Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G081 The Lord Jesus Heals
the Boy Possessed by a Demon,
Again Foretells His Resurrection and Death,
and Pays the Temple Tax
Matthew 17:14-27; Mark 9:14-32; Luke 9:37-45

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 17:14-27

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to Thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to Me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

23 And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

26 Peter saith unto Him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee.

Mark 9:14-32

14 And when He came to his disciples, He saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him.

16 And He asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto Me.

20 And they brought him unto Him: and when he saw Him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And He asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28 And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and He would not that any man should know it.

31 For He taught His disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Luke 9:37-45

37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met Him.

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech Thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

40 And I besought Thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, He said unto his disciples,

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask Him of that saying.

In this lesson, we will study together about how the Lord Jesus healed a boy possessed by a mute and deaf spirit, which caused him to have seizures; how, once again, the Lord Jesus foretold His death and resurrection; and how the Lord Jesus paid the Temple tax.

Mark 9:14-16

14 And when He came to his disciples, He saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him.

16 And He asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

Luke 9:37

37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met Him.

The next day, after the Transfiguration, the Lord Jesus, along with Peter, John, and James, came down from the mountain and rejoined the other disciples at the foot of the mountain. At that time, a large crowd had already gathered around the disciples. There were scribes arguing with the disciples, likely debating the Lord Jesus’ teachings, which did not align with their understanding of the Old Testament laws. These scribes were those who copied and interpreted the Scriptures, but their understanding was based on human reasoning, similar to how those who do not belong to the Lord interpret the Scriptures today. They lacked the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, relying solely on the teachings of their religious institutions that bore the name of the Lord, in this case, Judaism. As a result, they could not comprehend the teachings of the Lord Jesus.

When the crowd saw Jesus, they were amazed and ran to greet Him. They were probably astonished because they did not expect Him to come down from the mountain, but perhaps from a nearby village. The Lord Jesus then asked the scribes what they were debating with His disciples. Before they could answer, a man from the crowd approached Jesus and pleaded with Him to save his son.

Matthew 17:14-16

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to Thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Mark 9:17-18

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

Luke 9:38-40

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech Thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

40 And I besought Thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

Combining the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we can understand that the event unfolded as follows:

When the Lord Jesus had just asked the scribes a question, a man from the crowd approached Him, knelt down, and cried out to Him. His plea might have been something like:

“Master, I beseech Thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and he suddenly crieth out. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away. I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.”

Matthew, being a direct witness, chose to record the father’s plea briefly. Mark and Luke recorded it based on the recollections of those who recounted the story to them.

The noun “σεληνιάζομαι” (selēniazomai) /sel-ay-nee-ad’-zom-ahee/ (G4583), translated as “epilepsy,” in its original Greek means “affected by the moon.” In ancient times, the Greeks, Romans, and various Middle Eastern peoples believed that epilepsy occurred when the moon shifted from one phase to another, with the condition being most severe during the full moon. The phases of the moon are: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous (more than half of the moon is illuminated), full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.

According to medical science, epilepsy, also known as seizures, is a disorder of the central nervous system primarily caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, resulting in seizures or abnormal behaviors, unusual sensations, and sometimes loss of consciousness. This is a chronic medical condition that can occur at any age.

Also, according to medical science, the causes of epilepsy are very diverse and not always clear. Some common causes include:

• Brain damage from accidents or trauma.

• Infections of the brain, such as encephalitis or meningitis.

• Stroke or cerebrovascular issues.

• Genetic factors or gene mutations.

• Tumors in the brain.

• Oxygen deprivation during childbirth or neurodevelopmental issues.

However, the Bible tells us that epilepsy can occur due to demonic possession. In addition to the Scripture passages we are studying in this lesson, Matthew 4:24 mentions how the Lord Jesus healed those afflicted by epilepsy. Of course, science does not recognize epilepsy as a result of demonic possession, as science cannot experiment with spiritual matters.

We can understand that epilepsy or seizures can occur due to physical causes but can also arise from demonic possession. Similarly, there are hundreds of conditions that modern medicine refers to as “mental illnesses” that can be results of demonic possessions.

