Fixing Eyes on the Kingdom to Come
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5)
The Sons of God
August 22, 2021 • Don den Hartog • Matthew 5:9
The "Sons of God" is a term reserved for those, who through being "Peacemakers" during time, are rewarded with an enhanced experience in the Kingdom. Kingdom rewards and their conditions are a major theme in the Sermon on the Mount. Rewards are not to be seen as a periphery doctrine, but a major thrust. The doctrine of glorification is not absolutely positional truth. The purpose of the Gospel of Matthew (and all the Gospels) needs to be understood theologically, not chronologically alone. Dealing with difficult people is a God-given opportunity to be proclaimed as a child of God who became a son of God. Cf. Luke 6:35-36
Introduction to Matthew
June 6, 2021 • Don den Hartog
Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are the Beatitudes, recorded in Matthew 5:1-12. This section of Scripture is the introductory words of the famous Sermon on the Mount that Jesus delivered in the Galilee region. Although familiar to many people today, the Beatitudes have not been interpreted the same way by all. Some see them as a code of ethical behavior; others believe them to be applicable only for a certain people at a certain time in human history. Join us as we examine these twelve verses and explore their meaning and applicability. Do they apply to us today? If yes, then how? If not, why study them? What did Jesus mean when He said, “Blessed...” at the beginning of each Beatitude? These topics and more will be addressed in this summer study in the Biblical Training Center. Four different presenters will be teaching these classes this summer at 9 AM and again at 10:45 AM each Sunday from June 6 through August 22 in Room 2-2. We hope you join us for this intriguing and important study, taking a fresh look at a familiar passage in the Bible.