Matthew 4:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

NIV: Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

NASB: Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

CSB: Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

NLT: Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.

KJV: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

NKJV: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Matthew has described how Jesus added four disciples to His team, and He will introduce others later in his book. Now, though, Matthew dives into the content of Jesus' ministry: what He did, how He did it, and why.

Jesus' earliest ministry remained focused on Galilee, where He lived in the northern region of Israel. Scholars suggest there were 200 or more villages and towns located in the region of Galilee. The population may have been upwards of 300,000 people.

Many towns had their own Jewish synagogue. This would have been used as a local gathering and worship center apart from the main temple in Jerusalem. Ruins of synagogues have been found in Israel and other places in the ancient world with large Jewish populations. It was common for worship in the synagogue to include preaching from various rabbis who wished to speak. This gave Jesus, and later Paul, a natural way to introduce Himself and His message in a new community. Jesus and His disciples traveled from place to place, likely keeping an exhausting schedule. Jesus' message everywhere He went was the "gospel of the kingdom." "Gospel" means "good news," and that good news was that God was bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.

Jesus did not stop at preaching, however. He verified His claim to be the Messiah by supernaturally meeting the needs of the people. This included miraculously healing diseases and afflictions of every kind. These blessings of healing and relief from suffering showed that Jesus really was the bringer of the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 4:23–25 describes Jesus' ministry all around the region of Galilee. He and disciples travel from place to place. Jesus teaches in the synagogues and proclaims the good news to all that the kingdom of heaven is near. He also displays the power of the kingdom by healing people with every kind of affliction, including diseases, demon possession, and paralysis. Jesus quickly becomes famous, drawing huge crowds of followers from every direction.

Matthew 3 ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus following His baptism. Now the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness to endure tempting by the devil after 40 days of fasting. Jesus demonstrates His sinlessness by resisting all temptations. He begins His ministry in the region of Galilee, settling in Capernaum and calling some disciples to follow Him. Jesus' work in Galilee includes traveling from place to place, proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near and healing every kind of affliction. He soon becomes famous, drawing huge crowds from great distances.

Matthew 3 ends with a great affirmation from the voice of God the Father: Jesus is His Son. Immediately after that, God's Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for a time of temptation by the devil. Jesus passes that test and then begins His ministry in the region of Galilee. Jesus begins to call His disciples and travel around the region. He teaches in the synagogues and heals people with every kind of affliction. Jesus' fame grows quickly. This provides Him a large audience for the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew begins to record in chapter 5.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.