Category Archives: Bible

December 3, 2023 · 10:00

Chose or Chosen?

For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)

I have found some Christian brothers that have strong Calvinist leanings. I accept most of the five points of Calvinism to some degree – Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints (T.U.L.I.P.) – but I cannot fully embrace U, L, and I. I completely agree with T and P – the Total Depravity of man, and the Perseverance of the Saints, i.e., “once saved, always saved.”

As already noted, the points that give me the most grief are U and L. Unconditional Election says that God predetermined from the beginning of time who would be saved and who would be damned for eternity. The argument is that God is sovereign, and He can do exactly as He pleases (no argument there). A favorite verse used to make this point is Romans 9:15 “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Here Paul referred to the time when Moses wanted to “see” God’s glory and God responded, “And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” (Exodus 33:19, emphasis mine). Clearly, God was not speaking in soteriological terms. Indeed, neither was Paul in making the reference to Moses. When taken in context, Paul was referring to God’s sovereignty in determining the course of salvation in general, not in particular.

Limited Atonement builds on Unconditional Election. Limited Atonement says that Jesus died only for those who were unconditionally elected for salvation. That eliminates all the “whosoever” verses beginning with John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (emphasis mine). Since the Bible is always true and does not contradict itself in any way, this verse alone should serve to debunk Limited Atonement.

To a limited degree, I also disagree with Irresistible Grace. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the individual’s heart of sin (John 16:8) and convinces him of his need for the Savior. The “call” is ubiquitous (Romans 1:20), however, it is felt more strongly in some than it is in others. Thus, it can indeed be resisted, and more resist the call than respond to it (Matthew 7:13-14).

The Bible speaks to both man’s autonomy in choosing and God’s work of “election.” I maintain that the answer is “Somewhere in the Middle,” and neither side of the argument can hold his view dogmatically.

Recently the debate came up again in my church. I made my case and the other side made their case and neither side convinced the other, which is usually the case. However, the fact that this debate keeps raising its ugly head, I determined to “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). I looked in the New Testament for all the verses I could find related to salvation for the individual. I divided my findings into three categories: (1) Choice/Free Will, (2) Predestination/Election, and (3) verses that can apply to both sides. Here is what I found: for Category 1, there were 77 verses; for Category 2, there were 15 verses. Of those, 7, when read in context, suggest that the “predestination” is of “purpose” not of salvation; for Category 3 there were 17. Rather than argue one side or the other, I think it best to allow the Bible to speak for itself, and the reader can decide for himself.

Verses for Category 1: Matthew 7:13-14, 24; 10:32-33; 11:28-30; 12:31-32, 50; 16:24-26; 18:3-4, 14; Mark 3:28-29, 35; 8:34-38; 9:37; 10:15; 16:16; Luke 6:47; 7:23; 9:23-25, 48; 12:8-10; 13:3, 5, 23-24; 17:33; 18:17; John 1:12-13; 3:3, 15-18, 36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:28-29, 35, 40, 45, 47, 51; 10:9-10; 11:25-26; 14:6; 20:29; Acts 2:21, 38; 10:43; Romans 1:16; 3:28; 4:5; 5:6, 12; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:3-4; 2:16; 3:6-7, 11, 22, 24-27; Ephesians 1:7; 2:4-9; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:14; 2:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:15; 2:3-4; 4:10; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7; Hebrews 3:7-8, 15; 7:25; 9:28; 11:6; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2; 5:1, 10-12; Revelation 22:14.

Verses for Category 2: Luke 10:22; John 6:37, 44, 65; 17:24; Romans 8:33;* Ephesians 1:5, 11; 2:10;* Colossians 3:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10;* Titus 1:1;* 1 Peter 1:2;* 2 John 1:1, 13. The passages marked with an asterisk (*) speak of predestination, but when examined closely, the predestination is a “Predestination of Purpose” not predestination for salvation. In other words, it is the predetermined plan God has for those who are “justified” having placed their faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross. As I read these passages my conclusion is that those who are “elect” are “elected” by virtue of their faith in Christ for salvation and their “predestination” is to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Verses for Category 3: Matthew 9:13; 10:39; 20:28; 22:14; Luke 5:32; John 7:38-39; 10:27-29; 14:23; Acts 4:12; 15:11; Romans 6:23; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 4:3; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 4:9-10. These verses can apply equally to either Category 1 or 2.

