Matthew 1-7 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) by John F. MacArthur Jr.

MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series

by John F. MacArthur Jr.

These study guides, part of a set from noted Bible scholar John MacArthur, take readers on a journey through biblical texts to discover what lies beneath the surface, focusing on meaning and context, and then reflecting on the explored passage or concept. With probing questions that guide the reader toward application, as well as ample space for journaling, The MacArthur Bible Studies are invaluable tools for Bible students of all ages. This work on Matthew 1-7 is part of a New Testament commentary series which has as its objective explaining and applying Scripture, focusing on the major doctrines and how they relate to the whole of the Bible.This New Testament commentary series reflects the objective of explaining and applying Scripture, focusing on the major doctrines and how they relate to the whole of Scripture. This volume is a study of the first seven chapters of the book of Matthew.

Genres: Reference, Theology, Christian, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction, New Testament

Hardcover

First published August 8, 1985

About the author

John F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.

Reviews

[Blue Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent commentary. Easy to follow along and compelling insights from the 20th Century Puritan, John MacArthur.

I'm using these commentaries to facilitate my family devotions each evening, assigning the text that corresponds to each chapter to my family for their daily readings. Keeps me grounded in my study while allowing me to pass along rich truth to my family. The quanitity of the text also helps keep my family on track with their daily time in the word as each chapter will typically only cover 2-4 verses (sometimes just one).

At this tempo, I should be done teaching my family the New Testament by the time my youngest son graduates High School :)

Some Quotes:

- "A person who is not concerned about having his present sins cleansed has good reason to doubt that his past sin has been forgiven."

- "We can pay nothing for salvation, yet coming to Jesus Christ costs everything we have."

- "The great difference is that in Christ we not only have a Savior but a burden bearer. He helps us carry all our burdens, including the burden of obedience."

- "Every sin results from preoccupation with self."

- "In His Word God gives enough truth for us to be responsible, but enough mystery for us to be dependent. He gives us His Word not only to direct our lives but to draw our lives to Him."

- "Whether men are wealthy or poor - or somewhere in between - their attitude toward material possessions is one of the most reliable marks of their spiritual condition."

- "He wants to commune with us, more than we could ever want to commune with Him - because His love for us is so much greater than our love for Him. Prayer is our giving God the opportunity to manifest His power, majesty, love, and providence."

- "Prayer was the spiritual air that Jesus breathed every moment of His life."

- "To be blessed is not a superficial feeling of well-being based on circumstances, but a deep supernatural experience of contentedness based on the fact that one's life is right with God. Blessedness is based on objective reality, realized in the miracle of transformation to a new and divine nature."

- "Jesus came to announce that the tree of happiness cannot grow in a cursed earth."

- "The genealogy of Jesus Christ is immeasurably more than a list of ancient names ... it is a beautiful testimony to God's grace and to the ministry of His Son, Jesus Christ, the friend of sinners, who 'did not come to call the righteous, but sinners' (Matt. 9:13)."
"Until a soul is humbled, until the inner person is poor in spirit, Christ can never become dear, because He is obscured by self."

- “In Christ we partake of the very bliss of God Himself.”

- "The mark of the mature life is not sinlessness ... but growing awareness of sinfulness."

- "To be hungry is not enough; I must be really starving to know what is in God's heart toward me. When the prodigal son was hungry, he went to feed on the husks, but when he was starving, he turned to his father."

- "When self is first, peace is last..."

- "When we become Christ's salt and Christ's light, our salt will sting the world's open wounds of sin and our light will irritate its eyes that are used to darkness."

- "Christians are to be both subtle salt and conspicuous light."

- “The law only pointed to righteousness, but Christ gives us righteousness."

- "Love's question is never who to love - because we are to love everyone - but only how to love most helpfully."

- "Prayer is not trying to get God to agree with us or to provide for our selfish desires. Prayer is affirming God's sovereignty, righteousness, and majesty and seeking to conform our desires and our purposes to His will and glory."

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good. Not very technical, but focuses on the main point of the text, explains it well and helps the reader understand its import in their own lives. Though I at times feel he assumes too much based on too little when it comes to Jewish culture, this does not significantly detract from the volume.

[Julie Ruch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bible Commentary A must read

Wow, this book is life-changing. The chapters on the beatitudes are must reads for anyone wanting to understand Jesus' teachings. Easy to read and stunningly eye-opening.

[Matthew Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book

[Daniel Lameka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent source for study of Matthew.

[Bryant Rudisill · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I love about MacArthur is he knows that to appropriately analyze something like Scripture, each verse has to be placed in its proper context. Not only just within the Bible itself, but the era and geography must be taken into account.

I believe MacArthur has done a fine job in expounding these first seven chapters of the gospel according to Matthew. Giving detail into Jewish customs of Jesus' day and Matthew's intent and purpose in writing about the life of Christ - pointing to His Kingship. From Matthew's genealogy of Christ to the Sermon on the Mount, we are brought in to the big picture as MacArthur seeks to explain the people of Jesus' day, their expectations and curiosity, along with Christ's interaction with the different sects of Judaism.

The only fault I find in this is his doctrinal contradiction. And I believe this spawns more from a desire to stick to biblical truth rather than ignorance. Either way, MacArthur, who has no trouble of speaking about his holding to the Doctrines of Grace (or five points of Calvinism), here has contradicted himself a bit with explanations of the three unique wills of God (sovereign will, desired will, and moral will) and with focusing much on man's need to choose God - that He has given us this choice.

All in all, a fine book. Now I move on to volume two.

[Dylan Kochan · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacArthur's Matthew Commentary is a great resource for a serious Bible Study. However, readers should be aware of doctrinal presuppositions that "bend" his Biblical interpretation toward a particular direction. Pre-millennial dispensationalism, 5-point Calvinism, and reformed epistemology underlie the work, sometimes subtly and other times obviously. Though one might quibble or disagree (such as I have) with these theological positions, still there is knowledge to be gleaned barring these themes. Supplementing his work with other non-reformed, non-Calvinist, etc. commentaries can keep the balance in study.

[Jim Salerno]

Very well done and insightful. This commentary pointed out areas I have not considered in past study.