Monthly Archive for October, 2008

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Matthew 14:13f

Published on October 22, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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13When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
 
The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 men is the only miracle that occurs in all four Gospels. The purpose of this miracle was to demonstrate to the disciples the kind of ministry they could expect for themselves. Jesus delivered His bread of life message after this event (Jn 6).
14:13
When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.
When Jesus heard the report of Herod’s thinking about His miracles, He withdrew to an out-of-the-way area. This “place” was near Bethsaida.
But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
The crowds followed Jesus on foot, watching His boat as they went.
14:14
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Jesus did not resent the crowds following Him but bestowed compassion instead.
14:15
When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.
Evening is after 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon. Since people walked everywhere, it would take time to go to the cities for a meal.
Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
The disciples thought simply in terms of the mechanics of finding a restaurant.
14:16
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You [emphatic] give them something to eat.”
Jesus knew very well that they did not have adequate restaurant facilities for feeding 5,000 men. When Jesus said to “give them something to eat,” you can hear the disciples say, “With what?!”
14:17
And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
The resources of the disciples were limited. Bread and fish were staples of diet at this time. “Loaves” were more like buns than loaves as we have them today.
14:18
He said, “Bring them here to Me.”
The role of the disciples was to bring their limited resources to Jesus.
14:19
Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
Jesus understood that the resources came from the Father, so He pointed His thanks to the Father.
14:20
So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.
There was plenty of food, so much so that there was a lot left over. “Baskets” here are small baskets, little baskets people took on journeys.
14:21
Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus fed 5,000 men, but women and children were there as well. There were probably more than 10,000 people fed. All four Gospels record this miracle. The fact of the miracle is incidental. The main purpose is to establish Jesus’ credibility as the Messiah.
PRINCIPLE: We have resources beyond ourselves.
APPLICATION: All God expects of us is to do what we can with what we have. We have resources beyond ourselves. God’s commands are equivalent to His enablement.
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Matthew 14:3f

Published on October 22, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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3For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.” 9And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
 
This section continues Herod’s fear of Jesus’ ministry and his confusion between John the Baptist and Jesus.
14:3
For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.
Herod Antipas went to Rome where he met Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Herodias, who had this affair with Herod, hated John the Baptist for calling attention to the affair and asked for his head on a platter. She was a vindictive woman.
14:4
Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
After Herod Antipas committed adultery with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip I, he divorced his own wife without cause. John the Baptist courageously confronted Herod publically about his illegitimate relationship.
14:5
And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Herod wanted to put John to death, but he feared the crowd because they deemed John a prophet, so he put John in a prison near the northern and eastern end of the Dead Sea.
14:6
But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.
Herodias manipulated Herod by having her daughter Salome lasciviously dance before Herod, titillating his passions.
14:7
Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.
Operating on impulse, Herod recklessly made a promise to Salome to give her what she wanted.
14:8
So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”
Herodias, Herod’s wife, held a grudge against John for calling attention to her illicit relationship with Herod publically. Herodias became spiteful toward John over this, so she served up John’s head on a platter.
14:9
And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.
To break an oath was an affront to one’s honor. Typical of a weak man, Herod gave an order to behead John.
14:10
So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.
John was in prison in the fortress of Machaerus, four miles east of the Dead Sea and 3,500 feet high.
14:11
And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
What a gruesome site. Hatred toward John the Baptist was palpable.
14:12
Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
John’s disciples buried his body and reported the scene to Jesus.
PRINCIPLE: Character is more important than reputation.
APPLICATION: There are people who compromise conviction rather than taking a stand for what they believe. They care more about reputation than character.
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Matthew 14:1f