As we enter this Advent Season, we remember that God took on human flesh and entered time and space by way of a virgin’s womb to live and walk among His creation (John 1:1-3, 14). “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:11-12). He took the penalty of our sins upon Himself and shed His own blood on the cross to pay our sin debt. He was buried in a borrowed tomb and rose again on the third day, conquering death and the grave on our behalf to win our salvation. He did that for “whosoever” will accept His free, “grace” gift of salvation by faith in His finished work. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Whosoever” accepts His offer by “believing in Him” is “elected” for “everlasting life.” This is the whole message of Christmas.

Reader, have you accepted Jesus’ free gift of salvation? If not, or if you are unsure, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

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November 12, 2023 · 10:00

Three Days

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (Hosea 6:2)

In one of my Bible readings this week, I was reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ resurrection. Luke records that two disciples (not apostles) were returning to their home in Emmaus.[1] Because they invited Jesus into their home, I assume that they were husband and wife; Luke does not say. Regardless, after Jesus broke bread with them and disappeared from their sight, they finally recognized that it was Jesus who had traveled with them. They immediately returned to Jerusalem and found “the eleven” together. However, according to John’s account, Thomas was not with them.[2] Apparently, Luke used the term (“the eleven”) in a generic sense referring to the Apostles.

While the two recounted their experience, Jesus appeared in their midst. After assuring them that He was not a ghost by inviting them to inspect His wounds and by eating a piece of broiled fish and bread with them, Luke writes, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day” (Luke 24:45-46, emphasis mine). That last phrase stopped my reading. Jesus said, “Thus it is written,” meaning that His suffering and resurrection had been prophesied. I checked the cross-reference in my Bible and found two: Isaiah 53:3-12 dealing with His suffering and Hosea 6:2 predicting His resurrection.

There is no question that Hosea’s prophecy, quoted above, refers to Jesus’ resurrection because Jesus applied the prophecy to Himself. However, what caught my attention was the use of the plural first-person pronouns, “us” and “we” rather than “me” and “I.” It is always best to read a single Bible verse within its context to get a clear understanding. Backing up to the previous verse, we understand that the prophet is addressing Israel. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1, emphasis mine). In the previous chapter (Hosea 5), the prophet foretold the demise of Israel (Judah and Ephraim). The Lord says, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15). The “I” here refers to the Lord Jesus. He fulfilled this prophecy when He ascended and returned to “His place,” and He waits there until they repent and turn to Him. The Prophet Zechariah says, “they shall look upon me [Jesus] whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

In 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, razed the Jewish temple, and scattered the Jews all over the world. Hosea encourages Israel, the Jews, to “return unto the LORD.” Then he adds this prophecy that Jesus applied to Himself. “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight” (Hosea 6:2, emphasis mine). In context, the primary application is to Israel. They have been torn. They have been smitten, and the promise is that God will heal and bind their wounds “after two days” and “in the third day he will raise us up.” That raises the question, are the days literal or symbolic? Obviously, when applied to Jesus’ resurrection, the days are literal; He was in the tomb for three days and raised on the third. However, the days cannot be literal when applied to Israel.

Three days have long passed since the destruction of Jerusalem. Indeed, almost 2000 years have gone by. However, we see the prophecy taking place with the rebirth of the nation of Israel, which is yet another event that was foretold by the prophets. However, they have yet to turn to their Messiah, but we see the dry bones taking on flesh.[3]

Perhaps the “days” have something to do with what Peter said in his second epistle. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8, emphasis mine). Because of his use of simile, I have always understood, and still do, that this verse refers primarily to God’s timelessness. The psalmist echoes the same refrain. “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4, emphasis mine). God is not bound by time, and so time for Him is irrelevant. However, that is not true for us.

Therefore, if we take the days in Hosea symbolically to mean 1000 years, 2 days equals 2000 years, which is where we are now since the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has returned the Jews to their homeland as foretold by the prophets, but yet, as Ezekiel described, the breath of God is not in them yet. They have yet to undergo the final seven years assigned to them by Daniel the Prophet.[4] Then, after the seven years (of Tribulation), Israel will be fully restored (“raised”) as prophesied on the third day, the final 1000 years[5] when Christ will rule as absolute monarch from His throne in Jerusalem.

