Lucas 3
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 3
Spurgeon wrote that "Repentance and faith must go together to complete each other. I compare them to a door and its post. Repentance is the door which shuts out sin, but faith is the post on which its hinges are fixed. A door without a doorpost to hang on is not a door at all, while a doorpost without the door hanging on it is of no value whatever. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder, and these two he has made inseparable—repentance and faith) J C
Lucas 3
Spurgeon - Morning and Evening on Luke 3:4 - The voice crying in the wilderness demanded a way for the Lord, a way prepared, and a way prepared in the wilderness. I would be attentive to the Master's proclamation, and give him a road into my heart, cast up by gracious operations, through the desert of my nature. The four directions in the text must have my serious attention. Every valley must be exalted. Low and grovelling thoughts of God must be given up; doubting and despairing must be removed; and self-seeking and carnal delights must be forsaken. Across these deep valleys a glorious causeway of grace must be raised. Every mountain and hill shall be laid low. Proud creature-sufficiency, and boastful self-righteousness, must be levelled, to make a highway for the King of kings. Divine fellowship is never vouchsafed to haughty, highminded sinners. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, and visits the contrite in heart, but the lofty are an abomination unto him. My soul, beseech the Holy Spirit to set thee right in this respect. The crooked shall be made straight. The wavering heart must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness marked out for it. Double-minded men are strangers to the God of truth. My soul, take heed that thou be in all things honest and true, as in the sight of the heart-searching God. The rough places shall be made smooth. Stumbling-blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briers of rebellion must be uprooted. So great a visitor must not find miry ways and stony places when he comes to honour his favoured ones with his company. Oh that this evening the Lord may find in my heart a highway made ready by his grace, that he may make a triumphal progress through the utmost bounds of my soul, from the beginning of this year even to the end of it. Chuck Smith on application of "fixing the highways so the king could travel in comfort" - The preparation was the inward preparation of the hearts of the people for the coming of their king. There is a necessary preparation to meet God. Some people are very cavalier concerning God. They make reference to Him in a very irreverent way.. The man upstairs.. The big daddy in the sky.. The Bible says "Holy and reverend is His name." The Jews have such respect for His name that they will not even seek to pronounce it. In their writing today, they will not even spell God, but will write G_D. God is not your good buddy. He is holy, He is awesome, He is the Creator of the universe. He said, "Fear ye not Me, saith the Lord, will you not tremble at My presence?" The Psalmist said, "Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord." Again he said, "Let all the earth fear the Lord and stand in awe of Him. Under the law they were commanded to fear Jehovah Dt 6:2, 10:12, 13:4, etc. The people had not been obeying the Lord, they had not kept His statutes and commandments, they had not walked in His ways, to love and serve Him. Now He is coming to earth to walk among men, so the command goes forth from John to prepare ye the way of the Lord. Note that the command is personal. It is something that you must do. The prophet said, "Prepare to meet your God." Basically John was saying the King is on His way, prepare the way for Him. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD? No man can stand before the Holy God in His sinful state without being consumed. Jesus was talking to the Pharisee's one day and He made reference to the verse in Psalm 118 concerning the Stone that the builders rejected, had become the head of the corner, He then admonished them that whoever would fall on this Stone would be broken, but upon whomsoever It shall fall, It will grind him to powder. Jesus was saying that it is better to fall on Him, than to have Him fall on you. Cast yourself on Jesus Christ today, and you will be saved. Seek to resist Him and you will be ground to powder. Their hearts were not prepared for the visitation of the righteous King. I believe that the message of John was very relevant for his time. Josephus describes the social and moral conditions of that day. He speaks of the gangs that actually ruled the streets in Jerusalem, the disregard for the rights of others. You remember that Jesus gave the parable of the man on the Jericho road that was beset by the robbers, and how no one cared for his life. They were a me first generation. They could watch a crime being committed and not move to help the victim. I believe that Billy Graham has been sort of a modern day John the Baptist in that he has been addressing the moral and social conditions of the world today, and calling on the people to "Prepare the way for the Lord." I believe that the King is on His way, that He will be coming very soon. Many of you are not prepared for His coming.. Should He come today for His church, many of you would