Matthew (Life Application Bible Commentary| LABC)
Overview
Matthew’s Gospel could be called “the Gospel of the kingdom.” This Gospel tells us that Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh, the Messiah, to begin his kingdom. This is a kingdom of the heart, and God’s subjects include all who submit to him and acknowledge Christ as their sovereign Lord. Eventually, God’s full kingdom will be realized at Christ’s return, when he comes to annihilate the force of evil and gather his loyal subjects to himself. Once we belong to Christ, we must do the work of his kingdom, living for him and spreading the good news about Christ to others. And we must always be prepared for his return. Read Matthew and be prepared.
About the Series
The Life Application Bible Commentary series provides verse-by-verse explanation, background, and application for every verse in the New Testament. In addition, it gives personal help, teaching notes, and sermon ideas that will address needs, answer questions, and provide insight for applying God’s Word to life today. The content is highlighted so that particular verses and phrases are easy to find.
Each volume contains three sections: introduction, commentary, and reference. The introduction includes an overview of the book, the book’s historical context, a timeline, cultural background information, major themes, an overview map, and an explanation about the author and audience.
The commentary section includes running commentary on the Bible text with reference to several modern versions, especially the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version, accompanied by life applications interspersed throughout. Additional elements include charts, diagrams, maps, and illustrations. There are also insightful quotes from church leaders and theologians such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley, A. W. Tozer, and C. S. Lewis. These features are designed to help you quickly grasp the biblical information and be prepared to communicate it to others. The reference section includes a bibliography.
Top Highlights
“it is translated ‘gentle.’ The meaning conveys humility and trust in God rather than self-centered attitudes.” (Page 77)
“No one received more or less than he could handle. Obviously the master knew his servants well, for the one entrusted with the least was the one who let him down. The different sums of money point out how God recognizes each person as a unique individual with varied circumstances and personality. What he ‘gives’ to each person is exactly what that person can handle. For these servants, if any of them failed in the assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed.” (Page 490)
“Jesus said, ‘in this manner, therefore, pray.’ In other words, this is how I want you to pray—praise God (6:9), intercede for his work in the world (6:10), ask for provision of individual daily needs (6:11), and request help in daily struggles (6:12–13).” (Pages 113–114)
“As character is revealed by fruit (7:20), so faith is revealed by storms.” (Pages 143–144)
“The Greek word translated ‘temptation’ (peirasmos) does not mean ‘enticement to do evil’ but ‘testing.’ Sometimes God allows his people to be ‘tested’ by temptation. But this testing is never without a purpose: God is always working to refine his people, teach them to depend on him, and strengthen their character to be more like him. How he does this differs in every person’s life.” (Page 116)