Published on October 21, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
 
Matthew now turns to an incident about the tragic death of John the Baptist to indicate a more general rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.
In this chapter, Jesus withdrew from the crowd to instruct His disciples because of the rise in threat to His person. He moved to a series of private ministries beginning in this chapter.
14:1
At that time
“That time” refers to Jesus’ ministry in Nazareth.
Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus
News about the phenomenon of Jesus’ ministry reached Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, the Edomite (37 B.C. to 4 B.C.). Herod the Great had nine wives and killed some of his own sons and wives. He killed infants in Bethlehem (2:13-18). Herod Agrippa I imprisoned Peter and killed James (Ac 12). Herod Agrippa II, the son of Agrippa I, tried Paul (Ac 25:13ff). All Herods were Edomites and practiced the Jewish religion to suit their purposes.
Herod Antipas (4 B.C. to A.D. 39) was the “tetrarch,” meaning that he ruled over the fourth part of the kingdom. Antipas lived on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in the city of Tiberius. Antipas is most prominent in the gospels since his authority was over the geographical area of Perea and Galilee, where Jesus and John conducted their ministries. He imprisoned John the Baptist. On three occasions Jesus and Antipas came into each other’s purview:
1.    This occasion, when Antipas heard about Jesus’ ministry;
2.    Herod Antipas’ fear that someone would kill Jesus as He passed through Perea (Lu 13:31-33);
3.    The only occasion where Herod Antipas actually met Jesus was when Pilate sent Him for examination (Lu 23:6-12).
14:2
and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
Herod previously beheaded John the Baptist and leaped to the conclusion that he was resuscitated from the dead. A bad conscience creates paranoia and superstition.
PRINCIPLE: The conscience is one means whereby God deals with people.
APPLICATION: People with skeletons in the closet have a tendency toward a guilt complex. Conscience is not an absolute standard but a measurement for determining what is right. No rationalization can console those with a bad conscience. God uses the conscience to bring people to Himself.
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Matthew 13:53f

Published on October 20, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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53Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
 
Verses 53 to 58 conclude the section dealing with the initial, formal rejection of Jesus by Israel.
13:53
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.
When Jesus finished speaking in parables, He left the Sea of Galilee area and went southward to His hometown of Nazareth for His second visit during His public ministry.
13:54
When He had come to His own country,
Jesus’ “own country” was Nazareth.
He taught [was teaching] them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where [source] did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
Jews in the synagogue at Nazareth puzzled over the source of Jesus’ knowledge and power to do miracles. He left them with their heads swimming.
13:55
Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James [later head of the church in Jerusalem and human author of the book of James], Joses [Joseph], Simon, and Judas [later the author of the book of Jude]?
Like a bunch of snoops, the Jews looked into Jesus’ ancestry. They found that He was merely a carpenter’s son, a common laborer. How could such a common man as Joseph produce such an extraordinary son? They stratified Jesus into the mold of their understanding.
Note that Matthew called the physical half-brothers of Jesus by name. Mary was not perpetually a virgin.
13:56
And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”
The Jews rejected Jesus on the basis of class distinction. Jesus’ sisters were still living in Nazareth. Mary was no longer a virgin after the virgin birth. The question of the people of Nazareth was a question of authority: “Where does he get his authority,” since he was one of us?
13:57
So they were offended at Him.
The Jews in the synagogue considered themselves superior to the low-class family of Jesus. They rejected His message based on their sense of superiority.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor [has honor] except in his own country and in his own house.”
The snobs of the synagogue looked down their nose at Jesus. Jesus was accepted as Messiah in many places except for His hometown Capernaum, so He gave this proverbial saying about the honor of a prophet not carrying over to his home town and family. Jesus worked with his father to build houses in the Nazareth area. This limited understanding of Jesus led to their unbelief. They took offense to His claim of being the Messiah.
13:58
Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Unbelief was prominent in Nazareth, so He did not do many miracles there. If Jesus’ family did not believe in Him, how can we expect the nation to embrace Him as Messiah? Jesus always shuts down His ministry to those with negative volition.
PRINCIPLE: Familiarity breeds contempt.
APPLICATION: Spiritual snobbery is an evil. By judging truth according to our own standards, we dislocate God’s truth, the ultimate standard for knowing God. Unbelief limits illumination of God’s Word. We can reduce the eternal, inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God to the mere dead words of men. Truth is of little value to those without faith. Faithless familiarity with the Bible can cause us to reduce it to our preconceived framework of understanding.
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Matthew 13:51f

Published on October 19, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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51Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
 
Having concluded the discourse on the interim present kingdom with seven parables, Jesus probed His disciples about their understanding of what He said (13:51-52).
13:51
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
Jesus finished His parabolic discourse on the interim present kingdom and asked His disciples whether they understood all these things. They replied that they did understand them.
13:52
Then He said to them, “Therefore [because you understand] every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven [the interim present kingdom] is like a householder who brings out of his treasure [storehouse] things new and old.”
This reference to the owner of a house is a simile, not a parable.
Because the disciples understood the discourse on the interim present kingdom, Jesus challenged them to become conduits of this message. They were to be scribes displaying truth like householders who bring out valuables to show to neighbors.
The disciples were to be like householders who display treasure of things new and old. The Old Testament contained a rich deposit of truth about the kingdom. The new does not displace the old but supplements it. The teaching of Christ was something new in that He fulfilled the promises of the kingdom. His disciples were to expound the whole counsel of God that the King had come.
PRINCIPLE: Understanding brings responsibility.
APPLICATION: Teachers are to teach out of the storehouse of truth. Understanding is fundamental to Christianity. We cannot grasp or apply the Word of God without the understanding of its principles. Disciples of Jesus are to be like scribes who go to the Word to learn revealed truth. Christianity is not a constant search for truth; Christians are to find truth and come to conclusion about what God says about truth. With understanding comes responsibility about what we understand. Communicators of God’s Word reveal God’s treasures for all to see.
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Matthew 13:47f

