Christians should be able to decipher the meaning of all verses and how to respond to them. The first thing a Christian should do when studying a verse is make observations on it, then go into the four steps. The four steps are seeing, understanding, connecting, and responding. Seeing is the first step and asks the question, what does it say? Understanding asks the question, what does it mean? Connecting is the third step and asks the question, how does it relate? Responding is the last step and asks the question, So what? One of the most important topics to study in the Bible is the Sermon on the Mount. The Bible talks about fasting and laying treasures in Heaven in Matthew 6:16-24, part of the Sermon on the Mount. In those verses there is …show more content…
The first step in Bible study is seeing. The book of Matthew was written by Matthew. Matthew was one of the twelve apostles of Christ, as well as a disciple of Christ. He was also a tax collector. The Gospel of Matthew was most likely written by the Jews. Matthew 6:16-24 is spoken by Jesus towards a crowd on the top of a mountain. The crowd included people from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. Matthew was most likely written in the 50s to 60s A.D. The people in these verses include the Father (God), Jesus, the crowd, and hypocrites. In these verses Jesus is telling the crowd how to properly fast, which is by not letting their fasting be seen by others and only by God. These verses also talk about laying up treasures in heaven, and how whatever we fill ourselves with, we will receive. The last thing the verses talk about is how people can only serve one master. The second step is understanding. These verses were written by Matthew to express the glory of God as well as letting Christians know how to act. Versus 16-18 talks about fasting, and the author is saying that fasting does not change the way one …show more content…
If one does not expect praise from others, they will gain praise from God. The next few verses 19-21 talk about laying treasures in heaven which leads to not worshipping things on earth. If one gets something treasurable, place it in God’s hands, not in the world’s hands because the world is full of sin, but Heaven is full of joy and pure happiness. Wherever one places their sin, that is where their heart is, which will also be where their soul will go. Then, versus 22 and 23 say the eye is the lamp of the body and talk about how whatever one fills their eye with, their whole body will be full of that. This means, if one decides to only see God’s works and his holiness, they will be full of God’s mercy and peace. However, if someone fills themselves with worldly items and idols, they will be full of sin and darkness. This can be a true claim because it has and will always be true that the eye is the lamp of the body. The last verse talks about only serving one master, which means exactly as it says, one cannot serve two people or things at a time. Alluding to the fact that if one wants to worship God, they cannot worship anything
In this teaching, Jesus is telling us that the treasures on earth is not the same as the treasures in heaven. We should be saying don’t waste your time on the so call riches of the earth that does not provide anything that will be useful when we leave this place. God says that if your treasures are stored on earth they can be broken and stolen from thieves. However, we must also allow ourselves to be humbled, teach and help others and ourselves on the path to
In the Bible’s New Testaments the book of Matthew is of Gospels genre. In the Old Testament God appointed the people who we know as prophets. They were the ones to describe Jesus life and work. What they wrote, those things did happen during Jesus life on earth. The book of Matthew explains to everyone who doesn’t believe it that Jesus is Christ. It means that Christ is God’s King. People were told by the prophets that they will be saved by the Christ from punishment for their evil deeds. This is the book about Jesus life. It teaches what Matthew wrote in this book about what Jesus taught. It even included the speech by Jesus called “The Sermon on the Mount” in chapters 5-7. It even went on to say that many ill people were cured by Jesus, blind people were able to see again, deaf people were able to hear again and Jesus even freed people who were possessed by evil spirits. There were some people who happen to hate Jesus. Jesus was killed by those who hated him on a cross. According to the prophets they had already written that Jesus would die (Isaiah 53; Matthew 12:40). Jesus was the one to suffer all the punishment from other people’s evil deeds after his death (Matthew 20:28, Matthew 26:28).
People have to give praise to the ruler of the land, which was proved in these two passages. In the Hymn they worshipped the sun and in Genesis they worshiped God. Even in modern times, people still worship the sun and God. Many cultures and regions have their own form of god that they worship, which is essential in maintaining a solid spirit. As a worshipper, people find peace and happiness from worshipping their god. In The Hymn, they found energy and positivity when worshipping the sun. Worshiping is a form of expression and can be done at any time and any
In Matthew 24:43–25:13, it gives us a story of Jesus. We see Jesus painted as a thief in the night and as a bridegroom, both being mirrored images of Jesus as the returning King. The central message in both stories is to watch and be ready, because the day and hour of His coming are unknown. In Matthew 24:43-51, it gives a parable of two slaves, one whom is a wise and faithful servant, found caring for the master’s household (God’s people). The other is an evil servant whom beats the other slaves, lives among the world, and commits worldly acts. In Matthew 25:1-13, we find a parallel story, about ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and did not take extra oil, and five were prudent and carried extra oil for the trip. In both stories, we find the faithful understood that watching meant being properly prepared, servicing the kingdom, and knowing that Jesus will return at an unknown time. The unfaithful were not ready for the kingdom, they showed their true character, and thought they had more time. The Scriptures drops the message that one day the Lord will return as King to judge all. There will be a reward for the true servants and there will be punishment for the false servants.
