Category Archives: Bible Study Tools

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Sermon on the Mount, Part 4

blessed are the poor in spirit

Why does Jesus bless the poor in spirit?

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. –Matthew 5:3

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.   –Luke 6:20

Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with eight remarkable beatitudes. The first is the most important because it introduces the other beatitudes and puts them in their proper context. And the first beatitude is distinctive in another way: while the other beatitudes speak of being filled with something, the first one is about becoming empty. God cannot fill us with his Spirit if we are already filled with something else.

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The Sermon on the Mount, Part 3

group of people on a mountain at sunrise

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called God’s children.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3–12

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and insult you and slander your name, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
Luke 6:20–23

Jesus begins the sermon with a series of paradoxical statements that are both shocking and memorable. But his pronouncement of who finds favor in God’s eyes confuses the crowd–Jesus’s words are contrary to what they have been taught all their lives. The people of Israel believe wealth and power are signs of God’s approval, but Jesus paints a radically different picture. He blesses those who depend solely on God and condemns those who trust in themselves.

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The Sermon on the Mount, Part 2

cross on top of a mountain

The Good and Beautiful Life

When taken at face value, the Sermon on the Mount is opposed to much of what passes for Christianity today. The lifestyle Jesus prescribes is incompatible with the kind of life most Christians want to live. Church history tells a two-thousand-year-old story of how the sermon has been manipulated, marginalized, and ultimately neutralized. Karl Barth, the twentieth century’s most influential theologian, echoed Martin Luther (the sixteenth century’s most influential theologian) when he said, “It would be sheer folly to interpret the imperatives of the Sermon on the Mount as if we should bestir ourselves to actualize these pictures.”

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Old Testament Commentary Reviews: The Minor Prophets

Open Bible with glasses sitting on top of it, commentary reviews

Old Testament Commentary Reviews:

The Minor Prophets

The Old Testament is made up of thirty-nine books that are traditionally divided into five groupings:

  • The Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
  • The Historical books (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1/2 Samuel, 1/2 Kings, 1/2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther).
  • Poetry & Wisdom writings (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs).
  • The Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel).
  • The Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).

Thousands of commentaries have been written about these books, and it’s easy to become confused because these resources are written to various audiences. Choosing the “best” will depend upon the kind of analysis you desire. My recommendations are divided into the three most common categories:

  • Devotional/Introductory–the primary focus is application of the Word and growing in Christ. Lots of “how to” questions are answered.
  • Pastoral/Intermediate–these commentaries also contain application but are more information oriented. Some go deep into the history or cultural background of the text, while others pay more attention to linguistics. Lots of “what does it mean” questions are answered. Useful for any Christ follower and especially helpful to those who teach.
  • Technical/Advanced–primary value is to teachers and advanced students. Some technical commentaries focus on textual criticism (the reliability of the text), while others address linguistics (the text itself). Lots of minutiae. These commentaries contain Hebrew text (sometimes transliterated, sometimes not) and require familiarity with Hebrew to extract their full benefit, but even those with no knowledge of the language will find these commentaries useful.

Single Commentaries on the Twelve

There are three good one-volume commentaries on the Minor Prophets–one devotional/introductory, one pastoral/intermediate, and one technical/advanced. Individual commentaries on the Twelve books provide more complete coverage, but many will find that one-volume on the Minor Prophets meets their needs.