In Matthew’s Gospel is found the so-called “Sermon on the Mount.” This “sermon” took Matthew three chapters to write: five, six, and seven. It is important to realize that chapters of divine Scripture are themselves statements of division, such that the wholeness of a chapter goes from the beginning (the first verse) until the ending (the last verse). There is no bleed-over from one chapter to the next. Each chapter (each word and each verse) is authored by Yahweh and written by a Saint.
The end of a chapter ends an assortment of stories and lessons that are meant to be kept separate from the stories and lessons of the chapters preceding and following. That simple element of divine Scripture understanding means the “Sermon on the Mount” was not all done at one time. Because Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” spreads over three chapters it cannot be seen as one long sermon; if it were, then Matthew would have written it all in one chapter. Minimally, three chapters means three “sermons,” which changes the heading (the ones our imaginations like to use) to something more appropriate, such as “Jesus Teaches His Disciples.”
This can be seen in how Matthew 4 ends with verses that tells of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, having chosen his first disciples (Peter, Andrew, James and John of Zebedee). He was drawing “large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan” [in addition to Syria]. Those crowds of people who followed Jesus, were looking for healing miracles, more than Scriptural lessons.
Chapter five then begins with the statement: “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” The division and separation from chapter four and chapter five says Jesus taught his disciples. It is therefore wrong to think that Jesus would teach crowds (“ochloi“) of common people, before he would teach his disciples (“mathētai“). Possibly, some people in the crowds enrolled in the ‘Jesus school of disciples,’ based on the teachings of Jesus over chapters five, six, and seven.
This is where the common people in those who call themselves “Christian” are just like the crowds that followed Jesus around. In the ‘modern era’ of Christianity, people flock to churches; they do so just to be near a priest [supposedly one reborn as Jesus Christ] who will heal their illnesses [signs of sin], without any desire to learn anything. The common people are drawn to churches [in non-pandemic times] by free offerings that ease their maladies (physical, mental, and spiritual – body, mind, and soul). The common people do not have the first inkling of thought that asks, “What does righteousness mean?” Common people just want things to be freely given to them – no strings attached. The element of desiring to learn, therefore, is a trait of a disciple, pupil, student following a teacher (rabbi).
Christians today are more like tailgaters going to a college football game, having never attended the college they flock to be associated with. Therefore, Jesus teaching the disciples becomes not a “casually listen and learn” principle; it was a show and tell program of study, with questions and answers mandatory [minimally graded through testing].
This means the “Beatitudes” sounds great to the common people. They are the ‘headlines’ of things taught, without any text explaining those eye-catchers to follow. The common people know the general news, but stay away from the details. However, it is uncommon to say such profound things without some student (more than one) raising his hand and saying to Jesus, “Could you explain more, please Sir?”
According to the New Revised Standard Versions (NRSV) there are nine separate teachings by Jesus stated in chapter five. Chapter six then follows with six separate teachings. Chapter seven follows with eight more lessons. As far as one “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus taught twenty-three classes worth of insight. At the end of chapter seven, Matthew wrote:
“Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
This gives the impression that Jesus taught twenty-three lessons without a single question asked, leading the crowds (“ochloi“), not the disciples (“mathētai“), to be “astonished at his teaching.”
This has to be grasped as having occurred over an extended period of time – be it days in a row or Sabbaths in a row – and not all in one sitting. No one knows where the mountain (“oros“) is located, but it is probable (to me) that it was the same hillside that was on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, which overlooked the plain where five thousand would be fed. In that location one finds a normal air circulation that is caused by eastern Mediterranean winds blowing over a below sea level body of water, sweeping down the eastern ‘mountainside,’ blowing over the plain below and across the sea. That natural setting makes the acoustics of that place be where Jesus could speak in a normal voice to disciples close around him and have his words be carried clearly to those waiting to be healed down below.