If you would like to study more on end-times prophecy, find my page on “Revelation.” There you will find links to articles I have written that will take you systematically through the Book of Revelation along with other articles that cover end-times in general.

Notes:

[1]  Luke 24:13-35

[2]  John 20:24

[3]  Ezekiel 37:1-14

[4]  Daniel 9:24-27

[5]  Revelation 20:1-7

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October 29, 2023 · 10:00

Three Anointings

There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. (Matthew 26:7)

In one of my Bible readings this week, I came across an account of a woman anointing Jesus. All four Gospels record such an event. A detached, casual reading of the event can make the reader conclude that all four accounts are the same. Indeed, if we check the cross-references in our Bibles, they all seem to point to the other accounts leading the reader to assume they are all the same account. However, a close and careful examination of the four accounts will reveal a different story.

We have two, arguably three, different accounts of Jesus’ anointing. Luke’s account places the anointing long before the transfiguration while He was still in Capernaum (Luke 7:36-50).

Luke 7:36-39  And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.  (37)  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,  (38)  And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  (39)  Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

Matthew 26:6-9  Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,  (7)  There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.  (8)  But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?  (9)  For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

Mark 14:1-5  After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread … (3)  And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.  (4)  And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?  (5)  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

John 12:1-6  Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.  (2)  There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.  (3)  Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.  (4)  Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,  (5)  Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  (6)  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Matthew and Mark place the anointing after the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11) and two days before the Passover. John places the anointing the day before the Triumphal Entry (John 12:12). Matthew and Mark place the anointing in the “house of Simon the Leper.” John seems to place the anointing in the house of Lazarus following the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Neither Matthew nor Mark names the woman who anointed Jesus. Had she been Mary, they certainly would have known who she was. John names Lazarus, Martha, and Mary who anointed Jesus. Matthew records that the “disciples” were indignant about the waste. Mark only records that “there were some that had indignation within themselves.” The difference and precision in detail between Matthew and Mark’s account and the account of John are too distinct to be an error in recording. Therefore, these are two separate anointings. Luke’s account came too early to be confused with these that took place just before the crucifixion. Luke records that the anointing took place in the house of a Pharisee named Simon – not a leper – and the woman that anointed Jesus was “a sinner.” Surely, Mary, named by John, would not have been identified as a “sinner.” She is the one that “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word” (Luke 10:39). Also, Luke’s account records nothing said about the cost of the ointment being used.

In all, we have three separate accounts of Jesus being anointed by women. Even though there are some similarities, the differences are too great to conflate them as one or two. The lesson here is to let the Bible speak for itself. The experts, while we can learn much from them, are also fallen men after all; they can make mistakes too.

Matthew and Mark describe the same anointing. John records a second anointing by Mary, Lazarus’ sister (Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead, John 11). Both accounts take place before the Passover when Jesus would be crucified. In both instances, Jesus commented that the anointing was for His burial (Matthew 26:12; John 12:7). Jesus knew that the cross lay before Him, and He went willingly to take our sin upon Himself. He paid a debt He did not owe to cancel the debt we could never pay. Reader, our sin debt was paid by Jesus who bought our pardon with His blood. All we have to do is accept that pardon. Have you done that? If not please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

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October 8, 2023 · 10:00

Spit In The Eye

When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, (John 9:6)

Jesus performed many healing miracles during His time of ministry on earth. The miracles were not only an expression of His compassion for the hurting, but they served as evidence of who He was according to predictive prophecy.

John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus, recognized who He was. “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34, emphasis mine). Later, John was imprisoned by Herod Antipas, and he started having doubts about the authenticity of Jesus. In order to reassure himself that he had baptized the right man, he sent his disciples to verify that Jesus was indeed the expected Messiah. Responding to their questions, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5, emphasis mine).

Jesus quoted prophecy with which John would be familiar as proof of who He was. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:5-6, emphasis mine). “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead” (Isaiah 26:19, emphasis mine). “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah 61:1, emphasis mine).

Jesus performed many miracles proving His power and divinity. So many were His miracles that of Him that the Gospel writer, John said, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen” (John 21:25).

