Our Heavenly Father

Your Heavenly Father

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the purpose of our father- Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 1519 δοξάζομαι

1519 δοξάζομαι (doxazomai), δοξάζω (doxazō): vb.; ≡ Str 1392; TDNT 2.253—1. LN 33.357 praise, speak words of glory (Mt 5:16); 2. LN 87.8 honor, attribute a high status (Mt 6:2; Jn 8:54); 3. LN 87.24 glorify, attribute high rank (Jn 17:5); 4. LN 65.5 (dep.) be wonderful, be of exceptional value (2Co 3:10; 1Pe 1:8+)

CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND PROPER BEHAVIOR IS BASED UPON OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR FATHER

What Glorifies our Father in Heaven?

Proverbs 17:6: “Children’s children are the crown of old men; And the glory of children are their fathers.”

treating our enemies with love and grace (5:43-48)

how God treats them

how we are to treat them

how we are to perceive this work of grace- Matthew 5:48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Lexham Theological Wordbook τέλειος

perfect, mature, complete, initiated, fully developed. Describes something complete, mature believers, and the perfection of God.

The teaching about loving enemies describes God as perfect (teleios) and says that believers must likewise be perfect (teleios; Matt 5:48). The term is used to describe God’s will (Rom 12:2), gifts from God (Jas 1:17), and the heavenly tabernacle (Heb 9:11) as perfect.

emphasizing spiritual matters in the hidden man of the heart (6:1-4)

I Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

I Peter 3:3-4: “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

trusting our Father to care for us (6:1-8) (see also Matthew 6:26-33)

Matthew 6:1-8: “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. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen …”

five times in the passage, he uses the word reward

Lexham Theological Wordbook μισθός

μισθός (misthos). n. masc. reward, payment. This noun refers to the paid outcome of a particular work or action.

This word refers to a reward that is given as an appropriate compensation for a particular action. The Pharisees, who give, pray, and fast in public, will receive their reward (misthos; Matt 6:2, 5, 16). This reward is viewed as a negative compensation for the religious hypocrites. However, righteous actions receive good rewards (misthos; Matt 10:41; 2 John 8; Rev 11:18).

Matthew 7:11-13: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 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. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:”

learning to forgive like our father forgives (6:14-15)