David Claydon, “The Persecuted Church” (paper presented at the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization, October 2004). On these grounds, then, the statement of identification with the prophets as found in Matthew 5:12 would be expected, and persecution would thus be explained as a continuation of Israel’s rejection of the prophets. Stuhlmacher at least demonstrates the viability of viewing righteousness in affinity with the regnal Christ in the Pauline corpus of the New Testament. Bible Commentary for Matthew 5:10. The reasons Christians have always faced persecution and the reason they will suffer until Christ’s return is simple: Jesus Christ is the Son of God who has established the kingdom of God and now reigns in righteousness over heaven and earth. As this article has demonstrated, Christians are promised blessings only when their persecution happens as a result of Christ and his righteousness. 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. 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. 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. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Calvin pleaded with the king to recognize the injustice of the persecution and to put it to an end. Every one of us experienced the school bully sometime in our school days. This restraint on the apostles was only in their first mission. Quoting Käsemann approvingly, Stuhlmacher concludes that “the issue in justification is none other than the kingdom of God that Jesus preached.”43 Again, Stuhlmacher concludes, “For the apostle, the righteousness of God, the Christ of God, the people of God and the kingdom of God all belong inseparably together.”44. “However counterintuitive it may seem in light of popular stereotypes of Christianity as a powerful and sometimes oppressive social force, Christians today indisputably are the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often their new martyrs suffer in silence.”67 As long as Christ remains present with his people and true to himself, there will remain persecution on account of him. When men shall revile you, and persecute - The persecution mentioned in the preceding verse comprehends all outward acts of violence - all that the hand can do. In the grace of the gospel there is a slave for every sore, a remedy for every malady. As salt and light they represent and proclaim the righteousness fulfilled by Jesus … , but they do not create it themselves.”16 The kingdom is his. And discipleship includes the promise that the king will never pass away. Of course, five of the seven are in the Sermon on the Mount, and the other two occurrences concern the fulfillment of righteousness in relation to John the Baptist. As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Evangelists all around the world are easy targets for those who feel threatened by their proclaiming Jesus’s original sermon, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Pastors uphold the righteousness of Christ through the preaching of His word and, thus, are early targets of the ire of unbelievers. Formally, Matthew 5:10-12 may contain a ninth Beatitude.9 Notice that within this passage, there is a change of address. The fact of a relationship between kingdom people and persecution is visible in Matthew 5:10-12. Studia Matthew 5:10 - 'Greek New Testament: Textus Receptus (1550/1894)' traduzione - μακαριοι οι δεδιωγμενοι ενεκεν δικαιοσυνης οτι αυτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων accanto a Explanation of Matthew 5:10 e Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead translation) #122 Mar 10, 1996. Turn with me again to Matthew 5:10-12. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Having been delivered from their allegiances to other powers, the followers of Christ are now allied with him. Matthew 5:10. G. R. Beasley-Murray, “Matthew 6:33: The Kingdom of God and the Ethics of Jesus,” in. There are two groups of four, and each group ends with a reference to righteousness. The three aspects of Christian persecution are (1) Christ; (2) Christ’s kingdom; and (3) his righteousness. Structurally, the righteousness which abides in the kingdom abides first in the person of the king. Both Moses and Jesus: • Are threatened in infancy by the edict of a wicked ruler (Exodus 1-2; Matthew 2:13-15). Resume Prayer. Instead, they build on the statement, “for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” maintaining that the persecution is not related primarily to Christ, his kingdom, or his righteousness. In other words, the dikaiosunē in view in Matthew 5:10 is the same dikaiosunē in view throughout the Sermon on the Mount. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in The king/kingdom come first, then the righteousness—though the two are integral and cannot be divided, again explaining 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”. Matthew 5:10-12. The concern of Matthew is the righteousness of God. Another thousand years after Augustine, in the time of the Reformation, John Calvin was also compelled to defend Christians against the charges brought against them (and the persecution those charges fueled). 