Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G111 The Keeping of the Commandments,
The Rich Man and the Heavenly Kingdom
Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31; Luke 18:18–30

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All New Testament verses quoted in this article are from the English Majority Text Version, and Old Testament verses are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 19:16-30

16 And behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, ” ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’

19 ‘ Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these have I kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you desire to be perfect, go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard the word, he went away grieved, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly I say to you, that with difficulty a rich man shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of *God.”

25 And when His disciples heard, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then is able to be saved?”

26 And looking on them, Jesus said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. What then shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the Regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life.

30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Mark 10:17-31

17 Now as He was going out into the road, one came running up, and having knelt before Him, he asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God.

19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not commit murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.”

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

22 But having become gloomy at this saying, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 And looking around, Jesus says to His disciples, “How difficult it is for those having riches to enter the kingdom of *God!”

24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus, answering again, says to them, “Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of *God!

25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of *God.”

26 And they were exceedingly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then is able to be saved?”

27 But looking at them Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with *God.”

28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all things and have followed You.”

29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields, for My sake and for the sake of the gospel,

30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions–and in the age to come, eternal life.

31 But many who are first shall be last, and the last first.”

Luke 18:18-30

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, that is, God.

20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “Still one thing you lack: sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

23 But when he heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sad, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of *God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of *God.”

26 And those who heard it said, “Who then is able to be saved?”

27 But He said, “These things which are impossible with men are possible with *God.”

28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

29 So He said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of *God,

30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

In this lesson we will learn together about a very important truth. It is that a person is saved by the grace of the God, through faith in the atoning death of Christ, but to enter the Heavenly Kingdom and enjoy eternal life, a person must obey the commandments of the God.

Many people confuse being saved with being granted eternal life.

Being saved means being forgiven of all violations of the Ten Commandments of the God so that one may live a new life, no longer violating His Ten Commandments.

Being granted eternal life means that the God allows one to live in the Heavenly Kingdom because they have lived a new life, obeying His Ten Commandments, the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus, and the Commandment of Holiness of the Holy Spirit (Exodus 20:1–17; John 13:34; Acts 15:29).

Many religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord and claiming to be His Church teach that salvation and eternal life are both unconditional gifts of the God. That is heretical teaching, because both salvation and eternal life are conditional gifts of the God.

The condition for salvation is to receive the grace of the God and have faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ, expressed through repentance. Repentance is feeling regret for having violated the Ten Commandments of the God and no longer wanting to violate them. Without repentance and without faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no salvation.

Eternal life is the everlasting existence of happiness with God in the Heavenly Kingdom. The condition for having eternal life is to obey the commandments of God, because those who do not obey the commandments of God are those who oppose God. Those who oppose God will face the final judgment of eternal death. Eternal death is existence separated from God, suffering forever in the lake of fire.

Matthew 19:16-17

16 And behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Mark 10:17-18

17 Now as He was going out into the road, one came running up, and having knelt before Him, he asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God.

Luke 18:18-19

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, that is, God.

This story happened when the Lord Jesus and His disciples traveled from Galilee back to Judea in the spring of the year 27 [1]. The purpose of the trip was for the Lord Jesus to attend the Passover Festival in Jerusalem and to fulfill the atoning death for humanity. We see that the different details in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not contradict each other, but when combined, they help us grasp a fairly complete understanding of what happened.

When the Lord and His disciples began their journey toward the city of Jericho, a man ran up and knelt before Him. Luke records that he was a ruler, probably one of the rulers of the synagogue of the Jewish religion.

According to Matthew, the purpose of that man in seeking out the Lord Jesus was to ask Him what good deed he must do to have eternal life. Mark and Luke record it as “what shall I do” and to ″inherit eternal life.” Although the wording is different, the meaning is the same as Matthew’s account.

The man called the Lord Jesus ″Good Teacher.″ The word ″teacher″ was used by the people of Israel to refer to those who taught about God and the Scriptures. The term ″good″ can also be translated as ″kind″ or ″virtuous,″ expressing the good, honest nature of a person or the goodness of a matter or thing.

The Lord Jesus responded with a question, accompanied by a statement: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God.″ In fact, the word ″good″ was used by the Lord Jesus Himself to describe ″the good″ ones as opposed to ″the evil″ ones (Matthew 5:45); and to describe a ″good tree″ as opposed to a ″rotten tree″ (Matthew 7:17–18). Therefore, there is nothing wrong with calling a person ″good″ if that person has faith in the Lord and lives according to God’s Word.