be left to face the great tribulation. The moral conditions of the world today are much the same as they were at the time that John began his ministry. I cannot believe how relevant the message of John's is for this present time. HOW ARE WE TO PREPARE? Make straight His paths. John sort of repeated this when he said, "Make the crooked paths straight." Some of you are doing things that are crooked. You have been cheating others.. You have been gaining through fraud and deceit. When the tax collectors asked John what they should do he told them not to exact more than was appointed them. You may seek to justify it in your mind, but you are a plain crook. "Every valley shall be filled." A valley is a depression in the surface of the landscape, these were to be filled. Much of our depression comes from selfishness. We are thinking too much about ourselves.. We need to be thinking more of others. Back in the days when we had Hi Y clubs on the campuses of our schools, we had to learn a poem called "others". I still remember that poem to the present day. "Lord help me live from day to day, In such a self forgetting way, That even when I kneel to pray, My prayer shall be for others. Help me in all the things I do, To ever be sincerely true, And know that the things I do, Must needs be done for others. Others Lord, yes others, Let this my motto be, Help me to live for others, That I may live for Thee." The hills were to brought low. We often hear said of a person, "He thinks he is so high and mighty, you cannot even talk to him." Isaiah 2:12 "For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased." We are told to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. The soldiers asked John what they should do, and he told them to not accuse any man falsely. Do not misuse your authority. The rough places shall be made smooth. Can you think of any rough places in your life? There is a lot of smoothing out to be done in each of us. Let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, with King David let us pray, search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Sermon Notes) Luke 3:6 AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.' Lu 2:10,11,30-32 Ps 98:2,3 Isa 40:5 49:6 52:10 Mk 16:15 Ro 10:12 Ro 10:18 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:1-6 Good News for Bad Times - Steven Cole Luke 3:4-6 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 3:4-6 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Part 2 - John MacArthur THE SALVATION OF GOD AND ALL FLESH (sarx) WILL SEE THE SALVATION (soterios) OF GOD - All flesh opens the offer of salvation to all men, both Jews and Gentiles alike, a truth alluded to by Simeon in Lk 2:30-32+ declaring "For my eyes have seen Your salvation (soterios) , Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Here is the translation from the Hebrew text - Isaiah 40:5 - "Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see [ IT ] together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Luke quotes from the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 40:5 which adds the word salvation (soterion "pasa sarx to soterion tou Theou") where they add soterion) for "IT."
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Spurgeon asks "Does not John the Baptist speak like Elijah? Here are no honeyed phrases to delight the popular ear. The prophet of the wilderness talks like one who is all on fire with zeal for God, and indiagnation against evil." Neither the messages of John the Baptist nor of Jesus had any positive effect on the Pharisees and Sadducees (did not make the "crooked...straight" or the "rough roads smooth." Lk 3:5) but served only to harden their hearts and stiffen their unbelief and their opposition to the Good News and to God’s righteous messengers, both of whom they eventually killed. Beloved, times have not changed, so do not be surprised when hearts become hardened and necks stiffened as they hear you proclaim the Gospel! You are in good company with John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ (cf 1 Th 1:6+) "John sensed that their reason for coming to him was just their safety, not genuine repentance. Righteous behavior would demonstrate true repentance." (Constable) J C Ryle on you brood (gennema) of vipers - We should first mark the holy boldness with which John addresses the multitudes who came to his baptism. He speaks to them as "a generation of vipers." He saw the rottenness and hypocrisy of the profession that the crowd around him were making, and uses language descriptive of their case. His head was not turned by popularity. He cared not who was offended by his words. The spiritual disease of those before him was desperate, and of long standing, and he knew that desperate diseases need strong remedies. Well would it be for the Church of Christ, if it possessed more plain-speaking ministers, like John the Baptist, in these latter days. A morbid dislike to strong language — an excessive fear of giving offence — a constant flinching from directness and plain speaking, are, unhappily, too much the characteristics of the modern Christian pulpit. Uncharitable language is no doubt always to be deprecated. But there is no charity in flattering unconverted people, by abstaining from any mention of their vices, or in applying smooth epithets to damnable sins. There are two texts which are too much forgotten by Christian preachers. In one it is written, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you." In the other it is written, "Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant." (Luke 6:26; Gal. 1:10.) You brood (gennema) of vipers (echidna - "slithering snakes") would not make John a good pastoral candidate at a "seeker friendly" church! He was not catering to those with “itching ears,” merely teaching what people would like to hear (2 Ti 4:3+). The first serpent was Satan (Ge 3:1+, Rev 12:9+) and clearly the implication is that he was their father even as Jesus had declared to the Jews (who were false professors of faith in Jesus - Jn 8:30) in John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
