This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading a few weeks ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.
Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 5:3 Here is my translation:
“Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι,
Blessed are those poor in spiritὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. ”
because theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Here are some observations:
- God says it is blessed to be poor in spirit: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (v.3a)
- The word “poor” convey absolute and abject poverty (Tehan, 14).
- But this is not talking about financial or physical poverty. It is talking about spiritual poverty.
- This is usually seen as a bad thing. But note the verse says: “Blessed” (3a)
- It is a predicate nominative; nuanced appearing before the subject.
- We are blessed by God when we are poor in spirit? This leads us to ask what does it mean to be poor in spirit.
- What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
- What it does not mean:
- Humble brag
- Thinking of yourself or your situation worst than it really is.
- Good quote from Alexander Maclaren: “But the deepest reason for a habitual and fixed lowly opinion of ourselves lies in a sadder fact. We are not only recipient nothingnesses; we have something that is our own, and that is our will, and we have lifted it up against God…for only the man who has been down into the dungeons of his own character, and has cried unto God out of the depths, will be able to make the house of his soul a fabric which may be a temple of God, and with its shining apex may pierce the clouds and seem almost to touch the heavens” (Source: Alexander Maclaren, The Beatitudes and Other Sermons (London: Alexander and Shepheard, 1896), 5–7.)
- Recognizing our own sins is what it entails.
- There’s a sense it means humble as seen from Proverb 16:19: “It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
- Note that the term for “lowly” here is literally in the Hebrew for “poor” (Carson, 17).
- But humility don’t require us to make up bad lies about ourselves, only to truly see ourselves and our sin as it really is.
- Taking extreme responsibility will result in one discovering oneself is truly poor in spirit.
- But we don’t stop there: Once we RECOGNIZE we are poor in Spirit we need to go to the cross and confess our sins to the Lord.
- Again everyone already is poor in spirit but blessed is the one who acknowledges that and go to God in dealing with their sins.
- What it does not mean:
- Reason to be poor in spirit: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (v.3b)
- “for” in some version is translated “because” and in the Greek it is a conjunction giving the reason why those poor in spirit are blessed.
- The subject of the reason to be poor in spirit concerns “the kingdom of heaven”
- Literally in the Greek it is “kingdom of heavens” (plural).
- Why the plural?
- It is because of Hebrew/Aramaic influence (Tehan, 16).
- 31 out of 35 times the word appears in Matthew it is in the plural form (Tehan, 16).
Application:
- Again everyone already is poor in spirit but blessed is the one who acknowledges that and go to God in dealing with their sins. Our main application therefore should be recognizing our need to acknowledge our spiritually poor state.Do you recognize the signs of when we are no longer aware of our state of being poor in spirit?
- Sometimes the symptom is that we are quite judgmental of others’ sins. We are so quick to see others’ problems and not see our own.
- Sometimes our problem in life is we are not content because we think we are deserving of something or someone. But are really deserving? Are we really that rich in merit and good works that we can complain to God or feel sorry for ourselves? Let it sink in: We are poor in spirit.
- Yet have you also considered that we have been spiritually enriched by God in Christ?
- We have a relationship with Him!
- We are saved!
- We will be going to heaven!
No exaggeration – 5 min. ago I was just starting the Sermon on the Mount on my Bible Memory app and read that verse and went through the same thought process! The “Christian” Left loves to turn it into their religion-disguised-as-politics translation that it is about financially poor people who are so holy by virtue of their poverty that they don’t need the Gospel, that the gov’t must redistribute wealth to help them (uh, but then they wouldn’t be poor and have the Kingdom of Heaven any longer . . .) and so on.
Great analysis of the passage. Thanks for the blessing!
Interesting summary of the “Christian” Left. (And good summary of the absurdity of their reasoning … or lack of reasoning.)
Wow providence! The left might twist the Scripture for their agenda but contextually it refutes their point since the passage is talking about poor in spirit. Thanks for sharing that, I hope and pray those with a wrong interpretation of the Beatitudes would be able to find this post/devotional and see the truth. How are you doing?
I am blessed, thanks! Cancer is still in remission and family is well. How are you and your ministry doing?
Praise the Lord to hear that the cancer is still in remission; ministry is going well, its a joy to teach from the Bible accurately, the study and prep is edifying for my own soul. Overall I am well but I’m always concern for some people’s spiritual state so pray for me and my ministry if you can…thanks! Thank you so much for this personal update from you brother.
I often see the Beatitudes as the road-map to salvation. Recognizing one’s spiritual bankruptcy is certainly the first step, and one we have to come back to continually. Without Jesus we have nothing, we ARE nothing. Wonderful things can be done for, in, and through us, but it’s ALL JESUS. Thanks for the reminder.
Amen that it’s a roadmap to salvation! One will never be saved if they don’t see they are poor in spirit. Yet spiritually Rich God is, to save us! What richness of grace that saves and sanctifies is, amen?
Amen! (Is there a “like” button? Can’t find it…)
Thanks for this quick devotional and word study! I appreciate your diligence to evangelize and disciple. Whenever I read or hear “Blessed are those poor in spirit” I think of the tax collector/publican in Luke 18:9-14 who “would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'” A person won’t accept Jesus Christ as Savior by faith alone until they admit they don’t have one single plea of their own. Then, as you point out, a Christian should walk humbly but with joy and gratefulness for God’s grace!
This is so true: “A person won’t accept Jesus Christ as Savior by faith alone until they admit they don’t have one single plea of their own.” Very true. This is why we use the law and also preach about sin, so people would see their need for salvation and savior apart from themselves! Unfortunately some misuse the law as works righteousness as a means of salvation, and also adding to God’s law with things like self-pain and other gross evil sad means of inflicting pain upon oneself as you posted about recently…
👍
Thanks for the great insight from the Greek. Love learning about the original language.
[…] the book and the Spurgeons. On Thursday I’ll drop the interview with Pastor and blogger from Veritas Domain Pastor Jimmy. He was so kind as to come on the program not once, but twice, as the first episode […]
[…] Quick Devotional from Matthew 5:3 (Observation from the Greek) — Great analysis of the “poor in spirit” from the Sermon on the Mount. The “Christian” Left loves to turn it into their religion-disguised-as-politics translation that it is about financially poor people who are so holy by virtue of their poverty that they don’t need the Gospel, that the government must redistribute wealth to help them (uh, but then they wouldn’t be poor and have the Kingdom of Heaven any longer, right?) and so on. But the truth is so much better! […]
False humility will get us nothing. Acknowledging our need for Christ opens the door for everything.
Amen! Sin is so deceptive for false humility is a form of pride in disguise isn’t it?
Yep! Pride comes in so many forms.
Happiness is our New Home.:)
Thank you for this devotional. Now I have a much clearer understanding of the meaning of being poor in spirit.
God bless you
Aww praise God, I’m touched to hear that. The beatitudes was a nice challenge for me to read Jesus’ words and teachings. But with all the point of the beatitudes we must start with humility in knowing that we are spiritually poor and therefore in need of God’s grace! Were you able to go to evangelism this Friday?
Yes I did go on Friday. One of the ladies in our group is in hospital. Open heart surgery. We mised her on Friday. Thank you for remembering.
Jim, thank you for another great post. I have just posted eight sermons on YouTube from our young Northern Ireland pastor on the Beatitudes. They have been a blessing to me. Blessings for the Lord’s Day.
Do you have a link to your YouTube account or to those videos?
I hoped you would ask.:) Thank you, JIm. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvVaieGgg51H8fYplDo0ZQ/videos?view_as=subscriber
Excellent
[…] Sometimes when we put others first it can be painful and we think of ourselves better than the other person. Consider verse 3. […]
Good study