INTRODUCTION TO SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Dempsey Collins

The beginning of the Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights - among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Perhaps the greatest quest of all mankind is the quest for happiness and, coupled with that, the desire for peace of mind.  Rich or poor, young or old, regardless of nationality, everyone seeks happiness and peace of mind. It was one of the principles upon which this country was founded.

The fathers of this country left us a legacy of freedom which includes the right of every individual to pursue his own particular ideas as to what it takes to be truly happy.  But, unfortunately, man left on his own in this matter has too often chosen the wrong paths and instead of finding happiness, has found only sorrow, regret and despair - many times eternal despair.  This is because they were disillusioned as to what it takes to be truly happy.

True and lasting happiness can only be found in what a person is - morally - a standard of character, not a standard of living.  True character is fashioned after the truths revealed in the Bible.

It is found by submission to a creator and not by pursuing your own peculiar ideas in life (Luke 12:15; Matt. 4:4; note especially Phil. 4:6-9).  We can only have peace of mind when “the God of peace” is “within us”, and God is not with us unless we submit to what we learn, receive and hear from His word (Phil. 4:9).

Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone”, yet man has stuffed himself with bread of every description until he is sick, sick of many things, but especially sick of himself.

The only way to change this feeling is to change himself by submission to the designs of his creator.  This is the purpose for which he exists, whether he recognizes it or not (Eccl. 12:13).

Let us look at what Jesus prescribes as the way to true happiness and peace of mind.  Our text of scripture will be Matt. 5:1-12, a passage which is usually referred to as the Beatitudes.

Since true happiness can only be found in what you are inwardly, a moral character, Jesus, in this passage, prescribes some basic attitudes we are to have and develop to maturity.

Since true happiness can only be found in what you are inwardly, a moral character, Jesus, in this passage, prescribes some basic attitudes we are to have and develop to maturity.

The Beatitudes are part of a great whole - the Sermon on the Mount - which involves Matt. 5:1-7:29. Because the Beatitudes are part of the Sermon on the Mount, let us make a brief analysis of the sermon.

1. Date: Given during Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt. 4:12, 18, 23) 31 A.D.

2. Place: “He saw the multitudes, He went upon the mountain” (Matt. 5:1).

3. Audience: “He saw the multitudes…His disciples came to Him” (Matt. 5:1). “A great multitude of disciples and a great throng of people from all Judea…” (Luke 6:17). “…and turning His gaze on His disciples He began to say…” (Luke 6:20). Jesus, on this occasion, spoke to His disciples. At the time of the presentation, many had become His disciples, including the twelve (Matt. 4:18ff; Luke 6:13-17; Matt. 7:28).

4. Purpose: To proclaim the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23). Throughout the discourse, the kingdom is mentioned (Matt. 5:3, 10, 19, 20; 6:10, 33; 7:21). The sermon may be divided into three main parts.

   1. The citizens of the kingdom (Matt. 5:3-16).

      1. Their character and blessedness (vs. 3-12).

      2. Their relation to the world (vs. 13-16): salt of the earth, light of the world.

   2. The righteousness (teaching) of the kingdom, the standard of life demanded by the King in contrast with the misconceptions and false interpretations of the old covenant.

      1. The law must be fulfilled (Matt. 5:17-19).

      2. The righteousness of those in the kingdom must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 5:20ff).  The scribes and Pharisees were models of righteousness in their own sight and in that of the people during this period.

      3. “You have heard it said…but I say to you…” appears six times in Matt. 5, in verses 21, 22, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38, 39, 43 and 44.

      4. The essence of the righteousness of the kingdom with respect to man’s relation to God amounts to love and dependence upon God above all (Matt. 6, especially verses 6, 19, 20, 24, 25-34).

      5. The essence of the righteousness of the kingdom with respect to man’s relation to man is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 7:1-12, especially verse 12).

   3. Exhortation to enter the kingdom (Matt. 7:13-27).

      1. Enter by the narrow gate (verses 13, 14).  Jesus presents two cities before us, one with a wide gate leading to destruction; the other narrow, leading to life.

