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Matthew’s Gospel In Outline Form

There are multiple ways to outline Matthew’s Gospel.  One way is to follow the form of a suzerain covenant,  Here is another approach from an application of that approach, keeping in mind that the temptation narrative itself follows the form of a suzerain covenant.  I. Matthew 1 - 3  : Introduction The author/authors introduce us to Yeshua via a gematria laden eschatological genealogy, a very brief birth narrative, a note about Yeshua’s ascent into manhood, & His baptism by John the Baptist that ends in a theophany. II. Matthew 4  : Prophet, Priest, King   Each of the 3 temptations highlights one of Yeshua’s 3 offices —- Prophet, Priest, & King, in that order. This provides the narrative framework (ie outline) for the remainder of the Gospel. Yeshua calls His disciples, essentially putting together a school of highly prophetic people who would serve as functional levites ministering to the poor, the sick & infirm, the marginalized, even Rom...

Confront! Prophetic Feng Shui

Awhile back I posted an article noting that the Bible is very clear that Inductive Prophecy is still alive & well on the Earth.  However, due to the prevalence of Cessationism & the fact that we no longer live in a predominantly polytheistic society, Christianity seems to have lost its way relative to this issue.   This ought not to be controversial.  In the Bible, Prophecy & Witchcraft/Sorcery are depicted as constantly at odds, which is precisely what one would expect given the reality of demons & their activity in the world.  For example, Jude analogizes between the behavior of demons & that of false teachers in his day.  It’s one thing to recognize that baptism & the Lord’s Supper & /or Fellowship ( Koinonia) Meal are prophetic acts.  Is quite another to argue that inductive prophecy has real world application in the 21st Century AD/CE.. At its heart, the basic operative principle is that the cosmos is God’s Temple according...

Tackling Tradition (Part 10) Luke 13:23 - 24

  Luke 13:23–24 (ESV): And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.   A day or two ago, I interacted with a gentleman on social media who used Matthew 7:13 - 14 as a means to assert that, when all was said & done, not only does the Bible teach Particularism (which is demonstrably false), it also teaches that the number of the Elect vs. that of the Reprobate tilts toward a greater number of the Reprobate than the number of the Elect.  When confronted, he ran to Luke 13 :23 - 24, saying that this text & Matthew 7:13 -14 are parallel.  In truth, the parallel is only superficial at best.  Parallel texts should be handled the same way as analogies.  In order for an analogical argument to work, it must correspond correctly at the key points of comparison.    Matthew 7:13 - 14 appears in the Sermon ...

Passover 2024

 Exodus 12:1–51 (ESV): The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.  7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; ...

O LORD, Hear Our Prayer

  Pray for the Sudan . 

Tackling Tradition (Part 9) The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1–9 (ESV): Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.  This statement telegraphs that this is a fictional story.       Some people might object to the very notion that this story is fictional.   That ought not to be controversial.   Job is most certainly an epic fiction.    It’s doubtful that after the Fall, there was only one language on the Earth, & the fact that the Creation Narrative has the marks of a fictional story does not preclude Adam & Eve being real people who lived in an environment like the one Genesis described.  For the record, I think Adam & Eve were real historical people & am a Young Earth Creationist - but that doesn’t mean I find agreement with everything that Macroevolutionists might expect Ken Ham & Ray Comfort to believe & teach.  It is worth noting that the overly literal interpretation of Genesis 1 - 11, is a byproduct of both theologically conservative Christians...

Do They Even Hear Themselves When They Speak: Part 1 - Gluttony

 From the Email Bag… Dear Spectrum Customer, We previously communicated that your May bill statement would reflect your normal monthly rate. However, we are pleased to announce that you will receive a partial ACP credit of $15 in your May bill. Save on Mobile Today In addition, as a loyal customer, we would like to help you continue to receive the value that the ACP credit provided you. To offset the loss of the government's credit of up to $30/mo., Spectrum is offering you a FREE Unlimited mobile line for 12 months - valued at $29.99/mo. Contact us today at 833-516-3606 to take advantage of this special offer. With Spectrum Mobile you will enjoy Unlimited talk, text, and data with fast, reliable 5G access included.   We appreciate your loyalty and look forward to continuing to serve you. —————— By way of reply… Do these people hear themselves when they speak?  Let’s recap shall we… Thanks to the Gubbmit’s inability to convince the cantankerous faction in Parliament - I m...

The Clueless Conservative

The Raleigh News & Observer has published an entertaining piece of liturgical philosophy .  By way of reply… In Texas and Florida where the backlash has been strongest, governors have signed legislation banning state universities from even having departments devoted to spreading the DEI gospel. What exactly is this author’s standard for morality?    In FL & TX, the same people who object to DEI policies are also the same people who have made it clear via FL law that if/when a business owner dares educate his or her employees about FL’s history concerning race and what constitutes a hostile work & commercial environment, if as a consequence the employees or potential employees feel guilty about their participation in the sins of their fathers, this constitutes an actionable offense. The rhetoric surrounding these laws centers on CRT. However, if I as a teaching elder in a theologically Evangelical Presbyterian church in the APC, work with a rabbi in a Conservat...