BIBLE IN TEN

Thursday, 29 October 2026
 
Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, Matthew 23:34
 
“Through this, you behold! I, I send to you prophets, and wise, and scribes. From them you will kill, and you will crucify, and from them you will flog in the ‘synagogues, yours’, and you will pursue from town to town.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees a brood of vipers, asking how they thought they could escape the condemnation of hell. He continues, saying, “Through this, you behold! I, I send to you prophets, and wise, and scribes.”
 
These are general terms His audience would understand. Therefore, there does not need to be a direct correlation to the terms in the New Testament, or Jesus’ words are somehow suspect. For example, the scribe is not a term associated with any person or believers in the epistles.
 
Rather, these identifiers can be seen fulfilled in the apostles and disciples later described in the New Testament. For example, Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 1 –
 
“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”1 Corinthians 1:20, 21
 
Jesus continues, saying, “From them you will kill, and you will crucify, and from them you will flog in the ‘synagogues, yours’.” There is evidence of these things to some degree in the New Testament. In later history, there are accounts of crucifixions, like that of Peter. However, this was not done by the Jews.
 
Jesus’ words are to be taken as a note to these men that what He said earlier was true. They were the sons of those who murdered the prophets, and the same seed that lived in their fathers lived in them. They would take the same righteous type of people as their fathers killed, and they would continue the slaughter until the cup of guilt was filled up.
 
The verse finishes with, “and you will pursue from town to town.” This certainly describes Paul’s conduct as recorded in Acts. He pursued Christians in this manner not only in Israel, but outside the land as well. In Acts 26, he says –
 
“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” Acts 26:9-11
 
Life application: The persecution of Christians within the Jewish nation continued until the destruction of the temple. Since that time, there has been a wall of enmity built up between Christians and Jews. In some cases, it is just in their thinking and not outwardly.
 
In some cases, the enmity has manifested itself in physical harm. There has also been hatred of the Jews that has manifested itself in persecution that wasn’t really Christian in nature, even if it is blamed on the overall umbrella of the sphere of Christian nations. For example, Germany was predominantly a Christian nation at the time of the holocaust.
 
In Israel today, the enmity still exists. Jews who come to Christ are hounded by religious Jews. They get unwelcome surprises on their doorsteps, protests are held at their musical gatherings, they are spit on by observant Jews, and a great deal of anger is directed towards them. As such, Jesus’ words continue to find their fulfillment in Israel today. That will be evident as the chapter continues.
 
So deep is the hatred of Jesus in the public mind that when a mural was done of the most prominent Jews in their history and placed on display at Ben-Gurion Airport, the most famous Jew of all, Jesus, was completely ignored in the panorama. His inclusion would have been the epitome of offense to the vast majority of those who stopp to view it.
 
Someday, this enmity will be over. Until then, however, many troubles will come upon the nation. Israel is on a journey back to her Lord, but they will not make it until they call on Him. His name is Yeshua, Jesus.
 
Heavenly Father, You have displayed Your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. We know that someday all people will come and bow the knee before Him. We pray for the day when all people finally see and understand what You have done. May that day be soon. Amen.

Wednesday, 28 October 2026
 
Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Matthew 23:33
 
“Serpents! ‘Offspring, vipers’! How might you flee from the ‘judgment, the Gehenna’?” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees to fill up the measure of their fathers’ guilt. He continues, saying, “Serpents! ‘Offspring, vipers’!”
 
The ophis, serpent, is derived from optanomai, to appear, as in being seen. The serpent thus has keenness of vision. Figuratively, it refers to an artfully malicious person. Thus, he is Satan-like. Saying next that they are the offspring of vipers adds another level of wickedness.
 
The words take the mind back to the temptation and fall of man in the early Genesis account. The main thought is that these men were Satan-like, being his spawn. They caused the people to sin, separating them from God.
 
They are the evil offspring of their evil parent, acting in crafty and malevolent ways. Because of this, Jesus continues, asking, “How might you flee from the ‘judgment, the Gehenna’?”
 
The question is rhetorical. As it stands, the answer is, “They shall not flee from it.” The thought matches the question found in Jeremiah 13:23 –
 
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.”
 
These men are like their father, who will not escape. They are born of their father, bearing his traits. They will receive his condemnation and sentence because of it.
 
Life application: Jesus knew the makeup of these men. He understood their motivations, intents, and methods. Calling them out for their conduct was probably less an appeal for them to repent than a surety of condemnation when judgment came. At that time, they would know the sentence was just. What was to become of them was told in advance. Thus, they could not say they didn’t have warning.
 
The Pharisees are like drug runners in a nation that has a mandatory death penalty for running drugs. Despite knowing the consequences, some will think, “I can get away with it.” And yet, they eventually find themselves dangling at the end of a rope, legs twitching.
 