      2. “Beware of false prophets” along the way (verses 15-20).

      3. Must be a doer of these words and not merely a hearer (verses 21-27).

The effect of the discourse upon Jesus’ audience is seen in Matt. 7:28-29 - “The multitudes were amazed at His teaching for He was teaching them as one having authority and not as their scribes.”

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Job’s Confession

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

THE CHRISTIAN’S WAR AGAINST DEPRESSION

By Paul Earnhart

Depression is an emotional experience which can grip the heart with a sense of hopelessness.  It lays a dead hand on all effort. The struggle against problems is seen by the depressed as futile, and this perception leads to even deeper depression.

Matters are made even worse by the commonly held view that truly godly people never experience depression.  The biblical evidence is to the contrary. How else can we explain the utter misery of Job whose calamities nearly overwhelmed him (Job 3)?  And there is the godly Elijah whose glorious victory on Mt. Carmel was so seemingly nullified by Jezebel that he despaired of any purpose for his life (1 Kings 19:1-14).  There is not a more righteous and noble figure in the Old Testament than Jeremiah, and yet the hatred which his message of doom stirred up against him, even within his own family and friends, brought him, at times, to the very edge of despair (Jeremiah 20:7-18).

But all these, it may be objected, lived before the revelation of the gospel with all its hope and assurance.  True, but it is not difficult to extend our examples to the New Testament. Paul the apostle of joy himself, was no stranger to moments of depression.  Of the exceedingly burden-filled years spent at Ephesus he wrote: “For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8).

Are we then saying by all this that depression is a settled part of the Christian’s life and ought to be accepted gracefully?  The answer is a most emphatic “NO”! Our point is that you are not a spiritual reject because you experience depression. The question is: what are you going to do about it?  We are all too often guilty of accepting depression helplessly, and even feeding it until it becomes despondence and despair. We have said that godly people suffer depression.  Now let me add that godly people don’t yield to it. The onset of a severe case of “the blues” is not a time for acquiescence but for war! Paul assures us that the weapons for the battle are mighty enough to breach every stronghold of the mind which resists the influence of Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5).  Depression cannot subdue us unless a weakening faith causes us to lose our grip on God’s promises.  Paul never denied his own moments of discouragement, but he did fight them. “We are afflicted in every way”, he wrote, “but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing.” (2 Cor. 4:8).

Paul’s years of imprisonment were not easy to bear.  The feet that had so long restlessly strode the world in pursuit of lost men were now fixed in place.  He had always dreamed of coming to Rome, but never like this. Still, out of the most unlikely circumstances, Paul wrote to the Philippians the most triumphantly joyful of all his epistles.  We can learn some important lessons from him on how to deal with disappointment. What were the weapons of his war against despair?

Among other things, Paul made effective use of God’s word and prayer.  In the midst of his troubles, he was wholly set on knowing Christ more fully (Philippians 3:8-12).  He urges the Philippians to “abound” in knowledge and discernment (1:9) and to meditate upon high and holy things (4:8-9).  His letter is filled with a prayerful spirit and he calls upon his readers to battle anxiety “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” (4:6).  But he warned.  Depression will disincline you to both the reading of the Bible and prayer.  God will seem far way and all effort hopeless. You will not “feel like” doing it, but you must persevere with an unshakable resolve.  In due season, your faith in God’s promises and love will revive you and your prayers will be transformed from mere words to earnest petitions.  The depression will dissipate.

Another weapon against depression which Paul used was the comfort of faithful friends whose fidelity to God and love for him through the years now served to buoy his spirits.  “I thank God,” he said, “upon all my remembrance of you” (1:3).  Depression tends to cause you to withdraw from the company of others.  This only makes conditions worse. Fight this inclination and seek the strength which being with fellow Christians who love you can bring.  We are one body in Christ (1 Cor. 12:25-27).