Published on October 17, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
 
 
Jesus now came to His seventh and last parable (13:47-50) in His discourse on the interim present kingdom. He used a fisherman’s drag-net to illustrate His point. This was especially relevant since His ministry at this time was near the Sea of Galilee where people saw the drag-net process in their everyday lives.
 
13:47
 
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
 
Jesus drew an analogy between the interim present kingdom and fishermen’s large nets drawn behind two boats that caught both good and bad fish (13:47-50). This way of fishing could not discriminate between good or bad fish.
 
13:48
 
which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad [foul or worthless] away.
 
When the fishermen pulled the net to the shore, the net contained both good and bad fish. They would then sort the good fish from the foul or worthless fish.
 
13:49
 
So it will be at the end of the age.
 
Jesus interpreted the fishermen’s net parable in verses 49 and 50. The drag-net (interim present kingdom) will draw in all sorts of fish (people) so that the fishermen will need to separate the good (believers) from the bad (unbelievers). This parable has to do with the end of the Tribulation and the time when Jesus will come at His Second Coming. This is not the end of the economy of the church but the end of God’s discipline upon Israel in the Tribulation (24:1-31).
 
The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
 
The fishermen are the angels. The good fish are believers, both Jews and Gentiles. The bad fish are unbelievers (unjust). Angels will separate unbelievers from believers (just) at the Second Coming for those who will enter the Millennial kingdom. Final judgment of unbelievers will take place at the end of the Millennium (Re 20:7-15).
 
13:50
 
and cast them into the furnace of fire.
 
Angels will consign unbelievers to a furnace of fire.
 
There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
 
There is agony in hell.
 
PRINCIPLE: There will be a future time when God separates believers from unbelievers.
APPLICATION: The judgment to which Jesus refered here is judgment of the interim present kingdom (which includes the church). The church today is filled with believers and unbelievers. There will come a time when God will separate the true believers from the false.
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Matthew 13:45f

Published on October 16, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
 
Jesus joined the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price at the hip. They both speak of the value of the interim present kingdom. Jesus’ disciples were despondent over the formal rejection of Israel, so He spoke of the value of the present kingdom.
13:45
“Again,
The word “again” draws an analogy to the parable of the hidden treasure.
the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
The word “merchant” means wholesale dealer. The “merchant” here is Jesus Himself. Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven (the interim present kingdom) to Himself. The emphasis changed from people in the kingdom to the purchaser of the kingdom.
13:46
who, when he had found one pearl of great price,
The finder here is Jesus. He did not find the pearl loosely lying around somewhere, but after a search He found this expensive pearl. The exquisite pearl is the interim present kingdom.
 went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Jesus sold His life for saving those in the interim present kingdom.
PRINCIPLE: The kingdom in which we live is of utter value to Jesus.
APPLICATION: The emphasis in the parable of the pearl of great price is on the King Himself and the price He paid for the interim present kingdom.
The nation Israel is not the same as the church. Some in the Israel during Jesus’ day were in the interim present kingdom. Those of us in the church are in that kingdom as well. In the final phase of the kingdom—during the Millennium—the  church will reign with Christ over the Millennial kingdom.
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Matthew 13:44

Published on October 14, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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44“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
 
Jesus now offered the parable of the hidden treasure to His disciples, sitting in a house in Capernaum (13:44). This fifth parable and the next demonstrate that there would be two kinds of righteous subjects in the interim present kingdom:
1.    Believing Jews before the church economy
2.    Believing Jews and Gentiles during the present economy
13:44
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure
The “hidden treasure” refers to the godly remnant of Israel during the earthly ministry of Jesus and to believers throughout the interim present kingdom until the Second Coming. Some have interpreted the “treasure” as being Christ, but this rips the meaning out of the context of all previous parables. In addition to this fact, beginning at 13:36 Jesus spoke not to the world but to His disciples.
hidden in a field,
The godly remnant of Israel has been scattered throughout the world during the interim present kingdom.
which a man found and hid;
The “man” here is Jesus. He will find the believing remnant throughout the world at His Second Coming.
and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Christ gave everything He had to purchase the world (field). As owner He holds the right of redemption. At His Second Coming Jesus will claim His right over the believing remnant.
PRINCIPLE: Jesus values His kingdom as a treasure.
APPLICATION: God will one day restore the nation Israel as a nation on earth. Christians will join Israel in the kingdom after the Second Coming. Jesus loves all believers, carnal or spiritual. He loves us on the basis of His own love and not on our character. He loves from His own character. We are His treasure that He purchased with His own blood.
28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”Mt 20:28
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Matthew 13:36f

