Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical

Hermeneutics and Theology (MOTBIT)

ISSN - Online 2821-8965 | Print 2676-2838
Volume 6 Issue 2 - February 2024 pp 9-18
Available online at: https://noyam.org/journals/motbit/
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2024621

An Nzema Mother-Tongue Commentary

on the Matthean Beatitudes
Justice Korankye 1 & Isaac Boaheng 2
1 Methodist Church Ghana.
2 Senior Lecturer in Christian Theology and Ethics, Christian Service University College, Ghana; Research Fellow University of
the Free State, South Africa.
1

ABSTRACT
One of the major challenges facing contemporary Ghanaian Christianity is Correspondence
ineffective discipleship. Consequently, Christianity has little influence on the moral Justice Korankye
life of its adherents. No wonder Ghana has a high Christian population, yet Email: odurojok@gmail.com
corruption and wickedness abound in its societies. The priorities of many
contemporary Christians have shifted from the pursuit of the kingdom of God and Publication History
its righteousness to the accumulation of material wealth, the pursuit of upward Received 24th July, 2023
Accepted 8th December, 2023
social mobility and the fixation on earthly gratification, among others. To avert the Published online 15th February,
situation, there is the need for the church to teach biblical principles that will raise 2024
disciples of resilient faith for this and generations to come. By drawing out some
principles from the Matthean Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12) as a paradigm for
contemporary Christian discipleship, the article sought to contribute to the church’s
efforts in dealing with discipleship challenges of current times and beyond. The
main argument of this study was that the Christian disciple is called to be different
from worldly people in both ethical behaviour and piety. This call to be set apart
involves a call to recognise the reality of God’s kingdom; a call to be alongside the
poor and sinners; and a call to participate in God’s kingdom community.

Keywords: Beatitudes, Christianity, Discipleship, Nzema.

INTRODUCTION
The translation of scriptures into the mother tongue helps to expose the affinities, histories and culture that the
Bible lands have with African culture. However, the Translation helps readers to know and understand certain
concepts that are used in the scripture in relation to the culture of the African People. However, with the
translation of the Mathean Gosple into Nzema, readers are assisted with a deeper understanding of the concept
of Blessedness in the Matthean Beatitudes which explains that a person’s actions of mercy, and a thirst
for righteousness would certainly lead to blessedness.
Even though the author is not named within the text, from the early second century the church has
identified the Apostle Matthew as the author of this Gospel.1 The Matthean Gospel was written between 70AD
and 80AD. It is not known for sure the place of the composition of Matthew’s Gospel. However, Syrian origin,
precisely Antioch, has a wider scholarly acceptance.2 Matthean tradition, according to the few verses prior to
the Beatitudes (Matt 4:23-5:2), holds that the Beatitudes were pronounced on a mountain in Galilee. Jesus’
original audience came from all over the surrounding regions which were under the control and oppression of

1 Deji Ayegboyin, The Synoptics: Introductory Notes on the Gospels According to Matthew, Mark and Luke (Ibadan: Global Estida
Publishers, 2015), 78.
2
RPV Kappelle, Wisdom Revealed: The Message of Biblical Wisdom Literature-Then and Now (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014),
198.

© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals.

This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
 Korankye, J. & Baoheng, I. / Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology (MOTBIT) Vol.6 No.2 (2024) 9-18

the Roman government.3 Even though some of the audience may be from Jerusalem which at that time enjoyed
religious aristocracy, many of Jesus’ audience likely felt the effect of the oppression very strongly. It is for this
reason that Jesus addresses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who thirst for righteousness and those
who are persecuted. The fact that the Matthean audience was under persecution for their allegiance to Jesus
leads to the evangelist’s purpose of including the Beatitudes in his Gospel account. As the community followed
Jesus, their suffering was viewed as a paradoxical participation in the ministry of Jesus that was characterized
by redemptive suffering. The Beatitudes were therefore written to encourage the new community to persevere
and live for Christ despite the resistance against its presence.
Within the context of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes form an introductory statement. Jesus
is portrayed as sitting down and speaking to the crowd. This context echoes the account of the Jewish leader
Moses who spoke the commandments of God from Mt. Sinai.4 Two functions are attributed to the Beatitudes,
namely, introducing the whole Sermon on the Mount and serving as the foundational ideology of the following
teaching. The Beatitudes are followed by the metaphors of salt and light.
As the Church in Ghana expands numerically, there is the need to have a corresponding qualitative
growth. One way to enhance effective discipleship is to have mother-tongue materials to speak to the heart of
Christian converts. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of mother-tongue commentaries in Ghana and many
other parts of Africa. Hence, using the mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics approach, the present study explores
the Nzema commentary of the Mathean Beatitudes and brings to bear the various lessons of the Beatitudes to
the Christian discipleship journey.

METHODOLOGY
The study used the mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics approach.5 Kwame Bediako identifies a theological
meaning of the mother tongue in his observation that it is the language in which God speaks to mankind.
According to him, God does not speak “in a sacred language, but in ordinary language,” so that humans may
hear God and realise the gospel is about mankind who have been invited to join a company drawn from every
people, tribe, nation and language. Mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics is a step-by-step approach that
analyses, adopts and adapts words and phrases in biblical texts to appropriate the word of God for indigenous
Bible reading communities.6
In this research, three Nzema Bible translators were interviewed on the concept of blessedness in the
Nzema language as well as two other Nzema scholars who helped to translate the English commentary into
Nzema. Three questionnaires were also administered to Nzema Bible readers in Mpataba in the Jomoro
Municipality who could speak and write both English and Nzema to get their views on the meaning of
Blessedness in the Nzema Bible.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Background of the Nzema People
The “Nzema” (or Nzima) are Akan people numbering more than 100,000, and occupying the coastal strip
between the Ankobra River in the Western Region of Ghana and the Assinie in the Ivory Coast. Many Nzema
also live outside the territorial tribal limit in the Cote d’Ivoire, especially in Balsam close to the Ghanaian
boundary where they represent a fairly large minority.7 In Ghana, the Nzema area is divided into three electoral
districts: The Nzema East (or Evalue Gwira) municipal, the Ellembele district and the Nzema West (or Jomoro)
municipal.
Historical accounts indicate that the founding ancestors of the Nzima community originally lived
somewhere along the N’Zi River which runs parallel to the Comoe River in Northeastern Cote d’Ivoire. As the
people along the Comoe River became known as the “Kimbu people” (later Akwamu people), the N’Zi settlers
were referred to as the N’Zi people, hence the Nzi-mba. This name later developed to become known as Nzima
(or Nzema). History has it that, during this period, there were political struggles in the neighbouring regions of
Kankyeabo and Bouna. These conflicts and invasions in the region by the Mande people made the Nzi-mba
migrate in the southwestern direction and subsequently settle on the west coast at Beyin to avoid being caught

3 A. Picard and M. Habets, Theology and the Experience of Disability: Interdisciplinary (London and New York: Routledge, 2016).
4 Andreij Kodjak, A Structural Analysis of the Sermon on the Mount (Berlin: Mouton dc Gruyter, 1986).
5 Jonathan E T Kuwornu-Adjaottor, “Doing African Biblical Studies with the Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics Approach,” All

Nations University Journal of Applied Thought 1, no. 1 (2012).

6 Kwame Bediako, “Scripture as the Hermeneutic of Culture and Tradition,” Journal of African Christian Thought 4, no.1(2001):2–11.
7 G. Nrenzah, “Indigenous Religious Belief and Practice in Ghanaian Pentecostalism: The Mame Wata Healing Churches of Half

Assini,” Making Waves, Journal for Women’s Studies at Florida International University 7 (2009): 26–32.

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in further clashes.8 Their leader at that time was Annor Asaman.9 The Nzema are divided into Evalue, Dwira,
Ellembelle and Jomoro. Their clan names are Twea, Ezohile, Alɔnwɔba, Nvavile, Adahonle, Azanwule and
Mafole.
During the 19th century, Nzema was one region until the deportation of the ruler Kaku Aka. The Nzema
people are known as Ndenye or Apollonians in Ivory Coast. The name “Apollonia” was given to the Nzema
people by the Portuguese who landed on the Nzema coast on the feast day of St. Apollonia. But in 1927, the
indigenous readopted the name “Nzema” because the Portuguese name (“Apollonia”) had little impact on the
people.
The language of the Nzema people is also known as Nzema in Ghana and Apollo in Ivory Coast. The
term “Nzema”, therefore, refers to both the people and the language they speak. Nzema is part of the Niger-
Congo (Kwa) language family.10 The Nzema language has an affinity with the Aowin dialect and with Gwira,
Ajumoro and the Avalue (Axim). Despite certain dissimilarities and a wide range of variation in their ancestral
backgrounds, these heterogenous groups still share a distinctive substratum of cultural and linguistic identity
with the Guan-speaking people of Ghana after their going off from a common ancestry.
The Nzema are mostly farmers. During the last century, the agriculture of the Nzema has been the
introduction of cash crops. Coconut from the early years of the century and palm oil in the latter part of the last
century have gradually established themselves in the area as the principal and often the only crop. The
cultivation of palms, the processing of the nut, and the production and marketing of copra oil are among the
principal activities of the Nzema people. Another key economic activity among the Nzema people is fishing.
Traditional festivals are used as occasions to reach the ancestors and ask for their blessings for the
ensuing year. For the Nzema community, the Kundum festival is the most popular and influential traditional
festival. It is celebrated annually all over the Ahanta-Nzema area. The Kundum festival usually starts in the
easternmost part of Ahanta and continues southwestward throughout the harvest period. Among other things,
satirical avudewene songs are performed by young men during this festival. It is both a harvest and a religious
festival which generally involves a lot of dancing, drumming and feasting. Samuel Edukubile Etikpah has
identified three stages in the celebration: The first stage is the Abisa siedu ɛhɔlɛ which serves as a preparation
rite; the second stage is the Abisa gua zo ɛralɛ which serves as the public performance of the festival, and the
final stage is the Abisa azule nu ɛdolɛ which is the purification rite.11 Each of these stages is marked with a
libation rite known as ɛdɛneyelɛ, or the pouring of wine accompanied by invocations known as nza ɛgualɛ. It is
important to note that like other Akan people (such as Akuapems, Asantes, Bonos, and Fantes), the Nzema
system of kinship and marriage is matrilineal.12

