What do the beatitudes teach us?

Answer 1

The beatitudes are the eight declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), each beginning with "Blessed are..." It is debated as to exactly how many beatitudes there are. Some speak of seven, nine, or ten beatitudes, but the number appears to be eight (verses 10-12 of Matthew 5 being one beatitude).

The Greek word translated "blessed" means "spiritual well-being and prosperity." This refers to the deep joy of the soul. Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of Heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God, experiencing a foretaste of heaven. Another possible rendering of each beatitude is an exclamation of: "O the bliss [or blessedness] of..."

The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom." As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms (1:1; 34:8; 65:4; 128:1) and in the New Testament as well (John 20:29;14:22; James 1:12; Revelation 14:13).

Answer 2

How you shall be treated and blessed by God.

Answer:

The beatitudes are part of what some people call the Sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew chapter 5. The reality of it is that the "sermon" continues through chapter seven. It's Jesus' lengthy description of the character traits of a son of God.

Answer 3

What those who wish to be disciples or true followers/imitators of God's character must develop to become His sons/daughters. He gives those who fully repent and are baptized into His Church the fruit of His Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). The blessed of God are humble, compassionate, meek, righteous, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake.

Interestingly, this long lesson from Jesus found in Matthew chapters five through seven, correlate to the rewards found in Revelation chapters 19 through 22 - for your reading pleasure.

Answer 4

Each beatitude pairs a value with a promise. They represent the values of life and the way to live like Jesus to gain access to the Kingdom of Heaven. The beatitudes are guidelines for Christlike living that will make us happy and lead us to eternal life in heaven. The beatitudes represent a way to live like Christ did.

Answer 5

A:

There are eight beatitudes in Matthew's Gospel. Four of the beatitudes are also found in Luke's Gospel, where they have quite different meaning although almost the same wordings. The reason for the parallels is that this four of the eight beatitudes are from the hypothetical 'Q' document, at Q 6:20-23. The remaining four can be traced back to other sources known to Matthew, including the Psalms. Similarities to the Qumran beatitudes in the Dead Sea Scrolls seem to confirm that there were originally nine beatitudes, as some early scholars had suggested, but also cast further doubt on the true origins of the beatitudes in Matthew and Luke. We can say what the biblical beatitudes teach, simply by interpreting their words, but the variations in four of them and the textual history suggests that they may not have been taught by Jesus.

The beatitudes as recorded in Matthew are:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

2. They that mourn: for they will be comforted

3. The meek: for they shall inherit the earth

4. They which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

5. The merciful: for they shall obtain mercy

6. The pure in heart: for they shall see God

7. The peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God

8. they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The corresponding four beatitudes in Luke are different in meaning, although the words are almost the same:

1. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

2. Those who are weeping, for they will laugh

3. The hungry, for they will be satisfied

4. Followers of the Son of Man, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Whether once taught by Jesus or based on unknown origins, the beatitudes teach us to be humble, pure of heart and righteous.

Answer 6

Four of the eight beatitudes are from the hypothetical 'Q' document (6:20-23) and are found, with some differences, in both Matthew and Luke. The remaining four can be traced back to other sources known to Matthew, and therefore do not have parallels in Luke's Gospel. A key difference between the two sets of beatitudes is that Matthew's is spiritual, consistent with the theme of the gospel as a whole, while Luke's is more concerned with problems the poor face, which is also a theme throughout Luke's Gospel.

The beatitudes as recorded in Matthew are:
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
2. They that mourn: for they will be comforted
3. The meek: for they shall inherit the earth
4. They which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
5. The merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
6. The pure in heart: for they shall see God
7. The peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God
8. They which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Many also recognise a ninth beatitude in Matthew 5:11-12, although others see it as a commentary on the eighth beatitude: Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

The meaning of Matthew's 'poor in spirit' has resulted in a great deal of discussion. On the surface, it should be those who are rich in spirit who inherit the kingdom of heaven, but theologians find various innovative ways to explain the apparent contradiction. Perhaps the answer is as simple as that this was a Matthean elaboration of the original wording in Q, that just did not quite work out.

The values taught in Matthew's second to eighth beatitudes are reasonably self-evident. Those who mourn will be comforted and the meek will triumph, those who seek righteousness will find it, the merciful will receive mercy, the innocence of a pure heart, peacemaking and, most importantly, accepting persecution for what is right. The optional ninth beatitude is similar to the eighth, but calls for stoic acceptance of all manners of persecution for the sake of Jesus.

The corresponding four beatitudes in Luke are different in meaning, although the words are almost the same:
1. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
2. Those who are weeping, for they will laugh
3. The hungry, for they will be satisfied
4. Followers of the Son of Man, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The first of Luke's beatitudes assures the very poor that heaven will be theirs. The second is like Matthew's second, but with the exaggeration that those who mourn will not only be comforted but will laugh. Luke's third beatitude looks superficially like Matthew's fourth, but here it is those who are actually hungry (and by implication, poor) who will be satisfied. The fourth assures Christians of their place in heaven.

For more information, please visit:

http://christianity.answers.com/discipleship/the-beatitudes-are-for-today

Answer 7

We learn from the Beatitudes that the blessed of God are humble, compassionate, meek, righteous, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake. Interestingly, these 'blessed' relate to the Book of Revelations (see 19:9, 20:6, and 22:14).



Furthermore, Jesus promised those who developed these character qualities in their lifetimes: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).

Answer 8

The beatitudes help us in the same way the rest of The Bible helps us; bringing us to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind.

Answer 9

i dont know .. someone pls help