Matthew 23

• Compare Matthew 5:20; 6:1-5; 7:3-5, 12, 15. Jesus makes similar points here.
• Matthew 23:5-12 – Warnings against pride.
• Matthew 23:13 – See Isaiah 5:8, 13, 18, 20, 21, 22. Jesus was speaking like a prophet here, which would have surely caught their ear. It is easy to discourage others with our behavior, especially new Christians or non-Christians.
• Matthew 23:16-22 – All of these examples of oaths go back to God’s authority. Misusing God’s name in this way is essentially taking the Lord’s name in vain.
• Matthew 23:23-24 – Don’t focus so much on the details that you lose sight of the bigger picture.

Introduction

• II Timothy 2:15

John Calvin (1509-1564)

• Jacobus Arminius and his followers argued against Calvin’s teaching. The five points of Calvinism were a distillation of the arguments that Calvin and his followers made against the Arminians.

Total depravity (or total inability)

“Adam’s offspring are born with sinful natures, they do not have the ability to choose spiritual good over evil.” – Steele, Thomas, and Quinn, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 18-19

“Our sinful corruption is so deep and so strong as to make us slaves of sin and morally unable to overcome our own rebellion and blindness. This inability to save ourselves from ourselves is total. We are utterly dependent on God’s grace to overcome our rebellion, give us eyes to see, and effectively draw us to the Savior.” – John Piper, Five Points, p.11

“Ephesians 2:1 says that we Christians were all once ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ The point of deadness is that we were incapable of any spiritual life with God.” – John Piper, Five Points, p. 19

• Ephesians 2:1-5 – This verse is just saying that people were dead in their sins, not that they couldn’t do anything about it or that their guilt came from Adam.
• Acts 8:4-17

Unconditional election

“Election refers to God’s choosing whom to save. It is unconditional in that there is no condition man must meet before God chooses to save him. Man is dead in trespasses and sins. So there is no condition he can meet before God chooses to save him from his deadness.” – John Piper, Five Points, p. 50

“But faith is not a condition for election. Just the reverse. Election is a condition for faith.” – John Piper, Five points, p. 50

Concerning Romans 9:10-13: “God’s choice was not based upon any foreseen merit residing in those whom He chose, now was it based on any foreseen good works performed by them … Election was based on the sovereign, distinguishing mercy of almighty God. It was not man’s will, but God’s will, that determined which sinners would be shown mercy and saved.” – Steele, Thomas, and Quinn, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 32, 35

• Romans 9:10-13 – This passage is not talking about salvation at all – it is talking about God choosing a particular branch of the family for Christ to come from.
• In any investigation, you have to stand firm on what is known.
• Any time we’re studying the Bible, we need to let the plain passages help us figure out the difficult passages.
• I Peter 1:17-19 – God is an impartial judge, judging according to our works.

• Acts 10:34-35
• I Timothy 2:3-4 – God desires al men to be saved.
• II Peter 3:9 – God wants all to come to repentance.

Repent

It’s more than just being sorry.

• II Corinthians 7:8-11
• Just because someone upsets you doesn’t mean they are in the wrong.
• Matthew 27:3-5 – Judas felt remorse, but he did not repent in the true sense. Hanging himself was the worst response he could have had.
• Acts 9:1-20

It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of life.

• Acts 26:19-20
• Hebrews 6:1 – Repentance from “dead works”
• Matthew 12:41
• Jonah 3:4-10 – The people of Ninevah sincerely repented.
• We can’t just say, “That’s the way I am.” We must all humble ourselves and repent!

It’s not just a one-time thing.

• Acts 17:30-31
• Acts 8:13-24 – Do people who are already Christians still need to repent? Yes! Simon was told to repent of his sin.
• Romans 1:7; 6:3
• Romans 2:1-6 – Continue to repent! Don’t judge others for failing to repent and fail to do so yourself.
• Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19 – Christians in various churches told to repent
• Our humility should be growing and maturing over time.

Matthew 22

Matthew 22:1-14

• In this parable, the slaves who did the inviting were the apostles and those who were invited first were the Jews. The wedding feast represented reconciliation with God (salvation). Others who were invited later were the Gentiles.
• This parable may also be prophesying of the persecution of the apostles and the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 22:6-7).
• Matthew 22:11-13 – We must be properly prepared to enter God’s kingdom. This shows God’s great anger when we sin.

Matthew 22:15-22 – Jesus is questioned about paying the poll tax

• Matthew 22:16 – Disciples are learners who are committed to a teacher. Jesus was surely not impressed with their flowery speech here.

Matthew 22:23-33 – The Sadducees question Jesus about marriage and the afterlife

• Jesus refused to directly answer hypothetical questions. Be careful and avoid answering them if people ask them of you.
• Matthew 22:32 – Jesus made a point from the tense of the verb!
• We will continue to live when we die on earth, but we will not still be married to our spouse. That is an earthly relationship.

Introduction

• Matthew 22:37

I Thessalonians 5:15 – Be nice.

• Do not repay evil for evil.
• Matthew 5:38-42
• It’s okay to get help!
• Be nice even to the unpopular kids.
• Matthew 5:43
• Seek good for others. Help their souls.

James 4:4 – Be different.

• Don’t be a friend of the world. Be different from the world.
• James 4:1-3
• Romans 12:2 – Our job is to be transformed.
• I Peter 2:21 – We are trying to walk in Jesus’ steps.
• Philippians 3:17

Colossians 3:23 – Have a good attitude.

• Colossians 3:22-24
• Even slaves should work with good attitudes.
• We must decide to have a good attitude.
• Proverbs 17:22

John 6:27 – Feed your soul.

• Spiritual food is even more important than physical food.
• John 6:35, 45 – Spiritual teaching is spiritual food.