The Concept of Blessedness in the Context of Nzema

The Nzema people have various ways of describing the concept of blessedness. They sometimes use stories and
proverbs to explain the meaning of blessedness in their context. One of the proverbs of the Nzema people states
“akol1 m44 betanle 4 nli la a, lile aab1 1z4l1 a.” This proverb is translated as “The chicken which is
closest to the mother eats the thigh of the grasshopper.” The chicken stands for the one to be blessed while the
mother is the source of the blessing. According to the Nzema people, a person who wants to be called a blessing
is supposed to come closer to his or her source of blessing. The Nzema people believe that such a person
becomes fortunate in life as he or she gets the privileges and the advantages needed in life.
The concept of blessedness in the context of Nzema could further be explained with another story in Nzema.
Nyilal1 m44 di munli la anwo adawu. Nrenya bie d1nlanle namule bie azo, namule ne duma a
le Boame. 1nee 4 nee kakule kpavole anwoseseb1 ko a w4 namule ne azo a. Nrenya ne kile a,
debie biala m44 4daye Nrenya ne, 4k1ze k1 4y1 la, 4nv1l1 kpavol1 ne b4b44 1nee yeralie 4l1y1
yeamaa Egya Ewule, mekile nrenya ne. W4 nrenya ne adwenle nu nee k1m4 ye duma ne abo
kile la, 1nee kuye, kuye ti a 4lua m44 1nee 4w4 k1, 4ku kpavol1 anwoseseb1 ne a, noko, kakula
nrenya ne kpal1 ti, Egya Ewule hakyile ye adwenle na 4yila kpavol1 ne molozo.

8 Veronica P. Onuman, “The People of Nzema (Ghana) – How They Emerged,” https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/people-nzema-ghana-
how-emerged-veronica-penelope-onuman, 2016.
9 Onuman, “The People of Nzema (Ghana) – How They Emerged.”
10 Mohammed Yakub, “A Linguistic Analysis of ‘Pet Names’ in Nzema: A Morphosyntactic Description,” Indian Journal of

Language and Linguistics, September 26, 2020, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.34256/ijll2011.

11 Samuel Edukubile Etikpah, “The Kundum Festival in Ghana: Ritual Interaction with the Nonhuman among the Akan,” Journal of

Africana Religions 3, no. 4 (2015): 343–96.

12 Pierluigi Valsecchi, “The ‘True Nzema’: A Layered Identity,” Africa 71, no. 3 (2001): 391–425.

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In this story, there lived a certain young energetic man in his own village called “Help me.” This young
man was very honest, hospitable and kind to everyone. One day, an old man with the name “Death” whose
intention is to kill anyone he meets, came to live with the young man. The young man without shame showed
mercy, hospitality and kindness to the old man named “Death”. The young man continued to offer a helping
hand to the old man in anything he did while he lived with the young man in his village. One day, “Death”
decided to kill the young energetic man to fulfil his intention of killing people he met in life. However, Mr.
Death changed his mind and refused to kill the young man due to his kindness and hospitality and the mercy he
had to help him find a place to stay. Mr. Death, instead, blessed this young man to the fullest.
The story is in parallel to the Matthean Beatitudes which explains that a person’s actions of mercy, and
a thirst for righteousness would certainly lead to blessedness.