Each of us has to ask if what we are doing is worth the consequences of our actions. Every wrong deed must be judged. Thankfully, for those in Christ, sin is no longer imputed. But there is still a time when we must appear before the Lord and “receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
 
There is no escaping what lies ahead. As such, we should be fixing our eyes on Jesus, and our minds should be set to be pleasing to Him. What little thing can we work on today to improve how we conduct our lives?
 
Think through your daily routine. What have you allowed to slip in your pursuit of the Lord? What has it been replaced with? How are your thoughts, and what are you focusing on? Little checkups like this may help redirect those things that have gotten away from you. So think about how you can get them back on a better track.
 
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8
 
Heavenly Father, it is easy for our thoughts and minds to get misdirected. And it isn’t intentional. We look left and get distracted. We look right and get pulled away from what we should be doing. Help us to fix our gaze toward the prize of Your upward call in Christ Jesus. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
 

Tuesday, 27 October 2026
 
Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Matthew 23:32
 
“And you, you must fill the measure, the ‘fathers, yours’.” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they were witnesses against themselves that they are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Having done so, there is something left for their kind to do to bring about their desired reaction from God.
 
In other words, if these people believed the prophets were true, they would be abject fools to kill the prophets who were proclaiming the word of the Lord. But like the religious arrogant throughout time, they claim God while denying His power. The thought is reflected in Ezekiel 9 –
 
“Then He said to me, ‘The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, “The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!”’” Ezekiel 9:9
 
Because of this disgraceful thinking, Jesus emphatically says to them using an imperative, “And you, you must fill the measure, the ‘fathers, yours’.”
 
These men are the sons of their fathers, meaning those who have killed the Lord’s prophets for centuries. With each act against the Lord, they are measuring up guilt and wrath that will someday be poured out on them for their iniquity. But with each incident seemingly ignored by the Lord because no response was forthcoming, they would push the matter a little further, testing to see if there would be a response.
 
They were like children poking at their parents to see how far they could go before getting a reaction. But the guilt was accumulating whether they knew it or not. This seemingly delayed judgment is seen in how the Lord dealt with the inhabitants of Canaan at the time of Abraham –
 
“Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.’” Genesis 15:12-16
 
The Lord promised Abraham the land, but it would not come until its inhabitants had become too wicked to be allowed to continue. The Lord knew how long that would be and would use Israel to destroy them in judgment.
 
Jesus, in His words to these men, emphatically urges them to finish the job of their fathers. There is a measure that must be filled before it reaches the season for judgment. The cup was almost full, but they needed to do a little bit more before it overflowed and judgment would then be poured out.
 
This “little bit more” would be the crucifixion of Christ, His continued rejection, and the persecution and killing of His saints. With those things filled up in Israel, the Lord would call down their destruction.
 
Life application: One can see the same attitude in the people of the church today. There is a caving of moral principles. Churches are filled with the acceptance of other religions into their halls. There is immorality that increases in intensity almost weekly in some churches.
 
Homosexuals and lesbians have taken over leadership positions. The efficacy of the cross and resurrection is lambasted as foolish delusions, and any social nonsense that can be inculcated into the churches’ mission become priorities. The word of God is belittled, and the name of Jesus holds no honor on the lips or in the hearts of these wicked people.
 
And because the Lord doesn’t come and snatch the life out of them in an instant, they think He doesn’t care, or maybe He isn’t capable of defending His name. And so, they move from one act of defiance to another, testing Him and mocking Him in the process.
 
Someday they will have filled up the measure of their wickedness, and He will act. But having rejected the word, they misunderstand that God’s love restrains Him as He waits for the change to be in them –
 
“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8, 9
 
People think God’s failure to act demonstrates a weakness. Some go so far as to say that God simply doesn’t exist. His failure to act proves it. Such people know nothing about the plans and purposes of God.
 
Lord God, may we never assume that You are not there or that You don’t care when our prayers seem to go unheard. Help us to remember that Your plans and timeline are what matter. Help us to patiently wait on Your timing. Amen.

Monday, 26 October 2026
 
“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Matthew 23:31
 
“Thus, you witness to yourselves that sons, you are – the ‘having murdered the prophets’.” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus noted the “would have been” nature of the scribes and Pharisees who built tombs for the prophets and adorned the sepulchers of the righteous. They claimed that if they lived in those days, they would not have joined in the guilt of their blood. But Jesus notes that their actions speak against them, saying emphatically, “Thus, you witness to yourselves.”
 
The building and adorning they participated in were their own witness against them. Think of it. When the North won the Civil War, what did they do? They put up statues of those who won their battles. It was a witness to what they did.
 
The memorial battlefields at Gettysburg, Antietam, and elsewhere witness to the battles that took place. The statues erected there witness to who lived and who died, and who won and who lost.
 
The memorials from the South, honoring their generals and heroes, witness to the North’s acceptance that this was a national battle and that despite their victory, they were willing to allow the losing side to maintain its honor and dignity. Military bases and naval ships, to this day, have the names of heroes from both sides of the conflict. These things bear witness to what happened, who prevailed, who lost, and the gracious nature of the victors.
 
