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Matthew 5

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1 And seeing the crowds, He went·​·up into the mountain; and when He had sat·​·down, His disciples came to Him.

2 And opening His mouth He taught them, saying,

3 Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

4 Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Happy are they who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be·​·satisfied.

7 Happy are the merciful, for they shall have·​·mercy.

8 Happy are the clean in heart, for they shall see God.

9 Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

10 Happy are they who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

11 Happy are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say every wicked saying against you, telling·​·lies, on account of Me.

12 Leap·​·for·​·joy and rejoice, for your reward is much in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt become saltless*, with what shall it be salted? After·​·that it is·​·of· no ·use, except to be cast out, and to be trampled by men.

14 You are the light of the world. A city that is laid·​·out on a mountain cannot be hidden.

15 Neither do they light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, and it shines for all who are in the house.

16 So let your light shine in·​·front·​·of men, so·​·that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.

17 Do not suppose that I have come to undo the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to undo but to fulfill.

18 For amen I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass·​·away, one yodh* or one little·​·horn shall not pass·​·away from the Law, till all things come·​·to·​·pass.

19 Therefore whoever shall loosen one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.

20 For I say to you that unless your justice shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

21 You have heard that it was declared by the ancients, Thou shalt not murder*; and whoever shall murder shall be subject to the judgment*.

22 But I say to you that everyone who is·​·angry with his brother rashly shall be subject to the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be subject to the council; and whoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be subject to the gehenna* of fire.

23 If therefore thou offer thy gift on the altar, and·​·there rememberest that thy brother has anything against thee,

24 leave there thy gift in·​·front·​·of the altar, and go·​·thy·​·way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come offer thy gift.

25 Be of good·​·will with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest the adversary deliver· thee ·up to the judge, and the judge deliver· thee ·up to the attendant, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Amen I say unto thee, Thou shalt not come·​·out from·​·there until thou hast paid the last farthing*.

27 You have heard that it was declared to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit·​·adultery.*

28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at another woman* to lust·​·after her has already committed·​·adultery with her in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye cause· thee ·to·​·stumble, pluck· it ·out, and cast it from thee; for it·​·is·​·expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast into gehenna.

30 And if thy right hand cause· thee ·to·​·stumble, cut· it ·off, and cast it from thee; for it·​·is·​·expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast into gehenna.

31 And it has been declared that whoever shall send·​·away his wife, let him give her a divorce.*

32 But I say to you, Whoever shall send·​·away his wife, outside·​·of the reason of scortation, makes her commit·​·adultery; and whoever shall wed her who is sent·​·away commits·​·adultery.

33 Again, you have heard that it has been declared to the ancients, Thou shalt not swear·​·falsely*, but shalt render to the Lord thine oaths.

34 But I say to you, Swear not at·​·all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;

35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no; and whatever is beyond these is from evil.

38 You have heard that it has been declared, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.*

39 But I say to you, Do not stand·​·against the wicked; but whoever shall hit* thee on thy right cheek-bone, turn to him the other also.

40 And if anyone wills to have· thee ·judged and take thy tunic, let· him ·have the cloak also.

41 And whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

42 Give to him who asks thee; and turn· not ·away him who wills to borrow from thee.

43 You have heard that it has been declared, Thou shalt love thy neighbor*, and shalt hate thine enemy.

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do well to those who hate you, and pray for those who injure you and persecute you,

45 so·​·that you may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens; for He makes His sun to rise on the wicked and the good, and sends·​·rain on the just and the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans do the same?

47 And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do beyond others? Do not even the publicans do so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, just·​·as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture # 51

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51. 1. The Word is not understood apart from doctrine. That is because the Word in its literal sense consists of nothing but correspondent forms, in order for spiritual and celestial concepts to be present in it at the same time, and for each word to be a containing vessel and buttress of those concepts. In some places in the literal sense, therefore, we find not naked truths, but truths clothed, which we call appearances of truth. Many of these truths, too, are accommodated to the comprehension of simple folk, who do not elevate their thoughts above the kinds of things they see before their eyes. And some of them seem to involve contradictions, even though there is no contradiction in the Word when seen in its true light.

Moreover, in some places in the Prophets, we find also collections of place names and the names of people from which it is impossible to elicit any meaning, as from those passages presented in no. 15 above.

Since that is the nature of the Word in its literal sense, it can be seen therefore that it cannot be understood apart from doctrine.

[2] But let instances serve to illustrate this:

We are told that Jehovah repents (Exodus 32:12, 14, Jonah 3:9, 4:2). We are also told that Jehovah does not repent (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29). Without doctrine these declarations are not brought into accord.

We are told that Jehovah visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation (Numbers 14:18). And we are told that the father shall not die for the son, nor the son for the father, but everyone for his own sin (Deuteronomy 24:16). In the light of doctrine these declarations do not conflict, but are in harmony.

[3] Jesus says,

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Everyone...who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8, cf. 21:21-22)

Without doctrine one might believe that everyone receives what he asks for. But doctrine teaches us to believe that a person is given whatever he asks for, not on his own, but in response to the Lord. For this, too, the Lord teaches:

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)

[4] The Lord says,

Blessed are the poor, for (theirs) is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20)

Without doctrine one could think that heaven is for the poor and not for the rich. But doctrine teaches us that the poor in spirit are meant, for the Lord says,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

[5] The Lord says,

Judge not, that you be not judged. ...with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. (Matthew 7:1-2, cf. Luke 6:37)

Without doctrine this injunction could be used to assert that one must not say of evil that it is evil, thus that one must not judge an evil person to be evil. But in the light of doctrine one is permitted to judge, only to do so justly. For the Lord says, “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

[6] Jesus says,

...do not be called teacher; for one is your teacher, the Christ.... Do not call anyone on earth your father; for one...in heaven is your Father. And do not be called masters; for one is your master, the Christ. (Matthew 23:8-10)

Without doctrine it would not be lawful to call anyone teacher, father, or master. But we know from doctrine that it is lawful in a natural sense, but not in a spiritual sense.

[7] Jesus said to His disciples,

...when the Son of man sits on the throne of His glory, you...will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)

One could conclude from these words that the Lord’s disciples will also sit in judgment, when in fact they can judge no one. Doctrine, therefore, must reveal this mystery by showing that the Lord alone, who is omniscient and knows the hearts of all, will judge, and that His twelve disciples mean the church in respect to all the truths and goods it has from the Lord through the Word. Doctrine concludes from this that those truths and goods will judge everyone, in accordance with the Lord’s words in John 3:17-18, 12:47-48.

[8] Someone who reads the Word apart from doctrine does not know how the declarations made in the Prophets regarding the Jewish nation and Jerusalem hang together, that the church in that nation and its seat in that city will remain to eternity, as in the following places:

...Jehovah...will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His glorious horse in battle. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, and from him the bow of war.... (Zechariah 10:3-4, 6-7)

...behold, I am coming to dwell in your midst.... And Jehovah will make Judah His inheritance..., and will again choose Jerusalem. (Zechariah 2:10-12)

It will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, and the hills flow with milk.... But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. (Joel 3:18-20)

Behold, the days are coming..., that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man..., when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.... And this is the covenant that I will make...: I will put My law among them, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 33)

In that day ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:22-23)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 44:24, 26, 49:22-23, 65:9, 66:20, 22; Jeremiah 3:18, 23:5, 50:19-20; Nahum 1:15; Malachi 3:4. The subject in these places is the Lord’s advent, and the church’s then remaining to eternity.

[9] The opposite, however, is said in a number of other places, of which we will cite only the following: I will hide My face from them, I will see what their posterity will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith.... I would have said, “I will cast them into the farthest corners, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men.” ....For they are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them.... ...their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the venom of dragons, and the cruel poison of asps. Is this not laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasures? Vengeance is Mine, and retribution. (Deuteronomy 32:20-35)

This is said of that same nation. And the like elsewhere, as in Isaiah 3:1-2, 8, 5:3-6; Deuteronomy 9:5-6; Matthew 12:39, 23:27-28; John 8:44. And everywhere in Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

But these declarations that appear contradictory will be seen to be in harmony in the light of doctrine, which teaches that Israel and Judah in the Word do not mean Israel and Judah, but the church in both senses — in one sense that it has been destroyed, and in the other that the Lord is going to establish it.

Other passages like these occur in the Word, which make clearly apparent that the Word is not understood apart from doctrine.

  
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Thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.