It is also probable (to me) that these lessons took place in a manner similar to the reading of scrolls are in a synagogue on a Sabbath, where the rabbi then states a few words about the meaning of that Scriptural lesson, before opening the floor for discussion. Jesus would not need any scrolls to read from, as he would know it through the Father (the author of the Scrolls). It could be that Jesus and his disciples went to synagogue and heard lame explanations given, whereby they left and went to the mountain to get a good understanding of what Scripture means. That is indeed the definition of a real “sermon.” Therefore, each of the lessons in Matthew 5-7 have to be seen as having a source in Scriptural teachings; and, what Matthew recorded were what Jesus said about them.
While this opinion is mine alone and without any scholastic backing (that I know of), it makes logical sense that the ‘school of Jesus’ would begin with just his disciples, but grow over time to included ‘auditors’ down below, who would then be “astonished” at how Jesus explained Scripture in ways that they had never heard explained by the scribes. In addition, Jesus spoke with assurity, whereas the rabbis and scribs probably prefaced everything they said with disclaimers, such as, “Well, I’m not Moses, but I think this means ….” Jesus spoke with the power of authority (“exousian“) that made the listeners hear Moses reincarnated before them (or David or a Prophet before them), knowing the meaning of the Word for the first time. To me this makes more sense than Jesus sitting on a mountainside just rambling from one personal opinion to another (whatever popped into his Mind), with Matthew writing every word down.
Because Jesus began by speaking about the “Beatitudes,” which is a Latin word that means “supreme blessedness,” those lessons could not possibly be stated without explanation. If I had been there, I would have been wildly raising my hand and verbally trying to get Jesus’ attention, just like was portrayed by the character Arnold Horshack in the seventies television sitcom Welcome Back Kotter.
“Excuse me Jesus, but could you please expound on that?” I would ask.
Certainly if Jesus had not gone to the mountain and instead went to an Episcopalian church (as a ‘guest speaker’), the priest would have interrupted him after twelve minutes, probably to a standing ovation by the crowds (“ochloi“). Prior to the priest becoming their ‘savior,’ they would have all been muttering under their breaths, “I came for the wafer and wine, not all the hot air.”
And, while I like to pick on the Anglicans-West Church a lot, there really is no interest in Bible Studies anywhere in Christendom these days. Perhaps this is a result of sixteen hundred years of the ‘blind leading the blind,’ with experienced Christians saying, “No more falls into holes for me. I’m just going for the senior discounts from now on.”
That is why we have come to the end of the age and the birth pangs of the end times are close to one another, meaning a global cataclysm is due soon. That timing has the evangelicals squealing with glee about all hell’s water about to break loose; thinking that is when Jesus is going to come down from a cloud and sweep them up in something they call the Rapture (a basket or chariot?); as if knowing nothing about the truth of Scripture [failing to ask God to lead them to understanding] warrants Spiritual favoritism.
Each and every lesson taught by Jesus from the mountain demands all true Christians be fully aware of the meaning behind the words. The assumption must be that a true Christian asks God to expose the meaning; and, once that meaning has been exposed, a true Christian will then teach others, “in the name of Jesus Christ.” A lengthy interpretation could be written on all twenty-three lessons (and should be written and studied), which would add many, many pages of text to what appears to simply be three pages of Matthew’s Gospel.
That is why I write this interpretation about the Beatitudes. If my twelve minutes are up, it is okay to click this article off and go hunt for cute memes to share on Facebook. Only the serious student should continue on from here.
The Greek text of Matthew 5:3-11 cannot be trusted to only mean what the English translations make them appear to be. Greek is a language that is closer to divinity than English; and, the divinity of God’s language is better contained in a human language that allows for a broad scope of translation, thus deep interpretation. The Greek word “Μακάριοι” or “Makarioi” is translated into English as “Blessed.” That Greek word is translated into Latin as “Beati,” from biatitas or beatitudos, both meaning “happiness, blessedness.” The Greek word “makarios,” according to Strong’s definition means, “blessed, happy.” Strong’s usage adds the meaning “to be envied.”
While this word can mean Jesus was stating a series of happiness scenarios that existed in the world, the capitalization gives the word a higher meaning, such that Spirituality is applied to capitalized words spoken by Jesus – which Matthew recalled from a Spiritual state as an Apostle. Seeing capitalization in this light of importance means Jesus indeed spoke of what should be considered in human brains as “Blessings from God.”
This demands one understand the definition of “Blessed” as being (in English), “Made holy, consecrated.” The Greek word “Makarioi” is then a parallel to the Hebrew words “barak” (bless, kneel) and “qadash” (set apart as consecrated, sanctify), as found in Genesis 2:3:
“And blessed the elohim (gods) on the seventh day, and sanctified [the Creation] because it rested from all the work which the elohim had created and accomplished.”
Just as Yahweh “Blessed” His gods (“elohim“) for their good works [God’s design], Jesus spoke of Yahweh also having “Blessed” traits held by human beings. This divine Blessing is not to be seen as a ‘gold star’ for human deeds, but a change within a human, based on the presence of the Lord. Ordinary human beings [sorry Roman Catholics] cannot even begin to consider themselves as “Blessed.”
The capitalized Greek word “Makarioi” is written nine times, each as the first word of verses 3 through 11. Repetition in Scripture is a statement of importance that is designed to draw one’s attention and cause closer inspection; so, these verses are addressed because they state God’s blessings placed upon those who will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven.
It should be realized that the human bodies of flesh are not “Blessed,” nor are those forms of matter given the “Happiness” of Yahweh. Instead, it is souls that are “Blessed.” This means the “Blessing” of the Lord, just like those He gave to His elohim (angels), are placed upon eternal entities, not dead matter.
In verses three through eleven, where “Makarioi” is found repeated, many plural pronouns and articles are likewise repeated, which shows the importance places on “those Blessed” and “this” that “they” display. When repetition is seen as a sign of importance, as is announced by capitalization, one should then place the focus of importance all capitalized words, especially any capitalized words repeated.
The Greek word “Ὅτι” or “Hoti” is one such word that needs to be seen. This capitalized word leads the second half of verses three through ten. That repetition demands one understand the meaning of that word. The capitalization adds to that importance, but it should be recognized that the lower-case spelling, as “ὅτι” or “hoti,” are also in play in Matthew 5, such that the total repetition for this word has it appear twenty-five times.
The Greek word that is capitalized as “Ὅτι” and written in the lower-case as “ὅτι” is defined by Strong’s as “that, because.” In usage, Strong’s adds: “since; may introduce direct discourse.” The Bible Hub Interlinear shows every spelling of this word as capitalized in verses three through ten, while showing the other seventeen uses of the same word as being in the lower-case. While other sources for the Greek text make it appear that all uses of “hoti” are only in the lower-case, it is interesting that Bible Hub chose to make those eight uses be given the significance of divinely heightened spelling. The capitalization is a great insight into the translations that should come.
The NRSV translations of verses three through ten repeat “Blessed … for,” with the lower-case spelling of “ὅτι” or “hoti” applied, while translating into English to say “for.” The lack of capitalization and the lack of translating “because’ means readers are not led to dwell on the divine “Cause” for having been divinely “Blessed.” The capitalization is then more appropriate to accept, as the comma mark in each verse (Matthew 5:3-10) is missed as a mark noting why God’s Blessing is warranted. Without that inner guide leading one’s divine understanding, a disciple without that guide needs to ask for clarification.
Look at the standard English translations (NRSV) when the comma mark is pronounced and a capitalized “Ὅτι” (“Hoti“) replaces it as “Because.” It becomes, as follows:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit , Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn , Because they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek , Because they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness , Because they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful , Because they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart , Because they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers , Because they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake , Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Simply by reading these eight statements this way, realizing that capitalized words are divinely heightened in meaning, Jesus was stating the ‘Cause and Effect’ of Sainthood. By reading the capitalized “Makarioi” as one’s being Consecrated or one Made Holy, one is able to see Jesus was not speaking in terms of ordinary Catholics, run-of-the-mill Episcopalians, or any old Joe-Gentiles. The word “Blessed” becomes (clearly, in my mind) a statement of a Saint (or a disciple turned into an Apostle). The “Cause” that becomes the motivation for seeking the Blessing of Yahweh is then the promised reward of a servant of the Lord (i.e.: priest, wife, Son reborn).
That means verse three literally can be seen to say, “Saints [the Blessed] those poor then breath , Because theirs is authority that heavenly ones.”
That means that all human beings have heavenly [God-given and eternal] souls within temporal bodies of flesh. A soul (as pneumati) is “helpless, spiritually poor, destitute, and bent over” when only having physical matter to cling to. A Saint realizes that absence and begs God to take control of one’s life. Therefore, Because one has realized [an epiphany] that God does not favor souls who abuse the weak and poor, lording over them for self advancement, giving the illusion of being God’s favorites [His chosen people] their sacrifice of self has allowed Yahweh to use them as His wives, servants, and priests, Blessing them by God reigning [His Kingdom] in their hearts and souls.
Look at verse four in the same way. It can be seen to state: “Saints [the Blessed] those grieving over death [mourning] , Because they will be sent for.”
The Greek word “penthountes” is translated as “mourning,” but the root word places focus on “feeling guilt,” with the word meaning “mourning over death” (or grieving over death). The aspect of “death” is not someone else’s death (as a personal loss external to one’s being), but the concept that being a soul born into a body of flesh that will eventually die. This means one “mourns” one’s own death to come. That self-awareness is what Causes one to sacrifice self while still a soul in a living body of flesh, so the soul can be joined with the Holy Spirit [Christ soul] and become Jesus Christ reborn. That Sainthood then means one has been “sent for,” where the Greek word “paraklēthēsontai” means, “will be summoned, invited, encouraged” to make that sacrifice of self, in order to become “Blessed.”
Verse five is one that I could never get my head around, as the way it is worded makes it seem that being a weakling is blessed by God. While I can grasp how God would bless someone meek, my question focuses on why would anyone want to inherit the world, because the world is the only place where sinners can exist. Who wants to inherit sin? I would be waving wildly at Jesus to get him to explain this one.
The truth is hidden by not seeing “Blessed” as meaning a Saint. The verse can then be seen in a better light as “Saints [the Blessed] those gentle , Because they will possess this body.”
Instead of “inheriting the earth,” which a soul in a body of flesh has already done through reincarnation, the soul has married with the Holy Spirit and that means the body of flesh no longer possesses the soul. By having sacrificed self to be married to Yahweh and being reborn as Jesus Christ, the flesh-earth-dust has been possessed by a Saintly Spirit.
The Greek word “klēronomēsousin” translates as “will inherit, obtain, acquire,” but has symbolic association with “sonship.” The Greek word “praeis” translates as “meek, gentle,” which is a statement about one’s self-ego after having been filled with the Holy Spirit. This makes one act as did Ezekiel, who responded to God’s question “Mortal, can these dry bones live?” by saying, “You know,” too meek or gentle to say, “I think.”
Verse six is one that clearly states this concept, as “righteousness” is the objective of one’s “hunger kai thirst.” Clearly one is a Saint [the Blessed] when lusts for worldly possessions have lost all inner motivations. Thus, this verse states, “Saints [the Blessed] those hungering kai thirsting for this righteousness ; Because they will be satisfied.”
Here, it is worthwhile to see that both Greek words, “peinōntes” and “dipsōntes,” can yield the same translation, as “desiring earnestly.” The two words surrounding the Greek word “kai” means that sincere desire goes beyond simply consuming the Word [the bread of heaven] to also sincerely desiring to drink the wine of the Holy Spirit. The two together reflect the two soul spirits joined, becoming an Apostle and Jesus Christ reborn.