However, in the ruler’s way of speaking, the implication was that the Lord Jesus is ″the Good One,″ a title that can only be reserved for God. That is why the Lord Jesus said, ″No one is good except One, that is, God.″

The Old Testament Scriptures refer to God as good—that is, as ″the Good One:″

“Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.” (Psalms 25:8).

“Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.” (Psalms 135:3).

“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalms 145:9).

The Lord Jesus did not refuse to be called ″the Good One.″ But He wanted the man to understand clearly that this noble title is reserved only for God. Unless the man knew that He was God, he should not call Him ″the Good One.″

The Roman Catholic Church has a very blasphemous title for their pope. That is the title ″the Holy Father,″ a title that can only be used for the God.

Many religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord use the title ″the Reverend″ to address some of their clergy. That is also blasphemous, because only the name of God is ″revered,″ as the author of the Psalms used to speak of the reverence of God’s name:

“He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” (Psalms 111:9).

God’s people need to be careful to avoid using blasphemous titles and to avoid addressing others with blasphemous titles.

According to Mark’s account, when the Lord Jesus began the journey continuing toward Jerusalem, a man ran up and knelt before Him. This implies that the Lord Jesus had left His temporary lodging, perhaps a small village along the way, to continue His journey. We can understand that there were still many groups of people following Him.

The man who ran to Him may not have been a local but came from elsewhere. It is very likely that he heard that the Lord Jesus was present in that area, so he hurried to find Him. When he arrived, the Lord was beginning to set out, so he had to run after Him. As someone holding a ruling office in Judaism, he probably had an understanding of God’s Word and a heart seeking the Lord. Perhaps hearing about the teaching of the Lord Jesus and the miracles He performed, he believed that He was a prophet of God, so he came to ask Him the question that had been on his mind.

The act of kneeling before the Lord and calling Him ″Good Teacher″ showed his humble submission and a heart ready to hear the Lord’s teaching.

Matthew 19:18-20

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, ” ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’

19 ‘ Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these have I kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Mark 10:19-20

19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not commit murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.”

Luke 18:20-21

20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

Mark and Luke omitted the detail where the Lord Jesus told the man to keep the commandments, and the man asked which ones.

The Lord Jesus listed five commandments concerning relationships between people. We see that the Lord Jesus did not mention the first four commandments. The first three commandments concern humanity’s duties toward God. The fourth commandment, about sanctifying the Sabbath day of rest, relates to humanity’s duties toward God, oneself, others, and livestock. Perhaps the Lord Jesus wanted to first address the practical duties among people.

We see that the Lord Jesus did not mention the tenth commandment about not coveting what belongs to one’s neighbor, but He spoke of loving one’s neighbor as oneself, which encompasses all the commandments concerning humanity’s duties toward one another.

The answer, “All these have I kept from my youth,″ implies that from childhood, the man had been taught the Ten Commandments of the God and had kept them in form. In other words, he had obeyed the commandments since he had understanding.

Obedience in form means obeying only the surface or literal words of the commandments, not obeying the spirit of the commandment. For example, a person may not commit murder, theft, or adultery outwardly, but inwardly they may have thoughts of wanting to kill someone they hate, wanting to take someone else’s belongings or money, or thinking about committing adultery with someone.

Although he claimed to have kept the commandments since childhood, he still asked the Lord Jesus what he was lacking to obtain eternal life. This implies that he was inwardly aware that something was spiritually wrong in his life.

Matthew 19:21-22

21 Jesus said to him, “If you desire to be perfect, go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard the word, he went away grieved, for he had many possessions.

Mark 10:21-22

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

22 But having become gloomy at this saying, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Luke 18:22-23

22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “Still one thing you lack: sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

23 But when he heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Matthew calls him a young man, which is how the people of Israel referred to someone under 40 years old. Mark notes that the Lord Jesus looked at him and loved him when He heard his answer. However, keeping the Ten Commandments of the God in form does not make a person complete until they also have mercy like the God. Mercy must be expressed through acts of helping others. Therefore, the Lord Jesus advised him to sell all his possessions and distribute them to the poor. After that, he was to come to the Lord, take up the cross, and follow Him.

