The law God gave to the Israelites through Moses often gives emphasis to the need for it to be read aloud. Moses commanded the law to be read at the end of every seven years, so that all may hear and fear God (Deut. 31:10-13). Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses at Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal (Josh. 8:33-35). When a copy of a book of the law was found, Josiah repented and had the words of the Law read in the hearing of all the people (2 Kings 23:1-3). After the exile, Ezra along with some assistants read and explained the law to the people so that they understood (Neh. 8:5, 7, 8).

If the law of Moses was to be read aloud, how much more important it is for the last will and testament of Jesus Christ to be read aloud? We should pay even closer attention to the New Testament as it is a great salvation spoken by the Lord Himself (Heb. 2:1-4). Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32). The words Jesus has spoken are spirit and life (John 6:63). As Peter recognized, we can go to no other than Jesus for the words of eternal life (John 6:68). God has indeed spoken to us by His Son, and we must hear Him (Matthew 17:5; Hebrews 1:1, 2).

Jesus said those who read publicly are blessed as well as those who “hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). Paul wanted the letters to Colossae and Laodicea to be exchanged and read aloud” (Col. 4:16). First Thessalonians came with a solemn charge that it was be read before all the holy brothers (1 Thess. 5:27). Why? Because what Paul wrote were the commandments of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 14:37). The one who has the commandments of Jesus and keeps them truly loves the Lord (John 14:15, 21). When the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ—which was revealed to Paul who wrote to congregations and individuals—was read then people could understand (Eph. 3:3, 4). Paul exhorted Timothy to public reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13). The first-century custom seems to have been reading aloud even in private as Philip heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah (Acts 8:30). The Ethiopian was traveling in his own private chariot and yet still read aloud.

Spoken messages as well as writings were being given by the apostles in the first century as the New Testament was being produced (2 Thess. 2:2, 15). Now, God has preserved for us the faith, the whole system of truth, in the writings, or Scriptures, written in the first century (Jude 3).  It is serious to fail to obey the written apostolic instruction of the letters of the New Testament (2 Thess. 3:14). Why? The apostles were guided by the Spirit in being reminded of all Jesus taught while on earth as well as being guided in all truth, including many things the disciples of Jesus could not bear while He was on earth (John 14:26; 16:12, 13). Thus, the words of every book of the New Testament are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The public reading of the Scriptures is tremendously important. We are thankful for the young men of the congregation who take this responsibility so seriously and do such a fine job of reading God’s word before His people.

-Mark Day

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,” (1 Timothy 1:5). Love from a pure heart for God and for others is in summary the greatest of God’s commands (Mark 12:29-31). A good conscience that in justice approves of what is good and disapproves of what is evil only comes with extensive training in God’s word (Hebrews 5:12-14; 1 Timothy 3:9).  Timothy’s genuine faith was a product of his mother and grandmother having genuine faith and teaching him the Scriptures (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-17). These three are major issues; Jesus highlighted justice (a good conscience), mercy (love), and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). Similarly, the famous question that highlights these three is, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

From these major thrusts of God’s commands some turn aside into empty talk (1 Timothy 1:6). Paul urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus to correct false doctrine that would go against the healthy teaching of the Gospel (1 Timothy 1:3, 10, 11). The Gospel not only involves the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), but also healthy teaching on right living. God’s law given to Israel at Sinai included commands regarding respecting God who is holy (Exodus 20:1-11); it also included commands of honoring one’s parents and loving others by proscribing murder, adultery, theft, and lying (Exodus 20:12-16).

Notice how Paul describes the activities of insubordinate sinners that fly in the face of these commands of God in 1 Timothy 1:9-11:

knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is glorious. It deserves our respect and defense. The world wants to run it down, but we must, as Paul did, be ready and willing to defend it (Phil. 1:7, 17). The Gospel of Jesus Christ can change me for good. I can be purified in love for God and others. I can develop a good conscience and live a just life that is fair toward others. My faith can grow as I learn to walk humbly with my God. I need the Gospel and so do you. Will you defend and promote this life-changing gift from God or will you neglect it to your own peril?