Nzema-English Commentary on the beatitudes

Nzema text English Translation
Nyilal1 m44 di munli Blessings that are complete
Matiyu 5:3-5 Mathew 5:3-5
³ “Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ bɛze kɛ bɛdi ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
Nyamenle Sunsum ne anwo ehyia la, Ɔluakɛ kingdom of heaven.
bɛbanwu Anwuma Belemgbunlililɛ ne!
⁴ “Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ nyane ɛha bɛ la;
⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be
Nyamenle bakyekye bɛ rɛle! comforted.
⁵ “Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ bɛle bɛlɛvo la; Azɛlɛ ⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
ye bayɛ bɛ ɛdeɛ! earth.
Ngilehilenu Commentary
Gyis1se hanle boka ne azo nyilal1 edw1k1 ne Jesus presented the Beatitudes in a definite
nidizo nu. M44 limua la, ka anwob1laze now progressive and logical order. The first one carries
edw1k1. Sunsum nu b1t11 1y1l1 (Mateyu 5:3), the ideas of contrition and humility. The poor in
m44 1nee 4l1kile sunsum nu ngoane, anyebolol1 spirit (Matt. 5:3) refers to “the utter spiritual
m44 y1fa y1k4 Nyamenle Belemgbunlilil1 ne an destitution, the consciousness of which precedes the
una emomu y1nua sonla anwoseseb1 a y1k4 a, entrance into the kingdom of God, and which cannot
na emomu, Nyamenle anwunv4nezele 4. be relieved by one’s own efforts, but only by the free
Sunsum nu ehyia m4 saa y1fa y1tott y1day1 mercy of God.”13 Poverty of spirit stands in contrast
mumua ne y1anwonyia now a, 4nee ye 1ng4 la, to self-sufficiency, self-assertive and self-promotion
y1 now m44 y1die y1di nee y1 now zo 1memanl1 that the world so much admires and praises. It is the
m44 ewiade kulo na yem4 a 4ye ye ay1l1 la. very reverse of that independent and defiant attitude
Ehye, le ye ang4b1nzi, fanwodi nee anwomema that refuses to bow to God, that determines to brave
zo subane, m44 4mmamb4 y1 ti aze y1mmq
things out,14 and that says with Pharaoh, “Who is the
Nyamenle la, 1hye m4 maa ak1nrazile zo keda,
Lord, that I should obey His voice?” (Ex. 5:2). To be
na 1hye a Falo hanle k1, “Nwane a le
poor in spirit is to understand that you have nothing,
Nyamenle a, maa meadie 4 ne? (Adendule 5:2).
K1 1di sunsum nu ehyia kile k1 y1nnl1 1hwee
you are nothing, and you can do nothing and
y11 1nle hwee y1 1ngola 1ny1 hwee 4ti 1hyia therefore have need of all things. The poverty of
debie biala. Sunsum nu 1hyialil1 da ali w4 spirit is manifest in a person when he/she is
sonla nu w4 mek1 m44 4k1dwazo na 4k1nwu awakened to recognize his/her absolute helplessness
mboal1 ne k1 4vi Nyamenle la. before God.
M44 t4zo nwi4 la, gyi al4b4l1lil1 zo, (ngbakyel1 The second condition, mournfulness (v.4), is a direct
4) 1ke 1de1 ye, noko gyi alimua 1de1 ne azo, progression from the first, poverty in spirit. It goes
sunsum nu 1hyiali1. M44 le sunsum nu side by side with conscious poverty of spirit. The
ehyiavol1 la nwu ye k1, 4nl1 hwee y11 4nee poor in spirit recognizes his or her nothingness and
hwee w4 Nyamenle anyunlu na 4su. !zunl1 a emptiness before God and then begins to mourn for

13 Marvin R Vincent, “Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament. Vol. 3,” Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers Inc, 2009.
14 A. W. Pink, The Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer (Bellingham, WA.: Logos Research System, Inc., 2005).

