-15
  3. Fear as a barrier to faith / Do not Fear – Luke 12:5-7
  4. Greed as a barrier to faith / Covetousness – Luke 12:15

This lesson focuses on the topic of water baptism, which is the first step of obedience for a new believer. Jesus baptized new converts and instructs us to do the same.

Historical Background: The gospel of John is the only one to bear witness to Jesus’ early Judean ministry, which lasted about nine months. The synoptics don’t reveal this time period which took place between Matthew 4:11 and Matthew 4:12 (Mark 1:13-14, Luke 4:13-14). Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover (John 2:13, about April) and stayed until about four months before the harvest (John 4:35). During this time he cleansed the temple (John 2:13-22), performed miracles (John 2:23, 3:2), and baptized disciples (John 3:23). We have very few details about what he actually said and did.

For a short time his ministry overlapped with John the Baptist; imagine the countryside with people and two great preachers, both preaching about repentance and the kingdom of God. They both had disciples, large crowds followed them, and both baptized. In John 3:22, the reference to Jesus baptizing may indicate that he oversaw baptisms done by his disciples (John 4:2).

During this time the influence of Jesus was rising and that of John was declining, just has John desired (John 3:30). John’s disciples may have seen this competition as a setback and the reason for the discussion in John 3:22-36.

Baptizing is commanded in the gospels: Matthew 28:19, and other references are throughout the gospels: Matthew 3:6, 11, 13-14, 16, 18:18, Mark 1:4-5, 8-9, 7:4, 16:16, Luke 3:7, 12, 16, 21, 7:29-30, 11:38, John 1:25-26, 28, 31, 33, 3:22-23, 26, 4:1-2, 10:40.

We find baptism in Acts 1:5, 2:38, 41, 8:12-13, 16, 36, 38, 9:18, 10:47-48, 11:16, 16:15, 33, 18:8, 19:3-5, 22:16.

Baptism is even found in the letters: 1 Corinthians 1:13-17, 1 Peter 3:21.

Let’s look at John 3:22-24

1. Identify the two things Jesus was doing while he was in the Judean countryside (John 3:22). Spending time with the disciples and baptizing converts.

2. Why did Jesus chose to baptize in Aenon near Salim (John 3:23)? He baptized there because there was much water there. The Bible indicates that the amount of water needed was “much water.” John did a lot of baptizing in the Jordan, too (Mark 1:5), although the exact location is not known, but is likely in the region of Samaria. Aenon is transliterated Hebrew meaning “springs” which also indicates a lot of water was needed.

3. Which mode of baptism does John seem to support (John 3:23)? Immersion, very similar to what we find in Acts 8:38-39, where they “went down into” and “came up out of” the water. This clearly teaches immersion.

The Didache supports immersion, too. “And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.” From the Didache, chapter 7, written about AD 100, one of the earliest known writings on baptism.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and Romans 6:3-4

1. What does the word “baptism” mean? Charles Ryrie puts it this way:

Theologically, baptism may be defined as an act of association or identification with someone, some group, some message, or some event. Baptism into the Greek mystery religions associated the initiates with that religion. Jewish proselyte baptism associated the proselyte with Judaism. John the Baptist’s baptism associated His followers with His message of righteousness (he had no group for them to join). (Incidentally, John was apparently the first person ever to baptize other people—usually baptisms were self-administered.)

  • For James and John to be baptized with Christ’s baptism meant to be associated with His suffering (Mark 10:38–39).
  • To be baptized with the Spirit associates one with the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) and with the new life in Christ (Rom. 6:1–10).
  • To be baptized into Moses involved identification with his leadership in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt (1 Corinthians 10:2).
  • Baptized for the dead means to be identified with the Christian group and take the place of a believer who had died (1 Corinthians 15:29).
  • Christian baptism means identification with the message of the Gospel, the person of the Savior, and the group of believers.

Some of the baptisms listed do not involve water. Also observe how impoverished we would be without a proper understanding of the meaning and ramifications of baptism.

The word baptizo really means, “to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge,” or, “to dip in or under water.” The definition of baptism will determine the mode of baptism (immersion, pouring, sprinkling). The Church of England practiced sprinkling before the Bible was translated into English in 1611. Rather than translate the word, they transliterated the word, so they would not contradict the doctrine of baptism, which held to sprinkling.

Patterns-06-Baptism2. According to John 4:2, Jesus did not personally baptize, but his disciples did the baptizing on his behalf. What would be a reason Jesus would not baptize people personally?

  • To put a difference between John’s baptism and his baptism: John baptized all himself, as a servant, which Christ was a master.
  • To apply more time to preaching, which was a more excellent way (1 Corinthians 1:17).
  • To put honor upon his disciples, empowering and employing to them to do this work, training them for future service.

If Jesus baptized people, people would tend to value themselves more than others, which Paul had to deal with in 1 Corinthians 1:13-14.

Jesus would reserve himself the honor of baptizing with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).

Let’s look at Acts 8:36-38 and Acts 10:47-48

1. What does Jesus command the discipler to make sure that a new converts are baptized (Matthew 28:19)? Baptism is the first step of obedience for a new believer. To go public with your faith is a sign of being genuine. Remember that the imperative verb here is “make disciples.” The three participles (go, baptize, teach) help the main verb.

We are to GO and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) and then baptize the convert. If they refuse to be baptized, we can doubt their conversion. If they are unwilling to take this first step of obedience, we can be sure that the rest of the commands of Jesus will be debated. We don’t just TEACH, we teach them to OBSERVE all that Jesus commanded.

