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Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

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<strong>Word</strong> <strong>Pictures</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> NT [Mat<strong>the</strong>w: Chapter 1]<br />

_Saviour_ applied to our Lord (Lu 1:47; 2:11; Joh 4:42)"<br />

(V<strong>in</strong>cent). He will save (\s•sei\) his people from <strong>the</strong>ir s<strong>in</strong>s and<br />

so be <strong>the</strong>ir Saviour (\S•t•r\). He will be prophet, priest, and<br />

k<strong>in</strong>g, but "Saviour" sums it all up <strong>in</strong> one word. The explanation<br />

is carried out <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> promise, "for he is <strong>the</strong> one who (\autos\)<br />

will save (\s•sei\ with a play on <strong>the</strong> name Jesus) his people from<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir s<strong>in</strong>s." Paul will later expla<strong>in</strong> that by <strong>the</strong> covenant people,<br />

<strong>the</strong> children of promise, God means <strong>the</strong> spiritual Israel, all who<br />

believe whe<strong>the</strong>r Jews or Gentiles. This wonderful word touches <strong>the</strong><br />

very heart of <strong>the</strong> mission and message of <strong>the</strong> Messiah. Jesus<br />

himself will show that <strong>the</strong> k<strong>in</strong>gdom of heaven <strong>in</strong>cludes all those<br />

and only those who have <strong>the</strong> reign of God <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir hearts and<br />

lives. {From <strong>the</strong>ir s<strong>in</strong>s} (\apo t•n hamarti•n aut•n\). Both s<strong>in</strong>s<br />

of omission and of commission. The substantive (\hamartia\) is<br />

from <strong>the</strong> verb (\hamartane<strong>in</strong>\) and means miss<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> mark as with<br />

an arrow. How often <strong>the</strong> best of us fall short and fail to score.<br />

Jesus will save us away from (\apo\) as well as out of (\ex\) our<br />

s<strong>in</strong>s. They will be cast <strong>in</strong>to oblivion and he will cover <strong>the</strong>m up<br />

out of sight.<br />

1:22 {That it may be fulfilled} (\h<strong>in</strong>a pl•r•th•i\). Alford says<br />

that "it is impossible to <strong>in</strong>terpret \h<strong>in</strong>a\ <strong>in</strong> any o<strong>the</strong>r sense<br />

than <strong>in</strong> order that." That was <strong>the</strong> old notion, but modern<br />

grammarians recognize <strong>the</strong> non-f<strong>in</strong>al use of this particle <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

_Ko<strong>in</strong>•_ and even <strong>the</strong> consecutive like <strong>the</strong> Lat<strong>in</strong> _ut_. Some even<br />

argue for a causal use. If <strong>the</strong> context called for result, one<br />

need not hesitate to say so as <strong>in</strong> Mr 11:28; Joh 9:36; 1Jo 1:9;<br />

Re 9:20; 13:13. See discussion <strong>in</strong> my _Grammar of <strong>the</strong> Greek <strong>New</strong><br />

<strong>Testament</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Light of Historical Research_, pp. 997-9. All<br />

<strong>the</strong> same it is purpose here, God's purpose, Mat<strong>the</strong>w reports <strong>the</strong><br />

angel as say<strong>in</strong>g, spoken "by (\hupo\, immediate agent) <strong>the</strong> Lord<br />

through (\dia\, <strong>in</strong>termediate agent) <strong>the</strong> prophet." {"All this has<br />

happened"} (\touto de holon gegonen\, present perfect<br />

<strong>in</strong>dicative), stands on record as historical fact. But <strong>the</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong><br />

Birth of Jesus is not due to this <strong>in</strong>terpretation of Isa 7:14.<br />

It is not necessary to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> (Broadus) that Isaiah himself saw<br />

anyth<strong>in</strong>g more <strong>in</strong> his prophecy than that a woman <strong>the</strong>n a virg<strong>in</strong>,<br />

would bear a son and that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> course of a few years Ahaz would<br />

be delivered from <strong>the</strong> k<strong>in</strong>g of Syria and Israel by <strong>the</strong> com<strong>in</strong>g of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Assyrians. This historical illustration f<strong>in</strong>ds its richest<br />

fulfilment <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> birth of Jesus from Mary. "<strong>Word</strong>s of <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

are empty. They are useful only as vessels to convey th<strong>in</strong>gs from<br />

m<strong>in</strong>d to m<strong>in</strong>d" (Morison). The Hebrew word for young woman is<br />

http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT1.RWP.html (7 of 9) [28/08/2004 09:02:52 a.m.]

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