Blindness was one of the more common healings Jesus performed. In most cases, Jesus simply spoke the word and the blind were healed. For example, the first restoral of sight recorded by Matthew was of two blind men. “And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it” (Matthew 9:27-30, emphasis mine). On another occasion, Matthew records, “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw (Matthew 12:22, emphasis mine). In most cases, the healing required faith on the part of the recipient, but in this case, it was the faith of those who brought the demon possessed man to Jesus.

Many more examples could be cited of Jesus healing the blind simply at His word. However, two cases recorded in the Gospels stand out among the others for the “unorthodox” method Jesus employed in healing the blindness. One is recorded in Mark’s Gospel and the other in John’s.

“And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought” (Mark 8:22-23, emphasis mine). This was not an instantaneous healing as in other cases where Jesus healed with just His word. At first the man’s vision was unclear. “And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” (Mark 8:24, emphasis mine). Could Jesus not have just spoken the word, as He had on other occasions, and healed the man’s blindness instantly? This has puzzled commentators through the years. Adam Clark suggests, “Our Lord could have restored this man to sight in a moment; but he chose to do it in the way mentioned in the text, to show that he is sovereign of his own graces; and to point out that, however insignificant means may appear in themselves, they are divinely efficacious when he chooses to work by them.”[1] That seems like a reasonable conclusion, but why here and not in all cases?

Albert Barnes is equally puzzled. “Why this was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to perform the cure by any natural effect of the spittle. It was to the man a “sign,” an evidence that it was the power of Jesus. The eyes were probably closed. They were perhaps “gummed” or united together by a secretion that had become hard. To apply spittle to them – to wet them – would be a “sign,” a natural expression of removing the obstruction and opening them. The power was not in the spittle, but it attended the application of it.”[2] This too seems a reasonable explanation, but why spit; why not water or olive oil?

Matthew Henry probably offers the best explanation. “That Christ used a sign; he spat on his eyes (spat into them, so some), and put his hand upon him. He could have cured him, as he did others, with a word speaking, but thus he was pleased to assist his faith which was very weak, and to help him against his unbelief. And this spittle signified the eye-salve wherewith Christ anoints the eyes of those that are spiritually blind.”[3] It is true that Jesus, by the faith of the recipients, healed immediately. But here the blind man was brought to Jesus; he did not come of his volition. Furthermore, Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the city. This act initiated the man’s trust in the Healer. Spitting into his eyes further convinced the man that Jesus was doing something. At first, he is vision was blurred, but it was better than before. This too served to further increase his faith in Jesus’ healing touch. The second time Jesus touched his eyes, his vision was fully restored.

John records the other vision restoration by spittle in John 9. In this account, Jesus was in Jerusalem, possibly on the Feast of Tabernacles.[4] As he walked in the vicinity of the Temple, He saw a man that was blind from birth.[5] The text implies that Jesus knew that the man was blind from birth, but how the disciple knew is not clear for they asked Him, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). They had the common understanding that such tragedies came as a result of sin. Jesus assured them that neither was the case, “but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (v. 3). With that, Jesus proceeded to restore the man’s vision. “When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing” (John 9:6-7, emphasis mine).

This is another sight restoration that puzzles the commentators. Why would Jesus employ such methods? It could not have been to prove anything to His disciples; they had already seen Him heal blindness. If the purpose was merely to show that sin was not the cause of the man’s blindness, He could have healed him as He had done others. Besides applying mud spitballs to the man’s eyes, Jesus encouraged the man’s faith by sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.

Without consulting other commentaries, I suspect I know the reason behind Jesus’ method. (I could be wrong, of course, but I think I have good reason for my conclusion.) Jesus is the Creator. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). “For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16).

With that understanding, we can look back to Genesis. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). God “formed” man out of dirt. The Hebrew word translated “formed” is yâtsar, which Strong’s defines as “to mould into a form; especially as a potter.” By implication, it required God (Jesus) to form and shape the human body out of moist clay.

Coming back to the blind man’s condition, John records that he was “born blind.”[6] That leads me to suspect that the man may have been born with a birth defect where his eyeballs did not develop completely or did not develop at all. The fact that Jesus made clay with His spittle harkens back to the original creation account. Here, Jesus created the missing eyeballs out of the clay. In this, Jesus demonstrated to His disciples and to us in a very clear and visual object lesson that He is the Creator God.

