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O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...

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1.2 ProblemThe main problem this thesis aims to address is as follows; based on a biblical andtheological analysis of Matthew 6:19-34, what is the nature of the relationshipbetween the Christian disciple and money? To answer the above mentioned problemthe following questions need to be addressed:a) What light does an examination of the historical context of Matthew 6:19-34shed on the meaning of the passage?b) What does a literary analysis of Matthew 6:19-34 clarify about the meaning ofthe passage?c) What does an examination of the theological motifs and themes in Matthew6:19-34 contribute to an overall understanding of the passage?d) Based on the relevant historical, literary, and theological informationpertaining to Matthew 6:19-34, what should the Christian disciple’s view ofmoney be?1.3 PurposeFirstly, there will always be pastoral value in addressing the relationship between theChristian disciple and money. The words of the Apostle Paul (1 Tim 6:10: NKJV –From here on in unless stated otherwise all scripture quotations will come from theNKJV) have proved true more than once, “For the love if money is a root of all kindsof evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and piercedthemselves through with many sorrows.” Thus by showing what is at stake in theChristian disciple’s relationship to money, the hope is that the thesis will encouragegreater allegiance to Christ.Secondly, by clarifying what is taught about the relationship between the Christiandisciple and money in the SOM, it could help clarify some confusion which thebelieving community has in it’s reading of the Sermon. I.e. the hermeneuticalprinciples applied in this thesis will assist in reading the rest of the Sermon.Thirdly, it is clear that the Gospel writers felt that the relationship between the5

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