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Spurgeon comments on bear fruits "Act as a change of mind would lead you to do: above all, quit the pride in which you enwrap yourselves, and leave the serpent motives which now actuate you. Lord, save us from a fruitless repentance, which would be only an aggravation of our previous sins." (Luke - exposition) Bear fruits (karpos) in keeping (áxios) with repentance (metanoia - an "about/face" in the heart) - Bear (poieo) is a command in the aorist imperative meaning "Do this now!", "Don't delay". The aorist imperative even conveys a sense of urgency! Indeed when one hears the good news of the availability of the forgiveness of sins it is imperative that they respond ASAP (As Soon As Possible). They are not assured that they will ever have another opportunity (cf 1 Cor 6:2). Luke is saying simply that fruit bearing will validate heart believing. Anyone who was coming to be baptized by John thinking the act of baptism would insure forgiveness of sins was tragically mistaken! Although this command was given prior to Pentecost and the gift of the indwelling Spirit, it is my contention that in some way the Holy Spirit would enable genuine fruit, for in our natural state as Paul said "nothing good indwells" us. So we can hardly be expected to bear good fruit in such worthless soil! Although the following applies primarily to the post-Pentecost experience of believers, the principle is still apropos for those in the Old Testament who became genuine believers - See discussion of the Need for the Holy Spirit to obey NT commands (or "How to Keep All 1642 Commandments in the New Testament!") Spurgeon - John was wonderfully practical in his advocacy of a holy charity and benevolence. His words cut against all greed, all hoarding, all hardening of the heart towards our fellow men. (Luke - exposition) The word in keeping is the adjective áxios which strictly speaking means “bringing into balance” hence describes that which is fitting in the sense that it corresponds to what should be expected. In this case fruit (Spirit wrought good works) serve to authenticate the genuineness of one's repentance. One way to depict the meaning of axios is to draw out a scale as shown below. The fruit should "balance" the "repentance." No fruit, no repentance. Repentance.....................................................Fruit /\ ANOTHER DEPICTION So in the picture of scales imagine the "weight" of your Repentance on one pan, perfectly balanced by the "weight" of the fruit your repentance produces. There are some in "evangelicalism" who teach that repentance is only a change of mind. The problem with this definition is that has nothing to do with one’s real attitude toward sin and does not necessarily result in any change in lifestyle. No change in lifestyle strongly suggests no change in one's heart. In other words they give no evidence of bring truly born again. We see a parallel thought in the seed (Word of God - Gospel) in the soil that proves to be good soil.... Luke 8:15+ “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit (present tense - bear fruit as a lifestyle) with perseverance. A good parallel to bringing forth fruit in keeping with repentance is the use of poieo in Luke 8:21+ "But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do (poieo) it.” Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father' For I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham (cf Lk 19:40+) - By introducing Abraham into this discussion on repentance and God's wrath, John anticipates the excuse that his Jewish audience would raise, that they were exempt from God’s judgment because they were children of Abraham which is exactly the (false) reasoning the Jews used in their discussion with Jesus of genuine belief in John 8:39, 53. Lk 3:8 is a clear warning by John that false ("superficial") repentance is really no repentance in the sight of God and as such would not deliver one from the impending wrath of God. As an aside while the Jews did not inherit saving faith from Abraham, they did inherit their sin propensity from Abraham (cf Ro 5:12+)! When the Jews responded to Jesus claiming Abraham as their father, notice that Jesus in essence told them if that is the case, then bring forth fruit in keeping with their profession of "paternal possession"... They (the Jews) answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do (imperfect tense - again and again, over and over do) the deeds of Abraham (cf "fruit in keeping with repentance"). (John 8:39+) Paul taught the same truth in Romans... For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly (physically, by Jewish ancestry