Bible Buk Namba 40—Matthew
Man wea Raetem: Matthew
Ples Hem Raetem: Palestine
Taem Hem Finis Raetem: c. 41 C.E.
Taem Hem Storyim: 2 B.C.E.–33 C.E.
START from taem wea bighed fasin kamap insaed long Eden, Jehovah hem putim front long olketa man promis wea givim comfort hao hem bae sevem evriwan wea lovem raeteous fasin thru long Seed bilong “woman” bilong hem. Plan bilong hem nao for datfala Seed, or Messiah bae kamaot from nation bilong Israel. Insaed long plande handred year bihaen, hem muvim olketa Hebrew man for raetem plande profesi wea showimaot datfala Seed bae Ruler insaed long Kingdom bilong God and bae hem duim samting for mek holy long nem bilong Jehovah, aotem evribit shame wea stap long datfala nem. Olketa profet hia talem plande samting abaotem datwan wea bae mekhae long Jehovah and sevem olketa man from wei for fraet, hardfala rul, sin, and dae. Taem olketa raetem finis olketa Hebrew Scripture, olketa Jew strong for garem hope long Messiah.
2 Long semtaem, olketa samting wea happen long world hem gohed for change. God hem prepare for taem wea Messiah bae kam taem hem muvim olketa nation, and living long datfala taem hem fitim for talemaot nius abaotem datfala samting long evri ples. Mek-faev world paoa, Greece, hem provaedem wanfala main languis, wanfala wei for pipol from difren nation for savve story tugeta. Rome, mek-six world paoa, hem joinim tugeta olketa nation wea stap anda long hem for kamap wanfala world rul and hem wakem olketa road mekem pipol savve kasem evri part long datfala rul. Plande Jew stap long olketa difren ples long datfala rul, so narafala pipol savve olketa Jew luk forward long wanfala Messiah wea bae kam. And long datfala taem, winim 4,000 year bihaen datfala promis long Eden, Messiah hem kam nao! Datfala promis Seed wea pipol weitim for longfala taem hem kam nao! Olketa barava important samting long history bilong man hem start for happen taem Messiah duim will bilong Father bilong hem long faithful wei hia long earth.
3 Hem taem moa for raet abaotem olketa important samting wea happen. Spirit bilong Jehovah muvim fofala faithful man for each wan raetem wanfala story, and provaedem fofala witness abaotem wei wea Jesus nao hem Messiah, datfala promis Seed and King, and givim information abaotem laef, ministry, dae, and resurrection bilong hem. Olketa kolem olketa story hia olketa Gospel, wea datfala word “gospel” hem minim “gud nius.” Nomata fofala story hia semsem and plande taem story abaotem sem samting, diswan no minim olketa copyim each other. First thrifala Gospel garem nem synoptic, wea minim “sem tingting,” bikos olketa raetem long wei wea semsem abaotem laef bilong Jesus long earth. Bat each wan long fofala man wea raet—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—talem story bilong hemseleva abaotem Christ. Each wan garem theme and goal bilong hemseleva, hem showimaot fasin bilong hemseleva, and hem tingim pipol wea bae readim story bilong hem. Taem iumi lukluk gud long raeting bilong olketa, bae iumi ting moa hae long olketa difren samting bilong each story and wei wea fofala Bible buk hia wea kam from God olketa difren bat agree witim each other and garem wan mind long story abaotem laef bilong Jesus Christ.
4 First man for raetem gud nius abaotem Christ hem Matthew. Maet nem bilong hem shortfala wei for Hebrew nem “Mattithiah,” wea minim “Present Bilong Jehovah.” Hem wanfala long 12-fala aposol wea Jesus chusim. Insaed long taem wea Masta hem gogo long land bilong Palestine for preach and teach abaotem Kingdom bilong God, Matthew hem barava fren long klos wei witim hem. Bifor hem kamap wanfala disaepol bilong Jesus, Matthew hem wanfala man for tekem tax, waka wea olketa Jew barava heitim bikos hem mekem olketa tingim evritaem hao olketa no free bat olketa stap anda long rul bilong Rome. Narafala nem bilong Matthew hem Levi and hem son bilong Alphaeus. Hem kwiktaem for acceptim invitation bilong Jesus for followim hem.—Matt. 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-32.