Published on October 13, 2008 in Matthew. 2 Comments
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36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

Jesus spoke to the disciples for the remainder of the discourse on the present kingdom (13:36-58), and this marks a transition in His audience. He sent the crowd away because what He had to say from this point pertained only to believers.
Jesus now turned to interpret the parable of the tares (13:36-43).
13:36
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.
Jesus turned from the crowd to speak to His disciples inside a house.
And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
The disciples spoke for believing Israel about knowing what would happen to the interim present kingdom.
13:37
He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Jesus identified Himself as the sower.
13:38
The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom,
The “seeds” are believers in Jesus’ Messiahship. These are people that He sowed in the world. These “seeds” are those who turned positive in volition towards the seed-Word (Lu 8:1). The field is the world, not the church.
but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
Tares are unbelievers sown in the world (field) by the devil as a rival sower. These are people who profess faith but do not possess it.
13:39
The enemy who sowed them is the devil,
The sower of unbelievers in the world is the devil. The devil places unbelievers in the world to introduce false doctrine into Jesus’ interim present kingdom.
the harvest is the end of the age,
The “end of the age” is the end of the interim present kingdom. This kingdom will end upon the Second Coming at the close of the Tribulation. This is not the end of the economy of the church.
and the reapers are the angels.
Since there is no separation between wheat (believers) and tares (unbelievers), God allows them to exist together. Angels will separate true believers from the devil’s crowd at the end of the age (2 Th 1:7-10).
13:40
Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
Good angels will gather the tares (unbelievers) to burn in fire after the Second Coming of Christ.
13:41
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
It is Jesus who will send out good angels for final judgment on unbelievers.
13:42
and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing [sorrow] and gnashing of teeth [pain].
The furnace of fire here is hell, where great anguish of soul and physical pain will take place.
13:43
Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
When believers will enter the future kingdom, they will reflect the resplendent glory of God in their inheritance. Believers will leave the interim present kingdom to inhabit the final kingdom with all its grand glory. Jesus’ point is that believers need patience because God will ultimately deliver His kingdom in full.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Jesus admonished His current hearers with a cryptic challenge to go positive in volition towards His message.
PRINCIPLE: There will come a day when God will separate truth from error, believer from unbeliever.
APPLICATION: God allows unbelief to continue throughout the present kingdom. The present kingdom exists from the official rejection of His Messiahship to the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. This period includes the time of the church economy. Throughout this period both truth and error coexist. There will come a day when God will make a separation between truth and error, believer and unbeliever. In the meantime, some churches will be faithful to God’s Word and others will not.
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Matthew 13:34f

Published on October 12, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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34All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
 
In verses 34 and 35, Matthew indicates that Jesus’ speaking in parables was fulfillment of prophecy. These two verses reinforce Jesus’ use of parables (verses 10-17).
13:34
All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables;
With this verse Jesus formally concluded the first half of His present kingdom discourse with four parables. Jesus spoke in parables to withhold truth about the kingdom.
and without a parable He did not speak to them,
For His remaining ministry in Galilee Jesus spoke in parables.
13:35
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“Fulfilled” here is application of type fulfillment. Asaph prophesied that the Messiah would speak in parables (Ps 78:2).
“I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
A parable is an enigmatic statement. Asaph spoke in parables to reveal what is not immediately apparent. Jesus’ use of parables functioned to conceal truth to those with negative volition. God withheld these truths from the creation of the world.
PRINCIPLE: God hides truth from people with negative volition.
APPLICATION: God both hides truth from those without Christ. On the other hand, He reveals truth to those with positive volition. He shows Himself to believers who have a hunger for God’s Word.
God also reveals His purpose for the church to principalities and powers in heavenly places what He is doing in the church: Ephesians three is the chapter where God reveals to the apostle Paul the idea of the church. This was a change in God’s economy from the nation Israel to the church. This event was of such moment that angels in heaven stood in amazement at God’s wisdom in forming the church.
10to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Eph 3:10
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