Paul & Nietzsche on the Meek Beatitude

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5

 

"Although the Beatitude concerning the meek has been much praised

even by some non-Christians some view the admonition to meekness skeptically. 

Friedrich Nietzsche in On the Genealogy of Morals considered the verse to be embodying what he perceived as a slave morality.

Slave morality does not aim at exerting one's will by strength, but by careful subversion. It does not seek to transcend the masters, but to make them slaves as well." wiki

 

Paul: 

 ....knowing that your Master also is in heaven... Ephesians 6:9

The Beatitudes: The Way of Holiness

"The beatitudes constitute a ladder, an advancing road of Christian
experience. 

They contain natural and logical steps in spiritual growth and development that take us into the kingdom of God. 

The word beatitude comes from a Latin word which means blessed or happy. 

So the beatitude ladder is a blessed ladder – a blessed or happy experience. 

You start on the first rung, and then advance up the road. 

Each beatitude leads to an advanced step. 

It is called the way of holiness (And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; Isaiah 35:8) and it leads eventually to Zion."

 John J. Grosboll

 

The Beatitudes in Matthew:

³Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the Earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be satisfied.
⁷Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called the Sons of God.
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The 7 Beatitudes of Revelation

"7 blessings mark the path toward a time when there will be no more
curse (Revelation 22:3). These blessings are sometimes called the seven beatitudes of Revelation.

Q: What are beatitudes?

Beatitude is a fancy way of saying blessed, based on the Latin word. The most well-known beatitudes are the ones Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount, starting with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:3.

The Greek word makarios, which is translated blessed, means -- blessed, possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God. It indicates the state of the believer in Christ.

 

 

The first beatitude, Revelation 1:3

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The second beatitude, Revelation 14:13

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.

The third beatitude, Revelation 16:15 

Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

The fourth beatitude, Revelation 19:9 

Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb’.

The fifth beatitude, Revelation 20:6

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

The sixth beatitude, Revelation 22:7 

Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

The seventh beatitude, Revelation 22:14 

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

 

From the beginning, God has sought those who would obey Him, thus avoiding the forbidden fruit that produces eternal death and seeking the tree of life that brings the blessing of eternal life. The end of the book not only takes us back to Eden, but forward to the incomparably glorious New Jerusalem." 

 Mike Bennett

Christ’s Inaugural Address

"Most people who have read the first two books of the Bible know of a famous mountain called Mount Sinai ....This sermon has also been appropriately called Christ’s inaugural address because in it, Jesus enunciated the principles which are to control the administration of His eternal kingdom, the kingdom of glory. In His sermon, Jesus outlines the qualifications for heavenly citizenship. 

All the citizens of the heavenly kingdom will live in harmony with these eternal principles.

The beatitudes constitute a prologue to Jesus’ sermon and like the ten commandments or Lord’s prayer, they are of universal application. They appeal and apply to all races and to all ages.

 

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” The rich went away

empty because they didn’t feel need of anything. One of the first requirements to be saved is that you feel your need of salvation.

 

In the second beatitude Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4). Repentance is sorrow for sin and turning away from it. This concept is misunderstood today. Those who are not sorry enough to turn away from their sin have not yet really repented.

 

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Now the meek people do not inherit the earth as it is today. Today, we live in a world that is controlled by force, a world where the strongest become the richest and the most powerful. A meek person is one who is gentle and humble.

 

The fourth beatitude says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6). Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? However wicked a person may have been, if they hunger and thirst for righteousness and desire to be recreated and born again, the Lord Jesus promises that their desire will be filled and they will be satisfied.

 

Jesus then said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). James says that there will be no mercy for the person that doesn’t show mercy (James 2:13). Are you merciful?"

  John J. Grosboll/StepsToLife

The Mourning

"Blessed are they that mourn: 

for they shall be comforted. 

 Matthew 5:4. 

 

The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin.

 

*Such mourning “shall be comforted.” 

 

---God reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ, 

---and through Him be set free from the bondage of sin, 

---and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. 

 

In true contrition we may come to the foot of the cross,

 and there leave our burdens."

E.G.W.

On the Streets of Babylon: New Beatitudes?

Babylon is fallen, is fallen,...  Come out of her, my people,

Revelation 14:8/18:4

There is a List of "New Beatitudes" circulating on the Streets of Babylon....

"According to the Catholic Herald, Pope Francis has proposed six new beatitudes. The article states:

At the Mass, which took place at the conclusion of his ecumenical trip to the country, Pope Francis highlighted the lives of the Swedish saints Elizabeth Hesselblad and Bridget of Vadstena.  . . . New situations require new energy and a new commitment, he said, and then offered a new list of Beatitudes for modern Christians.

Four of the “new beatitudes” had to do with forgiving others, caring about the earth, and helping the poor and needy. One of them was ecumenical in nature: — Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians [meaning Christians and Catholics], and the second resonated with earlier comments Pope Francis has made to indicate that this pope is not only ecumenical, he is also interspiritual (all paths lead to God) and panentheistic (God is in all).

— Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover him.—Francis" LighthouseTrails