Study of the sermon on the mount. Matthew 5:12 can you add any relevant scriptures or comments ?

Question

Matthew 5:12 ....Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

See Habakkuk 3:18...yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Also Luke 6:23, Acts 5:41, Romans 5:3.

Hebrews 11:6....And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

1 Chronicles 36:16....But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

James 5:10&11....10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

See Matt 23:30, Acts 7:52, 1 Th 2:15 , Heb 11:37 .

Comment.

1. We may lose everything on earth, but we

shall inherit everything in heaven—not as a reward for merit, however, because ‘the

promise of the reward is free.’ Partly because persecution is a token of genuineness,

a certificate of Christian authenticity, for so men persecuted the prophets who were

before you (Matthew 5:12). If we are persecuted today, we belong to a noble

succession. But the major reason why we should rejoice is because we are suffering,

he said, on my account (Matthew 5:11), on account of our loyalty to him and to his

standards of truth and righteousness. Certainly threatened by the Sanhedrin, ‘they

left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer

dishonor for the name (Acts 5:41). They knew, as we should, that ‘wounds and hurts

are medals of honor.” (John Stott, Sermon on the Mount, pp. 52)

2.Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven)

The term used to describe God's rule over the world through his power and the exercise of it. The term does not usually refer to a time or place in history. Frequently in the gospels the use of the term suggests that the kingdom is external and in the future, although "close at hand." Jesus (in Matthew 4:17) spoke of the kingdom as being "in your midst."

Is the comment 1 above right , why or why not ?

Is comment 2 right , why or why not ?

If comment 2 is correct what is the point of great rewards in heaven ?

Have i missed any thing important ?

Can you add any relevant scriptures or comments ?

Answer 1

Doesn't really matter when so few Christians are willing to live the Teachings as given by Jesus. Christians find it much easier to "talk" about it. Turn the other cheek? Yeah right. 87% of Christians are pro war. 79% are pro capitol punishment. 78% still stand behind Bush and torture. I have some relevant Scripture for Christians, "God ain't mocked".

Answer 2

1. Agree.

2. There is a difference between the two.

Answer 3

Your comment no. 1 is right.

Mathew 22: 37-38: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] This is the first and greatest commandment.

The verse above also has a direct relation to Mathew 5:12; how else can we show the intensity of love describe above if we are not ready to withstand insult, persecution and all sorts of libel for the Lord’s sake. The early Christians were commended for their high level of faith as exhibited by their acts of extreme boldness. The bible says (Hebrews11: 35-39): “. . . Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned[a]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised (for they all lived by faith).”

The apostles in their labor and toil for the gospel, especially Paul, showed the same passion in their faith (2 Cor. 6:3-10).  

Answer 4

Your religion has been intellectually destroyed, seriously this left of centre bs has to stop.

Answer 5

To begin with, I would like to clarify that I am using the King James Version of the Bible.  This may be different than the one you are using.

In Matt 5:12 In answer to question number 1  Read on a little to 13-16 and you will see that the Savior requires us to show forth good works and to keep his commandments.  

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Many Christian faiths teach that all one must do is believe that Christ is the Savior.  This is not so, he requires action on our part.  

I believe that the free gift that Christ offers is the resurrection. Every one of us will receive the gift of the resurrection where our bodies and our spirits will be reunited in perfect form to become an immortal being that cannot die.  He requires us to keep his commandments for the rest of the rewards he wishes to give us.

Next, we rejoice not because we are persecuted, but because we know that what we are doing what is right and that we fight for our Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel.  Our reward on earth is peace and happiness within our soul.  Our reward in the here after is given to us after the judgement and will be determined by our actions and intentions of our hearts.

2  Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven)  My interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven is this;  It is two fold and can mean either the gospel and Christ's church on the earth and also the Kingdom in Heaven where both Christ and God dwell.  

I would like to share the definition given in my churches scriptural dictionary.  It includes some references to the Doctrine & Covenants which you may not be familiar with, and I am sure you will not accept as scripture, but I will include the references here anyway.  If you would like to read them you can go to lds.org, then click on Gospel Library then scriptures and then the Doctrine & Covenants.  It will pull it up then just click on the right chapter.  I believe that all different perspectives are good to look at to get a clearer picture of a certain subjects and isn't that what we are doing here in this forum?