Matthew 17:17

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to Me.

Mark 9:19-21

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto Me.

20 And they brought him unto Him: and when he saw Him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And He asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

Luke 9:41-42a

41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

42a And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him.

The Lord Jesus’ statement about the “unbelieving and perverse generation” refers generally to the people of Israel at that time, and it also includes His disciples, as He affirmed in Matthew 17:20.

Today, there are many who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus but do not fully believe in His Word. Some examples include:

• Many casually believe in human doctrines while rejecting God’s Sabbath day.

• Many do not believe the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:33, so they neglect to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, instead wholeheartedly pursuing wealth.

• Many do not believe the Word of God in Malachi 4:1, so they remain very arrogant.

• Many do not believe in the judgment of the Lord Jesus as recorded in Matthew 25:31-46, so they do not love or help their brothers and sisters of faith.

• Many do not believe the teachings of the Holy Spirit in Romans 14:7-8, 1 Corinthians 10:31, and Colossians 3:23, so they continue to live for themselves.

In fact, many do not believe that Christ can come at any moment to take the Church out of the world, so they continue to live in sin without repentance. They do many things in the name of the Lord, but the Lord does not know them, as they do not live according to His Word (Matthew 7:21-23).

The verb “διαστρέφω” (diastrephō) /dee-as-tref’-o/ (G1294) is translated as “perverse.” In its original Greek, it means to distort or twist the truth; to turn away from the truth; to cause to be corrupt, to mislead, or to lose quality.

The statement “How long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?” implies: until when will you believe and live according to the truth? From the time the Lord Jesus spoke those words until His death was a short period of about six months. Therefore, His words also imply that He was saddened because He knew that He would have no more time to teach them.

The Lord Jesus commanded the father to bring his son to Him. When the boy saw the Lord, the evil spirit caused him to convulse, fall to the ground, and roll around, foaming at the mouth. The Lord asked the father how long this condition had been affecting the boy. He replied that it had been since the boy was very young.

The boy may have been a child or a teenager, and he had been possessed by a demon since childhood. This event, along with the account recorded in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30, affirms that children can also be possessed by demons.

We do not know specifically how demons possess children. It is possible that one of the child’s parents was possessed. The demon could have entered the child from the father or mother. Those who are possessed by demons are often people who practice idolatry, superstitions, use charms, or have sexual relations with someone who is possessed.

However, demons can also possess children if they are offered to idols by their parents, are given charms to wear, or drink the ashes of amulets. Demons can enter children when they participate in activities related to the occult, such as séances, spiritism, or Halloween celebrations. They can also possess children when they are sexually abused by those who are possessed.

Today, the fascination with certain internet platforms, movies, books, and video games that are polluted and related to the occult, sexuality, and violence can also lead to demonic possession in children when their minds embrace and contain these impurities and sins. Parents must be very careful with their children regarding their use of phones and computers online. The people of God should not allow their children to participate in social activities or cultural and sports events at school. Avoiding participation is the best course of action, as these environments are filled with negative influences and examples of worldly lifestyles.

Mark 9:22-24

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.

The father continued to explain that often the demon would throw the child into the fire or into the water to kill him. We understand that when the boy approached the fire or water, the demon would cause him to convulse and fall into the fire or water. If no one was there to see and rescue him, the child would die.

Surely, the father had heard rumors about the healing and exorcisms performed by the Lord Jesus. When he heard that the Lord was in the area, he brought his son to Him, hoping that he would be healed. However, he did not meet the Lord but only encountered His disciples, who were unable to cast out the demon or heal his son. Now, even though he had the chance to meet the Lord and cried out to Him earnestly, perhaps his hope had diminished. That is why he said, “But if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.” He should have said, “Lord, have mercy on us and help us!” Compared to the Canaanite woman, he did not have the same strong faith as she did.

The Lord Jesus knew the man’s lack of faith, so He said to him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” This statement from the Lord is not only directed at him but is a universal message for everyone of all ages. If we ask rightly with faith, then everything we request can be granted to us.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16b)

Hebrews chapter 11, which records examples of faith, and the example of faith from the Canaanite woman are the good examples that we should remember and follow.