The book of Matthew chapter 5 through 7 was known as, “The Sermon on the Mount”. Which were words spoken by Jesus Christ. The purpose of this Sermon was to show representation of the normative foundation of Christian Morality. For instance, this passage was more so fixated on whole hearted benevolence towards others around you and genuine devotion to God.
In Matthew, Jesus performs miracles, shares parables, and teaches the way of God. The theme of Matthew 's Gospel gives evidence to Jesus as the Messiah, the son of Abraham, the one chosen by God to deliver the people from their sins (Matthew 1:1). Which places special emphasis on Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecies – the prophecy of “the Son of David’ (Matthew 12:23).
(4) We can be happy if we are willing to suffer for what we believe is
My initial reaction to watching “ For The Bible Tells Me So” was feeling confused. I was confused because all the things I was taught was being challenged with a different point of views. Several bible verses about the acts of homosexuality that was mentioned in the movie were shedding a different light on my understanding. Also, I feeling like I can relate to a statement Chrissy Gephardt said, she knew of two things that were an abomination, suicide, and homosexuality. I was aware of those labeled abominations too but never did and depth research to see if in fact those were true statements. I felt a slight trigger of feeling sadness. I felt sad because there are so many people that base their negative decisions on how to treat LGBT people
The Bible is a large and rather confusing book of laws, parables and true stories. The most important story in the Bible, in the story of Jesus ' birth. These two passages which tell of Jesus ' birth are, especially because Christians, at least the majority of them, base their beliefs on it, along with his death. Matthew and Luke are the only two books out of the sixty-six in the bible which give detailed descriptions of the monumental event. There is the main idea in American culture that the Birth story is clear, that there are not any issues between Matthew and Luke 's stories. However, there are many conflicting facts in the two books, although most of them are easily thought, though, there are some that are a little harder to explain,
Allegedly given by Jesus, the Sermon is taken as an instruction manual for Christian living. First, Matthew 5:1, Jesus ascends the mountain to preach the sermon keeping the tradition of Moses ascending and giving sermons on Mt. Sinai to the people. Taking a closer glance at the sermon, we get the opportunity to inquire what Jesus taught his disciples, and whether he also abided by his own teachings. Jesus proclaims that the poor in spirit are blessed because they will get to the kingdom of heaven. While it does not explain spirit poorness, it can be assumed to be a general situation of sadness. While it does not explain the connection between spiritual poverty and the Heaven Kingdom, such verses have been used to calm
The author’s intent is Christological. Jesus is the Son of God. He is God amongst us. Recognized titles in Matthew include Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, King, Immanuel. In addition, “the allusions and actions of Jesus of Matthew’s Jesus also communicate his Messianic claims.”2 The Gospel functions as a teaching tool and can be used liturgically. The author of Matthew intended it to be read and for his audience to understand, be engaged in and appreciate the literary devices and references. He “did not write for bad or casual readers, but in stead for good and attentive listeners. The ancient audiences were “accustomed to retain minute textual details”.3
Matthew directed this passage toward the Matthean reader for it supplies instruction and a sense of warning to those who wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Matthew uses tension and surprise, in both form and content, to address this situation, while affirming that Jesus Christ, “God is with us,” is the defining figure around which the community’s self-understanding, imagination, and social relations are to be formed” (Saunders 871). By presenting the text in the form of a parable, the message of God’s will is omitted in a historical and cultural context that enables society to comprehend the meaning behind the words chosen by Matthew.
The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers since light can have no fellowship with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14). Of course, Christians encounter unbelievers everywhere; thus, it is difficult to avoid the unbeliever. Unfortunately, many Christian’s take the command too literally and avoid any contact with unbelievers altogether, and in the process, fail to fulfill Jesus other command to disciple all nations (Matthew 28:19). Ultimately, Paul was talking about bad company or unequally yoked relationships such as in business or marriage instead of complete avoidance of the unbeliever.
When preaching, one must stay focused on the main point and stay true to it so that the audience knows precisely where they are being led. In the lecture, both Jesus and Paul are precise in where they are leading the audience to their messages in a laser-like manner. “A major affirmation of our definition of expository preaching, therefore, maintains that ‘expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept.’ That affirms the obvious. A sermon should be a bullet, not buckshot,” shares Haddon Robinson.
Reading I is a call to those who trample upon the needy and the poor. Those who despise the poor disgrace God. In the Gospel reading, we are called to be generous with our material wealth and donate to the needy. God loves both the rich and the poor equally and He will remember all those who oppress the poor. The Responsorial Psalm explains that God takes the poor and lifts them up to sit with the princes of his chosen people.