they could trace back to Abraham), nor is circumcision (the physical ritual) that which is outward (external) in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart (spiritual circumcision cf Col 2:11-14+), by the Spirit, not by the letter (by keeping the law or doing "meritorious" works); and his praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:28-29+) No fruit means no root, like the men in Titus 1:16+ "They profess to know God, but by their deeds ("bad fruit!") they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." Jesus warned his Jewish hearers that if they did not not enter the Kingdom of God through Him, that one day in the future the Lord would say... “I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from me, all you evildoers.” In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. (Luke 13:27, 28) Finally the rich man who was in hell was not delivered out by claiming Abraham as his father (Luke 16:24–26+). From these stones - If God chose, He could make children of Abraham out of rocks! The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament adds that "The idea of raising people from stones appears in Greek mythology. Some scholars have suggested that John makes a wordplay between the Aramaic words for “children” and “stones.” MacArthur on from these stones - The imagery may echo OT verses such as Ezekiel 11:19+ ("I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh"); Ezekiel 36:26+ (" I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."); God can sovereignly turn a heart of stone into a believing heart. He can raise up children to Abraham from inanimate objects if He chooses—or even from stony-hearted Gentiles (cf. Gal 3:29+). Abraham’s true children are not merely physical descendants, but those who follow his faith, believing God’s Word the way he did (Ro 4:11–16; Ro 9:8; Gal 3:7, Ge 15:16+). To trust one’s physical ancestry is to shift the focus of faith away from God Himself—and that is spiritually fatal (cf. Jn 8:39–44). (See MacArthur Study Bible) This principle can be applied to those in America who are raised in strong Christian homes. In other words don't fall into the deceptive trap of thinking you are going to heaven because you are raised in a "heavenly" home or that you are born again just because you have "spiritual parents" (like Abraham). Faith of believing parents is not inherited. One does not become a member of God’s family (Jn 1:12-13+) by natural paternal descent but by a supernaturally enabled personal decision (cf Jn 3:8+). Craig Evans has an interesting note on these stones - It is probable that John is referring to “these stones” of Josh. 4, where twelve stones were placed by the Jordan River as a symbol of God’s deliverance of the twelve tribes of Israel: “ ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan …’ And these twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan River, Joshua set up in Gilgal, and he said to the people of Israel, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come, “What do these stones mean?” then you shall let your children know, “Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground” ’ ” (Josh. 4:2, 20–22). This stone symbolism reappears in the Elijah narrative: “And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name.’ So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD …” (1 Kings 18:31–32). Like Elijah of old, so now John, the promised Elijah of the last days (Mark 9:13 “I say to you, that Elijah has indeed come”), has placed a monument of twelve stones at the Jordan River and has summoned the tribes of Israel to repent and prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord’s anointed. In continuity with this aspect of John’s ministry, Jesus appoints twelve disciples (cf. Mark 3:14, 16). children to Abraham (v. 9): It is probable that in John’s original Semitic diction (whether Hebrew or Aramaic) a word-play lies behind stones and children, for stone in Hebrew is eben and son (or child) is ben. This word-play is found in various Jewish sources (e.g., Josephus, J.W. 5.6.3 §272; Tg. Onq. Gen. 49:24; Tg. Zech. 10:4; Tg. Ps. 118:22; Exod. Rab. 37.1 [on Ex. 27:20]). In effect, the Baptist has said that God can raise up from these twelve stones (that represent the twelve tribes of Israel) children to Abraham; fulfillment of the Almighty’s promises is not contingent upon faithless stewards. They may presume nothing.(See The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary) POSB - Many of the people believed they were acceptable to God simply because they were Jews, that is, because they were children of Abraham and of godly forefathers. Many felt acceptable to God because they had undergone a religious ritual, that of circumcision. They felt the righteousness of their fathers had saved them. How they lived mattered little. They were saved because they were special—special enough to be acceptable to God. Most people are prideful. They feel they are special enough to be acceptable to God, that God would never reject them. They feel acceptable because they... • have godly parents. • have been baptized. • are not too bad • are good enough… • are blessed with so much. • are somewhat religious • are members of a church. • are regular worshippers. (See Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible-KJV-Luke) Trites and Larkin - John the Baptist was...earnestly calling