Bible Study on Matthew 8, verses 1 to 4, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean

 

Matthew 8:1 ¶  When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2  And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3  And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4  And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

 

Chapter 8 of Matthew is the one that calls into question my belief that the sermon in Luke 6 is a different sermon rather than a differently remembered account of the one here in Matthew. Here in Matthew, before Jesus encounters the Centurion’s sick servant he heals a leper. In Luke 7 He goes right to Capernaum and His encounter with the sick servant of the Centurion.

 

So, if it is true that the Sermon on the Mount is the same event in Matthew and in Luke then we come to a very important point of Biblical interpretation. These writers are going on the memory of eyewitnesses and participants of the importance and meaning of what Jesus said. We have the meaning, the points made, here in Matthew and Luke’s accounts (Matthew isn’t present until 9:9 and both were writing, I think, from the memories of others under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit).

 

But different events are emphasized and different conditions are explained. When things happened in reference to others is not as important as the teachings given to us. Still, I am inclined to believe that these sermons were given at different times, even if only slightly different, due to the details. Think about that and pray. Most evangelicals believe they are the same sermon, just different recollections. Just remember you cannot read the Bible like you would your car owners’ manual. And if two people’s accounts on any historical event are exactly the same either they copied from each other or some scribe altered the content to make it match. Two accounts of the same event, especially if neither of the authors were actually present and they depended on witnesses, are going to have differences. It is only the error of modernism that forces us to treat the Bible accounts like the instruction manual for our computer.

 

We are reminded in this discussion that given by inspiration does not mean word for word dictation and even uses, not only the writing skills of the men who wrote, but their human memories. Keep in mind what God has said about inspiration.

 

Job 32:8  But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

 

2Peter 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

 

Keep in mind also that Matthew, an exacting collector and recorder of taxes, relates a very spiritual message while Luke is recounting eyewitness accounts he has gathered together. If they are the same sermon then we can use Matthew to define what is meant by Luke’s account and compare the two sermons carefully as Matthew’s thought is more complete.

 

What do you think? Do you believe they are the same sermon, just two different versions, or are they different sermons given at different times to different audiences?

 

Jesus is willing to heal the leper and the leper is willing to be healed. This is very important for us. We ask for healing, spiritual and physical, but are we willing to be healed? I remember a book by a pop-psychiatrist named M. Scott Peck. I think it was People of the Lie. He said, if I recall correctly, that he was amazed at the number of people with severe mental illness who clearly resisted the efforts to heal them. The leper was willing to be healed and Christ was willing to do the healing. Perfect arrangement. What about us?

 

Jesus tells the healed leper to go to the priest and follow the Law to be a testimony to the priests. See Leviticus, chapter 14. As one sermon possibility when we follow the rules and are not rebellious as Christians we testify to God’s power before those over us in authority. However, that is difficult in reality in today’s world where outright communists rule over us using a twisted definition of democracy as a cloak for their evil designs.

 

Another possible sermon illustration is that the Jews looked upon someone with leprosy as a shameful recipient of God’s particular displeasure, much like poverty was sometimes looked at in the past. Jesus was willing to heal even the outcasts of society as He is willing to save even the bottommost part of the social web.

Bible Study on Genesis 37, verses 12 to 22, cast him into this pit

 

Genesis 37:12 ¶  And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13  And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14  And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15  And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16  And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17  And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18  And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19  And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20  Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21  And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22  And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Here goes Joseph on another reporting expedition for his father. No wonder his brothers can’t stand him. Are they expecting another evil report?

Introduced into the narrative is someone who enters the picture several times in the Bible. He or she is a seemingly random person who accomplishes something important or is used as an example. His or her existence makes one wonder about the place of so-called “divine appointments” in our everyday lives denying our very concepts of randomness, luck, and chance. I am referring to the references to a certain man or a certain woman who do something noteworthy but whose name isn’t given. As two examples;

Judges 9:53  And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.

1Kings 22:34  And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

A certain man found Joseph wandering, unsure of where to find his brothers. This anonymous individual lets Joseph know where to find them and exits the narrative.

Their hatred of Joseph is so great, their envy is so murderous, that they conspire against him as they see him approaching them. Jesus’ own brethren would not receive Him and conspired against Him.

