Matthew 12

Matthew 12:5

Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests are appointed to undertake laborious works in the temple, concerning the sacrifices, which are double offered that day, and are notwithstanding blameless?

Matthew 12:23

Is this the son of David?

Is this that Messiah, that was promised should come from the loins of David, and succeed in his kingdom?

Matthew 12:24

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out derils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the derils.

We cannot deny indeed, but that this man doth cast out devils; but this is done of him, by way of compact, not by way of command: he useth the aid and power of a greater devil, to eject the less.

Matthew 12:26

And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

Howsoever there may be much collusion amongst the evil spirits, voluntarily yielding to a seemingly forcible action for the deceiving of men, yet a true hostility there is not amongst them; and, if one devil should cast out another by strong hand, as ye see me do, the kingdom of darkness could not stand.

Matthew 12:27

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

Ye see some of your own nation and blood, who make use of my Name for the ejecting of devils; so as, in their mouths, my Name is allowed as powerful to prevail against the evil spirits: they shall be sufficient witnesses to convince you, and

Matthew 12:28

But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

But if I, by the divine power of the Almighty Spirit of God, do cast out devils, this, as it is a just honour to me, so it is a great privilege and happiness unto you; for hereby you are assured, that that kingdom of the Messiah, which ye have so long expected and desired, is now come unto you.

Matthew 12:29

Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Which kingdom of mine cannot possibly take place, unless Satan be first powerfully ejected by me; for, since that Evil Spirit hath gotten so strong possession as he hath done of the world, how is it possible to enter upon his hold, and to spoil and defeat him in all his wicked practices, except he be first disabled, and personally vanquished?

Matthew 12:30

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

It had been your parts, both for your own honour and safety, to have set forward and advanced this spiritual kingdom of mine; which if ye do not, I can account you no better than the enemies thereof: for, in this case there is no neutrality; he, that is not for me, is against me; and he, that doth not bestir himself to gather with me, even while he stands still scattereth abroad.

Matthew 12:31

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

And now, whereas the Scribes have not stuck, against the light of their own conscience, to accuse me of casting out devils through Beelzebub, their case is fearful; for herein they have maliciously sinned against the evidence of God’s Spirit, convincing their hearts of the truth: and this condition is woeful and desperate; for I say unto you, that all those sins, which we commit against God upon frailty or ignorance or sudden and forcible prevalence of a temptation, are yet capable of forgiveness; but the malicious blasphemy, that a man utters against the known truth of God, wilfully opposing the illumination and conviction of God’s Spirit, is a sin, as uncapable of remission, as of repentance.

Matthew 12:32

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

And, whosoever, out of ignorance or mistaking or by the t. 2 seducement of others, shall speak words of reproach and blasphemy against me, the Son of Man, under the colour of this outward infirmity and meanness which appeareth in me, it may be forgiven to him; but, whosoever doth despitefully, against his own knowledge and conscience, and against the light of God’s Spirit shining into his soul, make opposition to the Son of God, or that saving truth that concerneth him, it shall never be forgiven to him.

Matthew 12:33

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

There is nothing more odious to God, than a false and counterfeit profession of holiness: I could therefore wish you, Scribes and Pharisees, to be such as ye seem: either be good, and shew yourselves to be such by the fruits which ye bear; or, if ye will needs be corrupt and wicked, let the world know you for such: howsoever, your works will descry you, one time or other; the tree will be known by his fruit.

Matthew 12:36

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Ye have, out of the evil treasure of your heart, brought forth blasphemies against me, whereof ye shall one day give a fearful reckoning: for I say unto you, that even for those words which are but idle, useless, unprofitable, men shall be called to a strict account, in the Day of Judgment; how much more, for wicked and blasphemous! XII. 39, 40. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Nothing will satisfy the Jews, who are a wicked and adulterous brood, but signs and wonders, whereby their infidelity might be throughly shamed and repelled: still, therefore, they call for strange and miraculous works; wherewith, although in my own due time I shall abundantly convince them, yet now, for the present, Jonas the prophet shall be instead of many signs unto them: For, as Jonas the prophet, after three days and three nights spent in the whale’s belly, was restored to the light again, and preached to the Ninevites; so shall the Son of Man, after part of three days and nights spent in the grave, be restored to life again, and publish and confirm the glad tidings of salvation to men.

Matthew 12:42

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment, &c.

That Ethiopian queen, which came out of the south from Saba, shall rise up in judgment, &c.

Matthew 12:46

Behold, his mother and his brethren stood &c.

Behold, his mother and his kinsmen stood without &c. XII. 49, 50. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said to the messenger, Behold, you tell me of my mother and near kinsfolk: I do not deny due respects to my parent according to the flesh, and to those which are of my natural and bodily kindred; but I would have you know, that it is the spiritual kindred, that I do most affect and stand upon: these, therefore, that by a true and lively faith are spiritually incorporated into me, these, that do carefully and conscionably give up themselves to the obedience of God my Heavenly Father, these are they, that may justly challenge a holy consanguinity with me; and this conjunction of grace in the soul doth more endear my mother and kinsmen unto me, than all earthly and bodily regards whatsoever.