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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...

What Is The Gospel? (Part 2)

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.  23  No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. ( 1 John 2:22–23 , ESV) This, according to some fundamentalist Baptists, means that Jewish people worship a different God than Christians.   By way of reply… No, it only proves that Judaism is in error about the nature of God as a triune spirit & also errs relative to the identity of Jesus Christ.      If the assertion that Judaism’s concept of God is in error means that they are not I AM worshippers based upon this particular text, then that means that intellectual belief that God is triune & the correct doctrinal content relative to Christology is an absolute requirement for a person to be justified & regenerate.  What does the Bible teach? Let’s take a look at Romans 9. Romans 9:30–33 (ESV): What shall we say, then?...

The So-Called Sin Of Empathy

In 2021, James R. White posted on Twitter about his views on empathy &  replied to his detractors  in  manner that reveals who & what he has become over the years.  It serves as a case study into the mind of man who is an expert when it comes to defending the doctrines of grace & who had suffered much at the hands of Roman Catholic apologists & many others, who takes time to read & understand his opponents, who reminds us that we should love Muslims & avoid the trap of equating all of Islam with the spirit of jihadism, while at the same time, his commitment to his American Conservatism has blinded him to his own moral problems that at times make him sound like yet another tantruming member of the Manosphere.  He writes When you start with man as image-bearing creature of God, you can understand why sympathy is good, but empathy is sinful. Do not surrender our mind to the sinful emotional responses of others. There is truth to that stateme...