by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. In Matthew 17:1-13 it is narrated that after 6 days from Caesarea Philippi, the Lord Jesus took only his disciples Simon Peter, John and James to a high mountain and there the Transfiguration happened. The Transfiguration as narrated in Matthew has close parallels in Mark 9:2-13 and in Luke 9:28-36….
Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hades – Part 4
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. From last week, we saw in Matthew 16:13-20 that the Lord meant for the coming Kingdom of Heaven to destroy the gates of Hades: 18κἀγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς· And I say…
Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hades – Part 3
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. To continue, in Matthew 16:13 as our Lord came into the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi in Bashan, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, he asked his disciples who is it that people believed him to be. He was using his favorite title: “Son of Man,” (τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) as…
Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hades – Part 2
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. As we saw last week, Caesarea Philippi, Panias/Banias, Bashan and Mt. Hermon individually and together represented demonic forces against the God of Israel. Furthermore, in Second Temple period Jewish thought, 1 Enoch points to the origin of demons connected to these locations: the illicit sexual cohabitation between divine beings (“sons…
Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hades – Part 1
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The passage about our Lord’s visit to Caesarea Philippi in the northernmost extent of ancient, unified Israel’s territory under King Solomon moves us closer to the fourth of the five (5) major discourses contained in the Gospel according to Matthew. It also marks the turning point after which the Lord…
The Parable of the Sower and the 4 Soils
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. We now explore another passage in the Gospel according to Matthew that is also the third of the five (5) major discourses of this Gospel. This 3rd discourse reveals more about the Kingdom of God and discipleship via the technique of using Hebraic parables. A parable (Greek παραβολή, “parabole”) or…
The Servant Messiah – Part 7
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Our study of the Isaiah Servant Songs seems to indicate that 2 different servants are really spoken of. The nation of Israel is one servant. The other servant is identified as the (preserved) faithful remnant of Israel; or the prophet Jeremiah; or Zerubbabel; or the Teacher of Righteousness written about…
The Servant Messiah – Part 6
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The 4th and last Isaiah Servant Song which identifies the chosen servant of the LORD as the messiah (who also suffers), continues this theme from the verses found in Isaiah 49:7b and 50:6. As we have seen last week, this “suffering messiah” or “suffering servant” figure was also found in…
The Servant Messiah – Part 5
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. As mentioned last week, the theme of a suffering servant/messiah was not a strange new thing to the Second Temple Judaism of the Lord’s time. Aside from the 4 Isaiah Servant Songs, there were other extant ancient writings on this, as shown in some manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls…
The Servant Messiah – Part 4
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. As we saw last week, Matthew 12:18-21 and its Isaiah 42 source have parallels and resonates with Isaiah 49:1-9, the 2nd Isaiah Servant Song. The Isaiah messianic prophecies, the themes of redemption and salvation for both Israel and for the Gentiles/nations, and in particular, the “servant” nature of the Messiah…