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Sisyphus
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
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Location: United Kingdom, Not Europe....
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 Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject: The Beatitudes - The Sermon on the Mount |
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Each of the Beatitudes presents a situation in which the person described would not be described by the world as "blessed", yet Jesus declares that they truly are blessed, and they are blessed with a blessing that outlasts any type of blessing this world has to offer.
The first of the eight characters of blessedness is perhaps the most important.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:3 (KJV)
In the above scripture, the Greek word from which "poor" is translated is "ptochos", which means to be as a beggar or pauper living off alms that are begged for. By poor in spirit, Jesus does not mean to be weak, unenlightened or ignorant, but rather the opposite.
Jesus means one who is enlightened. Such a one relies utterly on God for everything, like a beggar with his cup held out. A person who lives life with this attitude will attain the kingdom of heaven. Such a person is totally bankrupt and has no 'self' left. There is no "I" or "me" that imagines itself to be in control of anything. For one who has made the ultimate sacrifice of his own 'self', only God is in control.
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luke 9:23-24 (KJV)
Jesus is saying that if we try to save our 'self' we will lose life eternal.
In India, monkeys are captured by placing a few nuts in the bottom of a jar with a narrow opening. The opening is large enough for the monkeys hand to go into the jar but narrow enough to prevent pulling the hand out if it is laden with nuts. The monkey reaches in, grabs a hand full of nuts and then refuses to let go and escape even as he screams and cries piteously at the approach of his captors. So too, we refuse to let go of our 'self' and escape into the boundless bliss of God.
Jesus is telling us again and again, to abandon the self centered ego and the illusion that we are in control, and in so doing, we will gain the kingdom of heaven.
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".... love thy neighbour as thyself." is the hardest thing I have ever done.... |
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Nancy
Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 1097
Location: Illinois, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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Well done,Sisyphus. A study of the Beatitudes would be splendid 
Question: What was the original language of the oral Bible. It wasn't written down originally was it? Wouldn't Jewish be the language of Jesus+the disciples? Why do we look to the Greek+Hebrew?
I'm the literal one here, + now I'm finding from other posters I shouldn't read the Bible literally!  I don't know what to think about it all now....sigh 
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You O Lord are the potter, I am the clay,the work of Your hands. |
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Sisyphus
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 2142
Location: United Kingdom, Not Europe....
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Nancy wrote: |
Question: What was the original language of the oral Bible. It wasn't written down originally was it? Wouldn't Jewish be the language of Jesus+the disciples? Why do we look to the Greek+Hebrew?
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Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) conquered the Middle East in about 332 B.C. or over 300 years before the time of Jesus Christ, so the common language of the conquered peoples inherited by the Latin speaking Romans was the "koine" form of Greek.
| Quote: | "Alexander's short reign marks a decisive moment in the history of Europe and Asia ... it spread Hellenism in a vast colonizing wave throughout the Near East and created, if not politically, at least economically and culturally, a single world stretching from Gibraltar to the Punjab, open to trade and social intercourse and with a considerable overlay of common civilization and the Greek "koine" as a lingua franca. It is not untrue to say that the Roman Empire, the spread of Christianity as a world religion, and the long centuries of Byzantium were all in some degree the fruits of Alexander's achievement."
ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA (vol. 1, p. 576, 1973): |
This led to the translation of the Old Testament into Koine Greek (as opposed to classical Greek of the philosophers) in the Septuagint (LXX) in Alexandria in the middle of the third century B.C.
| Quote: | "NT Koine is not simply the everyday Greek of an Eastern people in the first Christian Century; its religious vocabulary derives ultimately, not from the Greek world, but from the Hebrew world of the OT through the medium of LXX Greek."
Interpreter's DICTIONARY of the BIBLE |
The situation in NT times was that the Jews used the ancient Hebrew when reading their prayers and scrolls in the synagogue, but needed a modern Koine Greek translation to understand what they were reading. Most quotations in the NT from the OT are from the Greek LXX which explains some of the differences in wording between the Hebrew and the Greek in our present day translations.
The Jews of NT times spoke Aramaic at home and in conversations. Aramaic was similar to Hebrew and Arabic. In business life and official writings they used the common Koine Greek that all peoples in the area used for hundreds of years. They actually thought and talked in at least two or three languages. The Roman occupiers of the Holy Land at that time spoke Latin and Greek. Evidence of the three languages used in that time is found in the New Testament itself in the Gospel of John.
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
John 19:19-20 (KJV)
There are other evidences such as "talitha cumi", little girl arise, and "maranatha" Lord come, in Aramaic. These show that the people were multi-lingual. Greek was the main means of communication but the heart language of the people was Aramaic. The language of formal worship was Hebrew, most likely with Aramaic interpretation and explanation. The New Testament and Gospels, which were written for Jews scattered all over the Mediterranean world were naturally written in the common language of Koine Greek so that all could understand and benefit.
Koine Greek was much more expressive and more easily translated into western Latin based languages and so the entire world benefited.
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".... love thy neighbour as thyself." is the hardest thing I have ever done.... |
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keepingthefaith
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. |
I find that seems to make the feel good Gospel obsolete.
I don't know how far Christ meant to go by denying oneself but I would say He meant all the way which is extremely difficult to do.
The cross represents suffering, would you say He meant us to suffer daily for Him or would you say it was something else? |
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Covenanter
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 1446
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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Our Assyrian Iraqi refugees claimed that their language was the language used by Jesus.
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May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21) |
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Covenanter
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 1446
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Nancy wrote: | Well done,Sisyphus. A study of the Beatitudes would be splendid
Question: What was the original language of the oral Bible. It wasn't written down originally was it? Wouldn't Jewish be the language of Jesus+the disciples? Why do we look to the Greek+Hebrew?
