Book Gospel of Matthew Order in the Bible part 1 | Bible part New Testament Category Gospel | |
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Matthew 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It contains the first portion of the Sermon on the Mount, which will also take up the next chapter and a half. Portions are similar to the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, but much is found only in Matthew.
Contents
In John Wesley's division of the Sermon chapter five outlines the ethical principles of the truly religious. It is one of the most discussed and analyzed chapters of the New Testament. Kissinger reports that among Early Christians no chapter was more often cited by early scholars. The same is true in modern scholarship. In the Middle Ages an interpretation was developed that the chapter only applied to a select group, and not to the general populace. Martin Luther, in a discussion of this chapter, was highly critical of the Catholic view. He wrote that "this fifth chapter has fallen into the hands of the vulgar pigs and asses, the jurists and sophists, the right hand of that jackass of a pope and of his mamelukes."
The source of Matthew 5 is uncertain. It contains only a handful of parallels with Mark, but does have a number of loose parallels with Luke's Sermon on the Plain. For those who believe in the two source hypothesis it indicates that much of this text likely came from Q. However, Harvey King McArthur notes that the parallels in Luke tend to be very loose, far further away than most areas they overlap. There are also a considerable number of verses that have no parallel in Luke. McArthur thus theorizes that there was an extra step between the sources Matthew and Luke used than usual.
Text
Structure
The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:
Beatitudes
After a brief introduction the chapter contains the section known as the Beatitudes, which includes some of Jesus' more famous teachings. Theologian Robert H. Gundry suggests the Beatitudes can be divided into two quartets. The first group outlines the persecuted nature of Jesus' disciples, and the rewards they will receive for enduring this condition. The second four lists their righteous behaviour which can led to their persecution. Most scholars feel the ninth Beatitude at matthew 5:11 is separate from the first eight, as demonstrated by its shift to the second person. Four of the Beatitudes seem to be also in Luke, the rest are only found in Matthew.
The English word used to show the positive nature of the Beatitudes is blessed. A number of scholars note that this is not an ideal translation as in modern English, blessed often means "blessed by God", a meaning not implied by the Greek. Albright and Mann use the more general word fortunate instead of blessed. R. T. France feels that it should be read as "worthy of congratulation". Lapide supports the New American Bible usage of happy; it directly translates the word beatus in the Vulgate, and it carries the meaning of the Greek. After the Beatitudes there are a series of metaphors, called Salt and Light, that are often seen as commentaries upon them. These include a number of famous phrases such as salt of the earth and city on a hill.
Fulfillment of the Law
A new section of the discourse begins from verse 17 "and is carried on to the end of the chapter". Jesus states that he has come "to fulfil the law, not to destroy it". Beginning with Marcion of Sinope, the interpretation of this phrase has been much disputed, including views of abrogation of Old Covenant laws. The NIV translation entitles Matthew 5:17-20 "The Fulfillment of the Law", the NRSV translation entitles it "The Law and the Prophets", the United Bible Societies' "The Greek New Testament", edited by Kurt Aland, Bruce Metzger and others, entitles it the "Teaching about the Law." It is at the core of the argument about the relationship between the views attributed to Jesus, such as Gospel, Grace, New Covenant, New Commandment, Law of Christ, and those attributed to Moses or the Mosaic Law, and hence on the relationship between the New Testament and Old Testament, Christian views on the old covenant, Law and Gospel, and as a basis of Christian ethics.
Antitheses
The sermon then moves to a highly structured discussion ("Ye have heard ... But I say unto you") of the "Law and Prophets" or Old Covenant. This section (Matthew 5:17 to Matthew 5:48) is traditionally referred to as the Antitheses, or the Six Antitheses.
Gundry disputes this title: "The sayings are traditionally called 'the Antitheses'. But this designation seems to imply that after stoutly affirming the Law in Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus contradicts it". Instead Gundry argues that Jesus escalates the Law towards "the goal toward which it was already headed, so that we should stop calling these sayings "the Antitheses" and perhaps start calling them "the Culminations".
After the introduction (5:17-20), the next verses are commentaries on six specific topics where Jesus recites a law, starting with two of the Ten Commandments, and then comments on it. This generally sees Jesus impose more rigorous standards. The six antitheses are on:
- You shall not murder in verses 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
- You shall not commit adultery in verses 27, 28, 29, 30
- Divorce in verses 31 and 32
- Oaths in verses 33, 34, 35, 36, 37
- Eye for an eye in verses 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
- Love thy neighbour as thyself in verses 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48
Perfection
The chapter ends with an exhortation to perfection (Greek: τέλειος teleios; meaning also "full grown", "full maturity")
Full text
In the King James Version chapter five reads: