“Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”
Immediate Context
Jesus has just finished giving the parables of Matthew 13. He then asks His disciples:
“Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.”
— Matthew 13:51
Then He gives Matthew 13:52 as a final lesson about those who have been taught kingdom truth.
The verse is especially directed to the disciples, who had received understanding that the unbelieving multitudes did not receive. They were being trained to teach others.
“Every scribe”
A scribe was a man learned in the Scriptures. Among the Jews, scribes were known for copying, studying, and teaching the law.
But Jesus is not praising the unbelieving scribes as a class. Many scribes opposed Him. Here He speaks of a scribe “which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven.” That means a man trained by Christ’s truth, not merely by religious tradition.
In application, this points to a Bible teacher, preacher, or instructed disciple who has been taught the truth of God’s Word and is responsible to minister it faithfully.
“Instructed unto the kingdom of heaven”
This means he has been taught concerning God’s kingdom program, especially the truths Jesus has just revealed in Matthew 13.
The disciples had known Old Testament kingdom promises, but now Christ was teaching “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”:
“Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
— Matthew 13:11
These “mysteries” did not cancel the Old Testament promises to Israel. Rather, they revealed truth about the kingdom during the time of Israel’s rejection of the King.
“Like unto a man that is an householder”
The householder is the master of a household. He has responsibility over his storehouse and brings out what is needed.
This pictures the faithful teacher of Scripture. He does not invent truth. He draws from the treasure already given by God.
“Out of his treasure”
The treasure is the truth of God’s Word. A preacher or teacher must have a storehouse filled with Scripture.
This is why a man who teaches must study, compare Scripture with Scripture, and rightly divide the word of truth.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God…”
— 2 Timothy 2:15
A shallow man has little to bring out. A faithful man stores up truth from the Word of God and gives it wisely to others.
“Things new and old”
This is the key phrase.
The old things refer to truths already revealed in the Old Testament: God’s promises, the kingdom, the Messiah, righteousness, judgment, and Israel’s prophetic hope.
The new things refer to truths Christ was now revealing in the parables: the mystery form of the kingdom, the mixed conditions during the King’s rejection, the spread of the word, the presence of true and false profession, and the final separation at judgment.
Jesus’ disciples would need both. They were not to throw away the Old Testament. Neither were they to reject the new revelation Christ was giving them.
A faithful Bible teacher brings forth both:
Old truth rightly understood.
New truth revealed by Christ and later through the apostles.
Doctrinal Importance
Matthew 13:52 teaches that God’s revelation is harmonious. The new does not contradict the old. Christ’s teaching fulfills and expands what God had already given.
From a conservative Baptist dispensational position, this verse also warns against two errors:
First, rejecting the Old Testament as though it has no value for believers today.
Second, confusing Israel and the Church by failing to rightly divide Scripture.
The disciples were being trained to understand both the Old Testament promises and the new kingdom truths revealed by Christ.
Practical Application
A preacher, teacher, or serious Bible student should be like this householder. He should have a well-stocked treasury of Scripture.
He should not live on novelty, emotion, or man’s opinions. He should not merely repeat tradition without understanding. He should bring out the truth of God’s Word in its proper place, giving people what they need.
Matthew 13:52 is a call for Bible teachers to be instructed, balanced, faithful, and discerning.
In plain terms: the Lord wants His servants to know the Scriptures deeply enough to bring forth both established truth and newly revealed truth, without contradiction, confusion, or compromise.
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0
No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?
Comments are closed