I'm the literal one here, + now I'm finding from other posters I shouldn't read the Bible literally! I don't know what to think about it all now....sigh |
I would hate to put you off reading the Bible. What I seek to show is that Old Testament prophecy looks forward to the coming of Jesus, & his saving work. Keep in mind questions like, what does this teach me about Jesus, and, how should I put this teaching into practice?
Sis quoted this Scripture:
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luke 9:23-24 (KJV)
The account of David & Goliath is a straightforward story which stands as literal truth without interpretation, but, what does it teach us about Jesus, when we realise that Jesus was the promised King in David's line? THe whole army was in terror of the Philistines, & powerless under King Saul. David trusted in the power of God, & went out as Israel's champion, risking his life for the people. He triumphed & because of his single handed triumph, delivered the nation. How does that relate to Jesus? Are we called to step out in faith as David did?
_________________
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21) |
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Covenanter
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 1446
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:20 am Post subject: |
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The Lord Jesus tgaught from the Old Covenant Scriptures, relating them to himself & the New Covenant.
The Beatitudes begin with a reference to Isaiah 57:
15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
_________________
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21) |
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maria
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:41 am Post subject: |
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Mathew 5:5 this is one we used a lot as JWS,
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
how will they do that? |
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Sisyphus
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 2142
Location: United Kingdom, Not Europe....
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| maria wrote: | Mathew 5:5 this is one we used a lot as JWS,
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
how will they do that? |
The meek marries nicely with the poor in spirit from the original post.
This promise to the meek is also found in Ps 37:11;
11 Those who are gentle and lowly will possess the land; they will live in prosperous security.
Psalm 37:11 NLT
The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else.
The people listening to Jesus on the mount were full of hopes that, as Messiah, Jesus would fulfill their martial spirit, by overthrowing the Romans and leading them to world-wide conquest. But the earth was not to be subjugated to him by force.
Those who were meek and forbearing should receive what the arrogant and selfish grasp after and can never get.
| Quote: | “Man the animal has hitherto possessed the globe. Man the divine is yet to take it. The struggle is going on. But in every cycle more and more does the world feel the superior authority of truth, purity, justice, kindness, love, and faith. They shall yet possess the earth”
Henry Ward Beecher. |
The meek shall inherit it in two ways: 1. They shall enjoy it more fully while in it. 2. They shall finally, as part of the triumphant church, possess and enjoy it.
There is also here a reference to complete possession to be fulfilled in the new earth in Daniel and Revelations:
27 Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. They will rule forever, and all rulers will serve and obey them."
Dan 7:27 NLT
10 And you have caused them to become God's Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth."
Rev 5:10 NLT
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".... love thy neighbour as thyself." is the hardest thing I have ever done.... |
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Sisyphus
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 2142
Location: United Kingdom, Not Europe....
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| keepingthefaith wrote: | | Quote: | | 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. |
I find that seems to make the feel good Gospel obsolete.
I don't know how far Christ meant to go by denying oneself but I would say He meant all the way which is extremely difficult to do.
The cross represents suffering, would you say He meant us to suffer daily for Him or would you say it was something else? |
I believe you are right Anne, you have to deny yourself totally, and yes, it is unbelievably difficult to do. You have heard others and may have experienced yourself the joy of union with God in prayer. Imagine the joy of union with God 24/7. That is the goal and that is the reward also.
I don't believe Jesus requires us to suffer but he is telling us that we will suffer in denying self in order to follow Him.
We enhance our 'seperateness' from God by clothing our selves in colourfull robes of identity such as a name, age, nationality, food preferences, race, social status and political persuasions etc etc. These trappings of self identity are impermanent and will crumble away.
Our identification with them often leads us to reject others because they don't look like us, or act like us, or don't believe as we do. Their differences threaton our self-ordained identities, creating a reaction of fear and distrust.
Paul Says:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:28 NIV
Consider this.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree in the garden thou mayest eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Gen 2: 16-17 KJV
The self, or the sense of being separate, is "the knowledge of good and evil".
In order for something to be good or evil there must be an individual "I" or "self" to reference as the subject of good and evil.
Therefore, eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil is the birth of self and the death of innocence. Prior to eating the fruit in the garden man lived in innocence. The dying that surely comes in the last three words of this scripture is not the death of the physical body. If that was the case, Adam and Eve would have died the same day they ate the fruit, but they did not. This kind of dying is the death of innocence caused by the arrival of the self. Since the self and the attachments that clothe it are impermanent, we experience death again and again as we struggle vainly to cling to the perishable and the impermanent. The fruit of this self-centred being is bitterness, sorrow and suffering. As we follow Christ and draw nearer and nearer to Him these impermanent things fade away and mean less and less to us, we suffer loss and death of self again and again.
This in essence is the suffering we must endure in the denial of self, taking up of the cross and the following of Christ.
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".... love thy neighbour as thyself." is the hardest thing I have ever done.... |
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maria
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Psalm 37 was another one we used on the doors. |
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Sisyphus
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 2142
Location: United Kingdom, Not Europe....
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| maria wrote: | | Psalm 37 was another one we used on the doors. |
I work with a JW and today when I mentioned the meek shall inherit the earth, he immediately quoted Psalm 37.....
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".... love thy neighbour as thyself." is the hardest thing I have ever done.... |
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maria
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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Sis,
They would because they think they will inherit the earth if they make it through Armageddon, |
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maria
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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Sisyphus
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 2142
Location: United Kingdom, Not Europe....
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Maria, but I don't witness to JW's.
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