“Answers for a study in the Gospel of Matthew” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.

2023 Fall – A Case for the Gospels: A study in Matthew

Matthew chapter 4:12-7

BASIC ANSWERS

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

For the answers below, Scripture passages and quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

1.  Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing or reviewing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Answers will vary…

Read Matthew chapter 4:12 through 7, then answer the following questions:

2.  (Matthew 4:12-25) After the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus withdraws into the Galilee and begins His teaching ministry.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

¹² Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; ¹³ and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

¹⁵ “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.”

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The First Disciples

¹⁸ Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. ²¹ Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Ministry in Galilee

²³ Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

²⁴ The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 4:12-25 (NASB)

• Where did Jesus end up after the wilderness temptation, and what prophecy was fulfilled here (where can you find it in the Old Testament)?
  • Jesus withdrew into Galilee and settled in Capernaum.
  • By doing this it fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah…

“But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.”  Isaiah 9:1-2 (NASB)

• How did Jesus’ ministry begin (describe what He did and how the people responded)?

From Charles Swindoll’s Living Insight Commentary:

• Capernaum was a center of commerce with a. busy fishing industry. And a. trade center for local agriculture. It was located on an international trade route that ran all the way. From Egypt in the south through Syria and on in to Mesopotamia in the north. It housed the residence of a high government official, a tax office, and even a large synagogue.”
• Jesus’ ministry began here with the call of His first disciples; His teaching in the synagogue; healings that included Peter’s mother-in-law, a centurion’s servant, a paralytic, a woman with twelve years of bleeding, two blind men, and the raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead.
• Jesus’ teaching was different than that of the Jewish teachers because when He taught His word came with power, and He preached as one having authority.
• Jesus’ teaching, preaching and miracles proved He had divine authority – people cannot reject His message without rejecting God.
• Jesus’ miracles show God’s compassion and love for His people, by addressing both their spiritual and physical needs.
• Jesus’ miracles verified that He was the promised Messiah whose mission included ushering in the Kingdom in which sickness, disease, suffering, and death would be vanquished.

3.  (Matthew 5:1-20) This section begins Jesus’ teaching known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” Mountain teaching is an important aspect of Jesus’ ministry because it is reminiscent of God’s giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ² He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Disciples and the World

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰ “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:1-20 (NASB)

• Re-read through the Beatitudes (5:2-11), pick one that stands out to you and describe why (do a little deeper research on it if possible).
  • Note: Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” teachings (5:1-7:29) call His followers to a depth of righteousness unheard of in other religions.
  • The word beatitude is derived from the Latin word beatus, meaning blessed. It might also be defined from the Greek as an inward contentment or abiding joy unaffected by outer circumstances. They are statements of celebration, like worshipful psalms or parts of the Wisdom Literature, not commands like the Law of Moses. The ethical underpinnings of the Beatitudes are essentially those of the future kingdom of Christ, but lived out in the present interim by His people as a witness to the world.
  • Beatitude choices and answers will vary, but might include… (from Charles Swindoll’s “Living Insights”)
    • ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The first beatitude refers not to the financially poor, but to the poor in spirit – those who realize their own helplessness. This leads to total dependence on God for everything. Pride and arrogance are banished in the life of true happiness, contentment and joy that comes in giving all our cares up to the LORD. Giving up dependence on this earthly life and its disappointments allows one to participate in Christ’s kingdom plan.
    • ⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The Greek word for mourn is pentheo. It refers to a passionate lament or the anguish felt because of some sorrowful event, condition or circumstance. Believers in a right relationship with God will morn over the wrongs of our world and be grieved over the destructiveness of sin. What Jesus is saying is that when we mourn for the woes and wrongs of this world, we can take comfort in the here. and now that one day the. Wrongs will be righted, death will be dealt a death blow itself, and God will wipe away. Every tear from our eyes (Rev.21:4). Those who are comforted by the Spirit in their mourning will grab the attention of those who mourn without hope.

• What does Jesus mean when He teaches that “you are the salt and light of the world” (5:13-16)?
  • Both of these teachings reflect Jesus’ desire for His followers to be ambassadors for the Kingdom, sharing the Gospel with all those we can.
  • If we know the truth, yet stop following and sharing it, then it becomes like the loss of salt and everything becomes tasteless, literally tasteless in our lives – Salt add flavor to food, serves as a preservative, keeps meat from spoiling and serves as a kind of detergent making things clean. Salt can also make people thirsty, thus this is a perfect metaphor Jesus used to describe how Christians should function in this world.
  • If we know the truth, yet stop sharing it, then we become like darkness, and we reflect that darkness to others instead of reflecting the hope and truth found in Jesus’ light which is His teachings and the Gospel of His life – when believers exhibit kingdom living the darkness will be dispelled. People, especially non-believers, will see this beacon of hope toward which to move. When the light of the Christian life does what it’s supposed to do, it can’t be hidden or extinguished.
  • Our actions, like salt and light, make us stand out to others – we are to be ambassadors for the Kingdom (2 Cor. 5:20) and give a reason for the hope we have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 3:15).

• What does Jesus say about His fulfillment of the Law and Prophets (5:17-20)?
  • He did not come to abolish the Law and Prophets, but to fulfill them – This means that Jesus is the promised New Covenant and all that was written in the Old Testament His has done, and will do.
  • It also indicates that He has future accomplishments that will ultimately do away with the need for the Law and Prophets because there is the promise of His second coming that will complete the Genesis 3:15 promise given after the “Fall” and we will receive the final promise of Revelation 21:1-8.
  • According to Swindoll: “Jesus affirmed that not even the smallest letter or stroke of the Law would pass away. The terms used in this passage highlight the precision and perfection of the inspired Word. Literally, it says, not one iota or one horn. The iota was the smallest Greek vowel, sometimes located beneath another letter. The horn probably referred to a tiny mark like a hook or tail that distinguished one letter from another.