Understanding this, Jesus says, “that sons, you are – the ‘having murdered the prophets’.” The very fact that these men participated in the building and adornment of these tombs and sepulchers witnessed to the fact that they descended from those who were guilty of the blood of those men of the past.
 
They were taking an abstract structural outline of the deeds of their fathers and reshaping them into a tangible witness of what they had done. It is as if they were proclaiming, “My father was guilty of the blood of this prophet! This tomb bears witness to that. This is my way of atoning for what I would never have done.”
 
This is what such memorials are for. The problem is that these things do not atone for what the fathers did. Nor do they sever the connection between the fathers and the descendants. Rather, they more firmly establish it.
 
Life application: Today in Israel, there are monuments to the past that are set up, identifying events that took place, who took part in them, and when these things happened. One, for example, is a model of the temple where Jesus spent much of His last week before His crucifixion.
 
They testify to the events of the past in order to establish a connection to the present. The intent is that Israel can say, “We have a historical connection to this land. It was ours, and these things prove it.”
 
This is good because it establishes the truth denied by much of the world. But at the same time, the people are (maybe unwittingly) testifying that they are the people recorded in Scripture. Scripture validates the message of the coming Messiah. It also validates that when He came, He was rejected by His own people –
 
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10, 11
 
This is fine if Jesus was just another Jew who claimed to be the Messiah and turned out to be false. He would be chalked up on the board of a list long enough to go buy a few more boards. However, if Jesus is the true Messiah, and the Bible bears witness to the truth that He is, then their claims to the land witness against them in this regard.
 
We cannot disassociate Jesus’ words from the context of them: He is speaking to Israel. They are under the Law of Moses. It is the week of Jesus’ Passion. He is about to be rejected and killed by the leaders. From there, the nation as a whole will follow suit, be destroyed, and exiled.
 
His addressees are sons of those who “denied and killed their Messiah” (Acts 2:23, etc.). They cannot have it both ways. Nor can we. We cannot say, “I support Israel” unless we have a valid reason to do so that is in line with what the Bible says about Jesus. If we say, “I support Israel because they are God’s people”, we must define what “God’s people” means.
 
It cannot mean that they are God’s chosen race for salvation at this time. Only Jesus saves. If they are those who rejected and killed Jesus, they cannot be His people for salvation. Those of the church who have received Jesus are in that category.
 
The Bible tells us exactly how Israel today fits into God’s plans. It tells us who they are in relation to God now and in the future. It tells us why these things are and when they will change. And these things, in turn, tell us of the gracious nature of God as well as His covenant-keeping faithfulness.
 
If you support the nation of Israel, you must explain it from a properly evaluated analysis of Scripture, or you are actually fighting against God’s purposes. And this is going on in far too many churches around the world.
 
Many are fighting against them by saying the Jews have been replaced and are permanently forsaken by God. On the other hand, many are fighting against them by calling them God’s chosen people without properly defining what that means. In both, harm to the exalted name of Jesus is the result. Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:31 testify to this.
 
Lord God, help us to be responsible, sober, and precise in how we deal with the name of Jesus. You sent Him to save. That will not take place if His name is not placed above all else in the hearts and minds of the people of the world. Help us in this, O God. Amen.
 

Sunday, 25 October 2026
 
and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Matthew 23:30
 
“And you say, ‘If we were in the ‘days, the fathers, us’, not if we were ‘sharers with them’ in the ‘blood, the prophets’.’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus began His eighth and final woe to the scribes and Pharisees, telling them that they built the tombs of the prophets and adorned the monuments of the righteous. He next says, “And you say, ‘If we were in the ‘days, the fathers, us’.’”
 
This is something we will do when we want to correct history. We will look back to a previous time and say, “Well, if I lived then, things would have been different.” The truth of the matter is that we didn’t live in those days, and we probably would not have done anything differently.
 
Rather, we have the cushion of time and the benefit of hindsight to rethink the past, giving us the ability to rationalize how we would have done things. Jesus knows this. He has stood and watched over human history since Adam. Therefore, He continues, saying, “not if we were ‘sharers with them’ in the ‘blood, the prophets’.”
 
A new word is seen here, koinónos, a sharer. Thus, it is an associate, companion, partaker, etc. It is from koinos, common (in possession). Thus, it is that which is shared by all or by several.
 
As for what Jesus says, this is the substance behind building the tombs and fixing up the sepulchers. It is a way of absolving oneself from what is now considered a failed part of the culture. In the Bible, there are recognized prophets, Isaiah or Jeremiah, for example.
 
There are also righteous people. Noah or Caleb could be considered as such. If something bad had been said about them or done to them, it would be considered appalling to those who came later. History has proven that what they did was proper according to their Scriptures. If they were maligned at some point, those in the present would want to make it up. This is what Jesus is referring to.
 
Life application: There are an innumerable number of instances of such things happening in our own countries today. In the UK and the US today, the fashionable idea is to remove statues of national heroes, replacing them with statues of people who may have suffered in the process as history unfolded.
 
The problem with this is that those whose statues are removed or defaced are often the ones who championed the cause of those who suffered. While those doing the destruction were on the side of those causing the harm to those who suffered.
 
In the UK, noted Christians are lambasted and held in contempt, but it is those Christians who ended slavery. Those on the other side may descend from the pro-slavery side, and yet they claim the moral upper hand and want to erase the truth from these pillars.
 
In the US, it was the Republican party who fought against slavery. It was the Christians who led slaves out of the South on the Underground Railroad. It was the democrats who fought to keep slavery.
 
To this day, democrats enslave blacks throughout the land by keeping them under government control in public housing, depriving them of the opportunity of becoming productive citizens through control of welfare and Medicare payments. It is not forced, but it is coerced slavery, nonetheless.
 
In the US, it was a democrat, Franklin Roosevelt, who signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, that led to the imprisonment of over a hundred thousand Japanese Americans. More than two-thirds of them were U.S. citizens. And yet, it is the democrat party that continually maligns their own country, saying they would never have agreed to what occurred.
 
If you want to know who is normally guilty in a matter, look for the one that makes the most noise against it later when things have gone back to normal. Stay away from such people. They are warped and depraved. They are unreasoning animals rushing headlong towards destruction.
 
This will become evident as Jesus continues His words to the religious leaders of Israel.
 
Lord God, may we carefully and rightly consider history, not being led astray by those who intend to manipulate the truth for their own perverse purposes. Help us to rightly consider the past so that we don’t fall into the same mistakes in the future. Amen.

Saturday, 24 October 2026
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, Matthew 23:29
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you build the ‘tombs, the prophets’, and you arrange the ‘sepulchers, the righteous’.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus finished His seventh pronouncement of woe, saying to the scribes and Pharisees that they appear outwardly righteous, but inside they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. He next begins the eighth and final woe, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!”
 
By now, any scribe or Pharisee within earshot would have a burning nostril as flames shot out of his nose. Jesus openly rebuked these spiritual leaders for their hypocrisy, exposing one negative trait after another about them.
 
The thing is, deep down they probably knew His words were true. But because of their upbringing, education, and status, they felt they had a right to get away with their conduct. As for Jesus’ words, He continues, saying, “Because you build the ‘tombs, the prophets’.”
 
There was a desire to build tombs for those who were noted in Israel’s history as a way of remembering them. This is done throughout the world. People build music halls, rename airports, dedicate highways, etc., to dead people. In Israel, they were building tombs as a way of honoring the prophets of time past. Along with this, it says, “and you arrange the ‘sepulchers, the righteous’.”
 
The word translated as arrange, kosmeó, was seen in Matthew 12:44, where a house was empty, swept, and put in order. It signifies tidying up, decorating, adorning, etc. They probably found the tombs of the righteous falling into disrepair and decided that it would be good to get them suitably arranged once again.
 
Though taking care of these things as noted by Jesus seems like a good thing, there is a problem with it that He will address in the words ahead.
 
Life application: God’s judgment on Israel was because they lived lives completely contrary to what the Lord would have for them. He would suffer their uncaring attitudes, allow them to be troubled in some way, then they would turn back to Him, and He would restore them. After that, the cycle would continue until there was nothing left but destruction and exile.
 
The US has gone through ups and downs. Each time there has been a national calamity, the churches swell, and the people call out to God. The nation gets back on its proverbial feet, and within no time at all, the nation has forgotten about the Lord. This is true with other Christian nations as well.
 
There is a problem with things the way they are in the world. National debts are carried around the world like a house of cards. This is why the little country of Greece threatened to bring down the entire world economy in 2009. If Greece had gone, the whole house of cards would have fallen in on itself.
 
Because of this interconnected system between the nations, things can only be allowed to go so far before trouble will result. As much as the nations of the world may hate President Trump, they can’t unite together and just cut America off. This type of thing may have been possible in the past, but it is not feasible today.
 
In other words, the whole world is primed for an end-times calamity it cannot get itself out of. There won’t be a way for the world to turn back to God, as most of the world never believed in the true God to begin with. One can see how the Bible presents the end times as not only possible, but inevitable.
 
If you are saved but have not been living for the Lord, you should redirect your priorities. Nations have in history, but each person must as well. The only remedy to the horrible prospect of eternal separation from God is faith in Jesus. And for those who are saved, all of our actions after salvation will be judged for reward or loss.
 
Either way, be sure to get Jesus right. Come to the cross, accept what God has done in the giving of Jesus, and be saved. Then spend your life living for Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus and don’t get distracted from pursuing Him all the days of your life.
 
Lord God, it is so easy for us to stray from You. Life keeps coming at us, and distractions tug at our senses. In what seems like no time at all, we get misdirected from doing the things we should be doing. Help us to stay fixed on Jesus, never deviating from the right and sound path. Amen.
 

Friday, 23 October 2026
 
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:28
  
“Thus, also, you outwardly – indeed – you appear to the men righteous. Inwardly, also, you are replete – hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus began His seventh woe directed at the scribes and Pharisees, noting that they were like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness inside. He continues His words, saying, “Thus, also, you outwardly – indeed – you appear to the men righteous.”
 
Just as a whitewashed tomb seems innocuous enough, maybe even cheerful if adorned with flowers, the Pharisees had an outward appearance that seemed righteous. People are easily misdirected by externals.
 
They see meticulously lived lives, formal garments of pious religion, an unwillingness to touch anything unclean, etc., and they assume that the person is the same on the inside. But as often as not, it is just the opposite. As Jesus says, “Inwardly, also, you are replete – hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
 
A new word is seen here: mestos, replete. It can be literal or figurative. In the case of the Pharisees, they were replete with being double-faced. This included being hypocrites about the law that they were supposed to represent and uphold.
 
Jesus saw right through them and their wickedness, clearly pointing it out for others to understand as well.
 
Life application: Religious processions draw a lot of attention. The pope will have lines of people dressed in fancy garb carrying crosses while chants are heard from the choir. This puts on a great show, and it immediately fills people’s minds with a sense of true religion. How could God not be pleased with such a show of piety?
 
This follows through in lesser denominations. For example, the Episcopal church is big on these externals. They wear special flowing garments that shine like silk. Sewn into them are crosses and other “holy” symbols. They come to the altar with carefully selected tunes playing on an organ as they carry shiny crosses on wooden staves.
 
Once they are at the altar, arms are raised, and pious benedictions are spoken out over the people. It all seems so God-honoring in appearance. And yet, hanging outside on the same pole as the Christian flag, sometimes above that flag, are gay and trans flags. Their homilies lean toward a communist message, manipulating the Bible for extreme left-wing purposes.
 
Like the pope in the Vatican, they talk about ecumenism, something that immediately puts the way of man above the word of God. Though not politically established, their choice of wording leaves no doubt that they side with globalism, left-wing causes, and a one-world government hierarchy.
 
They preach tolerance, and yet, they are intolerant of those who disagree with their warped ideas and world outlook. It is not the externals that have any value. In fact, they only distract from what is truly good.
 
But this is not limited to mainstream denominations. One can look at how people conduct themselves on a stage in front of thousands of people in a mega church and see that this rings true as well.
 
There must be a standard by which God either approves of a church or not. And there is. That standard is set on how Jesus Christ is proclaimed and how the word of God is handled. Anything else is just show without substance. Be sure to know the Bible well enough to know when you are being led down a false path.
 
Lord God, help us to be wise in who we listen to and what we accept. There are many ways to present Your word, but what is said must conform to what it says. Help us to be prudent and responsible as we pursue You through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thursday, 22 October 2026
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27
  
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you resemble tombs having been whitewashed, which outwardly, indeed, they appear beautiful. Inwardly, also, they swell – ‘bones, dead’ and all impurity.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus finished His sixth woe to the scribes and Pharisees. He now begins His seventh woe, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!”
 
Without letting up a bit, Jesus repeats the same thought He has already stated several times. If nothing else, this type of repetitive speech provides its own emphasis for the people to consider. With that introductory thought stated, He next says, “Because you resemble tombs having been whitewashed.”
 
Three new words are seen here. The first is paromoiazó, to resemble or be like. It is only found here in the New Testament. The next is taphos, a tomb. It is derived from thaptó, to celebrate funeral rites. The third is koniaó, to whitewash. It is derived from konia, dust. Thus, the sense of whitening is understood. It is used only here and in Acts 23:3.
 
Tombs are places for burial of the dead. Throughout human history, monuments have been set up to honor and remember those who have died. Whitewashing a tomb is something anyone would understand. Because the tombs were whitewashed, Jesus says, “which outwardly, indeed, they appear beautiful.”
 
Another new word is seen, hóraios, belonging to the right hour or season. By implication, it means to be flourishing or beautiful. That is the point of whitewashing. After time, things break down, appearances get moldy or blasted by heat and wind, etc. In order to keep things looking good, a layer of whitewash is needed from time to time. For those who see it, depending on who is inside, there may be fond memories or feelings of honor.
 
There is a truth about this, however, that most people don’t take the time to think about. And yet, with one exception, it is universal in its scope. Jesus says, “Inwardly, also, they swell – ‘bones, dead’ and all impurity.”
 
Two more new words are seen to finish off this verse. The first is osteon, bone. One can see the etymological ancestor of our prefix osteo, such as in osteoporosis. The second is akatharsia, impurity, both physically and morally.
 
Of this verse, Charles Ellicott says, “Ye are like unto whited sepulchres.—Contact with a sepulchre brought with it ceremonial uncleanness, and all burial-places were accordingly white-washed once a year, on the 15th day of the month Adar—i.e., about the beginning of March—that passers-by might be warned by them, as they were of the approach of a leper by his cry, ‘Unclean, unclean!’”
 
