Paul writes to the Galatians, “For I make known to you, brethren, as touching the gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11,12 RV). Among many other things, Jesus would reveal to Paul the principles of the Sermon on the Mount. This article highlights some of the close connections between the teaching in Paul’s letters and the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
Romans 12-14
Paul begins the letter to the Romans with 11 chapters expanding on the theme: “The gospel of Christ…is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed (on the basis of) faith to (those who have) faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16,17). Following these tightly argued expository chapters, Paul writes several chapters of practical exhortations. In fact, the words of exhortation in Romans 12 through 14 are based on the Sermon on the Mount.
- Rejoice in tribulations — In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Mt. 5:10-12).
Similarly, Paul writes, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation” (Rom. 12:12).
- Bless them that persecute you -In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands, “Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you” (Mt. 5:44 RV).
Romans 12 contains the same command, “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. ..Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink” (Rom. 12:14,20).
- Resist not evil — Jesus commands us not to retaliate in response to evil done to us. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (Mt. 5:38-41).
Although Paul uses a different Greek word for “evil,” the message is the same. “Recompense to no man evil for evil…Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves…Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17,19,21).
- Peacemakers — In the seventh beatitude, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Mt. 5:9). The epistle also includes the exhortation to be peacemakers, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men…for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit…Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Rom. 12:18; 14:17,19).
- Love is the fulfilling of the law — In Matthew 5, Jesus reviews points out of the law, giving them their true underlying meaning. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to ..Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill…but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry…shall say to his brother, Raca…shall say, Thou fool…Thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her…Thou shalt not forswear thyself…But I say unto you, Swear not at all…Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Mt. 5:17,21,22,27,28,33,34; 7:12). In short, Jesus is teaching us that love is the fulfillment of the law.
Paul records the same thing in Romans. “Owe no man any thing , but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:8-10).
- Judge not — In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against judging our “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Mt. 7:1-3)
The same warning is issued in Romans. “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?…But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ…Let us not therefore judge one another any more” (Rom. 14:3,4,10,13).
Paul had written earlier in Romans, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Rom. 2:1-3).
- Stumbling blocks — Both Jesus and Paul discuss stumbling blocks. Jesus exhorts us to remove those things, precious as they may seem, that cause us to stumble: “If thy right eye causeth thee to ..And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble…” (Mt. 5:29,30 RV).
Likewise in Romans, we are urged not to set up a stumbling block that causes our brother to fall: “Judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Rom. 14:13).
- The kingdom of God is not meat and drink — In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts us not to be anxious about what we eat and drink, rather we are to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Seek spiritual things first, and natural things will follow. “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on…But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:25,33).
Romans 14 makes the same point. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).
The Lord’s Prayer
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to pray. “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Mt. 6:9-13). We see reflections of the Lord’s prayer throughout the letters of Paul.
To the Galatians
In a blessing that opens the letter, we find, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for (the forgiveness of) our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Gal. 1:3-5).
To the Colossians
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love: in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for (by) him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth” (Col. 1:9-16 RV).
To Timothy
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Tim. 1:17).
“The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Tim. 4:18).
Other Connections Mourners shall be comforted
Jesus says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Mt. 5:4).
In the letters to the Corinthians, we see a practical application of this beatitude. In 1 Corinthians, using the same word “mourn,” the ecclesia is exhorted to disfellowship the brother who had committed the sin. “Ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Cor. 5:2). Then in 2 Corinthians, using the same word “comfort,” the ecclesia is exhorted to accept the repentant brother back into fellowship. “Ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow” (2 Cor. 2:7).
Yea Yea and Nay Nay
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that instead of using fraudulent oaths, we should “let (our) communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” (Mt. 5:37).
Paul records a practical application of this principle in his dealings with the Corinthians. “When I therefore was thus minded, did I shew fickleness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea yea, and the nay nay? But as God is faithful, our word toward you is not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him is yea. For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us” (2 Cor. 1:17-20 RV).
Lawsuits
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that when we are sued at law, we should suffer ourselves to be defrauded. “If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also” (Mt. 5:40).
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, they are reprimanded for not following this principle. “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (1 Cor. 6:7).
Followers of God
Jesus tells us that to be the children of God we must be like our Heavenly Father. “Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father which is in heaven…Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:44,48 RV).
In Ephesians, we are also exhorted to imitate God as beloved children. “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell” (Eph. 5:1-2 RV).
Forgiving as forgiven
Jesus provides a strong motivation for us to forgive one another: if we do, then we will be forgiven; if we do not, then we will not be forgiven. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt. 6:12,14-15).
Paul also records a solid reason for us to forgive one another: because we have been forgiven. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32; cp. Col. 3:12-13).
It is clear that those things that Paul had received of the Lord, he has also delivered unto us as he writes under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One