-Mark Day

After a genealogy emphasizing Jesus as the seed of Abraham and David, the book of Matthew begins with a narrative of the Lord’s birth; from there on Matthew frequently shows that Jesus is the realization of the hopes and promises made to Israel by repeated use of the phrase “that it might be fulfilled” beginning at 1:22. The twelve occurrences of the Greek word translated “fulfilled” in Matthew (1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17;13:35; 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9) show that while Matthew’s concept of fulfillment includes the direct fulfillment of predictive prophecy, his definition is broader than that. Matthew’s use of the word is not always merely a direct fulfillment of a particular prophecy, but, more generally, may indicate the designed end of God’s purpose.  Jesus uses the word “fulfill” in 3:15 and 5:17 not to indicate direct fulfillment of prophecy, but more the idea that He is the true purpose or goal of the Old Testament.

Jesus showed the ultimate fulfillment of the servant role God had for all of Israel in His gentleness as Isaiah 42:1-4 is quoted in Matthew 12:17-21. Isaiah 9:1-2 refers to the region of Zebulun and Naphtali being freed from Assyrian exile, but is reapplied in Matthew 4:14 to the light and spiritual freedom that the ministry of Jesus brought there. The suffering servant of Isaiah 53:4 pointed ultimately to healing spiritual sickness in the cross, but Matthew 8:17 quotes it to show that Jesus also healed physical sicknesses.

Moreover, typology significantly broadens the fulfillment concept. One of the first examples of this in Matthew is the significance of the flight into Egypt by Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus (2:13-15). Matthew 2:15 claims this as fulfillment of Hosea 11:1. Yet, Hosea 11:1 is not set in prophetic terms at all, but rather looks back to God calling Israel out of Egypt to remind His people of His love; no direct reference is made to the Messiah. Matthew’s use of Hosea 11:1 is as an example of typology. The return from Egypt was an antitype of Israel departure from Egyptian bondage. Both Israel and Joseph with his family went into Egypt at the command of God; both came out of Egypt at the command of God. Israel was figuratively God’s son (Ex. 4:22), and was considered by the Jews a type of the Messiah. This is just one of multiple examples of typology in Matthew.

Matthew’s quotation of Jeremiah 31:15 at 2:17, 18 highlights a point of similarity between Rachel weeping for her children at Ramah—a waystation on their deportation to Babylon—and the weeping of the mothers of the children who were slain by Herod in his attempt to extinguish the baby Jesus. These words are understood typologically (type/antitype). Matthew 13:35 highlights the typology involved in the Lord’s use of parables by declaring it a fulfillment of Psalm 78:2. Just as a prophet of God spoke under inspiration to bring to light concepts previously hidden from those in OT times, so Jesus in His parables revealed previously hidden truths (particularly about the nature of God’s kingdom) to audiences in His day. Matthew also makes a note of fulfillment in 27:9 when highlighting the similarity between the thirty pieces of silver Judas returned being used to purchase the potter’s field and the language of Zechariah 11:12-13 and Jeremiah 19:1-13. The likely explanation that both passages combined form Matthew’s reference to “thirty pieces of silver” and the “potter” in the context of betrayal supports the suggestion that typology is the approach in this passage. The Lord’s betrayal shows how He was meagerly valued and rejected by His own people just as God was in the days of the prophets.

Of course, the Holy Spirit, who wrote the Old Testament, was behind the writing of Matthew’s gospel account. It is understandable that the Spirit should use Matthew’s vocabulary to show glimpses of God’s omniscient mind and pick up themes He earlier introduced in His word. Matthew’s demonstration of fulfillment should make us have a greater appreciation of the fact that the Bible is comprehensively about Christ.

-Mark Day