Notice also how the two segments of words in verse six are not separated by a comma mark, but by a semi-colon. This is the only such mark in the collection found in Matthew 5:3-11 (another comes in verse 12). A comma mark separates two parts of a sentence, while a semi-colon separates two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. In divine Scripture, a comma marks a separation in sequence or order, as are those of “Cause and Effect. A semi-colon marks two closely related clauses, such that a deep desire to be filled with the Holy spirit means one’s deep desires will be met.
Verse seven then can be read as, “Saints [the Blessed] those actively compassionate , Because they will receive mercy.”
The Greek word “eleēmones” translates as “full of pity, merciful, compassionate,” (Strong’s) where one is “acting consistently with the revelation of God’s covenant.” (HELPS Word-studies) The Greek word “eleēthēsontai” translates as “will receive mercy” (from a slightly different root, “eleeó” versus “eleémón“), such that it means “receipt of pity or mercy,” while also meaning “will show kindness.” This must be seen as meaning that oneself is not given pity or mercy, nor given some form of acceptance by God for mistakes made. The meaning says that once one is a Saint, one who is actively compassionate about being a servant of God, then the ability for one to demonstrate pity, mercy, compassion, or kindness will come from God, through the Christ Mind and Holy Spirit. To receive such a gift means to act appropriately in those acts of forgiveness. Once one is a Saint [the Blessed] one will no longer require forgiveness; and no human beings can give anyone forgiveness as that can only come directly from Yahweh through a direct personal relationship with Him [Husband to wife].
Verse eight, following the same line of thought, can say, “Saints [the Blessed] those pure the inner self , Because they the one God will experience.”
Here it is vital to understand that purity (like righteousness) is not something obtainable by a human being (body with soul) without divine assistance. Thus, a Saint has been made “clean, pure, unstained, either literally or ceremonially or spiritually; guiltless, innocent, upright” (the usage of “katharos,” according to Strong’s) by the marriage of one’s soul with the Holy Spirit [reborn as Jesus Christ]. The second stage of this development of a Saint is they will experience insight (from the Greek word “opsontai” having the Strong’s usage that means “see, look upon, experience, perceive, discern, beware – a future form of “horaó“). This inner vision comes from the presence of God within, which will come from that marriage [a wife of God] of a soul (the breath of life) to the living waters of eternal life [as Jesus Christ resurrected].
Verse nine then can show: “Saints [the Blessed] those loving peace , Because themselves sons of God will be named.”
The Greek word “eirēnopoioi” translates as “peacemakers, pacific, and loving peace” (Strong’s usage) HELPS Word-studies adds to this element of peacemaker: “a peacemaker bravely declares God’s terms which makes someone whole.” That says that the individual (body with soul) does not get credit for having created wholeness within oneself, but one bravely surrendered one’s soul to God [death of self –ego], in order to become one with His Holy Spirit and experience the peace that brings. Thus, this speaks of the peace that comes from one’s marriage to Yahweh, with the second segment speaking of the result of that union. The consummation of that marriage brings forth the resurrection of His Son’s Soul-Spirit within one’s flesh, which means one becomes “in the name of God’s Son.” This adoption of God’s lineage makes all who enjoy that peace His sons, able to call Yahweh the Father.
[Note: The noun “sons” incorporates all human gender, as Saints [the Blessed] are not limited by human gender. God is masculine essence. Jesus is His Son as masculine essence. Thus, all reborn as the Son of God take on the same masculine essence. A Spirit does not require sex organs because reproduction is unnecessary.]
Verse ten can then be seen as stating, “Saints [the Blessed] those having been persecuted for the sake of righteousness , Because theirs is authority that heavenly ones.”
