Reasoning Through the Bible

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Upon this rock I will build My church”?

Matthew 16:18–27 contains several of the most debated statements in the Gospel. Jesus speaks about the rock, the church, the gates of Hades, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and binding and loosing. Glenn and Steve work carefully through the context, the Greek wordplay between Peter and rock, the role Peter later plays in Acts, and the broader biblical picture of Christ as the foundation and cornerstone.

The passage also marks a major shift in Matthew. After Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ, Jesus begins explicitly preparing His disciples for His suffering, death, and resurrection.

Then He turns the lesson toward discipleship: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.

What does that mean? And how do rewards for works fit with salvation by grace through faith?

Matthew 16:18–27 | The Book of Matthew — Session 33

Questions discussed in this session include:

•  What is the church? 
• Who owns the church?
• Upon what will Jesus build the church?
• Can human free will and divine decrees be compatible? 

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Who is Jesus?

Matthew 16 brings us to one of the most important questions in the Gospel. The Pharisees and Sadducees demand another sign even though they have already seen abundant evidence of Jesus’ authority. Jesus points them instead to the sign of Jonah—His coming death and resurrection.

Glenn and Steve then examine Jesus’ warning about the “leaven” of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Their false teaching came from opposite directions: one side added burdensome rules to Scripture while the other rejected important biblical truths. Jesus warns His disciples not to accept either error simply because it comes from respected religious leaders.

The passage then reaches a major turning point when Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

That same question still confronts every person today.

Matthew 16:1–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 32

Questions discussed in this session include:

• What was the false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees? 
• What do modern people say about Jesus' identity?
• What happens when the religious leaders try to box in Jesus by demanding evidence?
• Who do you say that Jesus is? 

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Why does Jesus initially seem to turn away a desperate Gentile woman asking Him to heal her daughter?

In Matthew 15, Jesus travels toward the region of Tyre and Sidon, where a Canaanite woman repeatedly asks Him for mercy. She calls Him Lord and Son of David, bows before Him, and continues asking even when Jesus initially does not answer. Her remarkable response about receiving even the crumbs from the Master’s table leads Jesus to commend her great faith and heal her daughter immediately.

Glenn and Steve discuss what this encounter reveals about Israel, the Gentiles, humility, persistence in prayer, submitting to Jesus as Lord, and continuing to trust Him even when His answer appears to be no.

The chapter then closes with Jesus healing multitudes and feeding the 4,000, reminding us once again that Christ sees our needs, has compassion, and can multiply resources that seem completely inadequate.

Matthew 15:21–39 | The Book of Matthew — Session 31

Questions discussed in this session include:

• How should we view ourselves in relation to Jesus?
• What should we do when God tells us no? 
• What happens when we demand our rights before God? 

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What matters more to God—clean hands or a clean heart?

In Matthew 15, Pharisees and scribes travel from Jerusalem to confront Jesus because His disciples do not follow the ceremonial handwashing traditions of the elders. But Jesus exposes a far greater problem: their traditions have become so important that they are actually undermining the Word of God.

Glenn and Steve examine Jesus’ warning about religious traditions, the command to care for aging parents, hypocrisy that honors God with the lips while the heart remains far away, and why outward religious activity can never substitute for genuine love for God.

Jesus then explains that what truly defiles a person does not come from food or unwashed hands. It comes from the heart.

The study closes with a warning about spiritually blind leaders and an important question for every believer: are we following Scripture, or simply following religious habits we have never examined?

Matthew 15:1–20 | The Book of Matthew — Session 30

  Questions discussed in this session include:

• How important is taking care of our parents and family members?
• What does Jesus say about the condition of the human heart?
• What does the Bible teach about foods? 
• Is it possible to be spiritually blind and not know it? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What can Jesus do with five loaves and two fish? And why would He deliberately send His disciples into a storm?

Matthew 14:13–36 contains two remarkable demonstrations of Jesus’ authority. First, He feeds thousands from a small amount of food, showing that resources that seem insignificant in our hands can become more than sufficient when placed in His.

Then Jesus sends the disciples across the Sea of Galilee. They obey Him—and sail directly into a storm.

Glenn and Steve discuss why being in God’s will does not mean every circumstance will be easy, why Jesus sometimes allows His followers to struggle before He intervenes, and what Peter teaches us when he steps out of the boat and actually walks on water.

The study also explores why Peter begins to sink, what happens when we shift our attention from Christ to the storm around us, and why his simple prayer—“Lord, save me!”—remains one of the most powerful prayers a believer can pray.

Matthew 14:13–36 | The Book of Matthew — Session 29

Questions discussed in this session include:

 ·         Can Jesus use our meager resources?

·         When Jesus gives us things, is it sufficient? 

·         What are we capable of doing when we keep our eyes on Jesus?

·         What should we do if we have a mixture of faith and fear?