The father immediately accepted the words of the Lord Jesus. He cried out, saying, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

“I believe” means that now I fully trust You.

“Help Thou mine unbelief” means that previously I had doubt; I ask You to forgive, overlook, and grant me grace.

Matthew 17:18

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Mark 9:25-27

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Luke 9:42b-43a

42b And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

43a And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.

We see that Matthew and Luke recorded it briefly, while Mark provided more detailed accounts. Mark recorded the words of the Lord Jesus rebuking the evil spirit. Through the Lord’s rebuke, we learn that the spirit that possessed the child was a deaf and mute spirit. It is not that the spirit itself is deaf and mute, but rather it causes the person it possesses to become deaf and mute.

The words of the Lord Jesus also help us understand that when we cast out demons in the name of the Lord, we must also command them not to return to the victim.

The evil spirit is inherently fierce, so when it came out of the child, it deliberately threw the child to the ground, hoping to kill him. However, even if it had killed the child, the Lord still had the power to raise him back to life. The Lord Jesus took the child’s hand, lifted him up, and he stood up. The child was completely healed, and the Lord handed him back to his father. This healing included being freed from the power of the evil spirit, healing from bruises on the body, and even internal injuries. The crowd was astonished at this healing, and they understood that it was the will and power of *God manifested through the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 17:19-21

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Mark 9:28-29

28 And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

After that, the Lord Jesus went into someone’s house. It is very likely the house of the father, whose child He had just healed. He may have invited the Lord and His disciples to his home for lunch. The disciples came and privately asked the Lord why they had not been able to cast out that demon. Mark only recorded the latter part of the Lord’s answer, but Matthew recorded it more fully. The first reason was that the disciples lacked faith. The words of the Lord Jesus were very clear: “Because of your unbelief.” The second reason was that they needed to pray and fast.

The Lord Jesus also affirmed that if they had faith, even as small as a mustard seed, which is almost one of the smallest seeds among garden seeds, they could still accomplish great things. We believe that the Lord Jesus spoke literally about moving mountains, although we can also understand it metaphorically as addressing significant challenges in our lives. This means that if a mountain needs to be moved, the Lord’s disciples with faith would cause it to be moved. The question arises: if we are faced with a physical challenge of moving a mountain, do we have enough faith to command the mountain to move in the name of the Lord? The unbelief we may have is that we do not believe the Lord can enable us to do that. It is difficult to understand and believe that we can invoke the Lord’s name to move a mountain. This difficulty in understanding and believing is what the Lord referred to as “because of your unbelief.”

Through this lesson, we should draw a lesson about faith. That is, as long as we believe that our requests are pleasing to the Lord and made in His name, we can be granted the authority to declare things beyond the laws of physics, and He will bring them to pass for us.

Matthew 17:22-23

22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

23 And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Mark 9:30-32

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and He would not that any man should know it.

31 For He taught His disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Luke 9:43b-45

43b But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, He said unto his disciples,

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask Him of that saying.

Comparing the three accounts above, we think that Luke recorded the words of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples about His impending arrest right at the place where the Lord Jesus cast out the demon and healed the boy. In response to the amazement of the large crowd, the Lord Jesus reminded them of the suffering He would bear so that the disciples would understand that such a scene would not last much longer. However, the disciples did not understand what He was saying and were afraid to ask Him. It was not that they did not comprehend the meaning of His words; rather, they did not understand why the Lord would be arrested. They also did not grasp how His arrest was related to the salvation that God was granting to humanity.

We do not know the source of Luke’s statement: “it was hid from them, that they perceived it not.” However, we can believe that it was the Holy Spirit who inspired Luke to know this. It was not *God or the Holy Spirit who concealed the disciples’ understanding. Rather, it was their hard-heartedness, their lack of faith, and their focus on worldly matters over heavenly ones that obscured them from the truth in the Lord’s teachings. Today, this also happens to many of God’s people. Many have never read the entire Bible in their lifetime. Many do not read and reflect on the Word of God each day.

Mark recorded the Lord’s words about how He would be arrested, killed, and would rise again on the third day while the Lord Jesus and His disciples were traveling through the regions of Galilee. This time, the Lord Jesus clearly stated that He would be arrested, killed, and would rise again. Yet the disciples still did not understand. The Lord Jesus also did not want the people to know His plans, perhaps because He wanted more time with His disciples.

It is possible that Matthew recorded the same words of the Lord as Mark did. Mark noted that they “passed through through Galilee,” while Matthew recorded it as “abode in Galilee.” However, Matthew added about the sorrowful state of the disciples when they heard that the Lord would be arrested and killed. The fact that the Lord would rise again on the third day did not comfort them, as they did not understand how such events could happen.

Matthew 17:24-27

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

26 Peter saith unto Him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee.

From the foot of Mount Hermon to the city of Capernaum is a distance of about 70 km. In the Middle East during the time of the Lord Jesus, an average day’s journey was around 10 hours, with about an hour for lunch during the hottest part of the day. The distance covered could vary depending on the weather and terrain, typically ranging from 30 km to 40 km. The Lord Jesus and His disciples would have to travel for about two days from the foot of Mount Hermon back to the city of Capernaum. When they entered the city, the temple tax collectors met Peter and asked, “Doth not your master pay tribute?” In the original Greek, it is: “Does your Teacher not pay the two drachmas?” Peter’s response was, “Yes.”

The two drachmas were two Greek coins of that time, equivalent to half a shekel of silver. The Levites in charge of managing the temple were responsible for collecting the temple tax from all male Israelites aged 20 and older, according to the law in Exodus 30:13-15. However, this law did not mandate the tax to be collected annually. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, this tax was collected only twice. The first instance was carried out by Moses, as recorded in Exodus 38:25-26. The second instance was conducted by King David, as recorded in 2 Samuel 24:1-9 and 1 Chronicles 21:1-6. However, the collection conducted by King David was illegal, as it was done at the king’s discretion and was punished by God.

For about 400 years, during which God was silent with the people of Israel, Judaism emerged and established many laws that were not found in the Scriptures or that contradicted the Scriptures. Among these was the law that every year, Israelite men aged 20 and over must pay half a shekel of silver, known as the Temple tax, for the maintenance of the Temple.

In the time of the Lord Jesus, every village and town of the Israelites had a point for collecting the Temple tax. Those who performed this duty were called “those who collect the two drachmas.” The tax was collected around December according to the Hebrew calendar, approximately from mid-February to mid-March in the Western calendar, before the Passover festival.

When the Lord Jesus heard Peter’s answer, He asked him a question upon entering the house, aiming to affirm that He was the Son of God through Peter’s response.

The statement “Then are the children free” by the Lord Jesus not only applied to Him as “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29) but also to all who are called the sons of God (2 Corinthians 6:18), including Peter. This meant that the Lord Jesus and Peter, as well as His disciples, were not required to pay the Temple tax. However, to avoid causing offense, the Lord Jesus sent Peter to the sea to catch a fish. In the mouth of the first fish he catches, there will be a coin sufficient to pay the tax for both the Lord Jesus and Peter.

The offense that the Lord Jesus wanted to avoid was that He did not want to be accused of not participating in contributing to the expenses of the Temple, along with His disciples. Although the so-called “Temple tax” was not mandated by *God in His law, contributing to the expenses of the Temple was something that ought to be done.

The sea mentioned here refers to the Sea of Galilee, which is only a few hundred meters from Peter’s house. The coin Peter found in the mouth of the fish was a Greek silver coin, valued at four drachmas or one shekel of silver.

A question arises: Why did the Lord perform this miracle only for Peter to obtain the money to pay the tax for Himself and Peter and not for the other disciples? Some suggest that because the Lord Jesus and Peter were residents of Capernaum, they had to pay the Temple tax there, while the other disciples, residing in other towns, would pay the tax at their respective places. However, Andrew, John, and James also resided in Capernaum, yet the Lord did not provide them with money to pay the tax. In our view, it was because Peter was going to pay the tax for the Lord that He also provided for Peter’s tax obligation.

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
09/28/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses 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.