Life application: The words of Jesus in this woe resemble those of the previous woe in that they speak of outward appearances while the inward is corrupt. Sometimes, this occurs because people think they are better than those around them, or that they have a right to do things they shouldn’t do for whatever illogical reason they make up in their heads.
 
Others may do things they shouldn’t do without really thinking through their actions. You are at work, and there is something you want, but you have no right to it. In such cases, we may try to justify in our own minds that taking it is ok. Maybe if I swap something else for what I am taking, it will balance things out.
 
Or we might think, “The boss doesn’t care if I take this. He’s a good guy and won’t mind.” Have you asked if it’s ok to do what you are doing? Probably not, if you have to make up excuses in your head.
 
We are being evaluated based on how we interact with the world around us. Taking something that doesn’t belong to you is stealing. Saying untrue things is lying. Let each of us continuously evaluate ourselves, determining that we will not do such things, even if it involves something that may seem inconsequential.
 
Lord God, may our lives and actions be carefully aligned with Your will. Help each of us to be honest, truthful, and always the epitome of integrity to those we come in contact with. Yes, may it be so. Amen.

Wednesday, 21 October 2026
 
Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matthew 23:26
 
“‘Pharisee, blind’! You cleanse first the ‘within the cup and the side-dish’ that it might be, also the outward of them, clean.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus chided the hypocritical Pharisees for cleaning the outside of the cup and side-dish while the inside was full of pillage and unrestraint. He continues that now, saying, “‘Pharisee, blind’!”
 
Changing “Pharisees” to “Pharisee” makes Jesus’ address more personal. It is an appeal for the individual to change his thinking and act with wisdom. That change continues with the next words, “You cleanse first the ‘within the cup and the side-dish’.”
 
The verb “you cleanse” remains in the singular. Jesus appeals to each Pharisee to come out from the herd thinking and lifestyle to make a change suitable to be free from his previous aberrant thinking and actions. A new word is seen in this clause, entos, within. It will only be seen here and in Luke 17:21. Jesus next speaks of the result of cleaning the “within” of the dishes, saying, “that it might be, also the outward of them, clean.”
 
Another new word is seen here, ektos, outward. It can be used to figuratively mean “except” or “besides.” Through this example, Jesus turns their thinking upside down. Cleaning the outside of the cup carefully while neglecting the inside doesn’t help purify the food that is placed in the dish.
 
As such, if the food is pure before it is put in the cup, and if it remains pure after it is put in because the inside of the cup is pure, then the outside of the cup is made clean without any extra purification. Of this, the Pulpit Commentary says, “So in the case of the moral agent, the ceremonial purity is a mockery and hypocrisy unless it be accompanied by holiness of the heart.”
 
The point is that Jesus equates the inside and outside of the dishes to the internal and external lives of these men. Unless they purify their insides, the outward showiness is nothing. They remain defiled.
 
“For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.’ 20 And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.” 2 Chronicles 30:18-19
 
Life application: Jesus’ example is plain enough for each of us to consider. What is it about our lives that hides away corruption? Until we get such things cleared up, we may present a decent outward appearance, but the Lord is certainly displeased with our internal state.
 
And these things come in many degrees and variations. Almost daily, there will be an article about a pastor, priest, missionary, youth minister, etc., who secretly hides away disturbing traits.
 
Some steal from the church – some are pedophiles, etc. If those who represent the church are inclined to do these things, it is likely that some of us are as well. Staying close to the Lord, reading His word, and applying its lessons to our lives are ways we can crucify the flesh, cleanse our inward inclinations, and thus be presentable to the Lord in our walk before Him.
 
Let us endeavor to do these. In doing them, we will do well.
 
Lord God, help us to live lives that honor You, not just as an outward pretense, but as a core part of who we are. May what is inside be pure and honorable as we interact with You and with others in these lives You have given us. Amen.

Tuesday, 20 October 2026
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Matthew 23:25
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you cleanse the ‘outwardly, the cup and the side-dish’. Inwardly, also, they swell from pillage and unrestraint.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus finished His fifth woe pronouncement upon the scribes and Pharisees. With that complete, He immediately moves to the sixth, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!”
 
In Isaiah, the Lord pronounces a series of woes upon the people of the land. They had acted wickedly and would be punished for their conduct. The same Lord came and stood among the people. His pronouncements upon the scribes and Pharisees will end in no less judgment than what the people received in the past.
 
One would think the direct and truthful nature of Jesus’ words would have affected them, but they continued down their stubborn path. For now, Jesus continues His words, saying, “Because you cleanse the ‘outwardly, the cup and the side-dish’.”
 
New words are seen. The first is the adverb exóthen, outside, outward, etc. It is derived from exó, external. Being an adverb, saying “the outside” fails to give the proper sense. The second new word is paropsis, a side-dish.
 