5 Nomata Gospel wea garem nem Matthew no sei hem nao raetem, toktok bilong olketa man bilong church for raetem history bifor sei hem nao raetem. Maet no eni narafala buk long bifor hem showimaot long barava kliafala wei man wea raetem olsem buk bilong Matthew. Start kam from Papias bilong Hierapolis (start bilong mek-tu century C.E.) iumi garem plande witness long bifor wea showimaot Matthew nao raetem disfala Gospel and hem wanfala trufala part long Word bilong God. McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia sei: “Samfala man wea talem moa toktok bilong Matthew olsem Justin Martyr, and tu man wea raetem leta go long Diognetus (lukim Otto’s Justin Martyr, vol. ii), and Hegesippus, Irenæus, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Clement, Tertullian, and Origen. Hem no just samting olketa raetem bat wei wea olketa talem olketa toktok, wei wea olketa luksavve hem stret, and wei wea olketa no garem eni daot, hem nao mekem mifala sure disfala buk wea mifala garem hem no change.”a From Matthew hem wanfala aposol, and garem spirit bilong God iumi sure samting wea hem raetem hem barava tru.
6 Matthew raetem story bilong hem long Palestine. No eniwan savve long barava year, bat samfala raeting wea stap long end bilong samfala manuscript (evriwan bihaen long mek-ten century C.E.) sei hem long 41 C.E. Pruv hem stap wea showaot Matthew hem raetem Gospel bilong hem firstaem long Hebrew languis bilong datfala taem and bihaen hem transleitim long Greek languis. Long buk bilong hem De viris inlustribus (Story Bilong Olketa Gudfala Man), chapter III, Jerome hem sei: “Matthew, wea narafala nem bilong hem Levi, wea hem wanfala man for tekem tax bat hem kamap wanfala aposol, hem raetem wanfala Gospel abaotem Christ long Judaea long Hebrew languis for pipol wea circumcise and biliv.”b Jerome sei tu hao datfala Gospel long Hebrew languis olketa keepim go kasem taem bilong hem (mek-foa and faev century C.E.) long library wea Pamphilus hem garem long Caesarea.
7 Long start bilong mek-thri century, taem Origen hem story abaotem olketa Gospel, Eusebius hem talem toktok bilong Origen wea sei “first wan . . . Matthew nao raetem, . . . wea hem talemaot for olketa bilong Jew religion wea biliv, and raetem long Hebrew languis.”c Samting wea showaot hem tingim olketa Jew taem hem raetem hem wei wea hem story abaotem laen, wea showimaot royal laen wea Jesus kam from start from Abraham, and wei wea hem talem plande samting insaed long olketa Hebrew Scripture showaot olketa point go long Messiah wea redi for kam. Hem fitim for sei Matthew iusim nem bilong God, Jehovah, and raetem olsem Tetragrammaton taem hem talem toktok from olketa difren part bilong Hebrew Scripture wea garem datfala nem. Dastawe buk bilong Matthew insaed long New World Translation hem garem nem Jehovah 18-fala taem, olsem buk bilong Matthew long Hebrew languis, wea F. Delitzsch hem raetem long mek-19 century. Matthew hem garem sem tingting olsem Jesus abaotem nem bilong God and hem no hol bak from tingting bilong olketa Jew for no iusim datfala nem.—Matt. 6:9; John 17:6, 26.
