Matthew 6:1
Encyclopedia
Matthew 6:1 is the first verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
and is part of the Sermon on the Mount
. This verse begins the discussion of how even good deeds can be done for the wrong reasons.
In the King James Version of the Bible
the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:1
There is some debate over the term translated as "charitable giving" in the WEB. In the ancient manuscripts there are two different versions of this verse. One has dikaisune. This term can be translated as charitable giving, but it can also be much more broadly translated as referring to any act of piety. By this translation this verse can be read as a condemnation of all overt religiosity. The second version has eleemosune, which explicitly refers to alms
giving. This restricts what this verse is condemning to the more specific practice of overt generosity. Lewis feels dikaisune was the original wording as eleemosune appears in Matthew 6:2
, and that that verse would be redundant if the two words are the same. Filson also notes that it is likely that the word eleemosune being inserted into this verse was a copying error.
How this verse relates to Matthew 5:13
-16 has long been of some discussion. Those verses exhort Jesus' disciples to be public symbols of proper piety, while this recommends giving in secret. France believes the two passages complement one another. This verse states that proper piety is not done to impress others, while the previous section states that the pious will automatically impress others without need for overt displays. Fowler notes that this verse also builds upon the preceding antitheses. In those verses Jesus consistently argued that ill motives are just as bad as evil acts, in this and subsequent verses he argues that it is impossible for good deeds to be the product of ill thoughts. This argument is likely linked to the condemnation of the Pharisees
, which is an important theme in Matthew. The Pharisees were well known for their overt and sanctimonious piety.
The term "reward" in this verse is a translation of a Greek commercial term. Literally it refers to cancelled bills. Lewis notes that the expression is almost identical to the English phrase "paid in full," and this verse is stating that those who are overly boastful will not be "paid in full" by God. Hendriksen
states that if one is expecting praise and adulation from one's fellows for being pious, then this is the only reward you will receive. You will miss out on God's much more important reward. Barclay notes that this verse is another mention of the reward motive in Matthew. While many theologians disagree, Barclay feels that this verse is overtly stating that while goodness for secular rewards is wrong, goodness in pursuit of heavenly rewards is perfectly acceptable.
These ideas were not original to Jesus, the notion that anonymous giving was the most pious form of charity was widely held at the time. Augsburger notes that at the time there was a Chamber of the Silent, created to allow the pious to donate anonymously.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and is part of the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
. This verse begins the discussion of how even good deeds can be done for the wrong reasons.
In the King James Version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
the text reads:
- Take heed that ye do not your alms before
- men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have
- no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- "Be careful that you don't do your charitable
- giving before men, to be seen by them, or else
- you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:1
There is some debate over the term translated as "charitable giving" in the WEB. In the ancient manuscripts there are two different versions of this verse. One has dikaisune. This term can be translated as charitable giving, but it can also be much more broadly translated as referring to any act of piety. By this translation this verse can be read as a condemnation of all overt religiosity. The second version has eleemosune, which explicitly refers to alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
giving. This restricts what this verse is condemning to the more specific practice of overt generosity. Lewis feels dikaisune was the original wording as eleemosune appears in Matthew 6:2
Matthew 6:2
Matthew 6:2 is the second verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse continues the discussion of how even good deeds can be done for the wrong reasons....
, and that that verse would be redundant if the two words are the same. Filson also notes that it is likely that the word eleemosune being inserted into this verse was a copying error.
How this verse relates to Matthew 5:13
Matthew 5:13
Matthew 5:13 is the thirteenth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It is part of the Sermon on the Mount, the first of a series of metaphors often seen as adding to the Beatitudes.The original Greek text is:...
-16 has long been of some discussion. Those verses exhort Jesus' disciples to be public symbols of proper piety, while this recommends giving in secret. France believes the two passages complement one another. This verse states that proper piety is not done to impress others, while the previous section states that the pious will automatically impress others without need for overt displays. Fowler notes that this verse also builds upon the preceding antitheses. In those verses Jesus consistently argued that ill motives are just as bad as evil acts, in this and subsequent verses he argues that it is impossible for good deeds to be the product of ill thoughts. This argument is likely linked to the condemnation of the Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
, which is an important theme in Matthew. The Pharisees were well known for their overt and sanctimonious piety.
The term "reward" in this verse is a translation of a Greek commercial term. Literally it refers to cancelled bills. Lewis notes that the expression is almost identical to the English phrase "paid in full," and this verse is stating that those who are overly boastful will not be "paid in full" by God. Hendriksen
William Hendriksen
William Hendriksen was a New Testament scholar and writer of Bible commentaries. He was born in Tiel, Gelderland, but his family moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1911. Hendriksen studied at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary before obtaining an S.T.D...
states that if one is expecting praise and adulation from one's fellows for being pious, then this is the only reward you will receive. You will miss out on God's much more important reward. Barclay notes that this verse is another mention of the reward motive in Matthew. While many theologians disagree, Barclay feels that this verse is overtly stating that while goodness for secular rewards is wrong, goodness in pursuit of heavenly rewards is perfectly acceptable.
These ideas were not original to Jesus, the notion that anonymous giving was the most pious form of charity was widely held at the time. Augsburger notes that at the time there was a Chamber of the Silent, created to allow the pious to donate anonymously.