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John the Baptist faithfully prepared the way for Jesus, but Matthew 14 records an ending we might not expect for someone Jesus called a great prophet.

Herod imprisoned John because John openly confronted his relationship with Herodias. Later, a reckless promise made at Herod’s birthday celebration resulted in John being beheaded.

Glenn and Steve examine the contrast between John and Herod. Herod had wealth, political authority, luxury, and the ability to silence his critic, yet his conscience would not leave him alone. John had lost his freedom and eventually his life, but he knew he had faithfully completed the work God had given him.

The discussion also explores why suffering does not necessarily mean someone is outside God’s will, why killing the messenger does not silence God’s message, how Christians should speak truth with both clarity and compassion, the danger of rash promises, and what Herod teaches us about weak leadership.

Matthew 14:1–12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 28

 Questions discussed in this session include:

·         Can bad things happen even if we are in God’s will?

·         Should Christians speak about the moral actions of political leaders? 

·         What should we do if we need to give a difficult message to a powerful person in authority?

·         Does morality change over time? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What was Jesus revealing through the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great value?

Matthew 13 continues the kingdom parables as Jesus challenges His listeners to rethink their expectations about the messianic kingdom. Glenn and Steve examine why the mustard seed grows into a large plant where birds can nest, why leaven represents something that quietly spreads, and why the treasure and pearl are worth everything required to obtain them.

They also discuss why these parables should not be interpreted as though people purchase their own salvation. Salvation is a free gift; Christ is the One who paid the price.

The chapter then closes with Jesus returning to Nazareth. The people recognize His wisdom and miraculous power but still cannot get past the fact that He is the man they watched grow up.

The discussion ends by asking what Matthew means when it says Jesus did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief—and why that does not mean faith mechanically produces miracles.

Matthew 13:31–58 | The Book of Matthew — Session 27

 Questions discussed in this session include:

• Is it true that there will be resident evil in the church? 
• Does the kingdom have non-believers in it or only saved people? 
• Do non-Christians benefit from Christianity? 
• How much did Jesus give? 

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Why does God allow good and evil to continue side by side?

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds and later the parable of the dragnet. Both teach that the world contains those who belong to Christ and those who do not, and that the final separation does not happen immediately.

Glenn and Steve work through Jesus’ own explanation of the wheat and weeds, discuss the reality of false believers and false teachers, and consider why Christians must be careful about trying to determine another person’s salvation.

The study then moves to the dragnet, where fish of every kind are gathered before the good are separated from the bad. That leads into a larger discussion about the end of the age, the present church age, the future millennial kingdom, the return of Christ, and why the final judgment should make the Gospel urgent today.

The central takeaway is simple: the harvest is coming, the net will eventually be full, and today is the day to respond to Christ.

Matthew 13:24–52 | The Book of Matthew — Session 26

  Questions discussed in this session include: 

• Why are there a mixture of Christians and non-Christians in our churches? 
• What does the Bible say about the end of the age and end times prophecy?
• Is there a final judgement day? When will it be? 
• Is the kingdom now or later? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why do some people hear the Word of God and grow, while others seem interested for a time and then walk away?

Matthew 13 begins Jesus’ great series of kingdom parables with the parable of the sower. A farmer scatters the same seed across four kinds of soil, but each produces a very different result.

Glenn and Steve examine what Jesus says about the hard path, shallow rocky soil, thorns, and good soil. They discuss persecution, the need for discipleship and deep biblical roots, the deceitfulness of wealth, the distractions of everyday life, and why new believers need more than a moment of initial enthusiasm.

The study also explores why Jesus began teaching publicly in parables after growing rejection from the religious leadership, what the New Testament means by a “mystery,” and why those who genuinely want spiritual truth are given more understanding.

Matthew 13:1–23 | The Book of Matthew — Session 25

  Questions discussed in this session include: 

• Has Jesus already told you about how you will react to His message?
• What is the role of a seed sower today? 
• What types of things might cause the word of God to not be fruitful in someone’s life?
• Are there people who accept the word of God but do not grow? Why? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Are the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God the same thing?

Matthew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” repeatedly, while the other Gospels more commonly speak of the “kingdom of God.” Is that simply a difference in audience and terminology, or does Scripture point to a real distinction between the two?

In this topical discussion connected to the Matthew study, Glenn and Steve work through key passages involving the kingdom promised to Israel, the millennial reign of Christ, the church, salvation, the present and future aspects of the kingdom, and the significance of Jesus being the promised Son of David and Messiah.

They compare the parable of the talents with the minas, examine passages where kingdom language seems present and future, and consider how Matthew’s kingdom theme helps explain the movement of the Gospel from “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” toward Jesus’ announcement of the cross.

Rather than forcing every passage into a system, the goal is to reason through the biblical evidence and let Scripture define the kingdom.

Reasoning Through the Bible — Matthew Topical Study

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve