Category Archives: bible

Sermon on the Mount 16

Posted on January 20, 2018 by ehurst

Just Ask 7:7-11 First, we must establish that ask-seek-knock are ancient common images of prayer and worship in Hebrew culture. In this context it should be painfully obvious we aren’t talking about mere hedonistic comforts. The whole point here is … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 15

Posted on January 13, 2018 by ehurst

Judge Not 7:1-6 Jesus cites another Talmudic teaching. Matthew uses a neutral Greek word for “judge” (krino) — it’s meaning is entirely contextual. Thus, Jesus puts that teaching into a clear context regarding the hypocrisy so common to Scribes and … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 14

Posted on January 6, 2018 by ehurst

Seek the Kingdom First 6:25-34 In Jesus’ day there was no state-operated welfare system to abuse. Instead, there was a covenant under which a person’s extended family was responsible for their welfare, but was also held accountable for most everything … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 13

Posted on December 30, 2017 by ehurst

Serving Mammon 6:19-24 This one makes no reference to the Talmud, and only an indirect reference to the Old Testament. Jesus equates evil to being double-minded, in the sense of unfaithful to God. Righteousness is indicated with the Greek word … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 12

Posted on December 23, 2017 by ehurst

Fasting 6:16-18 Again: Jesus is telling His audience how to restore and renew the Covenant and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. What does it take to live in His blessed dominion? Fasting is actually a rather complex issue … Continue reading →

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Sermon the Mount 11

Posted on December 16, 2017 by ehurst

Model Prayer 6:9-15 So what would your private prayer sound like? On the one hand, memorizing this passage as some kind of sacred liturgy is a huge mistake. Nothing here suggests it, much less commands it. Rather, Matthew chose Greek … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 10

Posted on December 9, 2017 by ehurst

Ritual Prayers 6:5-8 This continues thoughts from the previous lesson. Worship is not for putting on a show. If making an offering to garner public approval was wrong, so was extravagant ritual prayer. According to Edersheim (a converted Jewish rabbi) … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 9

Posted on December 2, 2017 by ehurst

Godly Giving 6:1-4 The message here is fairly obvious in most English translations of the New Testament. However, it’s easy to miss some of the flavor and context if you aren’t aware of the background. Matthew chooses the Greek word … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 8

Posted on November 26, 2017 by ehurst

Justice for Enemies 5:43-48 Jesus isn’t really arguing with the Talmudic traditions here. He’s arguing with common Pharisaical behavior. It’s hard to find anything resembling “hate your enemies” except perhaps in the Qumran Scrolls, where the Qumran community taught something … Continue reading →

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Sermon on the Mount 7 (Updated)

Posted on November 18, 2017 by ehurst

Retaliation versus Restoration 5:38-42 It would be hard to find a passage that has been used and abused to spawn more nonsense than this one. It seems precious few commentators have ever bothered to discover the context in Hebrew history. … Continue reading →

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