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

He spoke against the Jews’ practices of His time and they conspired against Him. But, Joseph will yet save them all as we will see, as Christ came to save His own people.

They cynically and with blood in their hearts want to kill Joseph but Reuben, Jacob and Leah’s firstborn, refuses them their wish to end Joseph’s life and blame it on an animal. Here we see one of the definitions of evil as intending to do violence. Imagine Christ being hated by the Jewish authorities because He convicted them of their sin.

Reuben’s desire is to deliver Joseph, to return him to their father, Jacob. Reuben, who had before this committed the grievous sin of having sex with his father’s concubine, Bilhah, has a heart of mercy toward Joseph. This goes to show just how complex and really normal these patriarchs were in that they were not two dimensional but like us and all men were capable of evil and good. We do err when we paint the Bible’s human characters as having only one side; when we ignore Moses’ temper, Jeremiah’s doubts, or David’s sexual weakness. Only Christ, who is God in the flesh, was without sin, and, pastors, that includes Paul.

Bible Study on Matthew 7, verses 21 to 29, depart from me, ye that work iniquity

 

Matthew 7:21 ¶  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

 

This is a continuation of the last passage in this sermon. The fate of false prophets and those who deliberately counteract his teachings is given in metaphor.

 

Notice these interesting cross-references to verse 23 in regard to working iniquity calling these false teachers wicked.

 

Psalm 141:4  Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

 

Isaiah 31:2  Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.

 

Isaiah 32:6  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

 

Here is underscored that an outward profession of religious faith, no matter how impressive, will not lead us into Heaven without a saving relationship with Christ. American churches are filled with people who do wonderful works in assisting the poor and downtrodden, who make great sermons about helping one’s fellow man, but fall short of salvation by denying the Saviour who purchased them with His own blood. They have built their house on sand.

 

The Christian who bases his works for God on His trusting in Christ’s righteousness and not His own has a far surer rock to stand on than the person who bases his works for God on his own principles and goodness.

 

This ends, perhaps, the greatest sermon ever made. Hearing Christ’s words and obeying them, keeping them in one’s heart is the key to the Christian’s happiness. We underestimate how God’s standard of righteousness can make us happy.

Bible Study on Genesis 37, verses 5 to 11, Joseph dreamed a dream

 

Genesis 37:5 ¶  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6  And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7  For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8  And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9  And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10  And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11  And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Joseph’s two dreams indicate that he has been given knowledge that he will have supremacy over his brothers and, indeed, even over his father, in a manner of speaking. This adds fuel to the fire of his brothers’ envy against him. Jacob’s statement about Joseph’s mother, who was Rachel who died giving birth to Benjamin, seems to indicate that these dreams had been something he revealed some time previously that had helped create the resentment that his brothers felt for their father’s favorite. Matthew Henry noted that Joseph is more of a prophet than a politician in that he blurts these things out. He is a very young man, still a child by our standards today, though. But, while Jacob objected he still pondered what the dream that was spoken that seemed to include him meant.

One valuable note here of Bible definitions of words is the context of to reign over and to have dominion over in verse 8. To have dominion means to reign over here as it means to have power over and authority over in other places.

Psalm 8:6  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

And did not man have power and authority over life on earth?

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Joseph’s dreams will yet save a heathen nation from ruin and save his own people from starvation, setting off events that will reverberate through all history.

Bible Study with Fred, Matthew 7, verses 15 to 20, Beware of false prophets

 

Matthew 7:15 ¶  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

Prophets foretell things to come and teach as most commentators agree. Prophets teach about what God is going to do and what God has said. So, they are also teachers.  

 

We have another warning against false prophets and teachers in Peter’s letters.

 

2Peter 2:1 ¶  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

 

    3 ¶  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

 

    7 ¶  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

 

    10 ¶  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

 

Matthew Henry links false prophets and teachers with false apostles warned about in Revelation.

 

Revelation 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

 

Paul warns about these false workers.

 

2Corinthians 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

What are the fruits of what a prophet prophesies or a teacher teaches? Does their teaching draw you closer to the Bible and to God or does it cause you to doubt and have anxiety over God’s words and over His will and your salvation?

 

Does it deny God’s authority even or Christ’s incarnation?