Dictionary Notes from the LDS scriptures:  Kingdom of Heaven (of God)

These terms are used in various combinations and with varying meanings. Generally speaking, the kingdom of God on the earth is the Church. It is a preparation for the greater kingdom - the celestial or kingdom of heaven. This is the manner in which these terms are used in D&C 65. However, kingdom of heaven is sometimes used in scripture to mean the Church (as in Matt. 3: 2; Matt. 4: 17; Matt. 13; and Matt. 25: 1-13), meaning that the true church on the earth is the path of heaven, and is the kingdom of heaven on earth.

About great rewards in heaven and their point:  Most people make the assumption that thier are only two places in the hereafter, heaven or h**l.  This thought is too simplistic in my opinion.  Heaven is big place with many kingdoms.  The highest and best of all is the kingdom where God and his son Jesus Christ dwell.  Those who strive to live the commandments and repent of the things they do wrong and who are baptized into Christ's true church and by the proper authority are those who will dwell with God and Jesus Christ for all eternity. This is why their are references that no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God.  Meaning the highest of kingdoms.  The other places in heaven are also wonderful places to live, but not as glorious and not with as many opportunities for growth.  The key to this whole concept is to realize that what we do here on earth does matter.  Our actions and our choices do count.  Their are lots of scriptural references to support this viewpoint.  I will concentrate only on the Bible and give you some that I have found.  Perhaps you will enjoy looking them up.  I hope these comments have helped you in some way.  I am not trying to be combative, but to share ideas that I believe are true and help us to understand the scriptures more fully. I hope this helps.  

Matt. 7: 21,  Matt. 3: 8,   Luke 13: 3-5, Acts 26: 20, Rev. 3: 3,19  

Answer 6

Ephesians 5:18-20, Heb. 13:15, Ps. 22:3, I Thess. 5:16&18, Phil. 4:4&6, Rev. 4:11 (about praise & thanksgiving).

Answer 7

I would not be right to make you wrong,

for you have done such all by yourself (Job 15:6),

by law<--drawing back instead of going on-->grace.

There is no discomfort at all in "the God of all comfort"; But all who will live godly (childish, legalistic, etc) in CJ (mirrorly the reverse of JC) shall "suffer": 2Timothy 3:12, until made perfect, e-stablished, strengthened, settled by the God of all grace: 1Peter 5:10. Pst: there is no law at all in "the God of all grace"; And there is no child nor more the child of h**l in "let us make man"; nor any childish things in: when I became a man (grace) I put away childish things (laws).

(notice the "law" was before of law/grace in John 1:17)

(notice the "suffer" is before of suffer/after in 1Pet 5:10)

(notice "ye" is before of ye/you in John 8:32; 1Pet 5:10)

(notice "childish" is before of childish/man: 1Cor 13:10)

(notice part-iality is before of part-iality/perfect-ion: 1Cor 13:11)

The issue of "suffer" involves keeping law instead of flushing law as dung; or remaining childish instead of putting away childish things (laws) to be grace us man kind (blessed the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin).

Keeping law is as being "against" God(Grace): Col 2:14 instead of establishing the heart "with" God: Heb 13:9; And it's notably either "with" or "against" (either grace or law): Mt 12:30. Keeping law involves keeping a punishing schoolmaster that fails every student, and mediation by a mediator (CJ) who mediates ghostly law stuff when provoked, and vengeance from an unjust judge (law) when troubled (lawed), and "wrath to come" from "law worketh wrath": Rom 4:15... 1Thess 5:3, and unpardonable sin instead of no law = no sin, and a death sting via law is both source and strength of sin's death sting.

h**l-o! Stop being more the child of h**l(law) and suffer-ing thereby;

Also condemning(lawing) yourself, with your own mouth (Mt 15:11), from your heart (Mk 7:18-23), that is not established "with" grace, but rather "against" grace. For such childish law will get you punished, mediated, vengeanced, wrathed, etc, till you GROW UP (in grace), and GO PODDY (flush law = dung), and LEARN to flush all your law (legalism) as dung, instead of touching, tasting, handling it; for it's by the u-sing of pew-y laws that "all perish", perish the thought.

The GRACE of our Lord JC with you all. Amen.