It is derived from para, near or beside, and opsarion, a relish to other food (as if cooked sauce), but specifically fish. The word is found only here and in the next verse. The cup and side dish are outwardly clean. This refers to what is outside, which is evident to all.
 
Thus, there is the sense of doing things for show. However, there is an underlying problem that the Lord sees, even if it is not outwardly evident to others. He continues, saying, “Inwardly, also, they swell from pillage and unrestraint.”
 
Three new words are seen here. The first is gemó, to swell out and thus full. HELPS Word Studies says it signifies “totally characterized by (in every sense).” The next word is harpagé, pillage. Thus, abstractly, it refers to extortion, ravening, or spoiling. It is derived from the word harpazó, to snatch away, as what will take place at the rapture.
 
In this case, the usage identifies a violently greedy attitude among these men. That is accompanied by the third new word of the clause, akrasia, want of self-restraint. Thus, it means excess or incontinence. It is only seen again in 1 Corinthians 7:5.
 
The Lord, who reads the hearts and minds, sees beyond the exterior appearance of these men, knowing that inside there is corruption and wickedness.
 
Life application: Remember that Paul was a Pharisee. He is one of the men Jesus is speaking to at this time. He was outwardly showy, but inwardly corrupt. This attitude is seen in his early appearances in Acts. The chance of him waking up and realizing his corrupt state before the Lord was extremely thin. However, by an act of grace, He was offered salvation and a chance to serve the Lord with his life.
 
After his conversion, he pressed forward in Christ, never forgetting who he was or the depths from which the Lord had pulled him. Imagine it! One of Israel’s elites was a great offender who later acknowledged how terrible he truly was –
 
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” 1 Timothy 1:15, 16
 
Understanding Paul’s words, think about how they reflect our own state before the Lord. Paul says he was a pattern to those who are going to believe. What we have received in Christ was unmerited. We may not have been as bad as the scribes and Pharisees in one way, but we may have been far worse than them in others.
 
No person deserves grace. It is unmerited favor. As this is true, there is nothing you can do to earn it. Therefore, the life we now live in Christ should be one that is grateful, willing to serve, and filled with thanks at all times. If we start feeling smug in our salvation, looking down on others, all we need to do is remember that we stand before the Lord solely because of His grace.
 
Let us remain humble and willing to share the good news with others at all times. It is God who deserves all the glory for having pulled us out of the pit we were in. Praise God for His goodness to us.
 
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
 
Lord God, thank You for looking down on each of us, miserable sinners, and seeing something of value in what we could become. Because of Your love for Your creatures, You were willing to do the unimaginable. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 

Monday, 19 October 2026
 
Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Matthew 23:24
 
“‘Guides, blind’! The ‘through-filtering the gnat’, the ‘also camel gulping’.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus began His fifth woe against the scribes and Pharisees, noting that they paid tithes of the little things but forsook the weightier things expected of them. He next chastises them for this conduct, beginning with, “‘Guides, blind’!”
 
Jesus has already used this same thought against Israel’s leaders in Matthew 15:14 and 23:16. The idea of their failed leadership is somewhat reflected in Proverbs 28:10 –
 
“Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,He himself will fall into his own pit;But the blameless will inherit good.”
 
Being Israel’s leaders, they were accountable for being proper examples to the people. However, they caused the people to go astray. In doing so, they would fall into their own pit. Unfortunately, they would cause those they were supposed to lead to fall into it as well. The example they set forth is stated by Jesus, “The ‘through-filtering the gnat’.”
 
There are two new words here. The first is diulizó. It is from dia, through, and hulizo, to filter. Thus, it means to thoroughly filter something out. The second is kónóps, a gnat. The derivation of the word is debated. Aristotle identified it as the wine-gnat or midge that is bred in (fermenting and) evaporating wine. Others use the word to describe a gnat.
 
In regard to the tithe, they meticulously filtered out any chance of not meeting the expectation set forth by the law. One can see them weighing out ten percent of the mint, dill, and cummin, getting to the last seed to make sure everyone was aware that they wouldn’t cheat a single grain. And yet, Jesus next says of them that they are “the ‘also camel gulping’.”
 
Another new word is seen, katapinó, to gulp entirely. It is from kata, down against, and pinó, to imbibe. The reason for straining out the gnat is found in Leviticus –
 
“All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you.” Leviticus 20:11
 
Jesus equates their scrupulous tithing of the herbs to someone who would strain out everything they drank to ensure not a single gnat would enter their mouth, causing them to violate the law. And yet, they would willingly gulp down an entire camel –
 
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 2 ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying, “These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: 3 Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat. 4 Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 5 the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 6 the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 7 and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8 Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.”’” Leviticus 11:1-8
 
This is the largest animal specifically mentioned in the list of unclean animals. Therefore, the contrast is made all the more striking. The scribes and Pharisees spent so much time on what was of lesser importance, and they openly ignored what was of the highest importance.
 
Life application: The major biblical focus on the law versus grace is seen from the first words of the Lord to man in Genesis 2 until the last words of the Bible in Revelation 22. When considered as one reads through Scripture, it is evident that this is the main theme concerning pleasing God in all of the Bible.
 