4.  (Matthew 5:21-7:6) Jesus continues teaching on several important topics:

Personal Relationships

²¹ “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘you good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. ²³ Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. ²⁵ Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ²⁸ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; ³² but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. ⁴¹ Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

² “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁵ “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

⁹ “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

¹⁴ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face ¹⁸ so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Judging Others

7 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Matthew 5:21-7:6 (NASB)

• Re-read through the teachings on anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, loving your enemies and giving to the needy (5:21-6:4), then choose one (or more if you’d like) to summarize in your own words, and why it stood out to you (do a little deeper research if possible).

Answers will vary, but might include...

• • Retaliation: Jesus urged His listeners to respond to personal offenses with grace and mercy. When an evil person insults you, take the insult. If they take their aggression one step further and slap you on the cheek, refuse to retaliate. All of these actions are unexpected by the aggressor and can lead them to ask why.
  • Jesus knows that the human heart is wicked, and a show of complete abandonment of personal gain or comfort on our part can only be a witness for Him and our priority of being His follower.
  • Jesus knew that unexpected responses like these to wicked behavior often disarms the aggressor and leads not to an escalation of violence or evil but to repentance and reconciliation.
  • From Charles Swindoll: “Jesus statements must be understood in their overall context. Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to be submissive victims to physical, verbal, sexual abuse, rape, terrorism, murder, or other threats of true harm.” We are not to be passive when “bullies” attack us or others, especially those who weaker. This is situation specific and points to our faith and trust in Jesus over all else the world puts forth.
  • Loving your enemies: In the culture of this day, and in many ways today, the thought to love your neighbors and hate your enemies is the teaching, but Jesus was saying no, but love your enemies and pray for your persecutors.
  • From Charles Swindoll: “The word here for love is ‘agapao’ the verb form of ‘agape’ – not an emotional, endearing kind of love, but a one-way, no-strings attached kind of love flows from grace and mercy. Nobody really deserves this kind of love, but by the power of God and by following the example of Christ, we can show this kind of love even to outsiders and adversaries. Jesus’ original audience would have understood this to refer particularly to the Romans, who were their pagan oppressors. Jesus didn’t say that His followers should love the way their enemies live, their beliefs, the way they treat people or their plans and motives; rather that they are to love them by praying for them, showing them grace and mercy as God does, and by greeting them cordially and kindly.”
• Jesus gives us a model, not a magic formula, for prayer (6:5-15). What are the important parts, and order, of this prayer and why do you think Jesus gave it that way?
  • This is known as the LORD’S Prayer, and Jesus gave it to His disciples when they asked Him about how to pray.
  • I believe Jesus was showing His disciples the importance of not just praying for ourselves, or treating God like a type of “Santa Claus,” but the importance of what we should pray about is seen in the order:
    • Praising, honoring, glorifying and thanking God first and foremost, understanding His holiness and majesty is above all else
    • Asking for the Kingdom to come to us on Earth from Heaven, as this is what Jesus mission is all about
    • Asking for God’s will to be done (in all things)
    • Asking for our daily nourishment (bread)
    • Forgiveness of our sins as we should forgive others
    • Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (this is where temptation comes from)
    • Praising God again because all is His Kingdom, He is all-powerful and He is to be glorified forever.

• What is an important take-away from each of these teachings from Jesus: Fasting; laying up treasure; being anxious; and judging others (6:16-7:6)?

Answers may vary, but could include…

• Fasting: Don’t show others what you are doing – it is between you and God
• Laying up treasure: Our treasure should be based on what we can take into Heaven with us and not what will perish here on this earth – we cannot serve both God and this world’s wealth/$
• Being anxious: We should not worry about anything because God knows our every need – He loves us and will take care of us, even as He cares for the bird and flowers, more so does He care for us His children
• Judging others: We should not judge others when we have not taken care of our own sins first – but we are to be discerning and how we involve ourselves with others who may be outside of God’s will (Philippians 1:9-11)

5.  (Matthew 7:7 through 7:29) Jesus continues His teachings…

Prayer and the Golden Rule

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

¹² “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, you will know them by their fruits.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; ²⁹ for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Matthew 7:7-29 (NASB)

• What does Jesus say about asking for something from the Father, and then how we should treat others – also known as the Golden Rule (7:7-14)?
  • Jesus teaches to persist in pursuing God – God will always give us what is best for us ultimately and our relationship will grow with Him
  • God will not always give us what we may want that will hurt us, just like a good Father that will not give something to His child that would hurt him
  • Jesus ends this thought with commanding us to treat people the same way we would want to be treated as that is the culmination of all that was taught in the Old Testament (It also goes with Jesus’ teaching on the Great Commandment later found in Matthew 22:37-40)

• What is the warning about the “narrow gate” and “false prophets” (7:15-23)?
  • Jesus warns that there are few that find the narrow gate to salvation because it is only through Him (John 14:6) – often people do not want to surrender to Jesus, they want to hang on to their way of life and the ideology that teaches many ways to God, but that is not what Jesus said.
  • Because of the false teaching in the world many will enter that gate which is broad and that leads to destruction – they will fall prey to Satan’s deception, and manifested through false teachers, leading many away from truth found in Scripture and towards destruction Jesus warns about.

• What does Jesus mean when He say we should build our house on the rock (7:24-29)?
  • We must build our foundation of faith and worldview (the way we live) on the solid rock which is Jesus and the Word of God.
  • Those that do no heed the Word build their life’s foundation on sand, eventually leading to complete destruction, and this is the deception found in a fallen human nature, and the influence of Satan on those who do not believe in Jesus’ Word.

Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the Gospels!”

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15