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. Further, his work shows that there are pertinent questions relating to suffering and rewards. Jesus fulfilled the prophets and the Law in the righteousness of God. Read verse in New International Version Christ is surely referred to as a prophet throughout the gospel of Matthew (13:53-58; 14:5; 16:14; 21:11; 21:46).61 Nevertheless, as Repschinski has said, “The confession of Peter (16:16) makes it clear that the crowd’s appraisal of Jesus as prophet is inadequate.”62 Though one may rightly argue in a minimalist sense that Christ is pictured as a prophet throughout Matthew, he would have to agree that Christ is also pictured as something more than a prophet. This shows that Jesus expected that their righteous lives would be lived after His example, and in honor to Him. In short, persecution is present and on the increase. Elijah was asked if it was not he who was troubling Israel (1 Kings 18:17). Countless questions such as this can be answered better with more study on the precise nature of Christian persecution. In verse 10, the persecution is on account of righteousness (heneken dikaiosunēs), and in verse 11 it happens because of Christ (heneken emou, [“because of me”]), “for following Jesus is the path of righteousness.”11 Continuing with this notion that Christ, kingdom, and righteousness remain inseparable in Matthew, Christ speaks in chapter 6 with authority on behalf of the kingdom of heaven and promises rewards from the Father in heaven. These meteorological metaphors picture the trouble to come, at least partially referring to persecution. Was Hammond a troublesome meddler or a faithful disciple? 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Either way, the text could, in fact, be saying that in the instance of persecution the followers of Christ are acknowledged to be in some way akin to the prophets. The short summary of what has been shown thus far is that Christ (and regnal righteousness) is the cause of the persecution, while the obedient display of Christ’s righteousness provides the occasion for it. Matthew uses the improper preposition in 7 verses: Matt 5:10, 5:11, 10:18, 10:39, 16:25, 19:5, 19:29. Matthew 5:10 » Matthew 5:9. by Grant | Apr 1, 2008 | Matthew | 5 comments. Who is Jesus? Christ’s presence—regnal and righteous—will continue to offend individuals and authorities, thus ensuring the continued persecution of his followers. If Q 6:23 is read as comparing but not equating Jesus’ followers with the prophets its value as evidence for a Deuteronomistic interpretation of persecution is somewhat limited.”60. 5:10 For righteousness' sake - That is, because they have, or follow after, the righteousness here described. Instead, they persecute it (5:10; 10:17). Pray, tell me how many calamities befell the world and particular cities before Tiberius reigned—before the coming, that is, of Christ?3, Like Tertullian before him, Augustine, the famous Bishop of Hippo, was compelled in his own day to offer a similar defense of the faithful. QL 6:23]—argue that the persecution is not regnal in nature. 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. Matthew 8:10, 13; 9:2, 22, 28-29; 15:28; 17:20; 21:21-22, 32. Matthew 5 Resources. because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Along this line of inquisition, the reader may notice, too, that Przybylski does not explain the shift from third person to second person in Matthew 5:11. Christ, his kingdom, and his righteousness prove ultimate in explaining why there exists this perpetual propensity for Christians to face persecution. A further study of Matthew 5:10-12 explains why—from the beginning—there has always been this on-going expectation of persecution for the follower of Christ. Perhaps not. In the preface to his Institutes, Calvin implored King Francis to realize that the doctrines being taught by the Reformers were biblical doctrines. One can imagine the immense array of instruction needed with regard to persecution by simply considering the work of preachers, pastors, and evangelists. Deines, Not the Law but the Messiah, 83, utilizes this description of Christ’s followers. Kingdom of God (Matt 6:33; Mark 1:14, 15 Luke 4:43) = "kingdom of Christ" (Matt 13:41; 20:21) = "kingdom of Chri... Persecution The first great persecution for religious opinion of which we have any record was that which brok... To Get the Full List of Definitions: Sign Up or Login. Read Introduction to Matthew “ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” 5:9 “ Blessed are the peacemakers, Peacemakers are instruments of peace. Now that the church has extended its witness of Christ for 2,000 years past Paul, we can affirm this same reality throughout history. The original houtōs gar ediōxsan tous prophētas tous pro humōn may be read appositively, “For thus they persecuted the prophets, the ones before you,” although the text does not mandate such a reading. (Matthew 5:17-48) Wealth and Provision (Matthew 6) Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread (Matthew 6:11) Store Your Treasure in Heaven, Not on Earth (Matthew 6:19-34) Moral Guidance (Matthew 7) Recall the structure of the Beatitudes. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. " The mention of the prophets in Matthew 5:10-12 and Matthew 23:34-36 serves not so much to make the statement that the followers of Christ are in the line of prophets officially. for righteousness sake: Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. See the companion article in this Journal issue for an overview of persecution around the world. Most scholarship focuses on martyrdom without first addressing persecution. Hopefully, the article will also stir others to continue the long Christian heritage of defending the righteous against the persecutions they suffer. Matthew 5: Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 2011. The inclusion of Abel in the list is clearly an indication that prophets as such are not as important to the author as is the righteousness they represent. In other words, Jesus lets his followers know he is not telling them something that will be happening “out there” to some group of future Christians in some generic sense. In this view, righteousness in Matthew is framed not so much by the literature of the Old Testament—and certainly not by post-Reformation, Pauline interpretations of the term; rather, the framework for righteousness is found in the inter-testamental Dead Sea Scrolls and Tannaitic literature, which reflect significant development from the Old Testament. The apostle Peter wrestled with this question in his own day (1 Pet 4:14ff.). 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. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. His demand for righteousness is still unbearable to the unbelieving heart. The person to whom the persecution is ultimately linked is neither the persecutor nor the one being persecuted. On the basis of this righteousness, Jesus will administer the justice of the kingdom (Matt 7:21-23; 25:31ff.). 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). Thus, a substantial analysis of that passage is necessary for any who would wish to understand more fully the dynamic of Christian persecution. Matthew 5:10, blessed are the persecuted 5:10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 5:10 WEB) Matthew 5:10-12 Commentary. In a very similar way, Matthew 5:10-12 also asserts that the Christ of God, the people of God, and the righteousness of God all belong inseparably together. The perfect passive participle dediōgmenoi in v. 10 (who have been persecuted) may well be an indication that at the time of Matthew’s writing this persecution was already a reality for some in the community of faith. In this view of Matthew 5:10-12, persecution exists as a retaliatory action against the Christ of regnal righteousness. On the one hand, the outlook of pursuing righteousness provides the occasion for drawing attention to the manner in which Christ’s authority is represented in the life and actions of his followers. (NIrV) Misc 1. The translation of heneken emou, “because of me” or “on account of me,” in Matthew 5:11 demonstrates the regnal righteousness dynamic of persecution in three ways. The line of continuity is drawn from one generation of the righteous to the next—not from one line of prophets to another. Matthew 5:10–12 10 f “ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness ’ sake , for u theirs is the kingdom of heaven . Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Ton’s view of kingdom rewards ends with a turning of attention away from the work of Christ toward the work of his followers—none of whom proved completely trustworthy along the way.74 Nevertheless, Ton’s work is similar to the conclusions of this study in two significant ways. In their persecutions on account of him, the followers of Christ are promised blessings. From this dynamic, it begins to appear more clearly that persecution is a hostile action—violence or slander—undertaken in response to the revelation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This quote is taken from Jervis, “Suffering for the Reign of God, 315. The result of such a focus is to move the conversation too quickly to the question of whether the dead Christian was a martyr. 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 world despised and rejected Jesus when he first walked the earth, and the world (as the Lausanne Conference notes) remains hostile to him still. The disciples are first called to Christ (4:19) then given instructions for obedience. 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. 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. How do you reconcile this seeming contradiction? The Christ of Matthew came preaching the kingdom, too (Matt 4:17). Matthew 5:10. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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. 