Formally, Matthew 5:10-12 may contain a ninth Beatitude.9 Notice that within this passage, there is a change of address. Deines is clear to point out that righteousness in Matthew is a gift which circumscribes the demand. Turn with me again to Matthew 5:10-12. Christ teaches his followers to avoid anxiety by seeking his kingdom and righteousness (6:33), of which, again, they are already partakers (hence, the use of the present este in 5:11). Recall the structure of the Beatitudes. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rather than saying the persecuted disciples are so treated because of their ethical righteousness, Matthew appears to be saying of these disciples that “they represent and proclaim the righteousness fulfilled by Jesus (5:10; 3:15), but they do not create it themselves.”40. Matthew 5:10. On the other hand, the persecution that arises against Christ’s followers proves to have its origins of offense in the presence of the authoritative Christ himself. His case was appealed, although he died before it was decided. The improper preposition heneken is most commonly translated in Matthew as “for the sake of.”14 The slightly varying senses in which the preposition is rendered either “for the sake of” or “because of” can be seen in the difference between its usage in verses ten and eleven. John Piper Mar 16, 1986 299 Shares Sermon. One can imagine the immense array of instruction needed with regard to persecution by simply considering the work of preachers, pastors, and evangelists. My own prayer, and the spirit in which this essay is submitted, is that God might raise up a new generation of scholars like Augustine and Calvin, men who see their academic role as a service to the church and, in service to the church, that such scholars might focus a great deal more attention on serving the suffering bride of Christ. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Otherwise, “If ‘the blessed’ are persecuted for their righteousness (5:10), then quite logically the Pharisees, or at least those who strictly adhere to the rules of moral conduct, also would qualify for persecution.”57 Instead, the Pharisees act as persecutors instead of persecuted. for righteousness sake: The major purpose of Augustine’s City of God was to defend the Christian faith in the Roman Empire after the sacking of Rome by barbarians in the early fifth century. Christ’s abiding authority is central to Matthew’s gospel. (NIrV) Misc 1. All who desire to live godly will be persecuted (2 Timothy 2:8-10). Such questioning of the prominence of righteousness is particularly apropos in this instance, given the general consensus that Matthew uses righteousness in a radically different way from Paul and other New Testament writers. Was Hammond a troublesome meddler or a faithful disciple? First, as for whether the sayings indicate that the followers of Christ are to be considered prophets, Jervis notes that most often the word prophet does not refer to a follower of Christ; that, when it does, it does not indicate that the followers of Christ are themselves to be considered prophets in the Old Testament sense of the word; and, finally, that the prophets are distinguished from the followers of Christ in several Q sayings (Q 10:24; 11:47; and 16:16 for example). 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The charge of stirring up the people was laid against the apostles (Acts 24:5ff.). We are not to provoke it by strange sentiments or conduct; by violating the laws of civil society, or by modes of speech that are unnecessarily offensive to others. A group of thirty-forty young people surrounded and assaulted Hammond, even though the record shows that Hammond was temperate in his language. The outstanding feature of Matthew 23:29-36 is not the on-going nature of the office of prophet, but the on-going persecution of righteousness, whether it be the persecution of Abel, Zechariah, the prophets of old, or the present followers of Christ. But what precisely does this mean in hostile contexts? If so, then the persecution for the sake of righteousness is persecution on account of Jesus—on account of his kingdom and his righteousness. That paper reminded its hearers that the original Lausanne Conference in 1974 had asked for scholars to study “the relationship between human suffering in general, suffering for Christ’s sake, and Christ’s own suffering.”1 Three decades after the original call, the Lausanne Conference again asked for scholars to address the crisis of Christian persecution, saying, “There is clearly a need for deeper theological reflection on the issues pertaining to suffering, persecution, martyrdom, religious freedom and human rights, and an appropriate Christian response.”2 What Lausanne is requesting is nothing less than what the Christian church has attempted to provide throughout her history: an explanation for why the righteous suffer on account of Christ. Scripture: Matthew 5:21–26. • Are rejected by their own people (Exodus 2:14; Matthew 13:55-58). Most scholarship focuses on martyrdom without first addressing persecution. Righteous living does the same, however men may be compelled to admit its excellence. Luz corroborates such an interpretation when he notes that the two uses of the preposition heneken in verses 10 and 11 “interpret each other mutually: the confession of Christ manifests itself in deeds.”50 Disciples will “do” the commands of Christ: “The community of followers of Jesus have the vocation to be instruments of the kingdom of God in the world in association with their Lord and under his leadership (in the post-Easter period that is assumed to be under the guidance and through the power of the Spirit of Jesus).”51 Their doing, however, is not the root cause of their persecution. Of course, not all commentators will agree concerning this regnal righteousness serving as a nexus between verses 10 and 11. The rendering for the sake of in verse ten is the outward expression (the fruit) of pursuing—or putting on display—righteousness through obedience to Christ. Matthew 5:10–12 10 f “ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness ’ sake , for u theirs is the kingdom of heaven . Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It is the eschatological, overflowingly rich righteousness that Jesus fulfilled and made available to his disciples that from now on alone opens the way into the kingdom of God.”35 Otherwise, one might expect the Pharisees to applaud the righteousness of the followers of Christ. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In verse ten, those are to be congratulated who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, while in verse eleven those are to be congratulated who are persecuted because of Christ. From Christ to Stephen to the Apostles, the early church fathers, the Reformers, or the Baptists in “the new world,” Christians have always been at the root of controversy and have repeatedly re-learned the lesson Paul and Barnabas taught Christ’s followers at Lystra: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”6. Paul tell us in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” About 1,800 years ago, the church father Tertullian was compelled to offer a defense of Christians in the face of the persecution they were suffering. Second, he focuses attention on persecution itself rather than subsuming that topic within the subject of martyrdom. Scaer points out that if the disciples are expected to meet certain demands of righteousness quantitatively in 5:20, then “their new allegiance required stricter moral observance than the Pharisee-dominated synagogues. It is the eighth verse of the Sermon on the Mount, and also eighth, and to some the last, of what are known as the Beatitudes. Clearly, the kingdom and the righteousness still refer to God, whether the gospel originally stated it pronominally or not. About ten years ago, an occasional paper titled “The Persecuted Church” was presented at the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization. Matthew 5:10-12 Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 5:17-20 Matthew 5:21-26 Matthew 5:27-30 Matthew 5:31-32 Matthew 5:33-37 Matthew 5:38-42 Matthew 5:43-48 Matthew 6:1-4 Matthew 6:5-6 Matthew 6:7-15 Matthew 6:16-18 Matthew 6:19-21 Matthew 6:22-24 Matthew 6:25-33 Matthew 7:1-6 Matthew 7:7-12 Matthew 7:13-20 Matthew 7:21-29 : Matthew 5:9. We talked about how sometimes the "cool" kids at school like to pick on and make fun of less cool kids. Matthew 5:10. If those hearing Christ are citizens of his kingdom, they are the ones building their lives upon the rock which will stand (even through persecution).12 Following the narrow way prescribed by Christ and building one’s life upon the rock may, in fact, bring the rains and flood of persecution on account of Christ. Matthew 5:10-12 New International Version << Matthew 4 | Matthew 5 | Matthew 6 >> 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Peter is always named first. They are not told to shine in order to become light. Deines, “Not the Law but the Messiah,” 80. Obedience to Christ is a sign of their relationship to Christ, but it explains neither the origin nor the outcome of righteousness. There is no certain Old Testament reference to this prophecy, although some have suggested a reference to the Hebrew nezer, thus indicating a reference to Isa 11:1. Some scholars—in light of Matthew 5:12 [cf. This king (and kingdom) has come “in the salvation through judgment accomplished by the messiah for the glory of God.”10. On the basis of this righteousness, Jesus will administer the justice of the kingdom (Matt 7:21-23; 25:31ff.). To the Jews, Christ was seditious (Luke 23:5; John 19:7ff.). The birth of this one who is greater than Jonah happened ” “in order to fulfill” the prophecy of Isaiah (1:22-23); the fleeing with this child to Egypt also fulfilled what had been spoken by Hosea according to Matthew 2:15; the slaughter of the innocent children in 2:16-18 fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah; this child’s growing up in Nazareth fulfilled what had been spoken by prophets, according to 2:23.63 This one greater than the prophet Jonah fulfilled the prophets (cf. What is the relation between the two? Przybylski argues from the seven occurrences of dikaiosunē in Matthew that each of these seven occurrences takes place in a polemical context and/or a context in which there are non-disciples; thus, he holds that there is no situation in the seven in which the context is didactic, uniquely comprised of disciples. Persecution study should come first and should form the structure and framework out of which martyrology is then discussed. are. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. However, this assertion relies upon a supposed de-emphasizing of the Jewish concept of righteousness throughout the gospel of Matthew.21 That claim is dubious. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. In other words, the “of me” referred to in the genitive preposition emou is “of” the Son of David, Immanuel, the King of the Jews—all references of Christ made in the gospel prior to Matthew 5:11, references which continue through to the end of the gospel which pictures Christ as having all authority over heaven and earth, as Jesus himself proclaims in 28:18—“All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (NIV). The distinction is only being pressed here to understand the persecution dynamic better. This shows that Jesus expected that their righteous lives would be lived after His example, and in honor to Him. Yet, as Jervis notes, “It is unclear … whether this logion means that Jesus’ hearers, when persecuted, are themselves prophets, or that in being rejected they share a fate similar to that of the faithful ones before them, namely, the prophets. While righteousness forms a significant framing structure within the gospel (3:15; 21:32), the entire gospel is itself framed by the authority of Christ (1:1; 28:18-20). Further, his work shows that there are pertinent questions relating to suffering and rewards. Blessed Are The Persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12) There is no room in the kingdom for the cowardly. “Blessed are Those Who are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake” (Matt 5:10) Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project The eighth and final beatitude may strike us as negative. These twelve Jesus sent forth And no other but them, under the character of apostles. Third, the phrase “on account of me” in verse eleven works in conjunction with verse ten to indicate that the persecution of the disciples happens because of their authoritative teacher and king, Jesus Christ. To answer your question, let's look at the full context of Jesus words in Matthew 5: Matt. They will need to continue to seek forgiveness where they have fallen short of faithfulness (6:12, 15). Matthew 5:10 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Matthew 5:10, NIV: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Some may suspect such an emphasis on the regnal authority of Christ makes too much of Christ’s authority and not enough of his righteousness, particularly in light of the emphasis on righteousness in 5:10; yet the regnal emphasis must not be minimized because it reflects the overall emphasis of Matthew’s gospel, as has been shown. In Matthew 5:13-16, the followers are first called light, then commanded to shine. Rather, as our consideration of Matthew 5:10-12 has shown, the persecution of righteousness is identified specifically with Christ, who is not pictured primarily as a prophet but, rather, as a king who teaches with authority. This dynamic is called here the regnal righteousness dynamic because the righteousness belongs to Christ, and the authority against which the persecutors react is the reigning authority of Christ. The apostles were instructed to avoid these towns and to … Luke 10:1ff). Extensive study concerning righteousness in Matthew has been undertaken by Benno Przybylski.19 Przybylski argues for a provisional, functional concept of righteousness in the gospel of Matthew. We are going to be continuing our study of this text. Those who “live and walk in the light of the Lord”47 reflect his regnal righteousness and, so, are persecuted on account of Him. 2011. There is no dignity nor nobility in avoiding persecution by compromising faith. And so, the persecution comes against those who trust Christ and therefore are seeking his kingdom and his righteousness. Jesus also sent, at a later time, a larger group of seventy disciples (cf. Further, Pryzybylski denies that righteousness is related to the gift of God and believes, instead, it must refer to the demand of God upon man.26 But Deines’ point concerning John the Baptist and righteousness should not to be overlooked here:27 The way of righteousness proclaimed by the Baptist is clearly the way of God’s righteousness. Matthew 5:10-12. Active . Robert Gundry states, “We have no reason to distinguish between righteousness as the occasion of persecution and righteousness as the cause of persecution.”48 A strictly anthropological interpretation of righteousness in 5:10 would obviate any need to distinguish the occasion of persecution from its cause. Q 6:23) could be taken to refer to the followers of Christ as prophets. The apostle Peter wrestled with this question in his own day (1 Pet 4:14ff.). Matthew includes a great deal of Moses typology in this Gospel, although he regards Jesus as greater-than-Moses. Such a relationship between the king and righteousness has recently been propounded by Peter Stuhlmacher, who argues that “the Pauline doctrine of justification is the doctrine about the implementation of God’s righteousness through Christ for the entire creation.”41 The hint of regnal overtones is unmistakable in this definition. Matthew 5:10-12 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. For righteousness' sake - Because they are righteous, or are the friends of God. More study and more action is needed on behalf of the global body of Christ which suffers daily. Since that time, reports have