The Book of Matthew - Part 12

The lesson on October 20, 2024 was part 12 of “The Book of Matthew” study. This lesson looks at Matthew 6:9-13 KJV in the giving of the “traditional” Lord’s prayer. It is very important that you look at this prayer in context and use right division to understand who it is addressed to and what context it applies. If you back up from verse 9, it tells you why the disciples are asked to pray that way because the Lord does not what them to pray like the heathens do (Matthew 6:7-8 KJV). They are to pray this way to not be like the heathen and the Lord knows what they need even before they ask. This is an imperative to prayer with the proper heart condition for being rulers in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this prayer they are required to forgive others and we find in verse 15 if they don’t, God will not forgive them! If you compare that to what Paul reveals to us in Ephesians 4:32 KJV “32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” In early Matthew, the kingdom of heaven was at hand. It never arrived because the nation of Israel rejected the messiah and crucified him. Then God gave then the holy spirit in the Acts period and appealed to Israel again. Finally, in Acts 28:28, Israel become Lo Ammi, and God sent salvation to the Gentiles. Paul then wrote the prison epistles starting with Ephesians. Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles and he had two ministries, one before Acts 28, and then one after. It’s only through the principles of right division, will you be able to make since of scripture and not generate contradictions like you see in Matthew 6 for us today.

The scripture reading was from 1 Timothy 6:17-18 KJV “17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;”