A. Jesus’ instruction of His disciples around Judea 19:3-20:34The primary emphasis in this section of Matthew’s Gospel is Jesus’ instruction of His disciples to prepare them for the future. Specifically, He emphasized the importance of the first becoming last and the last first: humble servanthood (cf. Matthew 19:30; Matthew 20:16). read more
VI. THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION AND REJECTION OF THE KING 19:3-25:46This section of the Gospel continues Jesus’ instruction of His disciples in preparation for their future (Matthew 19:3 to Matthew 20:34). Then Jesus presented Himself formally to Israel as her King with His triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1-17). This resulted in strong rejection by Israel’s leaders (Matthew 21:18 to Matthew 22:46). Consequently Jesus pronounced His rejection of Israel (ch. 23). Finally He revealed to His disciples... read more
A rich young man asked Jesus what he needed to do to obtain eternal life. Luke 18:18 identifies him as a ruler. Matthew presented him as a rather typical obsessive-compulsive personality who probably never knew when to stop working.The term "eternal life" occurs here for the first time in Matthew’s Gospel (cf. Daniel 12:2, LXX). However the concept of eternal life occurs in Matthew 7:14. Eternal life is life that continues forever in God’s presence as opposed to eternal damnation apart from... read more
The encounter with the rich young ruler 19:16-22 (cf. Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23) read more
The rabbis had added so many commands to those in the Mosaic Law that the young man did not know which commandments Jesus meant. Jesus listed the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and fifth commandments, in that order, plus part of "the greatest commandment" (Leviticus 19:18). All of these commandments deal with observable behavior."Jesus did not introduce the Law to show the young man how to be saved, but to show him that he needed to be saved [cf. James 1:22-25]." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:72.] The fact... read more
19:17 good. (g-14) Some read, 'Why callest thou me good? no-one is good save God alone.' As it stands in text there is an article before 'good,' 'the good one.' read more
The Question of Divorce. The Rich Young Man1, 2. End of the Galilean ministry. The Peræn ministry begins (Mark 10:1; Luke 9:51 cp. Luke 17:11). The time was now late summer of 28 a.d. The Passion was less than six months distant. Jesus finally left Galilee, and entered upon what is generally called the ’Peræan ministry,’ the scene of which was partly Peræa beyond Jordan, a district extending, roughly, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, and partly Jerusalem and Judæa. To this period must... read more
(17) Why callest thou me good?—Here again the older MSS. give a different form to our Lord’s answer: “Why askest thou Me concerning that which is good? There is One that is the Good.” The alteration was probably made, as before, for the sake of agreement with the other Gospels. In either case the answer has the same force. The questioner had lightly applied the word “good” to One whom he as yet regarded only as a human teacher, to an act which, it seemed to him, was in his own power to perform.... read more
(18) He saith unto him, Which?—Literally, of what kind? The questioner has been trained in the language of the schools, has heard debates as to which was the great commandment of the Law (22:36). Which class of commandments is he to keep that he may win eternal life?Thou shalt do no murder.—Our Lord’s answer was clearly determined by the method of which we have ventured to speak as calling up the thought of that of Socrates. To a questioner of another type of character He would have pointed (as... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 19:17
Matthew 19:17. There is none good but one, that is God— This passage has been produced and strongly argued by the Arians in favour of their system. They found their argument upon the Greek, which runs thus, Ουδεις εστιν αγαθος, ει μη εις, ο Θεος . There is none good, but εις one; and that (one) is ο Θεος, God. Whence it is argued, that the adjective εις being in the masculine gender, cannot be interpreted to signify one being, or nature (for then it should have been εν in the neuter), but one... read more