Bible History
Picture Study Bible with Maps and Background Information
9. After this manner--more simply "Thus."
therefore pray ye--The "ye" is emphatic here, in contrast with the
heathen prayers. That this matchless prayer was given not only as a
model, but as a form, might be concluded from its very nature.
Did it consist only of hints or directions for prayer, it could only be
used as a directory; but seeing it is an actual prayer--designed,
indeed, to show how much real prayer could be compressed into the fewest
words, but still, as a prayer, only the more incomparable for that--it
is strange that there should be a doubt whether we ought to pray that
very prayer. Surely the words with which it is introduced, in the second
utterance and varied form of it which we have in
Lu 11:2,
ought to set this at rest: "When ye pray, say, Our Father."
Nevertheless, since the second form of it varies considerably from the
first, and since no example of its actual use, or express quotation of
its phraseology, occurs in the sequel of the New Testament, we are to
guard against a superstitious use of it. How early this began to appear
in the church services, and to what extent it was afterwards carried,
is known to every one versed in Church History. Nor has the spirit
which bred this abuse quite departed from some branches of the
Protestant Church, though the opposite and equally condemnable extreme
is to be found in other branches of it.
Model Prayer (Mt 6:9-13). According to the Latin fathers and the Lutheran Church, the petitions of the Lord's Prayer are seven in number; according to the Greek fathers, the Reformed Church and the Westminster divines, they are only six; the two last being regarded--we think, less correctly--as one. The first three petitions have to do exclusively with God: "Thy name be hallowed"--"Thy kingdom come"--"Thy will be done." And they occur in a descending scale--from Himself down to the manifestation of Himself in His kingdom; and from His kingdom to the entire subjection of its subjects, or the complete doing of His will. The remaining four petitions have to do with OURSELVES: "Give us our daily bread"--"Forgive us our debts"--"Lead us not into temptation"--"Deliver us from evil." But these latter petitions occur in an ascending scale--from the bodily wants of every day up to our final deliverance from all evil.
Invocation:
Our Father which art in heaven--In the former clause we express His
nearness to us; in the latter, His distance from us. (See
Ec 5:2;
Isa 66:1).
Holy, loving familiarity suggests the one; awful reverence the other.
In calling Him "Father" we express a relationship we have all known and
felt surrounding us even from our infancy; but in calling Him our
Father "who art in heaven," we contrast Him with the fathers we all
have here below, and so raise our souls to that "heaven" where He
dwells, and that Majesty and Glory which are there as in their proper
home. These first words of the Lord's Prayer--this invocation with
which it opens--what a brightness and warmth does it throw over the
whole prayer, and into what a serene region does it introduce the
praying believer, the child of God, as he thus approaches Him! It is
true that the paternal relationship of God to His people is by no means
strange to the Old Testament. (See
De 32:6;
Ps 103:13;
Isa 63:16;
Jer 3:4, 19;
Mal 1:6; 2:10).
But these are only glimpses--the "back parts"
(Ex 33:23),
if we may so say, in comparison with the "open face" of our Father
revealed in Jesus. (See on
2Co 3:18).
Nor is it too much to say, that the view which our Lord gives,
throughout this His very first lengthened discourse, of "our Father in
heaven," beggars all that was ever taught, even in God's own Word, or
conceived before by His saints, on this subject.
First Petition:
Hallowed be--that is, "Be held in reverence"; regarded and
treated as holy.
thy name--God's name means "Himself as revealed and manifested."
Everywhere in Scripture God defines and marks off the faith and love and
reverence and obedience He will have from men by the disclosures which
He makes to them of what He is; both to shut out false conceptions of
Him, and to make all their devotion take the shape and hue of His own
teaching. Too much attention cannot be paid to this.
JFB.
The Book of Matthew
Matthew 2:2 - Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Matthew 18:3 - And Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew in The New Testament - A Brief Overview
Painting of St. Matthew with Angel by Rembrandt
The Word Gospel. The first book of the English Bible that most of us read from is the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew is the first of the four gospel writings, yet there is only one gospel about Jesus Christ and there are four different writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word "Gospel" means "good news", and the good news is about Jesus Christ dying on the cross and then 3 days later conquering death and rising from the dead, offering salvation to all mankind, this is the Gospel.
Summary of the Book of Matthew
Brief Summary. Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the long awaited Messiah King of he Jews as foretold by the ancient Jewish prophets. He came to reveal how to enter the "Kingdom of Heaven."