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y1fa y1kila y1 1tane m44 y1di la a. K1 y1nwu his or her helpless state. Mourning is our attitude
ye k1, y1nl1 1hwee la, 4dik1 y1zu y1fa y1kila y1 over our sin. Once we become aware of our lack of
1tane ne m4 m44 y1y1 la. Y1zu y1kila y1 1hyia sufficiency we must then mourn over our sinfulness.
m44 y1di yebw4 sunsum now la nee 1tane It is mourning over the felt destitution of our
ngyikyi m44 1de y1 nee Nyamenle avinli la. spiritual state, and over the iniquities that have
1hye anwo ndonwo a le 1r1l1 ne m44 fane separated us and God. A striking illustration is the
Falasiinli ne nee adwule die vol1 ne, m44 w4 parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke
(Luuku 18:9-14). Falasiinli ne dule 4 now w4 ye 18:9-14. The Pharisee boasted in his prayer and went
as4ne 1y1l1 nu na b1boale ye f4l1 kolaa na down to his house in a state of condemnation. The
yeah4 sua nu. Adwule dievol1 ne gyinlanle Tax Collector standing afar off, was so troubled by
moamoa na 4nwunle 4 now k1, 4le 1tanevol1
his iniquities (Ps. 40:12). He dared not so much as
(Edw1ndol1 40:12) yeangulo b4b4 k1, 4k1maa 4
lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast.
nye zo 4k1nlea anwuma b4b4, ye 1tane d44nwo
Conscious of the fountain of corruption within, he
ne ati, 4zunle, Nyamenle nwu nu, 4boalek1
cried, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” That man
1nee 4le sunsum nu 1hyianli na 4lile nwol1
nyane. Nyanelil1 a wo 1k1 maa kilisianli kpal1 went down to his house justified because he was
biala a. poor in spirit and mourned for sin. Mourning is ever
B1m1 a b1bakyekye b1 r1le a. W4 1hye anwo, a characteristic of the normal Christian state.
1nee kelaese 1l1ka 1tane fakye m44 gyegye “They shall be comforted.” By these words, Christ
1tanevol1 m44 hyia dievol1 now la. !hye di refers primarily to the removal of the guilt that
munli w4 sunsum nu alilal1 w4 Nyamenle burdens the conscience of the sinner who is in dire
need of a Saviour. It is accomplished by the Spirit’s
edw1k1 ne 1lol1 zo. !hye awiele1 ne, a le
application of the Gospel of God’s grace. The result
adwenle m44 nuhua la 1k1 nee faky1 m44 4lua is a sense of free and full forgiveness through the
Gyis1se Kelaese mogya ne azo y1nyianle ye la. merits of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. This
Ar1lekyekyel1 totohyia 1hye a le Nyamnle Divine comfort is “the peace of God, which passes
azondwole ne m44 bo ndeleb1bo muala azo la all understanding” (Phil. 4:7), filling the heart of the
(Felepima 4:7). !hye yi sonla ne m44 b1b4 ye one who is now assured that he is “accepted in the
1w4k1 la ahonle k1, b1lie ye b1do nu w4 Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Simply, though he or she
Kulovol1 ne w4 avinli. (!fes1se 1:6). Ye sikal1 mourns his or her failures and confesses them to
ale k1, b4b4 4di nyane w4 ye sinli 1d4l1 now na God, yet he is comforted by the assurance that the
4ka 4kile Nyamenle, b1kyekye 4r1le w4 ngyinla blood of Jesus Christ, cleanses him/her from all sin
zo now k1, Gyis1se mogya ne kyikyi ye 1tane
(1 John 1:7).
muala (1 Dw4ne 1:7).
This condition of mournfulness naturally progresses
Nyanelil1 gyinlabel1 1hye nyi y1 ahobelase (v5) into that of meekness (v.5) in the third beatitude.
w4 ye boka ne azo edw1k1 ne m4 m44 t4 zo nsa
la anwo.
Lioyd Jones (1970:68) se, ahobelase a kile For Lloyd-Jones (1970:68), “Meekness is
n4hale nu k1si awie de a, k1 4si 4tend1 4kile, essentially a true view of oneself, expressing itself
ye ny1le1 nee ye subane m44 4da ye ali 4kile in attitude and conduct with respect to others.” 15
menli gy1ne la. Ahobelase bo debie biala azo Meekness is an abandonment of all pretences to
w4 sonla 1b1la 1b4l1 nu w4 Nyamenle anyunlu personal merit and taking of one’s place in the dust
(Kelvene 1509-1564:232). Ka k1, b1le menli m44 before God. John Calvin states that they are persons
of mild and gentle dispositions, who are not easily
da ny1le1 nee subane kpal1 ali a, mekile k1si
provoked by injuries, who are not ready to take
b1de la, m44 b1nua 1ya mgbane mgbane nae za
offense, but are prepared to endure anything rather
b1ny1 bie b1ntia awie m4 na emomo, dahuu than do the actions of the likes of wicked men.16
b1k1li ye b1 kunlu. Ahobel1se ne m44 y1y1 Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in
y1amaa Nyamenle la a y1die y1to nu a. 4nee which we accept His dealings with us as good, and
y1 di ye bo1, 4nyeye nu y11 4nga k1 4nr1y1 therefore without disputing or resisting. A meek

15 Lloyd-Jones D. M., Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), 68.
16 Calvin John, Commentary on Mathew, Mark, Luke, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d.).

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noko. Ahobelase sonla ka k1, Nyamenle person can say “May the will of God be done in my
1hulol1die 1r1la nu 1maa me. life.”

