APPLICATION COMMENTARY of the GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

1 APPLICATION COMMENTARY of the GOSPEL OF MATTHEW john M. Strohman, Published by: Cross Centered Press 113 Village Drive Pierre, SD 57501 Copyright 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 john Strohman. Copies of various sections can be made as long as they are used for the furtherance of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ and are given away free. Otherwise, all rights reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, recorded or distributed without prior written permission of Cross Centered Press. Softcover ISBN 978-0-9859949-0-7 Hardcover ISBN 978-0-9859949-7-6 Kindle ISBN 978-0-9859949-1-4 E-Pub ISBN 978-0-9859949-2-1 Unless otherwise noted, most verses are cited from the New American Standard Bible 1977 edition and 1995 update with permission.

2 The New American Standard Bible , Copyright 1960,1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, if you have identified an error in this publication, please send a notice to Please identify your copy as: Revision (6-19b). Also include the page number and sentence, along with your suggested correction. * Comments contained herein are the author s and are not meant to represent another or any institution/organization. Final Edition ~ 2 ~ ABOUT THE AUTHOR The most distinguishing feature of the Author is that he is a sinner who, in his early youth, was saved from the judgment to come by the grace of God.

3 He continues to recognize his complete reliance on the mercy, forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ to this very moment. *Other matters: john M. Strohman is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Business and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law. For approximately three decades he has served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of South Dakota. As an attorney with over 30 years of experience, he has handled a variety of cases, including serving as counsel for more than 200 cases before the South Dakota Supreme Court. john has also held faculty positions as an adjunct professor for Liberty University, South Dakota State University, Northern State University and Colorado Christian University.

4 His teaching experience has spanned both the undergraduate and graduate level. In 2014 he authored The Fake Commission. He has served on mission boards and is the current chairman of Cross Centered Missions. john and his wife, Sarah, share a passion for equipping young people in Christian service through discipleship, Sunday school, Bible studies and leading short-term mission trips. Oh and at age 57, he could still do a backflip! (The author does not receive any personal royalties from the sales of this book. All r oyalties go directly to further world missions.) ~ 3 ~ DEDICATION I dedicate this COMMENTARY to my children Johannah and Elizabeth and write this note to them, their children, their children s children and all their family members to come.

5 Over the last 35 years I have noticed an expanding segment of the visible church that claims to speak for Christ, yet reflects little of the doctrines or discipleship we see in Scripture. Granted, we all fail daily in one way or another, yet our heart and desire should be to live unto Christ in all things. We learn how to do this only from knowing and applying the truths in God s infallible Word, the Bible. It is hoped that this COMMENTARY (merely the words of a very fallible man) will serve as an aid in your study of God s Word. During your life you will encounter many religious fads, movements, organizations, etc., with some even calling themselves Christian, but they will prove not to be.

6 My only concern for you is your eternal soul. My aim with this COMMENTARY is to provide you with an outline from my years of studying the Bible so that, .. no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8. Remember fathers and mothers (especially fathers) you have a duty before God to teach and train your children the truths of God (Deuteronomy 6:5 7). Do not delegate this responsibility to the church youth group or Sunday school. The church is there to supplement what you are already doing at home.

7 Failure to fulfill your duty will result in pain for yourself and tragedy for generations t o come.. and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. 11 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Judges 2:10 11 It is my sincere desire that all your family members will come to be part of the true church by being born again, which includes possessing a saving knowledge of Christ [to know more about what that means, read the entire comments section for Matt. 5:17-20]. It is my hope that you and your family will be serving God in your home, church, vocation and around the world via missions.

8 My motivation for writing this COMMENTARY and my prayer for you is summed up in my favorite verse: Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. Jude Remember, the second after you die, nothing else will matter but the King and His Kingdom. Live that truth now! May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Love, Dad ~ 4 ~ PREFACE This COMMENTARY is committed to Biblical Christianity. That is, a commitment to Biblical inerrancy, and salvation based solely on God s grace through faith in Jesus Christ s sacrificial death on the cross as the sole payment of a person s sin.

9 A general list of the fundamentals of Biblical Christianity is set forth after this Preface. This COMMENTARY is designed to be used in many different ways. Do not let its length overwhelm you. It was not created to be read like an ordinary book, but is a verse by verse study of the GOSPEL of MATTHEW that is divided into small sections. This method allows the reader to study and reflect on a section (or a part of a section) and then return the next day to do the same for the succeeding section. Each section contains a Summary and APPLICATION to help the reader consider how to take the truth of God s Word and live it out. This format lends itself to work well for personal or family devotions, preaching, as well as teaching a group Bible study or Sunday school.

10 The COMMENTARY also has a Topical Index. Finally, it is important that you check out the footnotes/endnotes as you read. Many footnotes/endnotes may simply mention a source, but a considerable number contain in-depth information and COMMENTARY . Let me explain the various applications in a little more detail. As you thumb through the COMMENTARY , you will note that the text of the GOSPEL of MATTHEW is divided up into smaller sections of the text. A group of sections constitutes an entire lesson. The end of a lesson will have a portion called Summary and APPLICATION . An entire lesson would represent something taught in a Sunday school or g roup Bible Study. 1.