Monday, October 27, 2014

Matthew 4:12 - 17 - Jesus begins to preach

6 comments:

  1. Things to check out:

    1. Let's check if the prophecy is clearly about Jesus or more of Matthew filling in.
    2. Why that message (repent, for the kingdom of God is near)? What is it's significance?

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  2. Sorry, the passage is Matthew 4:12-17 - Jesus begins to preach.

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  3. Yaa! The prophecy is actually about Jesus.

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  4. As for the significance of the message "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near", the following article addresses this: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/thoughts-on-jesus-demand-to-repent

    Some of what it says:
    - Repenting is not only referring to behavior, but to the inner change that gives rise to God exalting behavior. It is seeing God/Christ with a new mind.
    - It is Jesus first message and the first message of the gospel.
    - It's repent or perish.

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    Replies
    1. Did you use the word perish to see if I would bite?

      For the record the word translated perish is
      Strong's Number: 622
      Original Word Word Origin
      apollumi from (575) and the base of (3639)
      Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
      Apollumi 1:394,67
      Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
      ap-ol'-loo-mee Verb
      Definition
      to destroy
      to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin
      render useless
      to kill
      to declare that one must be put to death
      metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell
      to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
      to destroy
      to lose

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    2. No, that was entirely coincidental. This section of scripture didn't mention what would happen if people didn't repent.

      Just so everyone knows, Von comes from a background that says that the penalty of sin is death, which is interpreted as the ending of life. I come from a background that says the penalty of sin is an eternity being tormented in hell.

      I never really thought about it and found Von's new information (to me) intriguing. As we go through, one of the many things I would like to discover is the answer to that question (assuming it's discernible from the Bible)

      As we slowly make our way through, I want to address such ideas. The closest so far was in the previous chapter where John says:

      "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

      and

      "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

      So far, those two verses don't clear up the mystery to me. I can see it both ways.

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