Matthew 4:23

And Jesus went about all Galilee,.... Having called four of his disciples, he took a tour throughout Galilee; a country mean and despicable, inhabited by persons poor, illiterate, vile, and wicked: such had the first fruits of Christ's ministry, and messages of his grace; which shows the freeness, sovereignty, and riches, of his abounding goodness. He went about "all" this country, both upper and nether Galilee, which was very populous: Josephus says (l), there were two hundred and four cities and towns in it; he means, which were places of note, besides villages.

The Gospel of the kingdom - The Gospel, that is, the joyous message, is the proper name of our religion: as will be amply verified in all who earnestly and perseveringly embrace it.

All Galilee - See the notes at Mat 2:22. Synagogues - Places of worship, or places where the people assembled together to worship God. The origin of synagogues is involved in much obscurity. The sacrifices of the Jews were appointed to be held in one place, at Jerusalem. But there was nothing to forbid the other services of religion to be performed at any other place.

In point of officers and mode of worship, the Christian congregations are modelled after the synagogue. and preaching the gospel of the kingdom--proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness--every disease. and all manner of disease among the people--every complaint. The word means any incipient malady causing "softness."

We have in these verses the beginning of our Lord’s ministry among men. He enters on his labours among a dark and ignorant people; he chooses men to be his companions and disciples. He confirms his ministry by miracles which rouse the attention of “all Syria”, and draw multitudes to hear him. Let us notice the way in which our Lord commenced his mighty work. He “began to preach.” There is no office so honourable as that of the preacher. There is no work so important to the souls of men.

We have in these verses the beginning of our Lord’s ministry among men. He enters on his labours among a dark and ignorant people; he chooses men to be his companions and disciples. He confirms his ministry by miracles which rouse the attention of “all Syria”, and draw multitudes to hear him. Let us notice the way in which our Lord commenced his mighty work. He “began to preach.” There is no office so honourable as that of the preacher. There is no work so important to the souls of men. It is an office which the Son of God was not ashamed to take up. It is an office to which he appointed his twelve apostles. It is an office to which St. Paul in his old age specially directs Timothy’s attention—he charges him with almost his last breath to “preach the Word.” ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ) It is the principal means which God has always been pleased to use for the conversion and edification of souls. The brightest days of the church have been those when preaching has been honoured; the darkest days of the church have been those when it has been lightly esteemed. Let us honour the sacraments and public prayers of the church, and reverently use them; but let us beware that we do not place them above preaching. Let us notice the first doctrine which the Lord Jesus proclaimed to the world. He “began to say, Repent.” The necessity of repentance is one of the great foundation stones which lie at the very bottom of Christianity. It is a truth which needs to be pressed on all mankind without exception. High or low, rich or poor, all have sinned, and are guilty before God; and all must repent and be converted if they would be saved. It is a truth which does not receive the attention it deserves.

THE ministry of our most blessed Lord bears upon its own countenance the stamp of the Truth of God. "He taught as one having authority and not as the Scribes." Whatever His enemies might lay to His door, I do not find they were ever able to summon audacity enough to impeach His correctness, or suspect His sincerity. We believe that Jesus Christ's sermons were their own witnesses—the words He uttered had in them so much power to convict the conscience, that there would have been willfulness sufficient for the condemnation of the men who rejected His ministry—even though it had notbeen attended with supernatural credentials. Nevertheless, our Lord and Master—that unbelievers might have no cloak for their sin—was pleased to supplement His teachings with His miracles, so that the works which He did, as well as the words which He spoke, might bear witness of Him, that He came forth from God. Those miracles were to the men of that generation, the sign and seal and warrant, that Jesus was really sent of the Father. Let us mark here, my Brothers and Sisters, how very different were the seals of Jesus' ministry from those which were given by Moses. When it was demanded of Moses to prove whether he was sent of God or not, he took the wonderworking rod in his hand and achieved prodigies; but if you will remember, they were all miracles of judgment—not of mercy.

THE ministry of our most blessed Lord bears upon its own countenance the stamp of the Truth of God. "He taught as one having authority and not as the Scribes." Whatever His enemies might lay to His door, I do not find they were ever able to summon audacity enough to impeach His correctness, or suspect His sincerity.

Teaching in their synagogues - Synagogue, συναγωγη, from συν, together, and αγω, I bring, a public assembly of persons, or the place where such persons publicly assembled. Synagogues, among the Jews, were not probably older than the return from the Babylonish captivity. They were erected not only in cities and towns, but in the country, and especially by rivers, that they might have water for the convenience of their frequent washings. Not less than ten persons of respectability composed a synagogue; as the rabbins supposed that this number of persons, of independent property, and well skilled in the law, were necessary to conduct the affairs of the place, and keep up the Divine worship. See Lightfoot. Therefore, where this number could not be found, no synagogue was built; but there might be many synagogues in one city or town, provided it were populous. Jerusalem is said to have contained 480. This need not be wondered at, when it is considered that every Jew was obliged to worship God in public, either in a synagogue or in the temple. The chief things belonging to a synagogue were: 1st. The ark or chest, made after the mode of the ark of the covenant, containing the Pentateuch. 2dly. The pulpit and desk, in the middle of the synagogue, on which he stood who read or expounded the law. 3dly. The seats or pews for the men below, and the galleries for the women above. 4thly. The lamps to give light in the evening service, and at the feast of the dedication. 5thly. Apartments for the utensils and alms-chests. The synagogue was governed by a council or assembly, over whom was a president, called in the Gospels, the ruler of the synagogue. These are sometimes called chiefs of the Jews, the rulers, the priests or elders, the governors, the overseers, the fathers of the synagogue. Service was performed in them three times a day - morning, afternoon, and night. […]