The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Matthew Henry on Matthew 19:17

Can someone please explain me Henry's comments on Matthew 19:17:" ....but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments"?<br><br>I think I'm a bit slow today, and maybe that explains why I'm confused by Henry's comments here. Not having a good night sleep will do that [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh[/img].<br>The original is at : http://www.ccel.org/h/henry/mhc2/MHC40019.HTM<br><blockquote><br>2.] The way prescribed is, keeping the commandments. Note, Keeping the commandments of God, according as they are revealed and made known to us, is the only way to life and salvation; and sincerity herein is accepted through Christ as our gospel perfection, provision being made of pardon, upon repentance, wherein we come short. Through Christ we are delivered from the condemning power of the law, but the commanding power of it is lodged in the hand of the Mediator, and under that, in that hand, we still are under the law to Christ (1 Cor. ix. 21), under it as a rule, though not as a covenant. Keeping the commandments includes faith in Jesus Christ, for that is the great commandment (1 John iii. 23), and it was one of the laws of Moses, that, when the great Prophet should be raised up, they should hear him. Observe, In order to our happiness here and for ever, it is not enough for us to know the commandments of God, but we must keep them, keep in them as our way, keep to them as our rule, keep them as our treasure, and with care, as the apple of our eye. </blockquote><br><br><br><br>Carlos

The key for me in understanding MH here is the phrase [color:red]according as they are revealed and made known to us</font color=red>. To whom does God make this known? Only His elect. Only His elect may be sincere in their faith by God's grace. Thus, what follows from there is [color:red][/i] Keeping the commandments includes faith in Jesus Christ, for that is the great commandment</font color=red>[/i]. It is rather confusing the way it is explained by MH (for our day and time). <br><br>Briefly, the point of the series of passages here was that the rich young ruler's attitude was ONLY superficial and not in harmony with Christ's mandate upon him. Notice that Christ only spelled out some of the violations this man may have been guilty of and each of them from the "second table" of the commandments (vss 18-19). Of course, if the young man had failed to keep any of these, then he necessarily had fallen short of the "whole law" as well (James 2:10; 1 John 4:20, et. al.). <br><br>This young man's answer was very quick...I have kept all of these......I can see him singing, "All is well with my soul, all is well with my soul" having not come to the foot of the Cross and seeing his own depravity and the immense grace that awaits God's elect. Yes, he came to Christ, as many do today, but not in sincerity (which is only possible by God-given faith). He desired assurance in his own work and not in THE WORK of Christ (this is shown further by the use of the Greek in the phrases: Didaskale agathe (Good Master) and NOT Ruling Master as Henry points out as well).<br><br>Though the rich young ruler may have been singing, "All is well..." apparently in his inner most being all was not well or he would have never asked Christ the question in the first place. The depravity of the heart sings, "All is well, when all is not." Jesus quickly pointed out that this man was enslaved indeed to his own possessions (vs 21).<br><br>One will say of vs 22 that Jesus is teaching a salvation of works instead of trusting in Him for salvation. This man's lack of faith in Christ though was pointed out by the fact that he did not trust Christ, for he failed to obey the very words of Christ. If he had sold as he was told then he would have shown faith in, but instead he went and kept and retained faith in his own works (vs 22). Since, he only had a "superficial faith" (which is no faith at all) he went away sorrowful.....He proved by his own works that he had not the faith of God.

thanks joe for the clarification of MH here.[img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/bravo.gif" alt="bravo" title="bravo[/img]