“Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20
No biblical text has had greater impact on Christianity than the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Within this Sermon is Matthew 5:17-20 which forms both the thesis paragraph of the Sermon and the key to appreciating Matthew’s teaching on the relationship between Jesus’ teaching and the Old Testame...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Noyam Journals
2020-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MOTBIT204201.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797764944294313984 |
|---|---|
| author | Frederick M. Amevenku Isaac Boaheng |
| author_facet | Frederick M. Amevenku Isaac Boaheng |
| author_sort | Frederick M. Amevenku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | No biblical text has had greater impact on Christianity than the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Within this Sermon is Matthew 5:17-20 which forms both the thesis paragraph of the Sermon and the key to appreciating Matthew’s teaching on the relationship between Jesus’ teaching and the Old Testament (OT). This passage concludes with Jesus’ profound demand from his disciples to exhibit “higher righteousness” than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees before they can enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20). Within
the context of Jesus’ audience, the scribes and Pharisees were considered the standard of righteousness in the society during Jesus’ time. For this reason, one wonders what the quality and character of this “higher righteousness” might be. Attempts to address this issue have provoked lots of debate among scholars. This paper, through a critical examination of some key words in the passage, seeks an understanding of this “higher righteousness.” The paper found that by “higher righteousness, Jesus demands a kind of righteousness that is not merely external, but a true inner righteousness based on faith in the word of God. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:03:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d89facaf9c248e49ce72ffbbf040243 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2676-2838 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:03:59Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Noyam Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d89facaf9c248e49ce72ffbbf0402432023-08-02T02:16:08ZengNoyam JournalsJournal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology2676-28382020-04-012118https://doi.org/10.32051/MOTBIT.2020.041“Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20Frederick M. Amevenku0Isaac Boaheng1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8624-3035Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon-Accra GhanaTranslator with the Bible Society of GhanaNo biblical text has had greater impact on Christianity than the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Within this Sermon is Matthew 5:17-20 which forms both the thesis paragraph of the Sermon and the key to appreciating Matthew’s teaching on the relationship between Jesus’ teaching and the Old Testament (OT). This passage concludes with Jesus’ profound demand from his disciples to exhibit “higher righteousness” than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees before they can enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20). Within the context of Jesus’ audience, the scribes and Pharisees were considered the standard of righteousness in the society during Jesus’ time. For this reason, one wonders what the quality and character of this “higher righteousness” might be. Attempts to address this issue have provoked lots of debate among scholars. This paper, through a critical examination of some key words in the passage, seeks an understanding of this “higher righteousness.” The paper found that by “higher righteousness, Jesus demands a kind of righteousness that is not merely external, but a true inner righteousness based on faith in the word of God.https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MOTBIT204201.pdfphariseeslawscribesprophetsrighteousness |
| spellingShingle | Frederick M. Amevenku Isaac Boaheng “Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20 Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology pharisees law scribes prophets righteousness |
| title | “Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20 |
| title_full | “Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20 |
| title_fullStr | “Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20 |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20 |
| title_short | “Higher Righteousness” for Kingdom Living: An Exegetical Analysis of Some Key Terms in Matthew 5: 17-20 |
| title_sort | higher righteousness for kingdom living an exegetical analysis of some key terms in matthew 5 17 20 |
| topic | pharisees law scribes prophets righteousness |
| url | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MOTBIT204201.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT frederickmamevenku higherrighteousnessforkingdomlivinganexegeticalanalysisofsomekeytermsinmatthew51720 AT isaacboaheng higherrighteousnessforkingdomlivinganexegeticalanalysisofsomekeytermsinmatthew51720 |