There is physical blindness that impairs the victim from seeing the physical world. There is also a spiritual blindness that impairs the sinner from seeing the spiritual world. Jesus heals both kinds of blindness, but of the two, spiritual blindness is the more severe, for it leads the victim to an eternity separated from the only One that can heal. Reader, if you do not know Jesus, you are spiritually blind. Come to Jesus and be forever healed of that blindness. Read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  Adam Clarke, LL.D., F.S.A., (1715-1832), Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, (Published in 1810-1826; Public Domain).

[2]  Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, (Published in 1847-1885; Public Domain).

[3]  Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, (Published in 1708-1714; Public Domain).

[4]  John 7:2

[5]  John 9:1

[6]  John 9:19

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October 1, 2023 · 10:00

Did Matthew Goof?

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; (Matthew 27:9)

Critics of the Bible constantly look for opportunities to find errors in Scripture. However, whenever they find an error in Scripture, eventually, Scripture proves true and the critics are proven wrong.

Recently, I was reading Matthew’s account of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, and I encountered what appeared to be an error by Matthew. In his Gospel, Matthew takes great care to point out all the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, and he usually names the specific prophet.

Matthew’s account of Judas’ betrayal begins with the day on which Passover was to start.[1] “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him” (Matthew 26:14-16, emphasis mine). For some reason, known only to Matthew, he made no mention of the prophecy fulfilled here. The prophet Zechariah predicted this more than four hundred years earlier. “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12, emphasis mine).

Judas regretted his actions as soon as he discovered what the religious leaders planned for Jesus. “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he [Jesus] was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3-5, emphasis mine).

The religious leaders were troubled as to what to do with the money that Judas returned. “And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day” (Matthew 27:6-8, emphasis mine).

Luke adds a detail that was not revealed until after Christ’s ascension and shortly before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At that time, the Apostles were one short, Judas having committed suicide, and his spot needed to be filled. Luke records, “And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood” (Acts 1:15-19, emphasis mine). Granted, Judas did not purchase the field himself, but it was purchased with his ill-gotten money.

Matthew reports that Judas hanged himself, while Peter, as recorded by Luke, said he fell “headlong” and “burst asunder, and all his bowels gushed out.” I will deal with that apparent discrepancy later.

Returning to Matthew’s Gospel, at this point in his narrative, Matthew points to fulfilled prophecy in this act of Judas. “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy [i.e., Jeremiah] the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me” (Matthew 27:9-10, emphasis mine). The problem is that Jeremiah never said such a thing. Bible scholars have struggled with this apparent discrepancy over the years without a satisfactory resolution. In fact, my King James Bible gives a cross-reference to Zechariah 11:12, “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” However, even though he mentions the thirty pieces of silver, Matthew’s focus is on the field that was purchased with the money. The subsequent verse in Zechariah continues, “And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD” (Zechariah 11:13, emphasis mine). This was Matthew’s focus, but there is one glaring problem. Jeremiah did not prophesy these words.

One of the reference books in my library wrestles with this problem and comes to a resolution, but not to my satisfaction. Their explanation, in part, follows:

The quotation is not entirely a quotation of Zechariah. The majority of the quotation does come from Zechariah 11:13 … there is no field mentioned in Zechariah … Matthew clearly is not quoting Zechariah about the location … Zechariah does not include the phrase “as the Lord commanded me.” Second, Jeremiah is also involved with potters (Jer 17:1-11; 19:1-13 – in this second passage he purchases something from a potter).

When it came to interpreting the Old Testament, it was common to bring passages together based on words they had in common … In this case, it is clear that Jeremiah and Zechariah have several words in common, especially potter and shekel. Probably potter is the key term … the quotation in Matthew is really Zechariah mixed with several phrases taken from Jeremiah.