Here, it is important to see the second use of “righteousness” (also used in verse six). Additionally, the “Because” stated here in verse ten is a repeat of that stated in verse three. This links verses three and six in this statement of the Saints [the Blessed]. This makes “persecution” be relative to one standing upright in the name of Jesus Christ [righteousness] be said to attract attacks from those poor then breath [the poor souls without God or Christ stated in verse three]. Ordinary souls, controlled by their material addictions, will strike out in anger in response to any who tell them they are not going to enjoy the reward of the Father in heaven [preaching the Word and living righteously, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, as stated in verse six]. This can be intuited because of the two associations (verse three and verse six).
With those eight verses stated above (Matthew 5:3-10), the use of a capitalized “Hoti” ceases. Verse eleven replaces that statement of “Because” with the word “kai,” which begins each of two subsequent segments of words. The word “kai” can always be read like a marker that signals importance to follow (rather than simply a statement of “and”). Verse eleven also includes a fourth segment of words, which is merely separated by a comma mark. The whole verse (following the above model) can be shown as stating:
“Saints [the Blessed] you are whenever they shall insult you , kai shall persecute , kai shall speak every kind of evil against you , speaking falsely on account of me.”
This becomes a prophecy of what the Apostles reborn in Jesus’ name would face. The two uses of “kai” state the importance of the truth that all of Jesus’ eleven (excluding Judas Iscariot) would face painful persecution, which was rooted in the Temple elite having plotted to refuse to allow talk of Jesus to continue after the guards reported the stone rolled away from the tomb. They would continue to reject the disciples of Jesus, because they had followed him. Still, the same persecution of Christians has continued till today, through the overthrow of the original intent – A Church only composed of Apostles & Saints – so seekers are persecuted by False Shepherds; and, the enemies of the true religion of the One God Yahweh, carried out by all who hate anyone or any nation that calls itself Christian [Muslims and Jews] – so Christians are persecuted by Wolves.
[Note: I advise you do research on the people called “Cathars,” who thrived between 1100 and 1300 A.D. Their name [given to them by others] is based on the Greek word “katharos,” found in verse eight. They were called “Pure ones” because of their way of life, called gnostic by the Church of Rome. The Cathars were the ‘practice run’ of a system of genocidal Inquisitions led by the Vatican, which eradicated those (who were a community of Saints) from the face of the earth.]
Verse twelve is not technically one of the Beatitudes, but it concludes this section as a statement of how one should receive the status of Sainthood [the Blessed]. Here there is the first of many other uses of the lower-case “hoti” and there is another use of a semi-colon. There is even one use of “kai.” This is how the twelfth verse can be read:
“rejoice kai full of joy , because this reward yours much among those heavenly ones ; in this manner indeed they persecuted those prophets those before you.”
Here, the first word of this verse’s ‘sentence’ is not capitalized. Capitalizing the first word of a sentence is an English element of syntax and not divine syntax. The word “chairete” (translated as meaning “rejoice, be glad, or as a hail of salutation) is not capitalized, thus it is not given a higher level of divine importance. It and “full of joy” (a translation of “agalliasthe“) are words stating similar emotions, surrounding the use of kai. As a conjunction of importance, both words state the importance of exuberance one should feel from having been “Blessed” by God.
The phrase “among those heavenly ones” is a statement of being in possession of a soul that qualifies as one of Yahweh’s elohim. There have been a line of such elohim in human form, which is the history told of in the Holy Bible’s Old Testament. In reading the Old Testament, one will notice that all – from Adam to Malachi (and all in between) – suffered rejection by a world of poor souls of life breath, without the Holy Spirit. Therefore, a Saint should not get angry at being persecuted because of being “Blessed,” they should instead be glad for having gained the assurance of eternal life of a soul, independent of a need for flesh.
It is important to see how Jesus was not giving this lesson to the common people. He was teaching his new disciples (planting the seeds that would grow within their minds) – of what they would become, through devoted study of his works and words. While common people can hear Jesus now, through the words of Matthew, the message has been hidden from the common brains.
R. T. Tippett
Comments or questions welcomed.
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