The third weapon against depression which Paul used was activity.  Despair with its hopelessness causes its victims to simply quit trying.  Paul could have done that. He was the victim of numerous circumstances beyond his control.  Things had not gone at all as he had hoped. Most people would not have blamed him if he had just turned his head to the wall in utter despondence.  But he resolved not to do that. Not able to go to the men to preach, he preached to those who came to him, and consequently, to every praetorian guard whose duty forced him to stay and listen.  Wonderful, unbelievable things happened! The elite troops of the emperor, virtually inaccessible by any other means, were influenced by the gospel, and the brethren in Rome were so stirred by Paul’s example that they preached Christ as never before (Philippians 1:12-14).

I learned some time ago that I might indeed get depressed, but by the grace of God I did not have to stay that way.  The choice was mine. Of course, it has taken me some time to learn this lesson, and I am still learning it. But even the apostle said, “I have learned” (Philippians 4:11).

The End of the Age - A STUDY OF MATTHEW 24 - Part Three

(conclusion)

Dempsey Collins

Verse 16 - “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” where there would be caves and other places of retreat.  “It is a remarkable but historical fact that Cestius Gallius, the Roman general, for some unknow reason, retired when they first marched against the city, suspended the siege, ceased the attack and withdrew his armies for an interval of time after the Romans had occupied the temple; thus, giving every believing Jew the opportunity to obey the Lord’s instruction to flee the city.  Josephus, the eye-witness, himself chronicles this fact and admitted his inability to account for the cessation of the fighting at the time after a siege had begun. And thus, it was left for Titus, the Roman general, to execute the siege, after the disciples left.” (Foy Wallace, God’s Prophetic Word, p. 252).

(The student should read Josephus Wars, Book II.6:7.  These events were also recorded by Eusebius History Eccles., lib. IIIc. 5, 6 and Epiphanius, who tells us that during this time, all who believed in Christ left the city and fled to Pella and other places beyond the Jordan so that no Christians perished in the siege.)

Verse 17 - “let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things that are in the house.”  “The houses of the Jews, as well as those of the ancient Greeks and Romans, were flat-roofed and had stairs on the outside by which persons might ascend and descend without coming into the house.  In the Eastern walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed continual terraces from one end of the city to the other, which terraces terminated at the gates. He, therefore, who is walking on the housetop, let him not come down to take anything out of his house, but let him instantly pursue his course along the tops of the houses and escape out at the city gate as fast as he can.” (Clarke, p. 818)

Verse 18 - “And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak.”  A man’s garments are hardly worth his life.

There is no way these words can be fulfilled in anything but the literal destruction of a city.  In this context, the city of Jerusalem. What nonsense it would be for Christ to encourage people to flee from Him at His final coming.  Do Premillenialists actually think there would be time for one to go into his house and get his cloak? The words of Jesus are also meaningless for those who believe in the Rapture.  If this was some kind of Rapture, why flee to the mountains? The warnings of Matt. 24 are for Christians.  If the doctrine of the Rapture is true, saints will not need to flee for they will be taken into heaven!  The words of Jesus only have meaning when we consider them in light of the destruction of Jerusalem.

The End of the Age - A STUDY OF MATTHEW 24 - Part Two

Dempsey Collins

“Rumors of wars” = “wars declared or threatened but not carried out. Threats of wars against Jews by Bardanes and Volageses, Antiquities 20.34.  Vitellius, governor of Syria, declared war against Aretas, king of Arabia, but the death of Tiberius prevented the war, Antiquities 18.5:3”. Especially was there the threat of war when Caligula (reigned AD 37-41) ordered his statue to be set up in the temple and the Jews refused.  The Jews had every reason to expect a war with the Romans and were in such consternation on the occasion, they neglected to till their land. (Wars, Book 2.10)

Verse 7 - “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”  Premillenialists quote verses 6-8 every time there is an earthquake, war or famine and cry “the end is near.”  But these things were all fulfilled in that generation:

Famines -

1. Acts 11:27-30 (AD 42-43)

2. Pestilence at Babylonia (AD 40) Antiquities 18.9:8

3. In Italy (AD 66) Tacitus 16, 13

Luke adds these were to be “signs from heaven” (21:11)

Earthquakes

1. In Crete (AD 46-47)

2. In Rome in the day Nero assumed the manly toga (AD 51)

3. At Apamaea in Phrygia (AD 53) Tacitus

4. At Laodicea in Phrygia (AD 60)

5. At Campania (AD 63-63)

Verse 8 - “But all these are merely the beginnings of birth pangs.” As the birth pangs which begin comparatively light, warn the expectant mother that her time to deliver is near, so these events which are like preliminary birth pangs are to warn that the event is coming.

Verses 9-13 reveal a time of suffering and persecution.  Verse 9 - “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name.”  The book of Acts furnishes abundant evidence for the fulfillment of these details:

1. Acts 4:3  - Peter and John imprisoned

2.        4:18 -  warned not to speak these things

3.        4:21 -  threatened

4.        5:18 -  Apostles put in jail

5.        5:40 -  flogged, warned

6.        7:59 -  Stephen stoned

7.        8:1   -  Great persecution arose

8.        8:3   - Saul ravaging the church

9.       12:1  -  Herod Agrippa, I laid hands on some

10.       12:2  - James beheaded

11.       14:19 - Paul stoned

12.       16:19-24 - Paul and Silas beaten, thrown in inner prison

Other epistles reveal severe persecution (2 Cor. 11:24-27; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2:2; 3:11-12; Heb. 12:4).

Verse 10 - “And at that time, many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.” (compare Luke 21:16-17 - betrayed even by parents).  “To illustrate this point, one sentence out of Tacitus (Annals 1.15) will be sufficient, who speaking of the persecution under Nero says, ‘At first several were seized who confessed, and then by their discovery a great multitude of others were convicted and executed.’” (Clarke, p. 817).

Verse 11 - “many false prophets will arise and mislead many” (see 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Gal. 2:1-4; 1 Tim. 1:20; 4:1; Titus 1:10; 2 Pet. 2; Jude; 1 John 4:1-6).

Verse 12 - “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.”  In view of such persecutions, Paul repeatedly exhorts Timothy in the second epistle (especially 1:8, 12; 2:1-13; 3:10-12; 4:5).

Verse 13 - “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”  (Note the same instruction in Rev. 2:10).

Verse 14 - “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.”  Other passages also show that the gospel was preached to the then known world before AD 70, the destruction of Jerusalem (Rom. 10:18 [AD 56-58]; Col. 1:23 [AD 60-62]).

The statement “and then the end shall come” does not refer to the end of the world, but to the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus said this preaching of the gospel in all the world would be for a witness among all nations.  The custom of the apostles in preaching the gospel to the world was “to the Jew first and then to the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).  Wherever the gospel was preached, the Jews had the first opportunity to receive the word.  God had allowed plenty of time and opportunity for the Jews in the then known world to accept the gospel of Christ. Thus, when the severe judgment which fell upon Jerusalem and the Jews came, it was in keeping with the justice of God.

Verses 15 - 26 - The Abomination of Desolation

“As they observed the general signs of that coming destruction, they were to be especially watchful for one definite sign.  When they saw it, they were to know that the time was upon them and were to flee quickly into the mountains for safety.” (Connie Adams)

Verse 15 - “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, (Dan. 9:27; 11:31) standing in the Holy place (let the reader understand).”

The Scripture is always the best interpreter of itself.  If only premillennial speculators would let it interpret itself, much harm could be avoided.  Luke’s account at this point in the narrative reads: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand” (Luke 21:20).  The “abomination of desolation” Luke tells us was the Roman army which encompassed and besieged the city; hence, the desolation.

Abomination - from Greek bdelugma: “denotes an object of disgust or abhorrence, a loathsome or detestable thing” (Vines, p. 14; Thayer, p. 99).  Same word in Luke 16:15; Rev. 17:4; 21:27.