8 From Matthew hem wanfala man for tekem tax, fitim hem for tok klia taem hem story abaotem selen, namba, and kost. (Matt. 17:27; 26:15; 27:3) Hem barava tinghae long mercy bilong God for letem hem, wanfala man for tekem tax wea pipol heitim, for kamap wanfala minister bilong gud nius and klos fren bilong Jesus. Dastawe, long olketa man wea raetem Gospel, Matthew nomoa storyim toktok bilong Jesus evritaem abaotem wei wea mercy mas join witim sakrifaes. (9:9-13; 12:7; 18:21-35) From Matthew barava feelim encouragement from kaenfala fasin bilong Jehovah wea man no fit for kasem, hem raetem nambawan toktok bilong comfort wea Jesus hem talem: “Kam long mi, iufala evriwan wea waka hard tumas and karem bigfala hevi, and mi nao bae strongim iufala. Karem yoke bilong mi and lanem samting from mi, from mi garem kwaet fasin and mi hambol long heart, and iufala bae faendem samting for strongim soul bilong iufala. From yoke bilong mi hem kaenfala and lod bilong mi hem no hevi.” (11:28-30) Olketa loving toktok hia barava strongim disfala man wea tekem tax bifor, wea maet olketa pipol from nation bilong hem savve barava tok spoelem hem!
9 Matthew hem barava strongim hao theme bilong teaching bilong Jesus hem “kingdom bilong heven.” (4:17) Long hem, Jesus nao datfala Preacher-King. Hem iusim datfala word “kingdom” plande taem (winim 50 taem) wea mekem Gospel bilong hem fit for garem nem, Kingdom Gospel. Matthew hem ting strong long kliafala mining bilong olketa tok and sermon bilong Jesus long pablik, winim wei for raetem samting followim order bilong taem wea hem happen. Long first 18-fala chapter, wei wea Matthew mekhae long theme bilong Kingdom hem mekem hem no followim order bilong taem wea olketa samting happen. Bat, last tenfala chapter (19 go kasem 28) hem followim order wea olketa samting happen and hem gohed for mekhae long Kingdom tu.
10 Foti-tu percent long Gospel bilong Matthew hem no stap long eni part bilong nara thrifala Gospel.d Insaed diswan hem tenfala parabol, or tok piksa: Olketa rabis grass long field (13:24-30), samting wea garem hae price wea haed (13:44), pearl wea garem hae price (13:45, 46), net wea olketa daonem long sea (13:47-50), slave wea no showimaot mercy (18:23-35), olketa wakman and denarius (20:1-16), dadi and tufala pikinini (21:28-32), marit bilong son bilong king (22:1-14), tenfala young gele (25:1-13), and olketa talent (25:14-30). Long full buk, hem story abaotem taem wea Jesus born, 2 B.C.E. go kasem taem wea hem meet witim olketa disaepol bilong hem bifor hem go ap long heven long 33 C.E.
WEI WEA HEM HELPEM IUMI
29 Disfala buk bilong Matthew, first wan long fofala Gospel, barava provaedem nambawan wei for joinim olketa Hebrew Scripture witim olketa Christian Greek Scripture. Long stretfala wei, hem tok abaotem Messiah and King bilong Kingdom wea God promisim, talemaot olketa mark for kamap olketa follower bilong hem, and talem waka wea stap front long olketa hia long earth. Firstaem John Baptaesa, then Jesus, and bihaen olketa disaepol bilong hem duim preaching, “Kingdom bilong heven hem kam klosap nao.” And tu, komand bilong Jesus hem for kam kasem end bilong disfala world: “And disfala gud nius bilong kingdom olketa bae talemaot evriwea long earth for wanfala witness long evri nation; and then end bae kam.” Long datfala taem, and distaem tu, hem barava nambawan privilege for share long disfala Kingdom waka, wea insaed diswan hem wei for “mekem disaepol long pipol bilong evri nation,” waka followim example bilong Masta.—3:2; 4:17; 10:7; 24:14; 28:19.
