Reasoning Through the Bible

How much faith does it take to move a mountain?
In Matthew 17, Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration and encounters a desperate father whose son has been suffering terribly. The disciples had previously been given authority to cast out demons, yet this time they cannot help him. Jesus uses their failure to teach about “faith like a mustard seed.”
Glenn and Steve examine what that phrase actually means, why moving a mountain should be understood as figurative language, and why Christian faith should never become faith in our own ability to produce a miracle. The power belongs to God.
The study also looks at why some Bibles include Matthew 17:21 while others place it in brackets or a footnote, Jesus’ repeated prediction of His death and resurrection, the coin found in the fish’s mouth, and why Jesus willingly paid a tax He did not technically owe.
Then the discussion moves into Matthew 18, where the disciples ask who will be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus answers by placing a child before them and teaching about conversion, humility, childlike trust, and the serious responsibility of protecting those who believe in Him.
Matthew 17:14–18:6 | The Book of Matthew — Session 35
Questions discussed in this session include: 
Is God’s acting in our lives dependent on our faith? 
What do we do when we have problems we cannot overcome?
What does Jesus say we must do to enter the kingdom?
What does it mean to have childlike faith? 
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What did Jesus mean when He said that some standing with Him would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom?
Matthew 17 immediately follows that statement with the Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, where His hidden glory is suddenly unveiled. His face shines like the sun, His garments become white as light, Moses and Elijah appear, and the Father speaks from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son… listen to Him.”
Glenn and Steve discuss why the end of Matthew 16 flows naturally into the Transfiguration, what Moses and Elijah represent, why Peter wanted to build three tabernacles, and what the Father’s command tells us about the unique supremacy of Christ.
They also examine Jesus’ teaching about Elijah and John the Baptist, why the cross was never “Plan B,” and how the Transfiguration anticipates the future kingdom while reminding believers that Christ can transform us even now.
Matthew 16:28–17:13 | The Book of Matthew — Session 34
  Questions discussed in this session include:
What can we determine by Jesus’ glory?
What details are in this passage that tell us this is true history and not a religious myth? 
Has Elijah already come and restored all things? 
What does Jesus do when He sees the disciples have great fear?  
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You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

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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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

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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You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

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? 
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve