Wise words in the Bible

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Zzyzx
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Wise words in the Bible

Post #1

Post by Zzyzx »

.
It is not uncommon to hear that the Bible contains ‘universal and timeless wisdom’ or words to that effect.

My response:
Zzyzx wrote:The Bible is said to contain almost a million words -- perhaps 850,000(?). How many of them constitute 'universal and timeless wisdom'? What percentage? One percent would be 8,500. Are there that many?

A tenth of one percent would be 850 . . . (which I would not contest)
What are examples of biblical wisdom – quoting verbatim without padding or fluff.

Can we list one hundred?

Here's a start -- three words: "Love one another" (said in various forms, here without padding)

Another eleven words: "Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them" (truncated to eliminate unnecessary verbiage)

Another eleven: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Ethic of Reciprocity; common in many ideologies). Needs revision to be universal.
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Post #31

Post by Tcg »

bjs wrote: [Replying to Tcg]

Okay, so once again I ask: give many any example of wise word from any source, or make up your own, that are universally wise without any caveats.

That’s not hurdles at a track. That is asking people to jump over oceans.

If I understand the intent of this thread properly, it's purpose is to document truly wise words from the Bible. You have claimed that, "There are no absolutely universal wise words." If this is true, then it is also true that the Bible contains no truly wise words, thus you have no truly wise words from the Bible to document.


Your admission is noted and we need not change the total of wise words found in the Bible as adding zero to the total doesn't change the total in any way.



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Post #32

Post by Mithrae »

bjs wrote:
Mithrae wrote: I'm not sure that anyone here has said of other words even that they are universal and timeless wisdom? Let alone that they derive from God himself! In any case, if it were true that even the best of more recent wisdom doesn't measure up as being truly universal, what does that say about a considerably less impressive patchwork of primitive laws, myths and liturgy with occasional insights and occasional outright barbarity?
It says to me that the words of the Bible are not less impressive. If we can find no words that meet the standard then problem is likely not with the words (including the words in the Bible), but rather the problem is with the standard. We are using a standard designed to find failure, and there are no conceivable words which could ever measure up.
If someone boasts that their house has a thousand rooms and a critic points out that this is not in fact the case, dubiously arguing that there is no house anywhere with a thousand rooms is neither a vindication of the original boast nor a failure of the critic's standard. Various Christians throughout history and on this forum have made endless grand boasts about the bible, including but not limited to alleged passages of "universal and timeless wisdom." Very few of those boasts are demonstrably true and many if not most of them are demonstrably false. Whether or not hypothetical similar claims might be true of other works is entirely irrelevant to that fact.

It's not as if I'm just nitpicking here; your chosen passage emphasizes authoritarianism from a tribal deity many don't accept, is explicitly about behaviour towards the hearers' kin, their people, their neighbours, and its immediate context explicitly applies a radically different standard to out-groups such as slaves. It is not universal and timeless wisdom. As far as I can tell that's about as close to an objective fact as there possibly can be on the nebulous subject of 'wisdom.' But, as I've suggested all along by asking specifically about the Tanakh and by noting Jesus' vast improvement in universalizing the "love your neighbour" theme, there may be some passages in the New Testament which might be fairly described as universal and timeless wisdom.

I was curious if there was anything approaching that in the Tanakh: Judging by the lack of other responses and obvious limitations of this presumably best example, it seems highly probable that there is not. There's some wisdom there, certainly enough of a foundation for later generations to build on, but all the possible examples I've thought of are nevertheless somewhat parochial and noticeably marked by the authors' circumstances and perspective.


  • I am Baal. You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge fellow Amorites. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of fellow Amorites: I am Baal. You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am Baal. You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your animals breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two different materials.

    Now if a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave acquired for another man, but who has in no way been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment; they shall not, however, be put to death, because she was not free. He shall bring his guilt offering to Baal to the doorway of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. The priest shall also make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before Baal for his sin which he has committed, and the sin which he has committed will be forgiven him.

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Post #33

Post by Zzyzx »

.
We have been hearing for some time that the Bible contains wise words.

Well, where are they?

If I claimed that a text contained wise words and someone challenged, I would be proud to make an extensive list – and would not shuck and jive or use evasive debate tactics to avoid presenting a list (because I would actually have something to present or I would not have made the claim).

Has it been disappointing to look for wise words and find very few, and none that are profound or original? “Love one another� and the Ethic of Reciprocity (commonly cited) can hardly be said to be particularly wise or profound or original. Is there anything else?

Without calling on anyone personally, readers are waiting and watching. Show your stuff.
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Post #34

Post by JehovahsWitness »

JESUS NEVER MENTIONED A THOUSAND ROOMS IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE BUT HE DID SPEAK OF MANY MANSIONS - SEE JOHN 14v2
Mithrae wrote:
If someone boasts that their house has a thousand rooms and a critic points out that this is not in fact the case, ..

If Jesus were speaking metaphorically of the many mansions (NWT "dwelling houses") in his father's house (which many Christians believe he was) then it would be impossible for anyone to claim to be able to prove him wrong; especially if the metaphor was for an entirely different realm, unseen by any human. All objection would merely be speculation.
Mithrae wrote:
... arguing that there is no house anywhere with a thousand rooms.
That would be a rather foolish thing to argue since the statement would be demonstratively false.