What we have, then, is Matthew pulling together at least two texts in Jeremiah with one text in Zechariah to show that there was a type of biblically prefiguring of Judas’s [SIC] actions, down to the amount of blood money and the fact that it was given to a potter and was used for the purchase of a field … it was normal for Matthew to cite the more important prophet, Jeremiah, despite the fact that most of his material came from Zechariah.[2]

Their assessment is not altogether unreasonable, and certainly, the authors possess a greater knowledge of these things than I. However, I am not fully convinced that Matthew purposefully lumped two prophecies together and attributed the words to one prophet rather than the other. Personally, I often wonder why Zechariah is numbered among the Minor Prophets. His prophecy is equal to that of Daniel in length (12 chapters). Perhaps it is merely because of its placement in the canon. That aside, his importance, in my estimation, is no greater or lesser than that of Jeremiah. I might even argue that Zechariah contains more Messianic and end-times prophecy than Jeremiah, so, I do not see why Matthew would name Jeremiah rather than Zechariah if indeed he was citing the latter.

I have already established that in these verses, Matthew 27:3-10, Matthew’s focus was on the property purchased with the thirty pieces of silver, and not on the money itself. That had already been established in Matthew 26:14-16. The authors of the book I cited above referred to Jeremiah 19:1-13 where God instructs the Prophet to purchase a clay pot from the potter. God instructs him to go to the Valley of Hinnom by the entry of the east gate of the Temple – the Golden Gate that faces the Mount of Olives. The Temple Mount is surrounded by three valleys: Kidron to the east, Tyropoean to the west, and Hinnom to the south and west. The three valleys come together just to the south of the Temple Mount at a place called Tophet. The Hinnom Valley was of ill-repute due to the child sacrifices as well as other atrocities that took place there in the worship of pagan gods, particularly in the area of Tophet.

Through Jeremiah, God pronounces judgment on the people of Judah for their idolatry, particularly their worship of Baal. “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter” (Jeremiah 19:6). The “valley of slaughter” could also be interpreted “The Field of Blood.” God decrees a great slaughter in that place and the desolation of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet: And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD’S house; and said to all the people, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words. (Jeremiah 19:10-15, emphasis mine).

“Tophet” means a “place of fire.” This prophecy had a two-fold fulfillment: first when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the second when it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. This is the place to which Matthew referred that was bought with the thirty pieces of silver and its complete fulfillment had not yet taken place. When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, the slaughter of Jews was so great that the Romans could not bury them all, so they tossed them into the Field of Blood that was bought with Judas’ blood money. It is possible that in quoting Jeremiah, Matthew looked ahead at the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

I recently watched a YouTube video on “Israel MyChannel” that provided some insight into the seeming contradictions between Matthew and Luke (in Acts). According to Timothy, the owner of “Israel MyChannel,”[3] who is a Messianic Jew and well-studied in Jewish history, Judas hanged himself as recorded by Matthew, prior to the crucifixion and the Passover sacrifice. According to Jewish practice, the Passover sacrifice could not be performed with a dead body within the walls of the city. So, they took Judas’ corpse and tossed it over the city wall. The impact of the fall burst his body so that “his bowels gushed out.” So, the records of both Matthew and Luke are correct, and Matthew’s citing Jeremiah fits well, even though he did not quote Jeremiah (or Zechariah) verbatim. I encourage you to watch the video; I have provided the link below. Timothy goes into greater detail than I can provide here.

Reader, do you know the Lord Jesus? If not, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.” He is coming soon and you need to be ready. You can read more about that on my “Revelation” page.

Notes:

[1]  Passover started at 6 PM in the evening and continued to 6 PM on the following day. Prior to the start of Passover at 6 PM, Judas had already agreed to betray Jesus. The Passover sacrifice was performed at 3 PM on Passover day, at the precise time that Jesus died on the Cross. Jesus was arrested on Passover evening, some time around midnight and was tried throughout the night and into the morning by Caiaphas (the High Priest), Pilate, Herod Antipas, and again by Pilate. Jesus was crucified at 9 AM the morning of Passover. Judas had sufficient time between the time Jesus was arrested and the time He was put on the cross to commit suicide. Tophet was south of the Temple mount. The walls of the city extended south around the City of David, and Tophet was just on the other side of the southern wall of the city.

[2]  Walter C Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F.F. Bruce, Manfred T. Brauch, Hard Sayings of the Bible, (Inter Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1996), pp. 339-400.

[3] “Scary Discovery in the Hinnom Valley” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpuLMHV0_ds For the description of this particular topic, start the video at minute 49:09 to minute 59:39/

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