[July 28, 2022: There have been some changes made to this post. For more information, read the Editors’ notes at the bottom of the post. Editors.]
Puzzling passages in the New Testament are illuminated by the notes which are in The October Testament.
The October Testament is the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. It is published by Baruch House Publishing.
I’ve been reading my copy of The October Testament for many months now and I can assure you that the notes often help me understand things that have troubled me for years. They illuminate things I had not seen before. They naturally and seamlessly iron out false teachings I have imbibed over my years as a Christian. They quicken my love for God. I try to read at least one chapter of the New Testament every day. As I read The October Testament with its notes, I’m often moved to praise God with awe and gratitude.
Let me say it again: the notes in The October Testament are spiritually uplifting and illuminating.
You can read the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible at BibleGateway for free — but that won’t show you all the marginal and end-of-chapter notes that are included if you purchase it for yourself.
The only reason I am writing this post is because I believe if you purchase and read your own copy of The October Testament, it will help you grow and be stronger spiritually. And I want to give a celebratory shout-out about how wonderful the notes are.
I get no kickback. The ACFJ website gets no kickback. For options of how to buy The October Testament go to Baruch House Publishing (Book Store).
Examples of the notes in The October Testament, to whet your appetite
Here are a few passages from the October Testament. Each passage of Scripture is shown as an indented quote followed by the note that goes with the passage in purple (not indented). After some of the purple notes I have added a comment of my own, in black.
Pray continually. (1 Thess 5:17)
a) Like a man in prison ever desires to be delivered, whether he be eating drinking or sleeping, and like someone who is sick desires always to be whole, so every true Christian prays continually — yea, even when he seems not to pray. For prayer consists not in much babbling (Matthew 6:7), but in spirit and truth (John 4:23, 24), and in the vehement desire of the heart towards God.
I think many of us have felt guilty for not praying continually. I can easily get bogged down in scrupulosity and self-condemnation about the fact that I don’t pray without ceasing. I was greatly comforted by this note in The October Testament. It reassured me that prayer is not just mouthing or mentally wording prayers in my head with the consciousness that ‘right now, at this moment, I am intentionally speaking to God’. Prayer is in spirit and truth and in the vehement desire of the heart towards God.
Quench not the Spirit. (1 Thess 5:19)
The Spirit, by whom we believe in Christ and consent to the law, is quenched by wrong living and lewd communication.
Do not despise prophesying. Examine all things, and keep that which is good. (1 Thess 5:20-21)
Examine all teachings.
Servants, be obedient to your carnal masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ — not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with good will: serving the Lord, and not men. (Eph 6:5-7)
Eye-service: the action of an ‘eye-servant,’ who only works when under the master’s eye.
This note on ‘eye-service’ reminds me of abusers. When they want to deceive church leaders, or beguile their next target, abusers show their Christian persona. They can show lots of ‘good works’, but all their good works are a performance for the onlookers. They are not serving the Lord with their works, they are serving their own malignant agendas.
I beseech you, brethren, to mark those who cause division and give occasion to evil, contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught, and avoid them. For such people do not serve the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own interests, and with sweet preaching and flattering words deceive the hearts of the simple and unlearned. For your duty to listen extends to all men. (Romans 16:17-19a)
Paul would have the lay people to be learned, able to judge the prophets, [pastors, priests, teachers], and to heed them only according to true knowledge.
If you are a victim of intimate partner abuse, this note encourages you to learn so you are not easily browbeaten and intimidated by false prophets / pastors / priests / teachers. You don’t have to heed people who are in ‘roles of authority’ if they are not speaking according to true knowledge.
….what are the people who are baptised over the dead doing, if the dead do not rise at all? Why are they then baptised over the dead? (1 Cor 15:29)
a) Some men say that, in token of the general resurrection, certain Christians were baptised over dead men’s graves, signifying that they would rise again.
In the era when Paul was writing his epistle to the Corinthians, it seems that some Christians were baptised over dead men’s graves. Perhaps these early Christians chose to be baptised in such a location because any unbeliever who happened to be watching the baptism would be provoked to think about their eternal destiny.
An extraordinary juxtaposition would be dramatised before the eyes of the unbeliever: the person buried in this grave died in their sins and faces eternal judgement, but the person being baptised over this grave is saying that there is forgiveness of sin and everlasting life in Jesus Christ!
The unsaved onlooker witnessing such a baptism might be provoked to speak to Christians to find out why and how Jesus can give eternal life mortal men.
[July 28, 2022: Editors’ notes:
—For some comments made prior to July 28, 2022 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be an exact match.
—For some comments made prior to July 28, 2022 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be found in the post.
If you would like to compare the text in the comments made prior to July 28, 2022 that quoted from the post to the post as it is now (July 28, 2022), click here [Internet Archive link] for the most recent Internet Archive copy of the post.]
***
Further reading
William Tyndale discusses faith in his Prologue to the Book of Romans
God’s Spirit and his fruit – holy hypocrites have not once known nor yet tasted how sweet they are
A Cry For Justice 
Barbara, you not only get no kick-back, you contribute in every way possible to this work. You gain not, but only give — which is great gain in the kingdom of heaven.
I know your feelings:
That was how I felt when I discovered the 1537 Matthew Bible, and I knew the world had to have it again. It breathes the holiness and sweetness and righteousness of the Holy Spirit, and nourishes up the Christian reader in all that is good and true.
Thank you for all that you do.
^That.
From the original post:
I have used both the online and paperback New Matthew Bible over the last many months, untwisting Scripture and their meanings I had not know were twisted.
As time passes and healing progresses, I find I am able to read more of my Bible, the notes, and other expositions.
I have listened to sermons providing in-depth heart-and-mind information, re-writing untwisted chapters and / or verses on my heart.
Many Christians / “C”hristians have their legalistic method(s) for healing spiritual abuse, method(s) which can often become another form of spiritual abuse.
The Holy Spirit has patiently led me on my journey.
I need to learn His patience. 🙂
I, too, have a copy of the New Matthew Bible (New Testament) and agree that the notes in it are a blessing. 🙂
I also like its layout and format: nice sized pages; and clear, easy-to-read print and helpful spacing, ‘paragraph-ing’. A nice change from or addition to reading online study Bibles.