for a radical reorientation of life to God: “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God” (Lk 3:8; cf. Matt 3:8). Pious words or professions of faith were not enough. Simply claiming to be descendants of Abraham proved nothing. God was the God of miracles; he could change stones into children of Abraham. In view of the imminent threat of divine judgment, a thorough “change of mind” (that is, repentance: metanoia) was called for, and there was not a moment to spare (Lk 3:3, 8; cf. 5:32). Repentance was a costly thing to be thoughtfully considered, and it was an essential feature of the preaching of John, Jesus, and the early church (Lk 5:32; 10:13; 24:47; Acts 5:31; 11:18; 13:24; 20:21; 26:20). Failure to repent invited catastrophe: “Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire” (Lk 3:9; cf. Matt 3:9). The privilege of Jewish heritage was plainly not enough. The prophet demanded a strong sense of social responsibility to avert the possibility of a terrible judgment that would “sever” their roots (Lk 3:9). John’s message was drastic and clearly offensive to many Jewish traditionalists who thought they were good enough—just as many churchgoers do today! (See Cornerstone Biblical Commentary – Luke, Acts) Fruits (2590)(karpos) is used in its literal sense to refer to fruit, produce or offspring, and thus describes that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism. In the NT the figurative (metaphorical) uses predominate and this is particularly true in the Gospels, where human actions and words are viewed as "spiritual" fruit growing out of a person's essential being or character. Good fruit is the result of reliance on the Good Spirit! Luke's uses of karpos - Lk. 1:42; Lk. 3:8; Lk. 3:9; Lk. 6:43; Lk. 6:44; Lk. 8:8; Lk. 12:17; Lk. 13:6; Lk. 13:7; Lk. 13:9; Lk. 20:10 Keeping (514) áxios (axios) rom ágō = to weigh) strictly speaking means bringing up the other beam of the scales. Having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much. Counterbalancing - weighing as much (of like value, worth as much). Bringing into balance and hence equivalent or equal value/similar worth (Ro 8:18, see use in Lxx of Pr 3:15, 8:11). Other nuances of axios include describing that which is fitting or appropriate (1Cor 16:2), that which is deserving (Mt 10:10), that which "deserves" to be considered or accepted (1Ti 1:15), that which is worthy of praise (Rev 4:11), that which corresponds to or is congruent with something else (Mt 3:8, Luke 3:8, 23:41, 26:20). Worthy or deserving of evil (Rev 16:6). Axios - 39v - appropriate(1), deserve(2), deserving(4), fitting(2), keeping(2), unworthy*(1), worthy(29). Matt. 3:8; Matt. 10:10; Matt. 10:11; Matt. 10:13; Matt. 10:37; Matt. 10:38; Matt. 22:8; Lk. 3:8; Lk. 7:4; Lk. 10:7; Lk. 12:48; Lk. 15:19; Lk. 15:21; Lk. 23:15; Lk. 23:41; Jn. 1:27; Acts 13:25; Acts 13:46; Acts 23:29; Acts 25:11; Acts 25:25; Acts 26:20; Acts 26:31; Rom. 1:32; Rom. 8:18; 1 Co. 16:4; 2 Thess. 1:3; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Tim. 4:9; 1 Tim. 5:18; 1 Tim. 6:1; Heb. 11:38; Rev. 3:4; Rev. 4:11; Rev. 5:2; Rev. 5:4; Rev. 5:9; Rev. 5:12; Rev. 16:6 Related Resources: What are some Bible verses about fruit? | GotQuestions.org What is the key to bearing fruit as a Christian? | GotQuestions.org Does the vine and branches passage in John 15 mean that salvation can be lost? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean that you will know them by their fruit in Matthew 7:16? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean to be a fruitful Christian? | GotQuestions.org Luke 3:9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Lu 13:7,9 23:29-31 Isa 10:33,34 Eze 15:2-4 31:18 Da 4:14,23 Mt 3:10 7:19 Joh 15:6 Heb 10:28 12:29 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:7-14 False and True Repentance- Steven Cole Luke 3:8-14 True Repentance: God's Highway to the Heart- 2 - John MacArthur NET Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." KJV And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ESV Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." NLT Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." CSB Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." IMMINENCY OF JUDGMENT AND URGENCY OF THE WARNING Indeed...already - ("Even now" - ESV, NET) - This connects verse 9 with John's urgent call to bear true fruit (Lk 3:8) in light of the somber warning in Lk 3:7, and speaks of the imminency (imminence speaks of something "jutting out or overhanging"!) of this coming judgment ("overhanging" their heads so to speak!). The ESV Study Bible (borrow) note says "The kingdom of God is not a remote future event but was revealed in a new and decisive way in the ministry of Jesus, for which John the Baptist was preparing the way." Of course, the Kingdom does have a future component when the King of kings returns and sets up His 1000 year Messianic Kingdom on earth (See characteristics of this wonderful kingdom = Millennium). Jesus used the same graphic imagery to depict judgment of false prophets in Matthew 7:19+. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." As Spurgeon said “No mere pruning and trimming work did John come to do; he was the handler of a sharp axe that was to fell every worthless tree.” (Flee From The Wrath To Come) Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees - (‘the ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots’) God is the Divine Woodman! Judgment is close, one axe blow away! (cf Lk 13:6-9+) John is boldly explaining what would happen if their repentance was not accompanied by good works. He paints for them a clear picture they can understand -- it is the portrait of a tree which is alive but which is about to have its life-giving roots cut, clearly killing the tree. By describing the use of an ax John's suggest sudden, catastrophic judgment for one who is unrepentant and unfruitful. Adam
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Spurgeon adds that "They were accustomed to gather the taxes unfairly, and to increase the rates by oppressing the people, getting, perhaps, twice or even ten times more out of them than they could legally claim. John speaks to the point, does he not?" Collect no more - No more is emphatic in Greek. John did not try to placate people. He went directly to the heart of the matter for a tax collector, their collections. They commonly charged more than would have been necessary to satisfy the Roman authorities, keeping the excess for themselves. This would be an easy "marker" to determine is a tax collector had truly repented and experienced a change of heart and a change in their notoriously dishonest practices. John went directly to the "pocket book" of these men. Collect is a command in the present imperative which means that henceforth a truly repentant tax collector was to continually be honest in their collection practices. The fruit of honesty replacing dishonesty proves that the tax collector had experienced genuine repentance. Some of the tax collectors took John’s message to heart and repented (Mt. 21:31–32; Zaccheus in Lk 19:1–10+). Collect (4238)(prasso) means first to being about or accomplish something through activity. Prasso was used in secular Greek with the meaning of to exact money from one (Herotodus). Liddell-Scott says prasso was often used in this sense "of state-officers, who collected the taxes." Ordered (1299)(diatasso from dia = through + tasso = order) means literally to arrange thoroughly, to arrange in its proper order, to issue orderly and detailed instructions as to what must be done. Luke 3:14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages. soldiers: Mt 8:5 Ac 10:7 Ro 13:9,10 Php 2:15 accuse : Lu 19:8 Ex 20:16 23:1 Lev 19:11 Tit 2:3 Rev 12:10 be content: Php 4:11 1Ti 6:8-10 Heb 13:5,6 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:7-14 False and True Repentance- Steven Cole Luke 3:8-14 True Repentance: God's Highway to the Heart- 2 - John MacArthur DESCRIPTION OF "FRUIT" FOR SOLDIERS: DON'T EXTORT INSTEAD BE CONTENT
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Spurgeon explains Do not take money from anyone by force - Those rough Roman soldiers, as they had conquered the country, were very apt to treat the people as though they were their slaves; so John says to them, “Do violence to no man.".... (Luke - exposition) Robertson on take...by force (diaseio) - Here only in the N. T., but in the LXX and common in ancient Greek. It means to shake (, earthquake) thoroughly (δια [dia]) and so thoroughly to terrify, to extort money or property by intimidating (3 Macc. 7:21). The Latin employs concutere, so. It was a process of blackmail to which Socrates refers (Xenophon, Memorabilia, ii. 9, 1). This was a constant temptation to soldiers. Might does not make right with Jesus. Do not....accuse anyone falsely (sukophanteo) - Why would they do this? We call it blackmail which means to exert pressure on someone through unjustified threats to make a gain. If the demand is paid, the accusations are dropped. Be content (arkeo) with your wages (opsonion) -The passive voice means be content (contentment coming from an outside source, the ultimate source being Christ, His Spirit, cp Php 4:11+, Php 4:13+) and in the present imperative calls for this to be their habitual practice (something ultimately only possible as we are supernaturally energized by the Spirit. cf Php 2:13NLT+). True repentance results not in changed feelings as much as in changed actions. The present tense means this is not to be an occasional practice but a soldier's new lifestyle.
Lucas 3
Spurgeon explains that the soldiers "were very apt to be contending for an increase in their pay, and to drag civilians before the courts with false accusations unless they chose to give them bribes to let them go. John does not mince matters with any of his hearers; he speaks with wonderful plainness and courage, and therein proves himself to be a true herald of his Master." (Luke - exposition) Soldiers (4754)(strateuomai from strategos = army, stratos = an encamped army) means literally to perform military service, serve as a soldier in the army, go to fight, carry on a military campaign, make a military expedition, lead soldiers to war or to battle. 7x in NT - Lk. 3:14; 1 Co. 9:7; 2 Co. 10:3; 1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:4; Jas. 4:1; 1 Pet. 2:11 Take by force (only NT use)(1286)(diaseio from dia = intensifies seio = to shake - English "seismic") literally means “shake violently” and came to be used figuratively as a legal term meaning something like extort. The English slang expression “shake down” possesses the same connotation. Socrates referred to it as blackmail. It was used by the medical community to describe diseases that caused shaking and tremor.