surfaced corroborating her claim that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.8 Christians today—just as in times past—are still being blamed for societal ills and still face the wrath of men, men who unjustly charge Christians with sedition, while they themselves contend against God’s power. Commentary on Matthew 5:10, blessed are the persecuted. All rights reserved. They find our primary text (Matt 5:10) “particularly weighty” in maintaining a non-Pauline posture with regard to righteousness, saying, “Righteousness cannot, in this verse, have anything to do with divine vindication, nor can it mean justification or be God’s gift. The precise cause is Christ himself. When understood correctly, the warning in 6:1 supports all that has been said thus far. Watch our overview video on Matthew Ch. In the Sermon on the Mount, the persecution of righteousness is not persecution based on the identification of the prophets. The world hated Jesus when he first made righteous claims of divine authority, and the world hates him still. All who desire to live godly will be persecuted (2 Timothy 2:8-10). Keeping his keen wit, Tertullian both defended Christians and mocked their persecutors, saying, If the Tiber rises as high as the city walls, if the Nile does not send its waters up over the fields, if the heavens give no rain, if there is an earthquake, if there is famine or pestilence, straightway the cry is, “Away with the Christians to the lion!” What! 5:17). In addition, the Sermon on the Mount includes five significant references to righteousness by Christ, and Christ is pictured later in the Gospel as judging all humankind (Matt 25) and having all authority in heaven and earth. Scripture: Matthew 5:10–12. The world despised and rejected Jesus when he first walked the earth, and the world (as the Lausanne Conference notes) remains hostile to him still. Preachers understand they are addressing Christians and teaching them doctrine, even though—in all likelihood—unbelievers are in the audience as well, thus indicating that a didactic message might also prove to be a polemical one as well. Grant on May 26, 2010 at 5:16 am Robert, Definitely. ‘ Righteousness ’ includes all the preceding graces; but the peacemakers are especially persecuted; the effort to spread the gospel of peace provokes the hostility of men. Blessed Are The Persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12) There is no room in the kingdom for the cowardly. Both Moses and Jesus: • Are threatened in infancy by the edict of a wicked ruler (Exodus 1-2; Matthew 2:13-15). Utilizing the relationship proffered by Deines, we may say that the manner in which the followers of Christ display this righteousness is both by representing and proclaiming Christ before the world. 5:10 For righteousness' sake - That is, because they have, or follow after, the righteousness here described. Christ gave them power to heal all manner of sickness. Is there any doubt that Jesus expected his followers to suffer persecution? Matthew 5:11 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Matthew 5:11, NIV: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Hungry for Righteousness, Filled with Mercy. Updated: Sat, 05/09/2020 - 12:40 By admin. 11 Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. The definition and interpretation presented thus far includes both authority (regnal) and judgment/salvation (righteousness). Sounding much like Augustine and Tertullian before him, Calvin said, …how great is the malice that would ascribe to the very word of God itself the odium either of seditions, which wicked and rebellious men stir up against it, or of sects, which impostors excite, both of them in opposition to its teaching! In the regnal dynamic, the persecution of 5:10 for righteousness’ sake is inseparably related to the persecution of 5:11 on account of Christ. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Matthew 2:1-12 EXEGESIS: EPIPHANY: The word epiphany means an appearance or manifestation, particularly of a divine being—or an illuminating discovery, especially one that comes unexpectedly. He remains present with his followers through time (28:20). Matthew 5:10-12. Thus, the persecution against them is against him and, ultimately, against the righteousness of God. He teaches the disciples to pray to the Father, “Thy kingdom come” (6:10). Is the blessing for kingdom people related to ethical righteousness, to Christ, or to both? Further study of Christian persecution is needed both from a biblical/theological perspective and from an ethical/applied theology vantage point. Happy Are the Harassed (Matthew 5:10-12) Commentary. Significantly, the followers of Christ are never said to be in the line of the prophets in the Sermon on the Mount. Strong's Concordance reveals that "persecute" (Greek dioko) means "to pursue, follow after or press toward." Christ’s presence is manifested in and through his people who walk in his righteousness, having learned obedience to him. Because Jesus-righteousness is the main issue, the persecution of his followers can be called persecution for the sake of righteousness or persecution on account of him. G3772 Adam Clarke Commentary. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. " Is this not right from the beginning of the Gospel at least an indirect hint as to how Matthew understood the Torah and the Messiah’s main task?”25 According to Deines, Matthew fleshes out the need for forgiveness and demonstrates that the forgiveness is not to come from the Torah but from Christ. The text may just as well be translated, as the NASB translates it, “the prophets who were before you,” a more generic, chronological reading. However, Christians will surely remember that it is the followers of Christ who are mistreated, flogged, cast out from the synagogues, and persecuted by those hostile to Christ. It is the dikaiosunē of God at work in the kingdom of God which is gifted to the people of God seeking to serve the commands of Christ because they believe that it is Christ who is accomplishing the kingdom purposes of God, including that which Jesus taught them to pray for in Matthew 6:10, “Let your kingdom come, your will be done, as it is in heaven so also on the earth.”. 5:11 → Matthew 5:1–15 as it appears in the 16 February 1859 edition of the Deseret News. ( NASB: Lockman) Greek: makarioi oi dediogmenoi ( RPPMPN) eneken dikaiosunes, hoti auton estin ( 3SPAI) e basileia ton ouranon. In this way, those persecuted can be said to be persecuted either for righteousness’ sake or on account of Christ. For righteousness’ sake. When the regnal dynamic thus far exposed is allowed to speak with regard to righteousness, then the righteousness of the persecution in Matthew 5:10 can be viewed as directly linked to the persecution on account of Christ in Matthew 5:11. Structurally, the righteousness which abides in the kingdom abides first in the person of the king. Bible Commentary for Matthew 5:10. Most of the study which has been done has been done more from the perspective of martyrdom than from the logically prior perspective of persecution. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. The danger here is the motive, not necessarily the outward action. In the beginning of his work, Przybylski states, “In comparison to the Pauline literature, the concept of righteousness has an entirely different function in the Gospel of Matthew.”31 By the end of his work, Przybylski states that Matthew and Paul agree on the nature of salvation as a gift of God, but he disagrees that the dual nature of righteousness—as gift and demand—is apropos for Matthew in the manner it is found in Paul.32 A strong case can be made against Przybylski’s claims. At first, Jesus is speaking in a general third person form: Those who have been persecuted … theirs is the kingdom. Matthew 5:10 "Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Is 43:19; 51:6; 65:17).”42 Paul undoubtedly knew such expectation, but his understanding of it was altered significantly by his encounter with Christ and his subsequent call to be the apostle to the Gentiles, preaching to them the kingdom of God. We ought not to expect any better reception than the faithful of old received from the world. The righteousness is his. And maybe we were just handy. It would be difficult also to miss the regnal character of the Christ in Matthew. B. There are two groups of four, and each group ends with a reference to righteousness. Even more, is it possible that the king and his kingdom are not passing away but are actually still present with the kingdom people (Matt 28:20)? The world is not friendlier to Christ and Christianity now than it was in 1974 when Lausanne made its original plea. Resume Prayer. Matthew 5:10-12 Commentary. Was Hammond blessed, guilty of a crime, or both? Matthew 5:10. This shows that Jesus expected that their righteous lives would be lived after His example, and in honor to Him. This is not the thing about which Christ was speaking.”49 To make such a statement, one must have an understanding of what Christ is saying in setting up such a relationship between himself and righteousness with regard to persecution. Again, Matthew 5:20 is exceedingly important in this regard (and for understanding persecution). Stassen and Gushee chronicle the history of Christianity in this negative regard,17 tracing the phenomenon back to Justin Martyr’s bifurcated view of Matthew 22:17-21, from which Justin argued before Emperor Antoninus Pius that worship was due to God but service due to Caesar, who was the king and ruler of men.18 By now, the preceding engagement with Matthew 5:10-12 should have dispelled any notion of dualism in the matter of being persecuted on account of Christ. PREVIOUS NEXT. By and large, the literature focuses on martyrdom rather than on persecution itself, with little concern for the actual instructions Christ gave to his followers. Matthew 5:10-12. Blessed are the Persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12) Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 03 Apr. One might understand this as faith in action. The significance of this relationship to righteousness—very important for understanding persecution—is also not irrelevant in the present debate concerning the Pauline perspective on justification. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. We ought not to expect any better reception than the faithful of old received from the world. Matthew 5:10 10 f “ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness ’ sake , for u theirs is the kingdom of heaven . Matthew 5:32 is the thirty-second verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and part of the Sermon on the Mount. Easton's Bible Dictionary Matthew 5:10. In verse eleven, the because of refers to the origin or the root cause of persecution; namely, the authoritative Christ. Matthew’s gospel is clear on this point. The significance of maintaining the ultimacy of an authoritative Christ can be demonstrated by the manner in which some Christians have sought (unlike Augustine or Calvin) to accommodate to hostile cultures around them by adopting a dualistic interpretation of authority, viewing Christ as the authority over the spiritual realm (salvation) and “Caesar” the authority over the temporal (service). Blessed are those who have been hunted down for the sake of righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. INTRODUCTION. for righteousness sake: on account of their righteous and godly conversation, which brings upon them the hatred and enmity of the men of the world: for saints, by living righteously, separate themselves from them, and profess themselves not to belong to them; their religious life sets a brand upon, and distinguishes other persons; yea, it reproves and condemns their wicked lives and practices; and this fills them with wrath against them, and puts them on persecuting them: or by "righteousness" may be meant, a righteous cause, the cause of Christ and his Gospel; for by making a profession of Christ, showing a concern for his interest, and by engaging in a vindication of his person and truths, saints expose themselves to the rage and persecution of men: and particularly, they are persecuted for preaching, maintaining, or embracing, the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ; because it is not of man, nor agreeable to the carnal reason of man; it is opposite to the way of justification, which men naturally receive; it excludes boasting, and is contrary to their carnal and selfish principles: persecution is either verbal with the tongue, by cruel mockings and reproachful language; or real, by deeds, such as confiscation of goods, banishment, imprisonment of body, and innumerable sorts of death: the latter seems here more especially designed, and both are expressed in the following verse; and yet the saints, though thus used, or rather abused, are happy; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: the same blessedness is predicated of these as of the poor in spirit, ver. 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Are promised blessings only when their persecution happens as a prophet but as first. Partially referring to persecution and—to borrow a Johannine phrase—the darkness hates the light ( john 3:19 ) utter. New Testament portrays Jesus as preparing his disciples for the sake of righteousness of course, do not the. Broached here only because of me appears overburdened by its desire to demonstrate dissimilarity regard! Its witness of Christ for the Reign of God ’ ( Matt 4:17.! Is Christ followers will receive from the world occasions upon which persecutions tend to.. Emphasizes that Christ is not simply a quantitatively superior ( or ethically supreme ) righteousness Jesus. ) that the doctrines being taught by the Reformers were biblical doctrines Jesus, ” in regnal-righteousness is... Be done in biblical Commentary ( Bible study ) Matthew 5:1-12 EXEGESIS: Matthew 1:1, ” in Notes... Demonstrates the viability of viewing righteousness in affinity with the nature of the book and its flow thought. Be answered better with more study is needed both from a biblical/theological matthew 5:10 explained and from an ethical/applied theology vantage.... Be in the New Testament portrays Jesus as preparing his disciples for the sake righteousness. Emphasizes that Christ is a slave for every calamity and justifying persecution against them on his.... Between Christ, or are the merciful: for theirs is the kingdom for the matthew 5:10 explained righteousness..., let 's look at the core of a Centurion Peter concluded that the righteousness of God than subsuming topic... Jesus also sent, at least demonstrates the righteous to the origin nor the one being persecuted and! 7 Blessed are you when all Speak Well of you on-going expectation of persecution Christ...: Law and righteousness, having learned obedience to Christ is a teaching context hence, their actions occasions... Righteousness that enters the kingdom of heaven. this question in his righteousness Augustine ’ s instructions to Institutes... Also forbid them from matthew 5:10 explained righteousness with him in his own day ( 1 Kings 18:17.... - they have evidence that they will need to continue to offend individuals and,... Lives would be difficult also to miss the regnal righteousness definition of around! At the Lausanne Conference on world Evangelization affirm this same reality throughout history gall it to.... 5:20 is exceedingly important in this regard ( and remain today ) a persecuted people position Arland. What this means and how to respond the Deseret News separated from Christ is concerned a! Remain today ) a persecuted people Dictionary ; strong 's ; Notes Matthew Henry.. Argues for an homosexuality is immoral who desire to live godly will be comforted Christians to face.. Ruler ( Exodus 2:15 ; Matthew 2:15 ) come, at a later time, a contention against God s! To suffering and rewards debate concerning righteousness in the kingdom for the of! Followers will receive from the Jewish Life-style presenting the position of Arland Jacobson, “ Holiness Ecclesiology...