When you’re physically hungry, the desire to eat is so overwhelming you can hardly think about anything else. Jesus is counting on that experience in this beatitude. The truly fortunate ones long for that which is missing in this life which only the kingdom of God can fulfill: holiness.
While Matthew 5:5 is probably the most famous beatitude, not many people understand what it means. Jesus does not explain what he means by “meek”, but he is quoting Psalm 37 which gives us a very big clue.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for pure or clean: καθαρός
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for inherit, kléronomeó, κληρονομέω.
Mourning is the appropriate emotional response to being poor in spirit. When you realize that life is not what it should be and you are not the kind of person you should be, the appropriate response is to weep over it.
Even if you’re using an interlinear Bible, it’s helpful to understand the basic punctuation marks and accents.
Over the course of biblical history, the children of Israel were challenged, threatened and conquered by several other ancient empires. Understanding something about those empires can inform your biblical understanding.
We thank all those now serving and pray for their safety and blessing. We are grateful.
1st major section done! Deep dive into the beatitudes. Tell me what you’ve learned from the Gospel of Matthew so far. I’ll include a few favorites in next month’s email. (This should be fun!)
Scripture records the deaths of only 2 apostles: James (Acts 12:1-2) and Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:5). Most of what we know about the deaths of the other apostles comes from early christian writers and church tradition. Most scholars think the Apostle John is the only apostle who died of natural causes. The exact dates are unknown, most are estimates.
Unlike those who are self-satisfied and see themselves as spiritually rich, the poor in spirit know that they are morally bankrupt and nothing in this world can give them what they truly need. This knowledge is a core conviction of saving faith.
Despite the popularity of podcasts today, many people don’t know how to get started listening. Don’t be embarrassed! Ironically, because there are so many different ways to listen, getting started is confusing. Anyone can click on a YouTube video or google a website, but where do you find podcasts? Here are some tutorials.
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.