Neville Goddard on Matthew 4:3-10 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 4 in context

Scripture Focus

3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Matthew 4:3-10

Biblical Context

The passage records three temptations of Jesus: hunger by turning stones to bread, testing God by leaping from the temple, and gaining kingdoms by worshiping Satan. Jesus answers each with 'It is written,' showing a pattern where inner conviction overrides outward proof.

Neville's Inner Vision

Temptation in this reading is not a distant plot but a shifting state of consciousness within you. The stones-to-bread temptation reveals hunger born of separation—believing life depends on the body's needs and external supply. The pinnacle moment exposes the impulse to prove safety by outward signs, a demand that God perform through you in the world. The final offer of kingdoms shows the lure of power, to rule by clever deity or ritual rather than by relation to the I AM. Jesus answers with words that proceed from God, signifying that the script of your life is written not by circumstances but by inner conviction. In Neville’s language, the tempter is your old self clinging to lack; the real scene is the silent Word within you, the I AM, which remains untouched by appetite, fear, or ambition. When you align with the Word and feel it as real, you do not defend or deny; you revise your sense of identity until the world reflects your inward state. The kingdom you seek exists as awareness, here, now, when you choose to worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: Sit quietly, assume the feeling 'I AM' as your only reality, and revise any lack by imagining supply flowing from within; hold the conviction that the word of God sustains you.