O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...
O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ... O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...
nations, which represent Jew and non-Jew who are “hostile to his (sic)group.” It can also be used to refer to a non-specific people group (Smillie 2002:74).Jesus has specific religious behaviour in mind when referring to Gentiles and sotranslating ethne as “nations” in Matthew6:32 as Green (1986:742) does will notsuffice.Thirdly, Gentiles can be used to make a religious distinction. It can be used to referto pagans as people outside of Israel’s religion or more harshly, as pagans as peoplewho deliberately ignore revealed religion from God (Smillie 2002:74). It is in this lightthat Gentiles were referred to as the un-circumcised (Ryken et al1998:324).Circumcision was a sign for the Jews who were in a covenant with God (Ryken et al1998:324). Thus Gentiles who were un-circumcised were outside of a covenantrelationship with God, and were characterised as rebellious and disobedient to God’sways (Ryken et al 1998:324). Gentiles were referred to as dogs (Ryken et al1998:325). OT scriptures portray that dogs are “an utterly unclean animal.” By way ofexample Psalms 22:16 and Matthew 7:6 use dog imagery to describe “wicked peoplewho attack God’s anointed (Blomberg 2007:30).”As Jesus is masking contrast between appropriate and inappropriate religiousbehaviour the third option, that of Jesus making religious distinction, is preferred(France 1985:141). Matthew 6:7 uses the same word, ethne, but instead translates itas heathens (Hagner 1993:164). In the NKJV Matthew 6:7 is translated as Gentilesrather than pagan/heathen. As Jesus is making a religious distinction it would bebetter if the word was translated as either pagans or heathen in 6:32 rather thanGentiles as found in the NKJV.The point is then made that a trait of people who are not in covenant with, and whodo not know the Heavenly Father is to worry about provision (France 1985:141). Idolworshipers in antiquity would in their anxiety pester their gods with their concerns formaterial goods. They would have lived in anxious fear as the fortunes of their liveswhere dependant on the whims of different gods who they needed to please in orderfor things to go well (Packer 1975:161).61
The second reason related to this prohibition is found in verse 32b (Talbert2006:126). I.e. the Heavenly Father is radically different form the gods of thepagans. The reason being is that the disciple’s Heavenly Father knows that theyneed these things. As noted earlier by appealing to the disciples Heavenly Father thedisciple is encouraged to trust the Father’s intimate involvement in the disciple’s life.The Father can be trusted to provide the necessities of His own (Powell 2000:877).Verse 33 will show that the Father can be trusted as such.The command is found in verse 33a where Jesus instructs His disciples to “seek firstthe Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” In verses 32 to 33 the word, “seek”appears twice. The Gentiles (now preferably translated as pagans) seek after foodand clothing and Jesus admonishes the disciples not to seek after food and clothing,but to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.Seek is translated from zeteo and is used here in the sense of “coveting earnestly,”or “striving after (Unger and White 1985:558).” Thus the disciple can wholeheartedly, like the pagans, pursue life’s needs or have a whole hearted pursuit forGod’s Kingdom (Guelich 1982:344).The word, “and” between “kingdom of God” and “His righteousness” is translatedfrom kai (Schmidt 1988:176). Kai is “explicative rather than continuative” and so thetwo terms are parallel in that they define each other. As Talbert (2006:128) notes“God’s righteousness and God’s kingdom…amount to the same thing.”The next chapter of this thesis will examine the Mathaen themes of kingdom of Godand righteousness in greater detail. For the purpose of this chapter it will suffice tosay that the language of the text suggests that the “Kingdom of God” and “Hisrighteousness” amount to the same things.As to the question of what it means to seek God’s Kingdom: The passage does notdefine any specific actions that relate to seeking. But the previous definition offeredof zeteo and the definitions of His righteousness and Kingdom of God in the nextchapter will point to any activity that leads to the establishment of God’s will being62
- Page 17 and 18: to have used it as a source (France
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- Page 111 and 112: BIBLIOGRAPHYAchtemeier PJ, Green JB
- Page 113 and 114: Clowney EP 1988. Church. In SB Ferg
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- Page 117 and 118: Peter Laing Publishing.Lloyd-Jones
The second reason related to this prohibition is found in verse 32b (Talbert2006:126). I.e. the Heavenly Father is radically different form the gods of thepagans. The reason being is that the disciple’s Heavenly Father knows that theyneed these things. As noted earlier by appealing to the disciples Heavenly Father thedisciple is encouraged to trust the Father’s intimate involvement in the disciple’s life.The Father can be trusted to provide the necessities of His own (Powell 2000:877).Verse 33 will show that the Father can be trusted as such.The command is found in verse 33a where Jesus instructs His disciples to “seek firstthe Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” In verses 32 to 33 the word, “seek”appears twice. The Gentiles (now preferably translated as pagans) seek after foodand clothing and Jesus admonishes the disciples not to seek after food and clothing,but to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.Seek is translated from zeteo and is used here in the sense of “coveting earnestly,”or “striving after (Unger and White 1985:558).” Thus the disciple can wholeheartedly, like the pagans, pursue life’s needs or have a whole hearted pursuit forGod’s Kingdom (Guelich 1982:344).The word, “and” between “kingdom of God” and “His righteousness” is translatedfrom kai (Schmidt 1988:176). Kai is “explicative rather than continuative” and so thetwo terms are parallel in that they define each other. As Talbert (2006:128) notes“God’s righteousness and God’s kingdom…amount to the same thing.”The next chapter of this thesis will examine the Mathaen themes of kingdom of Godand righteousness in greater detail. For the purpose of this chapter it will suffice tosay that the language of the text suggests that the “Kingdom of God” and “Hisrighteousness” amount to the same things.As to the question of what it means to seek God’s Kingdom: The passage does notdefine any specific actions that relate to seeking. But the previous definition offeredof zeteo and the definitions of His righteousness and Kingdom of God in the nextchapter will point to any activity that leads to the establishment of God’s will being62
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