30 Gospel bilong Matthew hem barava “gud nius.” Olketa message insaed wea kam from God barava “gud nius” for olketa wea followim long first century bilong Common Era, and Jehovah God mek sure hem stap olsem “gud nius” kam kasem distaem. Nomata olketa wea no Christian luksavve long paoa bilong disfala Gospel, olsem, for example, Hindu leader Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, wea sei: “Long evri wei trae hard for minim gud Sermon Long Maunten wea iu kasem . . . From olketa teaching bilong Sermon hem for iumi evriwan.”e
31 Nomata olsem, full world, wea insaed diswan olketa wea sei olketa Christian, gohed for garem olketa problem. Smolfala sekson bilong olketa tru Christian nomoa tinghae, studyim, and followim Sermon Long Maunten and evri narafala kaonsel bilong gud nius wea stap long Matthew, and olketa kasem gud samting from diswan. Hem gud tumas for studyim moa and moa nambawan kaonsel long wei for faendem trufala hapi, and tu long saed bilong fasin and marit, paoa bilong love, prea wea God acceptim, markem spiritual samting witim material samting, lukaotem Kingdom firstaem, garem respect for olketa holy samting, and for lukaot and obey. Matthew chapter 10 givim olketa instruction bilong Jesus for olketa wea preachim gud nius bilong “kingdom bilong heven.” Olketa tok piksa bilong Jesus garem important leson for evriwan wea ‘garem ear for lisin.’ And tu, olketa profesi bilong Jesus, olsem ‘saen for markem taem hem stap moa,’ buildim strongfala hope and trust for future.—5:1–7:29; 10:5-42; 13:1-58; 18:1–20:16; 21:28–22:40; 24:3–25:46.
32 Gospel bilong Matthew garem staka profesi wea fulfill. Plande taem hem iusim toktok from olketa Hebrew Scripture for showimaot wei wea olketa fulfill. Olketa showim pruv wea hard for eniwan daotem hao Jesus nao Messiah, from bae hem hard tumas for arrangem firstaem evri toktok hia. For example, markem Matthew 13:14, 15 witim Isaiah 6:9, 10; Matthew 21:42 witim Psalm 118:22, 23; and Matthew 26:31, 56 witim Zechariah 13:7. Wei wea olketa hia fulfill strongim long iumi hao evri profesi abaotem Jesus seleva wea Matthew raetem, bae fulfill taem nambawan plan bilong Jehovah long saed bilong “kingdom bilong heven” hem fulfill.
33 God barava talem klia evri samting long profesi abaotem laef bilong King bilong Kingdom, nomata olketa smolfala information tu! Matthew wea kasem olketa samting hia from God, barava talem klia evri samting taem long faithful wei hem recordim olketa profesi hia wea fulfill! Taem pipol wea lovem raeteous fasin ting raonem olketa profesi wea fulfill and olketa promis insaed buk bilong Matthew, olketa savve hapi long savve and hope long “kingdom bilong heven” olsem samting wea Jehovah bae iusim for mekem nem bilong hem kamap holy. Disfala Kingdom bilong Jesus Christ nao bae bringim plande nambawan blessing bilong laef and hapi long olketa wea hambol and hangre long spiritual wei “insaed long niu-creation, taem Son bilong man hem sidaon long nambawan throne bilong hem.” (Matt. 19:28) Evri samting hia stap insaed long gud nius wea savve muvim man “wea Matthew raetem.”
[Olketa Footnote]
a 1981 Reprint, Vol. V, page 895.
b Transleison from Latin languis wea E. C. Richardson hem raetem and pablisim olsem “Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur,” Leipzig, 1896, Vol. 14, page 8, 9.
c The Ecclesiastical History, VI, xxv, 3-6.
d Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, 1896, B. F. Westcott, page 201.
e Mahatma Gandhi’s Ideas, 1930, wea C. F. Andrews nao raetem, page 96.