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. Matthew 5:10-12, then, is the first place in the New Testament which offers an explanation of why followers of Christ will suffer persecution. Roland Deines has made such a case for understanding righteousness as passive in Matthew and not related exclusively to demand.33 Deines argues, “Starting from verse 5:17, righteousness, which is at the same time demanded and presupposed in verse 20, means a new reality that is possible through Jesus and—because it is available from now on—also necessary for entering the kingdom of God.”34 While Deines still understands a role for demand, his demand is quite unlike Przybylski’s. The text may just as well be translated, as the NASB translates it, “the prophets who were before you,” a more generic, chronological reading. Matthew 5:10 - "Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The argument is maintained that the Old Testament framework of Israelite rebellion and prophetic rejection is still being played out in the saga of first-century persecution. Little wonder, then, that those who practice and thus are persecuted for righteousness in Matthew 5:10 are promised that they have the kingdom of heaven. All rights reserved. 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. Warren Carter, “Matthean Christology in Roman Imperial Key: Matthew 1:1,” in. 11 Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Christians have been (and remain today) a persecuted people. Therefore, any definition of Christian persecution derived from Christ’s instruction in the Sermon on the Mount will need to take account of the reigning righteousness of Christ. mstair on August 27, 2015 at 7:56 am “This beatitude may therefore serve as a compass for American voyagers desirous to … Gundry does not answer these questions. The authority possessed by Christ is regnal authority. This much scrutinized verse contains part of Jesus' teachings on the issue of divorce Text. 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. Actions in obedience to the regnal Christ become a threat to other dominions and powers aligned against the righteous, reigning Christ. There is no spiritual disease, but there is power in Christ for the cure of it. ‘ 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. Significantly, the followers of Christ are never said to be in the line of the prophets in the Sermon on the Mount. 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. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (NASB).”. 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. Consequently, persecution persists against Christ. If persecution depended upon the obedience of Christ’s disciples, there may never be a blessing given, considering that all of the disciples failed to demonstrate allegiance consistently, whether it were Peter rebuking the Lord (16:22) or all of the disciples faltering in faith (17:20). Christ’s followers are referred to as “disciples” (5:1); as “the salt of the earth” (5:13); and as “the light of the world” (5:14), but never are they called prophets. Is Przybylski correct in asserting that the absence of dikaiosunē in didactic, disciple-only contexts proves that Matthew’s gospel hopes to transition from dikaiosunē to disciple? 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. And so, the persecution comes against those who trust Christ and therefore are seeking his kingdom and his righteousness. Matthew 5:10-12. Strong's Concordance reveals that "persecute" (Greek dioko) means "to pursue, follow after or press toward." Dec 7, 2015. Again, not all scholars agree that this regnal framework is what is being taught in Matthew. Q 6:23) could be taken to refer to the followers of Christ as prophets. After a full consideration of these conditions, Jervis finds they do not obtain. Deines understands (as has been asserted throughout this paper) that the righteousness in question relates inextricably back to Jesus himself. Scott Cunningham takes this verse as the title for his exploration of the persecution theme in Luke-Acts. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven - They have evidence that they are Christians, and that they will be brought to heaven. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,[ a] ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel[ b] have I found such faith. For instance, G. W. Bowersock has tried to demonstrate that the Christian ideal of martyrdom has been adopted largely from the Roman-Imperial context out of which it originally arose.68 Likewise, A. J. Droge and J. D. Tabor have sought to define the Christian martyrdom tradition contextually, utilizing the Roman “Noble Death” concept to explain the Christian’s willingness to die.69 Robin Darling Young sought to demonstrate that contextualization resulted in the formation of martyrdom as public liturgy,70 while Daniel Boyarin has sought to prove the derivation of Christian martyrdom from a somewhat synergistic struggle for identity with ancient Judaism.71 Candida Moss has argued that the entire martyrdom history is actually a myth.72 Each of these studies is indicative of the literature extant related to persecution. 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.”. 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