Sunday, April 19, 2015

April 26, 2015 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Taxes and Submission



Matthew 28:18-20 – New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission
18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Taxes and Submission

Matthew 22:15-22 – New International Version (NIV)
15 “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.”

Who made plans to trap Jesus (verse 15)?

In your opinion, why did they partner with the Herodians in their attempt (verse 16)?

How did they begin their attempt (verse 16)?

In your opinion, why did they ask “is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not” (verse 17)?

What was their intent (verse 18)?

What coin did they bring Jesus (verse 19)?

What did Jesus ask them about the coin (verse 20)?

How did they reply (verse 21)?

In your opinion, why is Jesus answer the perfect answer to their question (verse 21)?

How did they respond to the answer (verse 22)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 22:15-22 show us about the Great Commission?

Proverbs 3:1-6 - New International Version (NIV)
1 “My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Where were the commands of Solomon the author of Proverbs to be kept (verse 1)?
What will they bring (verse 2)?
Where should “love and faithfulness” be bound (verse 3)?
In your opinion, why did Solomon indicate that living in “love and faithfulness” would enable you to “win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man” (verse 4)?
How should we “trust in the Lord” (verse 5)?
What should we not lean on (verse 5)?
Where should we submit to God (verse 6)?
In your opinion, how does Solomon saying to trust in the Lord with all our heart in Proverbs 3:1-6 foreshadow Jesus saying to the Pharisees and the Herodians in Matthew 22:15-22 to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”?
In your opinion, what does this passage from Proverbs show us about the Great Commission?

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 – New International Version (NIV)
12 “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
Who are the “brothers and sisters” to acknowledge (verse 12)?
Why should we “hold them in the highest regard in love” (verse 13)?
How should we live with each other (verse 13)?
Who should we warn (verse 14)?
How should we relate to the disheartened (verse 14)?
What do we do for the weak (verse 14)?
In your opinion, why should we be patient with everyone (verse 14)?
What should we strive for (verse 15)?
When should we rejoice (verse 16)?
When should we pray (verse 17)?
When should we give thanks (verse 18)?
In your opinion, how do we “quench the Spirit” (verse19)?
What should we avoid with prophecies (verse 20)?
In your opinion, how do we test all prophecies so that we know which to hold on to and which to reject (verses 20, 21 and 22)?
What does the blessing ask for the “God of peace” to do for us “through and through” (verse 23)?
How is the “one who calls you” described (verse 24)?
In your opinion, how is the command to “in all your ways submit to him” in Proverbs 3:1-6 expanded by the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 to “rejoice always, pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances”?

In your opinion, is the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 to “do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil” a different way of expressing the command that Jesus gives in Matthew 22:15-22 to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s?
In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Thessalonians show us about the Great Commission?

1 Peter 2:11-17 – New International Version (NIV)
11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

How does Peter describe his Christian friends that he is writing to (verse 11)?
What do “sinful desires” wage war against (verse 11)?
What can we do to help pagans “glorify God on the day he visits us” (verse 12)?
Why should we submit to “every human authority” (verses 14 and 15)?
How do we “silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” (verse 16)?
What should our freedom not be (verse 16)?
Who should we “show proper respect” to (verse 17)?
Who should we “love” (verse 17)?
Who should we “fear” (verse 17)?
Who should we “honor” (verse 17)?
In your opinion, what is the connection between Paul’s blessing in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through” and Peter’s naming those he is writing to “foreigners and exiles” in 1 Peter 2:11-17?
In your opinion, how is Solomon’s discussion about “love and faithfulness” helping to win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man” in Proverbs 3:1-6 similar to Peter’s statement that “by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” in 1 Peter 2:11-17?

In your opinion, do you think that Jesus saying to give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s in Matthew 22:15-22 was part of Peter’s background that helped him to understand that Christians are the “foreigners and exiles” he was writing to in 1 Peter 2:11-17?
In your opinion, what does this passage from Revelation show us about the Great Commission?


Next, back to Matthew 22:23 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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