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The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew - Part 2

...n earlier Jewish tradition, one from which these later rabbinic sayings were derived. These later rabbinic traditions and the similarity to what Jesus says in Matthew 18:20 suggest that in this saying Jesus is not only claiming omnipresence — a unique attribute of Yahweh but also identifying his presence as the divine presence of God. I will conclude with a quote from Craig Keener[2] giving his summary of this theme in Matthew; “Matthew does not think of “God with us” merely at Jesus’ birth, or during his earthly ministry, or in some abstract way. He revisits this issue toward the middle and end of his Gospel. In 18:20, Jesus announces, “Where...

Support Israel? OK, which Israel?

...ng of the Jewish people as a whole, but their culmination in being the lineage to which the Messiah would come! It's things like this which show a misunderstanding of the New Testament and who Jesus is. What about the nation of Israel? There are memes like the one on the right, which are also doing the rounds on the internet, quoting Gen 12:3 and by implication, putting guilt on anyone who dares say a bad word against the nation of Israel. Yes, all the families of the earth shall be blessed - but not by national Israel, but Jesus who IS the true Israel; the one in whom all the promises to the people of Israel are found complete (2 Cor 1:19-20). It is now...

Has Brexit just spoiled “End Times” prophecy?

...y saw the Jewish War and the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 AD as fulfillment of Daniel’s “70 Weeks” prophecy, and also as fulfillment of Jesus’ predictions in Matt 24/Luke 21 about the “end of the age”. To the Early Church, it wasn’t about the world ending in a ball of fire, and arguably, it never was. So why is it the focus of the Church today? We’d do well to know our history in these cases. “Brexit” may or may not be bad for the UK and Europe in general, which has possibly got you worried, but as for an anti-christ rising from the ashes? I don’t think so, I don’t see any Scripture to support the notion either.   I...

The Coming Kingdom of the Son of Man

...which his Jewish audience would have understood. Matthew's Gospel was written to a Jewish community, and so keeps this language: "So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains..." (Matt 24:15)   Whereas Luke's Gospel was written by a Gentile, to Gentiles, and thus clarifies certain things so that non-Jews will understand, such as what that the “desolating sacrilege” is: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains..."...

Women should be silent?

...rately in Jewish synagogues which then followed through to the early church, (and women/wives then trying to shout across to their husbands causing havoc and Paul calling for order, not submission) - if some men and women, and some denominations in general, are taking Paul so literally on these points, do they sit in silence? And I mean TOTAL silence? Do the wives wait to get home to talk to their husbands about the service? Because remember, it's shameful otherwise (though, interestingly, not a sin per se). What if you're not married? Do single women just have to go with their questions unanswered? Why is this passage only directed at the married, whereas t...

Was there death before the Fall?

...d why the Jewish concept of blessing and reward from God is a long physical life (eg. Exodus 20:12); and also why the New Testament is concerned with the restoration of all creation through the resurrection (cf. Col 1:15-22; Rom 8:19-23) - and not an escape from it! 1 Tim 6:16 tells us that it is God "alone who has immortality", so clearly we mere mortals can't also be immortal, can we? Throughout the New Testament letters and the in the Gospels, it is made clear that eternal life is a gift which we are given through faith in Christ, and something we attain - not something we are born or created with (see: John 5:24; John 3:14-16; Romans 2:6-7; Romans...