Purpose. It is very obvious that the Gospel of Matthew was written for the purpose of revealing that the man Jesus of Nazareth was actually the King of the Jews, the long awaited Messiah, the sovereign Lord Jehovah who came from heaven to this world revealing to mankind the "kingdom of heaven". The King of the Jews, the Messiah Jesus fulfilled every prophecy that was spoken about Him in the ancient Jewish Scriptures, in the Old Testament. The prophecies that spoke of the "Kingdom" that the Messiah would bring would be a spiritual Kingdom that would never be destroyed.
Audience. When reading the book of Matthew it becomes clear that the writer was speaking to a Jewish audience. One of the obvious reasons is that the "Kingdom of Heaven" is mentioned over 30 times and never the Kingdom of God. This is because the Jews do not speak the name of God and this could be the very reason that Matthew used this phrase. There are many times while reading the book that an event happens and a prophecy is cited. The event is mentioned as the direct fulfillment of a promise made to the Jews by one of their Jewish prophets, and the fulfillment of the prophecy was happening before their very eyes. It is clear that the audience of people are the Jews, they were awaiting their King, and Matthew records that the King had come and they rejected their King.
Authorship. Early Christian writings and traditions have attributed the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew to the apostle Matthew. Many scholars question whether or not Matthew was the true author of the first Gospel, but there is no way at this current time to be absolutely positive based on historical evidence. Most agree that Matthew was the author. The Bible reveals that Matthew, or Levi, as he was sometimes called, collected taxes for the Romans. One day Jesus passed by and called Matthew to come and follow him, and Matthew did so. The Bible also records that Matthew held a banquet at his house with several of his tax collector friends and Jesus being invited to the banquet was the guest of honor (Mark 2:14-15). The Bible also provides a list of the 12 apostles and Matthew was named among them.
Date. There is no way to determine with absolute certainty the date that the book of Matthew was written. Most scholars agree that the book of Matthew was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., this is because Jesus spoke of many events as though they had not happened yet. A large number of scholars do not believe in the miracle of prophecy and therefore insist that the Gospel of Matthew was written after the fall of Jerusalem because of the accuracy of the predicted events.
Language. There are many references among the books in the history of the early church that state that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written by Matthew in the biblical Hebrew language, and he was writing to an audience of Jews throughout the world who had become followers of Jesus. Unfortunately there is no evidence whatsoever of a Hebrew or Aramaic manuscript, so many scholars have agreed that the Gospel of Matthew is not actually a translation from Hebrew into Greek, but was actually written in Greek. The whole subject of the Gospel of Matthew being written in Hebrew must remain speculation rather than fact.
Outline of the Book of Matthew
The King Comes and His Kingdom is Rejected -
Matthew 1-12
The Rejection of the King's Teaching and Ministry -
Matthew 13-25
The King's Trial and Crucifixion - Matthew 26-27
The King's Victory and Resurrection - Matthew 28
The King's Commissioning of His Apostles -
Matthew 28
Matthew - Interesting Notes
Matthew mentions four women in his genealogy which is not
typical for Jewish genealogical records: Tamar, Rahab,
Ruth, Bathsheeba who were all associated with some sort of
immorality. Tamar (incest), Rahab (harlotry), Ruth (a descendant
of Moab who committed incest) and Bathsheba (adultery). Christ's
greatness was in Himself not his genealogy.
There are many intimations for the word "King" in Matthew if one takes
the time to look. For example in chapter one there is a royal genealogy
mentioning king David at the start. Chapter two reveals the kingly gifts
of the Magi. Chapter three calls John the Baptist a "herald" which is a
cultural term that represents a herald for a king. Etc.
There are similarities with the number four. The four colors in the veil
of the Temple were purple, scarlet, white, and blue. The four faces of
the cherubim are the lion, ox, man, eagle. The four Gospel accounts are
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
Quick Reference Maps - Matthew
The Kingdom of Herod the Great
The Divisions of Herod's Kingdom
The Beginning of Christ's Ministry
Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee
Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus
Jesus Journeys from Nazareth to Jerusalem
The Final Journey of Jesus to Jerusalem
The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus"
would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or
consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A).
Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means
"The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".
Matthew Resources
Outline of the Life of Jesus in Harmony
Simple Map of First Century Israel
Topographical Map of First Century Israel
Map of the Ministry of
Jesus
Map of the Roads in Ancient Israel
Map of the Roman Empire