Matiyu 5:6-10 Mathew 5:6-10

⁶ Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ bɛ kunlu anu a ⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
anrɛɛ bɛkola bɛyɛ mɔɔ Nyamenle kpondɛ la; righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Nyamenle bamaa bɛ kunlu adwo bɛ nwo ⁷ ⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive
mercy.⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ bɛse anwunvɔne la;
shall see God. ⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for
Nyamenle baze bɛdabɛ noko anwunvɔne ⁸
they shall be called sons of God.
Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ bɛ ahonle nu te la; ¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for
Bɛbanwu Nyamenle ⁹ Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
bɛpele bɛkpondɛ anzonudwolɛ la; Nyamenle heaven.
bavɛlɛ bɛ ɔ mra ¹⁰ Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛdabɛ mɔɔ
bɛyɛ bɛ kpɔdekpɔde kɛ bɛbɔ mɔdenle bɛyɛ mɔɔ
Nyamenle kpondɛ la; Anwuma
Belemgbunlililɛ ne le bɛ ɛdeɛ
Ngilehilenu Commentary
W4 foa ne m44 t4 zo nwi4 la anu w4 nolob4l1 ne In the second half of the Beatitudes (the last four),
m4 Kelaese b4le ye w4 boka ne azo la, subane we seem to turn from our attitude toward God to our
m44 y1da ye ali y1kile Nyamenle la nee m44 attitude toward our fellow human beings.
y1da ye ali y1kile y1 g44nwo m4 le ngakyile. MacArthur (1985:187) states, “The first four
MacArthur (1985:187) hanle k1 “Kelease beatitudes deal entirely with inner principles,
nolob4l1 ne w4 boka ne azo anlumua 4de1 nna principles of the heart and mind. They are concerned
ne da y1su m44 w4 y1 nu la ali. Su m44 w44 y1 with the way we see ourselves before God. The last
adwenle nee y11 ahonle nu la. Bekile k1, yesi four are outward manifestations of those attitudes.”
y1 nwu y1 now w4 Nyamenle anyunlua. As a person is filled with God’s righteousness (v. 6),
Awiele1 1de1 nna ne kile k1 y1si f1 y1da su ne he or she identifies with a sinful man in his need and
m4 m44 w4 y1 nu la ali la.” extends mercy. The merciful (v. 7) shows
Saa Nyamenle kpal1y1la ne t1nla sonla mu a
compassion for people’s needs. Being merciful
(v.6) 4nw4 ye 1tane nee ngyianl1 na 4se
equals pity plus action. Having received mercy from
anwunv4ne. Awie m44 se anwunv4ne la (v.7)
the Lord, the saved sinner now possesses a pure
ale sonla ne m44 dwenle awie m4 ngyial1 now
heart towards others, which makes him eager to win
la. Anwuv4nezel1 mee gyimayal1 a wa a. saa
Nyamenle nwu sone Anwuvone a m4aa 4nyia
other souls for Christ and to be friends of all and
1hulol1 kpale 4maa 4g4nwo m4,!nye maa 4twe enemies of none. It is from this purity that this
ng1lad44nwo 4maa Kelease. 4n1 1kp4l1 4maa beatitude functions and the person becomes a
awie biala. Nolob4l1 1hye gyi su 1hye m4 azo genuine peacemaker.
na 4maa sonla dahuu pele azonuduol1.
Matiyu 5:11-12 Mathew 5:11-12
¹¹ Nyilalɛ ɛha bɛ kɛ bɛle me ɛdoavolɛma la ati ¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and
bɛbɔ bɛ aholoba, bɛyɛ bɛ kpɔdekpɔde na bɛsoa persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
ɛzonle ngakyile muala bɛgua bɛ nwo zo la. ¹² falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for
Bɛmaa bɛ nye ɛlie na bɛli fɛlɛko, ɔluakɛ bɛlɛ your reward is great in heaven, for so they
nwolɛ ahatualɛ kpole wɔ anwuma. Zɔhane ala persecuted the prophets who were before you.
yɛɛ bɛyɛle Nyamenle kpɔmanvolɛma ne mɔ mɔɔ
lumua la a.

Ngilehilenu Commentary
Adwulale1 ne, Mateyu sile b1 adua k1 b’1maa Finally, Matthew encouraged the new community
b1 nye 1lie” w4 amane1monl1” m44 b1l1mou ye and its leaders to “rejoice” for the “insults” in
k1 b1gyi K1laese Gyis1se agyak1 anu la. response to their representation of Jesus. The

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Keliseouli bah4 ngyelel1 d44nwo anu noko. Christian will be persecuted for the sake of
4w4k1 4gyinla kpundii w4 Awulae anu k4kpula righteousness. The persecuted Christian is
k1 Awulae anyunlunyia k1ra la. Ezukool1dea encouraged to stand firm in the Lord till deliverance
boni efa ye w4 1dw1kpa 1hye anu a. y1da y1 comes. What lessons can be learnt from the message
of the Beatitudes? The next section takes care of this
ezukoal1de1 ne azo.
question.

Lessons from the Beatitudes for Discipleship

The Matthean Beatitudes have several lessons for Christian discipleship, a few of which are outlined below.