The law demands the work of man to accomplish. Grace requires that we have faith to accept that what God has done is as described: a gift. People in the church who attempt to merit God’s favor apart from the works of Jesus are like gnat strainers. They do everything they can to ensure that they dot every i and cross every t (well, those things that they think are necessary) to merit salvation.
 
And yet, they gulp down unclean camels. By doing this, they reject what God in Christ has done. Only He has perfectly met the demands of the law. Therefore, no matter how many gnats one strains, the camels remain to be gulped down. There is no way around this.
 
This is what Israel’s leaders were doing. They were meeting the demands they thought they could easily get away with, but they ignored the more burdensome demands that were required to be met.
 
The greatest, and only, requirement for salvation is faith in what God has done through Christ. Don’t be a gnat-strainer who misses out by swallowing the camels of law observance! Come to Christ and be saved.
 
Lord God, thank You for Christ’s perfection. We accept it by faith. Amen.
 

Sunday, 18 October 2026
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Matthew 23:23
 
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint, and the dill, and the cummin, and you left the ‘weightier, the law’: the judgment, and the mercy, and the faith. These, also, it necessitated to do – those, not leave!” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus finished up His fourth woe to the scribes and Pharisees. He now moves right to the fifth, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!” He uses the same opening formula as the first two woes, noting their hypocrisy. He then begins to define it, saying, “Because you tithe.”
 
Here is a new word, apodekatoo, to give, pay, or take a tithe. It is derived from apo, away or from, and dekatoo, a tithe. The tithe was a mandate of the law of Moses. Like taxes today, tithes were mandated as a part of the society to keep various aspects of the society functioning and to keep the needy from abject poverty.
 
Greater levies were imposed on the people by kings or by foreign powers, but the tithe of Israel was mandated in the law with specific targeted purposes that were explicitly stated. Jesus singles out certain tithes made by these men, saying, “the mint, and the dill, and the cummin.”
 
Three new words are seen here. The first is héduosmon, mint. It is derived from hédeós, sweetly, and osmé, fragrance. The two together form a word picture describing mint. The next is anéthon, dill or anise, closely related botanicals. The word is found only here in the Bible.
 
Next is kuminon, cummin. It is etymologically equivalent to kammon, cummin, found three times in Isaiah 28. The Greek word is found only here in the New Testament. These men did the minimum required by the law, as it says in Leviticus 27:30, “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.”
 
They were doing what was mandatory and which could be verified by set measurement. But Jesus continues, “and you left the ‘weightier, the law’.”
 
Another new word is seen: the adjective barus, weighty. Figuratively, it signifies being burdensome or grave. It is derived from the noun baros, weight. There is the sense of the inability to move freely. Jesus’ point is that they did the easy stuff, but neglected that which required true effort.
 
In other words, the tithe was something that was set and important, but it did not carry the same weight as other precepts mandated in the law. Jesus next notes what those weightier matters are, saying, “the judgment, and the mercy, and the faith.” The words appear to be a loose citation of Micah 6:8 –
 
“He caused to declare to you, man, what ‘good’.And what Yehovah ‘inquiring’ from you?That if doing verdict, and cherishing kindness, and causing to efface,To walk with your God.” Micah 6:8 (CG)
 
The final Greek word Jesus uses, pistin, signifies faith or faithfulness based on the context. If Jesus is referring to Micah, faith matches the “causing to efface.” One will only purposefully humble himself before God if he has faith that God cares about those things. Faith looks upward to God as the object of trust. Faithfulness looks outward through actions, obedience, and duty.
 
Both are understandable, but in Micah, the person being spoken to is being instructed on faith first and foremost. With this stated, Jesus finishes with, “These, also, it necessitated to do – those, not leave!”
 
The meaning is that the weightier matters (these) were expected, even if they were burdensome. The other matters (those) were always expected to be accomplished as well, even if they were lesser mandates.
 
Life application: Jesus informed these leaders of Israel that tithing was expected. Does this mean that tithing is required even now? No. The law is fulfilled. Tithing was mandated under the law. The instance of Abraham giving a tenth to Melchizedek is descriptive. It prescribes nothing. Jacob’s promise to give a tenth to the Lord is descriptive. It prescribes nothing.
 
These cannot be used as examples that must be followed (the made-up and unsupportable doctrine called “the law of first-mention”). Giving within the church is defined by Paul’s words found in 2 Corinthians 9:6, 7 –
 
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
 
Tithing is a mandate, not a cheerful decision. To understand the full scope of the tithes of Israel and how the mandate is inappropriately abused within the church, refer to the Superior Word sermons on the subject, the main one of which is found in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, entitled The Tithes of Israel. 
 
Lord God, may we always walk humbly with You, glorifying You with our lives, actions, and interactions. Remind us of Your presence so that You are always at the forefront of our thoughts. Be glorified in and through us always. Amen.