Matthew 9:17
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Matthew 9:17
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Chapter Context
Matthew 9 is a biographical gospel chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of faith, truth, judgment. Written during the late first century CE (c. 80-90 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Written when Christianity was separating from Judaism following Jerusalem's destruction.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-38: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it provides essential context for understanding God's covenant relationship with His people. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Matthew and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Matthew 9:17
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Analysis
The second parable extends the first: 'Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved' (ουδε βαλλουσιν οινον νεον εις ασκους παλαιους ει δε μηγε ρηγνυνται οι ασκοι). 'Bottles' (ασκοι) were wineskins made from animal hides. New wine ferments, producing gas that expands flexible new wineskins but bursts old, brittle ones. The result: lost wine and ruined wineskins. Jesus teaches that new covenant realities require new forms and structures. The gospel's dynamic, expanding power cannot be contained in rigid old covenant structures. Attempting forced combination destroys both. The solution: 'new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.' Christianity requires new wineskins—new worship forms, new community structures, new theological frameworks appropriate to the gospel's revolutionary reality.
Historical Context
Winemaking was central to Jewish agricultural economy and religious life. Everyone understood fermentation and wineskin limitations. Jesus' audience would immediately grasp the illustration. The deeper application addressed Jewish Christians' attempt to retain temple worship, Sabbath regulations, dietary laws, and circumcision requirements while following Jesus. These old wineskins couldn't contain the gospel's explosive, boundary-crossing, Gentile-including reality. The book of Acts chronicles the painful process of recognizing that new covenant faith required new expressions. The church's separation from Judaism was traumatic but necessary—the new wine of the gospel required new wineskins of Christian community.
Reflection
- What are the 'new wineskins' required for gospel ministry in contemporary culture?
- How do we preserve biblical truth while allowing for new forms and methods?
- What old wineskins might contemporary churches be clinging to that hinder gospel expansion?