The Disciple as a Kingdom Citizen

Matthew uses the “kingdom of heaven” both at the beginning and end of the Beatitudes to form what is known
as inclusio, which is meant to draw believers’ attention to the priority of their citizenship in heaven. This leads
to the central message of the Beatitudes which is the Christian and the non-Christian belong to two entirely
different worlds. As a citizen of heaven (as opposed to the world), the Christian is expected to exhibit a lifestyle
of a distinctive value system, ethical standard, religious devotion, attitude to money and ambition that clashes
with the world and nominal religion. True disciples should be heavenly-minded rather than earthly-minded. The
study reminds disciples that the world is just a route to their home, heaven. This calls for the attitude of
forgiveness, meekness, being hungry for righteousness, and not corrupting oneself with the things of the world,
among others.

The Disciple’s Attitude Towards Wealth

The attitude of Christian disciples towards wealth is of very high importance in current times where money
seems to be the priority of many people. It is first of all important to state that there is nothing wrong with a
Christian becoming wealthy per se. It is not money which is the root of all evil but the love for it (1 Timothy
6:10). In the scriptures, God made many people rich with Abraham, Solomon, Job and David being examples
of such people and the Bible does not say anything wrong with their wealth. The concern of this study, therefore,
is not that Christians are seeking to be wealthy but rather the mode of acquiring it. Today, many people spend
the whole of their lives seeking happiness and blessedness which they can never find and, as a result, become
frustrated. The current situation of most contemporary Christians tirelessly seeking wealth with the belief that
it is the source of happiness contradicts biblical teachings. True joy must be rooted in one’s relationship with
God not one’s relationship with wealth. Acquiring wealth at the expense of other people’s welfare is unchristian.
Today, most Christians are ready to do anything to acquire wealth regardless of the means. Quite
recently, some financial institutions (such as DKM, God is Love, Jastar Motors, Perfect Edge, Little Drops, and
Menzgold Ghana Limited) sprang up in Ghana and offered their customers very high interest rates (as high as
100%). Some Churches and organizations patronized these financial institutions, and in the end, had their
monies locked up. The authors believe the ethics, sustainability and credibility of these institutions should have
been considered before patronizing. The principles behind these so-called financial institutions, soccer betting,
and others, fuel greed and materialism which the Bible clearly speaks against (Deuteronomy 15:1-11; Mathew
6:19-34; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19). The involvement of individual Christians, Christian organizations and
churches in the operations of these financial companies points to the fact that contemporary disciples are seeking
wealth without considering its source. Unfortunately, many Christian leaders encouraged their members to join
these companies because they subjectively felt nothing wrong with it. The researchers contend that any principle
established to make everyone (including the lazy) abundantly rich is unchristian and must be rejected by
Christians.
As demonstrated in the Beatitudes, the Christian is not meant to hunger and thirst for blessedness (in
the form of material prosperity or any other form) but for righteousness. They alone are truly happy and are
seeking to be righteous. Put wealth in place of righteousness and one will never find it. Put righteousness ahead
of wealth and it will be found. The reason is simple. The heavenly kingdom is the source of all blessings.
Notwithstanding the above discussion, it is wrong to use the first Beatitude either to condone the poverty of the
masses or to commend the voluntary poverty of monks and others who have taken a vow to renounce
possessions. Such a position contradicts Jesus’ ministry of helping the needy, healing the sick and feeding the
hungry (Luke 4:18-20). Yet, it must also be noted that the blessing of Jesus’ kingdom was not primarily one of
economic advantage. Christians must appreciate the fact that God can (in some circumstances) use poverty as a

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means to spiritual blessing, just as wealth can be a hindrance to it. The affluent, who have gained their great
wealth through the exploitation of the destitute, are not to be honoured for they are shameful in God’s dominion.
The authors, therefore, call on contemporary disciples of Christ to distance themselves from the worldly
means of seeking meaning, happiness, wealth, and fulfilment among others. Though Jesus had compassion for
the needy and fed the hungry, the blessing of his kingdom was not primarily one of economic advantage. While
it is wrong to use the first beatitude either to condone the poverty of the masses or to commend the voluntary
poverty of monks and others who have taken a vow to renounce possessions, the blessing of his kingdom was
not primarily one of economic advantage. In some circumstances, God can use poverty as a means to spiritual
blessing, just as wealth can be a hindrance to it. But (as stated earlier) this does not make poverty in itself a
desirable condition that Jesus blesses.