What the man lacked was mercy toward the poor. The lack of mercy makes a person who keeps all the commandments still incomplete. Mercy is not only sympathy and helping the poor but also forgiving those who offend or harm you. The Lord’s teaching to God’s people is as follows:

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ forgave us.” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Forbearing one another and forgiving yourselves, if anyone should have a complaint against any; just as Christ forgave you, so you also do.” (Colossians 3:13).

The Lord Jesus once advised God’s people to be perfect as the God is perfect:

“You therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48).

That advice refers to the fact that God’s people must live a holy life by not violating the commandments and by having mercy, just as the God is merciful (Exodus 22:27).

The call to ″take up the cross″ is a call to suffer and even die for the sake of the Lord’s name.

After hearing the Lord Jesus’ advice and call, the man was deeply saddened because he was very wealthy. He went away grieving. It is unknown whether he said goodbye to the Lord Jesus.

He loved money and worldly wealth more than he loved the God and the poor. He loved money and possessions that will pass away more than the eternal life he desired.

Today, there are people who believe in the salvation of the God through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ but refuse to give up some favorite thing that displeases the God. Or they obey the commandments but lack mercy, not truly loving others as themselves.

There is one thing that displeases the God that most of God’s people stumble over: pride. It often shows itself through the desire to seek human praise and improper self-esteem. God’s people need to recognize this and rely on the God’s grace to abandon it.

Matthew 19:23-24

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly I say to you, that with difficulty a rich man shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of *God.”

Mark 10:23-25

23 And looking around, Jesus says to His disciples, “How difficult it is for those having riches to enter the kingdom of *God!”

24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus, answering again, says to them, “Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of *God!

25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of *God.”

Luke 18:24-25

24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sad, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of *God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of *God.”

The Lord Jesus saw the man’s sadness, looked around, and perhaps said the following: “How difficult it is for those having riches to enter the kingdom of *God!”

Then He said to His disciples, “Assuredly I say to you, that with difficulty a rich man shall enter the kingdom of heaven.″

Seeing the disciples’ surprise, He continued, “Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of *God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of *God.”

The term ″children″ in the third statement is a word commonly used to address young people. Although the disciples were about the same age as the Lord Jesus, and some were even older than Him by a few years, He used the term ″children″ to express that He is their God and that they have been given the status of children of God by Him (John 1:12).

The phrase ″a camel to pass through the eye of a needle″ should be translated as ″a rope pass through the eye of a needle.″ It is possible that in the Greek manuscripts, the word “kamelos,” meaning “camel,” was mistakenly written instead of “kamilos,” meaning “rope.” Additionally, in Aramaic, the word “gamla” can mean both “camel” and “a type of rope made from camel’s hair.”

It is very likely that the Lord Jesus spoke in Aramaic and used the word ″gamla.″ This word means both ″camel″ and ″a rope braided from camel’s hair.″ But because the Lord Jesus spoke of the eye of a needle, we can understand that He used the word in the sense of ″a rope,″ referring to a type of rope made by twisting many small strands together. Such a rope could be used for sewing tents.

Although the Scriptures do not explicitly say so, we can understand that when the Lord Jesus was talking or teaching the people and His disciples, He spoke in Aramaic, because that was the main language of the people of Israel at that time. Only when speaking to foreigners, such as the Canaanite woman, a Roman officer, and Governor Pilate, did He use Greek.

When the authors recorded and translated the Lord Jesus’ words into Greek, they very likely translated it correctly as “kamilos,” meaning rope. But in later copies, it was mistakenly written as “kamelos,” meaning camel. The two words differ by only one letter, so confusion easily arose.

Threading a rope through the eye of a needle is possible, though difficult. Similarly, it is hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of the God, but not impossible.

A camel cannot possibly go through the eye of a needle. That is something impossible. If used to compare to a rich person entering the Kingdom of the God, it would be like saying the rich cannot enter the Kingdom at all.

Some biblical scholars suggest that the ″eye of the needle″ refers to a small gate near the city gate. In the evening, after the main gate was closed, the ″eye of the needle″ gate would be opened for late-arriving travelers. Travelers with camels, such as caravan merchants, would have to squeeze their camels through this small gate with great difficulty. However, there is no historical or literary evidence supporting the existence of such a ″needle’s eye″ gate.

