THE MAIN GOAL OF BIBLE STUDY By Richard Krejcir

Into Thy Word -

DON’T JUST INTERPRET IT, BUT APPLY IT TO YOUR LIFE!!!

Unfortunately a lot of Christians think that all we have to do is read the Bible, and do what it says, and there is nothing to interpret. Or they will react against the educated “professional” Christian who is a teacher, scholar or pastor. They see that person taking the Bible away from them, and wrapping it in confusion. They do not want the Bible to be some kind of obscure book they cannot understand. But what they are in fact doing is reading the Bible without any understanding and making excuses for it and it is very doubtful they are doing what it says! (Of course some scholar’s love to wrap things in confusion!)

· Some Christians have no problems with interpretation, it is the application and obedience that they have trouble with. We tend to understand the precepts of the Bible so well that we will rationalize them away, such as “do everything without complaining or arguing” (Phil. 2:14). Thus we complain and argue all the time.

· The primary goal of interpretation is to find the “plain meaning” of the Bible!

REMEMBER: BE SURE TO INCORPORATE WHAT YOU KNOW INTO YOUR LIFE!!!

There are too many people in the world who just do not get it! Just as the Pharisees asked Jesus for a miracle after He fed over 4,000 people! Just as some crazy guy was screaming at the airport ticket person to get on his flight after they announced the airport is closed due to fog. Just as so many Christians sit in their pews every Sunday and do nothing for the Lord; they just do not get it! (Mark 8)

One of the great things about the Bible is it is honest with the characters that it portrays. If we were to write such a book, would we explain our weakness and stupidity, or how great we are? The Bible reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly, and it will with us too!

“You search the scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me” (John 5:39)

The question is do we get it? Since the Bible is God’s authoritative Word, we no doubt will spend more time in it! Are we prepared to allow the Word of God to get in us and make changes and to transform and renew our minds for His glory? (Romans 12)

· If the Bible is not where you place your trust, then where is your trust and where will it lead you?

· We cannot have the Words of Jesus without the Bible!

· The Bible is the chariot that carries the voice of God!

We as the people of God who have been saved from our sins by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ have a call, a mandate: to preserve His Word, and to proclaim His Word. We must remain steadfast in this call to our individual selves, as well as our neighbor.

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? (Heb. 2:1-3)

Excerpt from the book, ‘Into Thy Word’

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Matthew 4:23-25

D. Christ the Traveler and Healer (4:23-25)

General Idea: This passage summaries Jesus teaching and touching ministry to the people, which sets us up for the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord traveled all through Capernaum and Galilee teaching, ministering, healing the multitudes, and training His disciples. He did not wait for people to come to Him; He was the Itinerant preacher going to the people, where they were. Making the ultimate act of humility as God incarnate lowering Himself on so many levels on so many occasions from becoming one of us and then seeking us! He was moved by compassion to minister to the physical needs of the people. He did not merely address the metaphysical and spiritual without being there physically, getting His hands dirty. He was face to face with our depravity and hopeless needy state, a people who mostly sought Him for what they could get from Him, uninterested in things eternal only in the now, only interested in His service and not His salvation. Seeking the free gifts and not the Gift Giver! Yet, He persevered to the cross for the ungrateful stiff neck people we are!

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Matthew 4:18-22

C. Becoming Fishers of Men (4:18-22)

General Idea: An uncommonly incredible, strange, and insightful person approached a small group of young fishermen working in their family fishing business to challenge them to make a life changing decision. They were in wonder of this Man’s teaching, and the miracle of the fish as recorded by Luke that was performed for them. Their substance and living depended on fishing. They provided a much needed and vital food to their region—fish--which they caught with nets suspended from the back of their boats. The floats and weights that spread out the nets to catch as many as possible as they rowed in the Sea of Galilee, was done much the same as fishing boats operate today. Then the fish were dried, cured with salt or pickled to preserve them, and then sold. They were perhaps in a business that provided them with a much higher standard of living than many other people around them. A call was extended to them and a response was given, a call without irresistible pressure, yet with passion and conviction. “Follow me.” That call was unprecedented in their culture and understanding. Normally a student would seek out a teacher, a Rabbi. A Rabbi would never seek students, as it was a pride issue. Jesus broke the pride and arrogance to model that we are to be seekers of disciples and not just wait for them to come to us. We are to challenge each other to leave our comfort zone and enter the realm of His worship and service.

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Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus begins His public ministry (4:12-17)
General Idea: The backdrop is the area of Nazareth, which people thought for centuries was a small agricultural village. Recent archeology digs have found it actually to have been a large city 20 miles from Capernaum, which too has been found to be much larger than previously thought. It seems the Herods had built a very large city hub at both places, which were also “motel” centers for Gentile travelers. It was this area that Jesus had spent the past 30 years of His earthly life experiencing humanity, all that man is, does, goes through, and can become. Then, He fulfilled His duty in baptism, and the Triune God acknowledged and endorsed who He is and what He will do. Then, Jesus defeated Satan in round one, and now set out on a journey to Galilee to invade Satan’s territory. It is here that our Lord embarked on His mission to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. This was after John the Baptist’s ministry ended due to his arrest (see Matthew 3:1-11 theological note).

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Matthew 4:1-11

B. “The Temptation Of Jesus” (3:13-17; also in Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)
General Idea: Jesus is led out into the desert to be tempted by Satan with the destiny of His creation and humanity at stake. During this time, He fasted and remained true and loyal to who He was and to His mission to come. Satan pulls out all of his efforts and abilities in a futile attempt to convince Jesus to serve him. In so doing, Jesus would receive greater honor and glory faster by having more control. The problem is that Jesus was already fully God, thus had total sovereignty, glory, and control. Satan based his attack on what he thought would be Jesus’ greatest weakness, His humanity. However, Satan failed, as Christ, using His humanity and not His divinity as identification and model for us, defeated Satan’s attack through Scripture, the Spirit, prayer, and obedience.

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Matthew 3:13-17

B. “The Baptism Of Jesus”(3:13-17)

General Idea: By the river Jordan a strange and apoplectic figure named John the Baptist proclaiming repentance prepares for the coming Messiah. This event served as the climax to John’s ministry, and the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The setting is the area frequented by major Biblical events. This was the area were Abraham built alters to God, and where Jacob saw the ladder to Heaven. Just to the south is where the once fertile valley and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were judged and destroyed, were nothing grows even today. Just to the east is the mountain Nebo where God shows Moses the land and the future of Israel, where also he dies and is berried. This was the spot where the waters dived for Joshua on Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land and just to the west was Jericho, which walls fell down. This is where birds fed Elijah and where the chariots of God carried him away to Heaven. And this is the spot where Jesus was facing His 40 day temptation and then goes to a bewildered John to be baptized!

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Matthew 3:1 -12

A. “Preparing The Way Of The Lord” (3:1-12) (Also in Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; John 3:22-36)

General Idea: A man goes out to baptize and preach the coming of the Lord, to “prepare ye the path.” Obedience, willingness to go all out in faith, and a willingness to endure extreme persecution for the Lord characterized John the Baptist. He was the road builder laying the path for the Lord. He removed the rocks of sin by tearing them up and exposing them, without fear of reprisal by the arrogant and prideful hypocrites. He was indeed extreme, and was needed to show a corrupt religious system its errors and point to the truly Righteous Messiah. I wonder if such a person would be welcomed in a church today? Such extreme commitment is considered foolish amongst the world, and even with many Christians. We may not be called to eat bugs and curse pious frauds, but we are called to obedience, in our heart, mind, and actions! In addition, this does take an extreme stand! Have you heard His call? Have you responded to it? Have you made a stand?

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Matthew 2:13-23

B. Fight and Flight: Jesus, “The Early Years” (2:13-23)

General Idea: Jesus always invokes a response, if not in this life, then, in the life to come, from every person who has ever lived. We either accept Him or reject Him; we will fight against Him, or devote our lives to please Him. Herod had the incredible opportunity to be one of the first people to give such a response; however, he chose fear and deception as his appropriate reaction to the newborn King. The response we give will echo for eternity, so, make sure it is the correct one! Responses also have consequences for us, as well as those around us. For Joseph and his family, it meant fleeing to a foreign land, away from family, friends, and work, all that he knew. It required great faith and trust twice, once to flee, and then to come back.

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Matthew 2:1-12

A. The Real Living Nativity:

General Idea: This passage depicted for many centuries to countless people the classic Christmas scene. Wise men guided by a star sought out the new King. An uproar occurs that causes Joseph to flee with his new wife and child far away from his home, work, relationships and family. All because Christ is God incarnate and demands a response from His creation. So we all respond to Him in various ways. The response to Christ’s birth in 5 BC: The universe responded with a star, the gentiles responded with honor, and the Jewish rulers responded by trying to kill Him. How do you respond?

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Matthew 1: 18-25

B. Immanuel God is with us: Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus
General Idea: Christ is born as a man, as a baby no less! He was brought into this world as any baby would be, with the extreme exception that Mary did not have normal sexual relations to conceive Him! Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, and He was preexistent and sinless. Immanuel, God with us, is our salvation, because as God He was and is able to take our sins upon Himself and appease God’s wrath because of our Sin. He is God with us, because He walked lived, worked and existed in all aspects as any human has ever lived and existed, He became identified as one of us, while still remaining God the Creator of us! Jesus is both God and man, not a hybrid like Hercules, not a percentage of one over the other, but Fully God and fully a human being. He is birthed into history, into this world, yet is not from it!

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Matthew 1:1-17

A. The Genealogy Of Jesus Christ

General Idea: Matthew starts his gospel with a seemingly dry and boring discourse. However, this testifies how God works though the ages and though various and even unlikely people, such as Patriarchs, kings to captives, the obscure and insignificant, and even harlots. He keeps His great promises, and shows Christ’s right to the Kingship of the world through the lineage of David. Jesus is the King! This is the anticipation from Gen. 3--a Savior to save us from our fall into sin.

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The Gospel According to Matthew:Background Material

Introductory Thoughts: Twenty or so years after the risen Lord gave the Great Commission, a humble disciple named Levi, who was led by the Spirit, wrote a masterful work without literary parallel. He never quoted himself, or laid a claim on this work. Rather, he lifted up Christ as Lord. How he did it, and what his sources may have been were in debate amongst scholars and theologians for years, but what we have is the prince of the Gospels that conveys the life and blood of the Lamb. It is the book for an understanding of who we are in Christ, what He did, and how we are to live.

The Gospel of Matthew has always occupied a special place of high esteem in the life of the church. From its position as the first book in the New Testament, it is the most read and quoted book in church history. Here is what one “liberal” commentator had to say: When we turn to Matthew, we turn to the book which may well be called the most important single document of the Christian faith, for in it we have the fullest and the most systematic account of the life and the teachings of Jesus. - William Barclay (who has excellent insights, but must be read with much discernment, as he denies miracles, and the Person and work of Christ, as most secular and liberal theologians do.)

Matthew was the most frequently quoted book by the early church (the writings during the first two centuries of the church), and perhaps the most widely read Gospel (or book for that matter) ever! Matthew also occupied the royal seat of theology for the Catholic Church, as they used its imagery to define itself though worship and icons. Then the Reformers called the Church away, not from Matthew, but from the abuse and misrepresentations that accrued. Thus, the focus shifted to Romans as the cradle of theology. Matthew remains as the starting point of faith and knowing the Lord, and the cradle of the Lord.

Why was this Gospel so impacting and popular, and why has it ministered to so many countless hearts over the centuries? Perhaps we can find out why as we venture into the background of and reasons for which it was written.

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© 2002 Richard J. Krejcir Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.com

Richard Joseph Krejcir is the Director of ‘Into Thy Word Ministries, ’a discipling ministry. He is the author of the book, Into Thy Word and is also a pastor, teacher, speaker and a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California. He has amounted over 20 years of pastoral ministry experience, mostly in youth ministry, including serving as a church growth consultant.