The Disciple’s Attitude to the Poor

What should be the attitude of the disciple of Christ towards the poor in society? Poverty may be categorized
into material poverty of the destitute and powerless and the spiritual poverty of the humble and meek. God shows
concern for both kinds of poverty by raising the poor from the dust (1 Samuel 2:8), though through different
means. While God shows approval for spiritual poverty, he opposes material poverty. However, in the kingdom
community, the combination of these two kinds of poverty is identified. In the Old Testament (OT), God
promised a kingdom that would judge the poor with justice and give the blessing of his rule to the humble and
lowly. Jesus declared that he was sent to preach the good news to the poor (Luke 4:18) and the kingdom of
heaven was meant for the poor (Matt 5:3, Luke 6:20). Stott contends that the “poor” in this context cannot be
either just the materially poor (else Christ’s salvation will be limited to the proletariat) or just the spiritually poor
(else Christ’s ministry to the needy will have no relevance).17 Against this backdrop, Stott contends that the
“poor” must refer to both the materially poor and the spiritually poor. He concludes “[t]he ‘poor’ then are those
to whom the kingdom comes as great news, partly because of its free and unmerited gift of salvation to sinners,
and partly because it promises a new society characterized by freedom and justice. 18 These two truths must be
exemplified by the church. The church, on one hand, must consist of the spiritually poor, those who acknowledge
their spiritual bankruptcy before the holy God. On the other hand, the church must preach “the good news of the
kingdom to the materially poor, welcome them into fellowship and share in their struggle”19 Jesus calls believers
to honour the destitute, while he calls the wealthy to account. The (spiritually) destitute are to be honoured
because the kingdom of God belongs to them. The affluent, who have gained their great wealth through the
exploitation of the destitute, are not to be honoured for they are shameful in God’s dominion.

The Disciple and the Challenge of Persecution and Suffering

Persecution and suffering are among the most prominent challenges facing the 21st-century disciple. For the
sake of Christ, people become victims of torture, rape, kidnappings, mass killings, forced starvation,
imprisonment and even crucifixions. The message of the Beatitudes is very relevant in encouraging Disciples
of Christ to persevere and endure whatever hardship comes their way. The Beatitudes teach that a disciple will
suffer for the sake of Christ, but in all these, they must rejoice for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In the face
of verbal persecution, social persecution and martyrdom, the disciple is encouraged to be resilient and to rejoice
because of his/her portion in God’s estate.

The Disciple and Disciple-Making

God has given the Church the mandate to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20). Disciple-making has a
multiplying effect such that one disciple is to make other disciples and those he or she makes are in turn expected
to make disciples such that there is an endless chain of disciple-making. Jesus taught his disciples how to fish
for people after he had made them his converts. In this regard, the church must make frantic efforts at equipping
disciples to make disciples. Training believers to be disciple-makers should be the church’s response to the
eschatological hope embedded in the Beatitudes. Like an apprentice, the disciple learns by participation not
only by merely listening but also by actively telling others about Christ. Given this, the authors call for
systematic discipleship programmes to prepare every believer, not just a small group of members of the church.
Discussion Summary

17 John R. Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today (Grand Rapids, MI: : Zondervan, 2006), 307.
18 Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today, 307.
19 Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today, 307.

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The following deductions can be made from the above discussions. Firstly, the Beatitudes give us a description
of what every disciple of Christ ought to be like. That is, the Beatitudes set forth the balanced and variegated
character of all Christians, not of some exceptional Christians. As such, all disciples of Christ are required to
manifest all these characteristics. Secondly, no disciple of Christ can exhibit the descriptions in the Beatitudes
without the grace of God and the empowerment by the Holy Spirit—rather than natural tendencies. There is
therefore the need to have constant fellowship with God. Thirdly, the descriptions in the Beatitudes are meant
to show clearly the essential utterance between Christians and non-Christians. In this respect, Christian
discipleship is a call to be different20 from worldly people in both ethical behaviour and piety. This call to be
set apart involves a call to recognise the reality of God’s kingdom; a call to be alongside the poor and sinners;
and a call to participate in God’s kingdom community.

CONCLUSION
By drawing out some principles from the Matthean Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12) as a paradigm for contemporary
Christian discipleship, this article sought to contribute to the church’s efforts in dealing with discipleship
challenges of current times and beyond. The discussion has established that the Beatitudes give a description of
what every disciple of Christ ought to be like. It has also been established that no disciple of Christ can exhibit
the descriptions in the Beatitudes without the grace of God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Finally,
the descriptions in the Beatitudes are meant to show clearly the essential utterance between Christians and non-
Christians. It is the author's conviction that these principles of discipleship when properly expounded in the
church, will enhance church growth both qualitatively and quantitatively.

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ABOUT AUTHORS

20 John R. Stott, Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon of the Mount (Illinois: IVP, 1978), 48.

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Justice Korankye holds Master of Divinity from Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon Accra. He is a Reverend
Minister of the Methodist Church Ghana serving in the Sekondi Diocese.

Isaac Boaheng holds a PhD in Theology from the University of the Free State, South Africa. He is a Senior
Lecturer in Theology and Christian Ethics at the Christian Service University College, Ghana, and a Research
Fellow at the Department of Biblical and Religion Studies, University of the Free State, South Africa.

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