Matthew 19:25-26

25 And when His disciples heard, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then is able to be saved?”

26 And looking on them, Jesus said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Mark 10:26-27

26 And they were exceedingly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then is able to be saved?”

27 But looking at them Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with *God.”

Luke 18:26-27

26 And those who heard it said, “Who then is able to be saved?”

27 But He said, “These things which are impossible with men are possible with *God.”

When the Lord Jesus said the two statements: “How difficult it is for those having riches to enter the kingdom of *God!” And “Assuredly I say to you, that with difficulty a rich man shall enter the kingdom of heaven,″ His disciples were amazed. But when He compared a rich person entering the Kingdom of the God to a rope going through the eye of a needle, they were even more astonished. That is why they said, “Who then is able to be saved?”

Mark probably recorded the Lord Jesus’ words most closely, including the detail that the Lord Jesus looked at His disciples and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with *God.”

Perhaps Matthew and Luke recorded the meaning of the Lord’s words in a summarized way.

Human beings were created with many limitations. After humanity sinned, these limitations increased. The limits set by the God for humanity are meant to restrict their sinning. There are many things humans cannot do, but the God can, because He is the Almighty God who can do anything He desires. There are also many things humans cannot do, but if granted grace and empowered by the God, humans can accomplish them.

One day, in the Heavenly Kingdom, humans will be able to do many things beyond all the physical limitations that exist today.

Although it is very difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of the God because of their love for money and material possessions, with the grace and empowerment of the God, they can still enter the Kingdom.

It is not wealth itself that makes it difficult for a person to enter the Kingdom of the God, but greed and lack of mercy that make it difficult.

Matthew 19:27-29

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. What then shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the Regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life.

Mark 10:28-30

28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all things and have followed You.”

29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields, for My sake and for the sake of the gospel,

30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions–and in the age to come, eternal life.

Luke 18:28-30

28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

29 So He said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of *God,

30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

The Apostle Peter acted as the spokesperson for the disciples. He often spoke before everyone and spoke on behalf of all. When he heard the Lord’s teaching about giving up everything and taking up the cross to follow Him, Peter asked the Lord what would happen to him and the others since they had left everything to follow Him.

The Lord Jesus affirmed that His twelve apostles would sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Later, in the vision of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven to the new earth, the Apostle John saw the names of the twelve apostles written on the twelve foundations of the city (Revelation 21:14).

″In the Regeneration″ means in the ″Renewal Era,″ which begins with the Millennium Kingdom period and extends into the Eternal Kingdom period. Matthew 19:28 implies that the twelve apostles of the Lord will rule the kingdom of Israel with Him during the Millennium Kingdom.

Leaving behind family to follow the Lord does not mean no longer recognizing them as family, but rather bidding them farewell in order to fully follow the Lord and serve as His apostles. This is similar to a person saying goodbye to their family and going off to the battlefield as a soldier to protect the country from invading enemies.

The phrase ″receive a hundredfold″ does not literally mean receiving exactly one hundred times more but simply means receiving many times more.

Even in this life, the Lord’s apostles have received many times more; wherever they went, many people welcomed them into their homes as if they were their own. They were treated by many as brothers and sisters, mothers, and children.

The wealth, glory, and authority in the life to come for those who have given up everything to follow the Lord are certain. However, even in this life, they also receive persecution along the path of following and serving Him. In fact, most of them died for His name’s sake.

Matthew 19:30

30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Mark 10:31

31 But many who are first shall be last, and the last first.”

″Many who are first″ refers to those who follow the Lord before others, serve the Lord before others, and have many opportunities to achieve significant accomplishments in pastoral and spiritual ministries.

″Will be last″ means becoming those who receive little or no reward on the day Christ returns. This is because their works do not come from a heart that loves the Lord and loves others. Their works are done merely for the sake of doing or to seek human praise.

″The last″ refers to those who come to believe in the Lord late in their lives or during the final days of the Church era. They do not have many opportunities to serve the Lord or to accomplish great achievements.

To become ″first″ means becoming those who stand at the forefront because they receive many rewards on the day Christ returns. Although their works may be few, they come from a heart that loves the Lord and loves others. They do their work for the glory of the God and do not seek glory for themselves.

May each of us belong to the first group on the day Christ returns.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
06/21/2025

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/the-day-of-the-lords-death-and-the-day-of-the-lords-resurrection/

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.