The Poems and Hymns of the New Testament

Comfort

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2010
• eBook ISBN: 9781498271936
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Yes! There are poems and hymns in the New Testament! Large sections of Jesus' speeches are poetic-such as the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and his final discourses in the book of John. The Epistles are also enriched with some excellent poems of the early Christians and of Paul, and the book of Revelation can boast of some outstanding hymns. When one reads the New Testament in the Greek text with an eye for poetry, many poetic passages spring to life, as well as a few hymns. These poems not only inform our minds, they stimulate our imaginations and arouse our emotions.

1

The Gospel according to Matthew

The Baptism of John and the Baptism of Jesus (3:7–12)

7 Seeing many Pharisees and Sadducees coming

to observe John’s baptism, he rebuked them:

You brood of vipers, snaking your way here to see me.

Have you been warned to flee God’s imminent anger?

8 You need to produce the fruit of genuine change.

9 Do not deceive yourselves by thinking,

“we have Abraham as our father.”

God is able to raise up his children

from these very stones I’m standing on.

10 Even now the axe is ready to cut the roots

of every tree that doesn’t produce good fruits.

They will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 I baptize with water, expecting you to change,

but the coming One is more potent than me

(I am not even worthy to carry his sandals);

he will baptize you with the fire of the sacred Spirit.

12 The winnow in his hand threshes the chaff,

which is blown away into an unquenchable fire.

Then he will he gather the wheat into his granary.

This passage is poetic by virtue of its colorful images. John the Baptist spoke like one of the OT prophets (especially see Mic 4:12), using an array of geographical images (snakes, rocks, water, fire) and agricultural images (fruit trees, threshing, winnowing, wheat, granary) to present a God who is looking for lives to change and be spiritually productive or suffer the consequences.

Jesus, Light for the Nations (4:15–16)

15 It happened in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali,

on the road by the sea,

across the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles:

16 the people sitting in darkness

saw1 a magnificent light,

which dawned on those living

under the shadow of death.

Poems from the Sermon on the Mount

The Beatitudes (5:3–12)

3 Those with impoverished spirits are blessed,

for they will be enriched in God’s kingdom.

4 Those who mourn are blessed,

for I have come to comfort them.

5 Those who live in meekness are blessed,

for I promise them a new earth.

6 Those who hunger and thirst for justice are blessed,

for they will be satisfied when it comes.

7 Those who show mercy to others are blessed,

for mercy will return to them.

8 Those with transparent hearts are blessed,

for they will see nothing else but God.

9 Those who live as peacemakers are blessed,

for they will be known as children of God.

10 Those who are persecuted for the sake of justice are blessed,

for they will find refuge in the kingdom.

11 Blessings to you who are reviled, persecuted...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Gospel according to Matthew
• Chapter 2: The Gospel according to Mark
• Chapter 3: The Gospel according to Luke
• Chapter 4: The Gospel according to John
• Chapter 5: The Book of Acts
• Chapter 6: The Epistles of Paul
• Chapter 7: The Epistle to the Hebrews
• Chapter 8: The Epistle of James
• Chapter 9: The First Epistle of Peter
• Chapter 10: The First Epistle of John
• Chapter 11: The Epistle of Jude
• Chapter 12: The Book of Revelation
• Bibliography