 

Jude 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1John 2:21  I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

 

This warning is continued in the next passage.

Psalm 68, part 1, verses 1 to 6, Let God arise

 

Psalm 68:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.» Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 2  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3  But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. 4  Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. 5  A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. 6  God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

 

These are words used by Moses when the ark moved forward.

 

Numbers 10:35  And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.

 

Commentators like Gill noted that this was penned when David and his army brought the ark to the house of Abinadab.

 

2Samuel 6:1 ¶  Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2  And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. 3  And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 4  And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5  And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

 

The first two verses of this Psalm are about God enacting retribution upon those who hate Him, who hold Him in contempt, and how powerless they are against Him. There are Psalms that show this thinking but the following verses popped out at me.

 

Proverbs 20:8  A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

 

And see this for the end of history.

 

2Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

 

Even the greatest wickedness cannot stand before God if He does not permit it to do so. But those who are his should rejoice and sing praises to His name. Here is an abbreviated version of God’s name as JAH, a contraction of Jehovah, God’s name, with JAH translated as LORD, all capitals elsewhere Just as Jehovah is capitalized elsewhere as LORD, all caps, 6510 times as LORD, four as God, and four as Jehovah according to Strong’s. Jehovah, the LORD, all capitals, whom Strong’s translates as, “the existing one,” is greater than all spiritual beings and all things real or imagined by men and women.

 

Jehovah is a transliteration of a Hebrew word of which we are not sure of the pronunciation. There is disagreement over vowel points and how the word was originally pronounced. Modernists will use Yahweh as there was no J sound as we use it in either Hebrew or early English, or so I have read. However, the word Jehovah has come down to us as the English version of God’s name. Since we believe in the Holy Spirit’s hand in creating this Bible we accept Jehovah as reasonable without trying to quibble over a pronunciation that the so-called scholars cannot agree on and even if they could it would not help us understand the Bible.

 

God is a father to the fatherless.

 

Psalm 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

 

Psalm 146:9  The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

 

God will enact justice for the poor and the oppressed. Sometimes it happens in this life and sometimes recompense will be handed out in the future.

 

Ezekiel 34:16  I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

 

God is merciful to those who are suffering at the hands of others but He is also merciful to the repentant sinners who have had a change of heart. I want to read Psalm 107, an amazing Psalm.

 

Psalm 107:1 ¶  O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3 

And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to

dwell in. 5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

 

    10 ¶  Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; 11  Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: 12  Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. 13  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. 14  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 15  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 16  For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

 

    17 ¶  Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 18  Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. 19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with

rejoicing.

 

    23 ¶  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 32  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

 

    33 ¶  He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; 34  A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 35  He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. 36  And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 37  And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. 38  He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. 39  Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 40  He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. 41  Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. 42  The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. 43  Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

 

Bible Study on Matthew 7, verses 12 to 14, few there be that find it

 

Matthew 7:12 ¶  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

We use the word strait today as a narrow body of water or a straitjacket which confines a person so they cannot harm themselves or others. The contrast in the passage between strait and narrow versus broad and wide should define it for us.

 

Verse 12 gives us the famous Golden Rule as a summation of the Law and the Prophets. The modern businessperson might use something they created called the Platinum Rule saying that you should do unto others as they want you to but that is pure rubbish and an artefact of Cultural Marxism. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is Godly and reasonable and doesn’t call for you to accept or encourage another’s sin like the Platinum Rule does.

 

Luke  6:31  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

 

The popular version of this is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

 

This is a fundamental expression of the emphasis of the Old Testament Law’s admonition to love one’s neighbor as oneself as we will see much later in Matthew.

 

Matthew 22:34 ¶  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39  And the second is like unto it,

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

Here also is a fact that few will choose the free offer of salvation that only the God of the Bible can give.

 

In different contexts the sentiment that many are called but few chosen will be used twice in Matthew later on. And here we see God’s perfect will even though His permissive will allows that not all will be saved.

 

1Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

The way to God is exclusionary only inasmuch as an individual adult must receive Christ as their Saviour believing in His Resurrection and trusting in His righteousness and not their own for salvation. It is a narrow path and the vast majority of those who saw the light of day and grew to an age whereby they could understand to receive Christ as their Saviour will willingly descend into Hell.