2. How did the early church obey this Great Commission (Acts 1:5, 2:28, 41, 8:12-13, 16, 36, 38, 9:18, 10:47-48, 11:16, 16:15, 33, 18:8, 19:3-5, 22:16)?

  • Peter commanded that new converts be baptized (Acts 10:43-44, 47-48).
  • Paul baptized as a part of the disciplemaking process (Acts 14:21, 16:15, 33, 18:8, 19:5, 1 Corinthians 1:14, 16).

3. Who is qualified to be baptized (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 35, 38, 10:44, 47, 16:14-15, 18:8)? Only believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are candidates for baptism (Acts 8:36-37, 10:44, 47, Romans 8:9, 16).

Let’s look at Acts 2:37-41

1. What should precede baptism (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 35, 38, 10:44, 47, 16:14-15, 18:8)? Candidates must place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

  • They gladly received the word (Acts 2:41)
  • They believed Philip as he preached (Acts 8:12)
  • Philip preached Jesus to him (Acts 8:35, 38)
  • Peter preached and these men received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44, 47).
  • Lydia opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14-15)
  • Crispus believed on the Lord (Acts 18:8)

2. When should new believers be baptized (Acts 2:41, 8:36, 16:30-33, 22:12-16)?

  • That same day (Acts 2:41)
  • At once (Acts 8:36)
  • That same hour (Acts 16:30-33) and immediately
  • Three days after being saved (Acts 9:9, 18, 22:12-16)

3. Is baptism a sacrament or an ordinance? It is an ordinance coming from the word, ordain.
Jesus ordained only two ordinances for believers: Communion and Baptism. An ordinance needed two things: sign and significance.

Those who refer to baptism as a “rite or sacrament” believe that baptism is a means of salvation. The word would literal mean, a “way of obtaining grace” or obtaining salvation. The Bible is clear that righteous deeds do not save.

  • We are saved by grace through faith, not works (like baptism would be a work, Ephesians 2:8-9).
  • It is not by works of righteousness that we have done (Titus 3:5).
  • The thief on the cross was not baptized yet had a place in paradise (Luke 23:39).

4. What about Mark 16:16? A closer examination of this verse reveals that FAITH is the issue, not baptism. Notice it does NOT say that if you do not believe “and are not baptized” you will be condemned. The only thing that condemns a person is refusal to place their faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.

If you’re riding a bus to NYC, you simply sit down and reach your destination. What happens when you get on the same bus but don’t sit down? Will you still get to your destination? If you place your faith in Jesus and are not baptized, you will still get to your destination. If you choose not to get on the bus, you won’t reach your destination. If you choose not to trust Jesus for your salvation, you won’t get to heaven.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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The Commands of Christ

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The theme of all Scripture is to love God with all of our hearts and to love one another (which is the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40 and John 13:34), but how do we love God? And how do we know that we are loving our neighbor? The commands of Christ precisely tell us how we should love our neighbor.

These commands are the secret to loving God: Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:21).

Rather than in chronological order, here is an alphabetical listing of commands that we can obey in order to show our love for God and others.

Ask in Faith (Mark 11:24).
Ask, Seek, and Knock (Matthew 7:7–8).
Await My Return (Matthew 24:42–44).
Baptize My Disciples (Matthew 28:19).
Be a House of Prayer (Matthew 21:13).
Be a Servant (Matthew 20:26–28).
Be Born Again (John 3:7).
Be Perfect (Matthew 5:46–48).
Be Reconciled (Matthew 5:23–24).
Be Wise as Serpents (Matthew 10:16).
Beware of Covetousness (Luke 12:15).
Beware of False Prophets (Matthew 7:15–16).
Beware of Leaven (Matthew 16:6).
Bring in the Poor (Luke 14:12–14).
Choose the Narrow Way (Matthew 7:13–14).
Deny Yourself (Luke 9:23–24).
Despise Not Little Ones (Matthew 18:10).
Do Not Cast Pearls (Matthew 7:6).
Do Not Commit Adultery (Matthew 5:29–30).
Do Unto Others (Matthew 7:12).
Fear God, Not Man (Matthew 10:28).
Feed My Sheep (John 21:15–17).
Follow Me (Matthew 4:19).
Forgive Offenders (Matthew 18:21–22).
Go the Second Mile (Matthew 5:38–42).
Go to Offenders (Matthew 18:15).
Hear God’s Voice (Matthew 11:15).
Honor God’s Law (Matthew 5:17–18).
Honor Marriage (Matthew 19:4–6).
Honor Your Parents (Matthew 15:4).
Judge Not (Matthew 7:1–3).
Keep My Commandments (John 14:15).
Keep Your Word (Matthew 5:37).
Lay Up Treasures (Matthew 6:19–21).
Let Your Light Shine (Matthew 5:16).
Love the Lord (Matthew 22:37–38).
Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5:44–45).
Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:39).
Make Disciples (Matthew 28:20).
Practice Secret Disciplines (Matthew 6:1–18).
Pray For Laborers (Matthew 9:37–38).
Receive God’s Power (Luke 24:49).
Rejoice (Matthew 5:11–12).
Render to Caesar (Matthew 22:19–21).
Repent (Matthew 4:17).
Seek God’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).
Take My Yoke (Matthew 11:28–30).
Take, Eat, and Drink (Matthew 26:26–27).
Watch and Pray (Matthew 26:41).

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