is the man whom after our Father
beholds him, he then looks at what opinion
he has conceived of us and then he lays
that opinion cleanly aside ;
From :
The 1560-1599
Geneva Bible New Testament,
The Holy Gospel Of Jesus Christ,
According To Matthew Chapter 3 ;
The Argument :
In this History written by Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John, the Spirit of God so governed their hearts,
that although they were four in number,
yet in effect and purpose they so consent,
as though the whole had been composed by
any one of them.
And albeit in style and manner of writing
they be divers, and sometime one writeth
more largely that which the other doth abridge;
nevertheless in matter and argument,
they all tend to one end; which is
to publish to the world the favor of God
toward mankind through Christ Jesus,
whom the father hath given as a pledge
of his mercy and love.
And for this cause they entitle their story Gospel,
which signifieth good tidings, for as such as God
hath performed indeed that which the fathers hoped for.
So that hereby we are admonished
to forsake the world, and the vanities thereof,
and with most affectioned hearts
embrace this incomparable treasure freely offered
unto us, for there is no joy nor consolation,
no peace nor quietness, no felicity nor salvation,
but in Jesus Christ, who is the very substance
of this Gospel, and in whom all the promises
are Yea, and Amen.
And therefore under this word is contained
the whole New Testament; but commonly
we use this name for the history,
which the four Evangelists write,
containing Christ's coming in the flesh, his death,
and resurrection, which is the perfect sum
of our salvation.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are more copious
in describing his life and death; but John
more laboreth to set forth his doctrine,
wherein both Christ's office, and also the virtue
of his death and resurrection more fully appear;
for without this, to know that Christ was born,
dead, and risen again, should nothing profit us.
The which thing notwithstanding that the three
first touch partly, as he also sometime intermeddled
the historical narration, yet John chiefly
is occupied herein.
And therefore as a most learned interpreter writeth,
they describe as it were, the body, and John
setteth before our eyes the soul.
Wherefore the same aptly termeth the Gospel
written by John, the key which openeth the door
to the understanding of the others; for whosoever
doth know the office, virtue and power of Christ,
shall read that which is written of the Son of God
come to be the Redeemer of the world, with most profit.
Now as concerning the writers of this history, it is evident
that Matthew was a Publican, or custom gatherer, and was
chosen of Christ to be an Apostle.
Mark is thought to have been Peter's disciple, and to have
planted the first Church at Alexandria, where he died
the eighth year of the reign of Nero.
Luke was a Physician of Antioch, and became Paul's
disciple, and fellow in all his travels; he lived fourscore
and four years, and was buried at Constantinople,
John was the Apostle whom the Lord loved, the son
of Zebedee, and brother of James; he died threescore
years after Christ, and was buried near to the city of Ephesus.
Matthew Chapter 3
1 John preacheth.
4 His apparel and meat.
5 He baptizeth.
8 The fruits of repentance.
10 The axe at the root of the trees.
12 The fan and the chaff.
13 Christ is baptized.
1 And (*) in (a) () those days, (1) John the Baptist came
and preached in the (b) (()) wilderness of Judea,
(*) Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3 .
(a) Not when Joseph went to dwell at Nazareth,
but a great while after, about the space of fifteen years;
for in the thirtieth year of his age was Jesus baptized
of John; therefore by those days is meant, at that time
that Jesus remained as yet an inhabitant of the town
of Nazareth.
() In the first year of the reign of Tiberius, after Christ
had a long time remained in Nazareth, and was now about
30 years old.
(1) John, who through his singular holiness and rare
austereness of life caused all men to cast their eyes upon him,
prepareth the way for Christ following fast on his heels,
as the Prophet Isaiah foretold, and delivereth the sum
of the Gospel, which in short space after should be delivered
more fully.
(b) In a hilly country, which was notwithstanding inhabited,
for Zacharias dwelt there,
Luke 1:40 ,
and there was Joab's house,
1 Kings 1:34 ;
and besides these, Joshua maketh mention of six towns
that were in the wilderness,
Joshua 15:61
.
(()) So called in respect of the plain country and fertile
valleys; and not because it was not inhabited.
2 And said, (c) (*) Repent, for the
(d) () kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(c) The word in the Greek tongue signifieth a changing
of our minds and heart from evil to better.
(*) Or, be sorry for your past faults, and amend.
(d) The kingdom of Messiah, whose government
shall be heavenly, and nothing but heavenly.
() Which is, that God will reign over us,
gather us unto him, pardon our sins,
and adopt us by the preaching of the Gospel.
3 For this is he of whom it is spoken by the Prophet
Isaiah, saying, (*) The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, (e) make
his paths straight.
(*) Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23 .
(e) Make him a plain and smooth way.
4 And this John had his (*) garment of camel's hair,
and a girdle of a skin about his loins, his meat was also
(f) () (()) locusts and wild honey.
(*) Woven with hair, as gross hair cloth.
(f) Locust were a kind of meat which certain of the East
use, which were therefore called devourers of Locusts;
Obadiah 1:9 .
() Such meats as nature brought forth without man's labor
or diligence;
read Leviticus 11:22 .
(()) Or, grasshoppers.
5 (*) Then went out to him (g) Jerusalem and all Judea,
and all the region round about Jordan.
(*) Mark 1:5, Luke 1:7 .
(g) The people of Jerusalem.
6 And they were baptized of him in Jordan, (h) (*)
confessing their sins.
(h) Acknowledging that they were saved only by free
remission and forgiveness of their sins.
(*) Acknowledging their faults; for there is no repentance
without confession.
7 (2) Now when he saw many of the Pharisees,
and of the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto
them, (*) O () generation of vipers, who hath forewarned
you to flee from the anger to come?
(2) There is nothing that stopped up the way of mercy
and salvation against us so much as the opinion of our
own righteousness doeth.
(*) Matthew 12:34 .
() Or, broods.
8 (3) Bring forth therefore (*) fruit worthy amendment
of life;
(3) True repentance is an inward thing which has its seat
in the mind and heart.
(*) He meaneth those venomous and malicious Pharisees
with the judgment of God, except they shew before men
such works as are agreeable to the profession of the godly,
whom Isaiah calleth the trees of righteousness;
Isaiah 61:3 .
9 (4) And (i) think not to say (k) with yourselves,
(*) We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you,
that God is able even of these stones to raise up children
unto Abraham.
(4) The faith of the fathers availeth the unbelieving children
nothing at all; and yet for all that God playeth not the liar,
nor dealeth unfaithfully in his league which he made with
the holy fathers.
(i) Think not that you have any cause to be proud of Abraham.
(k) In your hearts.
(*) John 3:39; Acts 13:26 .
10 And now also is the () axe put to the root of the trees;
(*) therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good
fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
() The judgment of God is at hand to destroy such as are
not meant to be of his Church.
(*) Matthew 7:19 .
11 (*) (5) Indeed I baptize you with water to (l) amendment
of life, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose
shoes I am not worthy to bear, he will baptize you with
the holy Ghost, and with () fire.
(*) Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:26; Acts 1:5; Acts 2:4;
Acts 8:17; Acts 19:4
.
(5) We may neither dwell upon the signs which God hath
ordained as means to lead us unto our salvation, neither upon
them; but we must climb up to the matter itself, that is to say,
to Christ, who inwardly worketh that effectually, which is
outwardly signified unto us.
(l) The outward sign putteth us in mind of this, that we must
change our lives and become better, assuring us as by a seal,
that we are engrafted into Christ; whereby our old man dieth
and the new man riseth up;
Romans 6:4 .
() When God baptizeth inwardly with the virtue of his Spirit,
he burneth, and consumeth the vices and inflameth the hearts
with love towards him.
12 (6) Which hath his (*) fan in his hand, and will (m) make
clean his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner, but will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
(6) The triumphs of the wicked shall end in everlasting torment.
(*) Which is the preaching of the Gospel, whereby he gathereth
the faithful as good corn, and scattereth the infidels as chaff.
(m) Will cleanse it thoroughly, and make a full riddance.
13 ¶ (*) (7) Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John
to be baptized of him.
(*) Mark 1:9; Luke 3:21 .
(7) Christ sanctified our baptism in himself.
14 But John earnestly put him back, saying, I have need
to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 Then Jesus answering, said to him, Let be now; for thus
it becometh us to (*) fulfill (n) all righteousness. So he suffered him.
(*) We must render perfect obedience to God in all things,
which he hath ordained.
(n) All such things as it hath appointed us to keep.
16 And Jesus when he was baptized, came straight out
of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto
(o) him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a
(*) dove, and lighting upon him.
(o) To John.
(*) To shew the state of his kingdom, which is in all meekness
and lowliness.
17 (8) And lo, a voice came from heaven, saying,
(*) () This is my beloved Son, in whom I am (p) well pleased.
(8) Christ's full consecration and authorizing to the office
of mediatorship, is shewed by the Father's own voice,
and a visible sign of the holy Ghost.
(*) Matthew 17:5; Colossians 1:13; 2 Peter 1:17 .
() The favor of God resteth on Jesus Christ, that from
him it might be poured on us, which deserve of ourselves
his wrath, and indignation.
(p) The Greek word betokeneth a thing of great account,
and such as highly pleaseth a man. So then the Father saith,
that Christ only is the man whom when he beholdeth,
look what opinion he had conceived of us, he layeth it clean
aside.
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