Desolation - eremosis: “denotes desolation in the sense of making desolate; to lay waste” (Vine, pp. 299-300).  “To make wretched; to devastate or lay in ruin” (Webster).

What is it that was so loathsome and disgusting about the Romans to the Jews?

1. The fact that they were Gentiles or heathens which ruled over them…often with oppression.

2. “They carried the ensigns of eagles and images of the emperor whom they worshipped.  For these idolatrous symbols to be displayed in the temple, or even in the city where God had been worshipped for so long according to divine order, was an abomination of the worst kind for the Jews.”  (Connie Adams). Josephus tells us that when the city was taken, the Romans brought their idols into the temple and placed them over the eastern gate and sacrificed to them there. (Wars, Book VI. 6:1)

When the Roman army approaches to surround the city, the followers of Christ were to take that as a sign to flee quickly.

(We’ll conclude this study in a third and final blog update)

The End of the Age - A STUDY OF MATTHEW 24 - Part One

Dempsey Collins

In vv. 4-8, Jesus warns His disciples about being deceived.  If they could be deceived, so can men today. Verse 4 - “And Jesus answered and said to them, See to it that no one misleads you” (King James - “deceives you” - planao: to cause one to wander).  The reason for this warning is given in vv. 4-8.  These are only the beginning signs of the destruction.  Verse 5 - “For many will come in My name (acting by or in the place of His authority) saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will mislead many”

The Jews had been looking for the Messiah, to free them from Roman dominion and restore the kingdom of David (John 12:34; 6:15).

Because the desire for a political Messiah was so great among the Jews, many men took advantage of this as a means to popularity and power.

The Levite historian, Josephus, tells us that there were many imposters and deceivers which appeared among the people during this time.  “And now these impostors and deceivers persuaded the multitude to follow them into the wilderness and pretend that they would exhibit manifest wonders and signs, that should be performed by the providence of God.  And many that were prevailed on by them suffered the punishment of their folly; for Felix (ruled AD 41-54) brought them back and punished them.” (Antiquities Book 20, chapter 8)

Josephus also mentions an Egyptian “who came to Jerusalem and said that he was a prophet.  He advised the multitude of common people to go along with him to the Mount of Olives. There he would show them how at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down and he would then make entrance into the city for them.  Felix, hearing of this, sent soldiers who slew 400 and took 200 alive, but the Egyptian escaped.” (compare Acts 21:38).  (Antiquities Book 20, chapter 8, section 6)

Later we are told by Josephus that many “men deceived and deluded the people under the pretense of divine inspiration.” (Wars II. 13.4, 5).  This was for the purpose of harming the Roman government. (See also Antiquities Book 20, 5:1 concerning Theudas and his claim to be a prophet; compare Acts 5:36)

Verse 6 - “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end” (the destruction of Jerusalem).  Notice again that Jesus is speaking to His disciples (v. 3) and continually uses the second person pronoun “you”.  Verses 4, 6 - these disciples, not men today.  Verse 9 - “They will deliver you up to tribulation”, 15, 20, 23, 25 - “Behold I have told you in advance”, 26, 33, 34.  This shows conclusively that the events in verses 4-34 were fulfilled in that generation.

A second beginning sign to that generation of disciples would be “wars and rumors of wars”.  “It is recorded in the history of Rome that the most violent agitations prevailed in the Roman empire previous to the destruction of Jerusalem.  Four emperors: Nero, Galba, Otho and Vitellius suffered violent deaths in the space of 18 months. In consequence of these changes there were commotions throughout the empire.  Parties were formed; and bloody and violent wars were the consequence of attachment to particular emperors. This is the more remarkable, as at the time the prophecy was made, the empire was in a state of peace.” (Barnes Notes on Matt. 24:6)

Rome was at war with Syria, Samaria and others just before the destruction of Jerusalem.  There were also wars among the Jews themselves agitated by zealots, and these intensified as the siege of Jerusalem commenced.

(Our study of Matthew 24 will be continued in succeeding blog updates)