THE ISTANA NURUL IMAN PALACE
Istana Nurul Iman became the largest residential palace in the world and the largest single-family residence ever built.[3] The palace contains 1,788 rooms, which includes 257 bathrooms, a banquet hall that can be expanded to accommodate up to 5,000 guests, a mosque accommodating 1,500 people.[4] The palace also includes a 110-car garage, an air conditioned stable for the Sultan's 200 polo ponies, and 5 swimming pools. In total, Istana Nurul Iman contains 2,152,782 square feet (200,000 m²) of floorspace.[4] Istana Nurul Iman has 564 chandeliers, 51,000 light bulbs, 44 stairwells and 18 elevators.[4]
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istana_Nurul_Iman
CONCLUSION Jehovah's Witnesses, like many believe the scriptural reference to The Fathers house is a Metaphor for the heavenly spiritual realm. Logically if a mere human can build a residence of more than 1000 rooms, an omnipotent God could accommodate a limitless number of residents should it be his good pleasure.
JW



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Post #35

Post by bjs »

Mithrae wrote: If someone boasts that their house has a thousand rooms and a critic points out that this is not in fact the case, dubiously arguing that there is no house anywhere with a thousand rooms is neither a vindication of the original boast nor a failure of the critic's standard. Various Christians throughout history and on this forum have made endless grand boasts about the bible, including but not limited to alleged passages of "universal and timeless wisdom."
A more apt analogy would be someone boasting, “I have own a house!� The critic’s response would be “Your house doesn’t float.� To which the boaster replied, “No house anywhere floats. I don’t think that is even possible. But I still own a house.�

Yes, the Bible contains universal and timeless wisdom. There are caveats to that wisdom, and it must be recapitalized for various cultures. That does not detract from the wisdom. People rarely mention that there are caveats because expecting universal wisdom without caveats is like expecting a floating house. We go in knowing that not how wisdom works, and that reality does not detract from wisdom.
Understand that you might believe. Believe that you might understand. –Augustine of Hippo

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Post #36

Post by Mithrae »

bjs wrote:
Mithrae wrote: If someone boasts that their house has a thousand rooms and a critic points out that this is not in fact the case, dubiously arguing that there is no house anywhere with a thousand rooms is neither a vindication of the original boast nor a failure of the critic's standard. Various Christians throughout history and on this forum have made endless grand boasts about the bible, including but not limited to alleged passages of "universal and timeless wisdom." Very few of those boasts are demonstrably true and many if not most of them are demonstrably false. Whether or not hypothetical similar claims might be true of other works is entirely irrelevant to that fact.
A more apt analogy would be someone boasting, “I have own a house!� The critic’s response would be “Your house doesn’t float.� To which the boaster replied, “No house anywhere floats. I don’t think that is even possible. But I still own a house.�
I don't think you're being at all fair by portraying the criticism as a random tangent: The claim is of the bible's great wisdom and the critics' responses here are; "it seems to be a tiny percentage" (per the OP) and "I don't see any universal and timeless wisdom in the Tanakh" (my sidebar). Those are direct and relevant responses to the original claim and so far, while most folk seem to be in agreement that there is some wisdom in the bible, no-one has shown that there's anything exceptional or unique there.

On the contrary, the presumably best example from the Tanakh which we have discussed is clearly and obviously not universal and timeless wisdom, and you yourself are trying to argue that the broader spin Jesus put on "love your neighbour" is not really universal without certain caveats either!
bjs wrote: Yes, the Bible contains universal and timeless wisdom. There are caveats to that wisdom, and it must be recapitalized for various cultures. That does not detract from the wisdom. People rarely mention that there are caveats because expecting universal wisdom without caveats is like expecting a floating house. We go in knowing that not how wisdom works, and that reality does not detract from wisdom.
You indirectly proposed that Jesus' spin on 'love your neighbour' seems like the best shot for truly universal wisdom, but then claimed it would have a caveat in the case of misbehaving neighbours. However your comment that "it is impossible for me to treat both of them the way that I would want to be treated" mistakenly conflates 'love your neighbour' with the golden rule. For this to be a genuine caveat, we would have to suppose that love precludes the possibility of reprimand or punishment for misbehaving... a view which almost every single parent on the fact of this planet would vehemently reject!

So are there any genuine caveats to "love everyone"? If not - if those two words really are universal and timeless wisdom - then your argument that the bar is simply too high doesn't work: The bar is not too high, it's just that the Tanakh for sure and much of the NT don't quite measure up.

Or here's another example. In post #26, deliberately avoiding the examples I consider best, I noted that
  • Applying the same criteria across the board, I'm pretty sure that the Tanakh and probably the bible as a whole has no social theory even as enlightened as the US Declaration of Independence; no discussion of origins as comprehensive or accurate as Origin of Species; no myths or fables as eloquent or relevant to us as Star Trek; no prognostications even as reliable as those of modern economists and political scientists; no prophets of social conscience as inspiring or humane as Martin Luther King...
Worthy document though it is, there are some pretty obvious concerns to the Declaration of Independence's claims about "self-evident" truths and rights being "endowed by their Creator." And if the bible's large sections of social commentary and regulation have nothing even as good as that then, worthy as they too might have been in their own time, by modern standards they must be third-rate at best! But reading through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights I don't start seeing any minor caveats until article 8, and no potentially serious concerns until articles 13-17ff. That's the collective wisdom of a large part of modern humanity, and arguably later on in the 'universal' document they over-reached somewhat (I imagine the Soviets didn't appreciate article 17, for example); but perhaps you can point out all the errors and caveats that they missed earlier on?

The bar is not too high: There certainly are things which I and doubtless others accept under the approximate description of "universal and timeless wisdom," but despite some foundational wisdom there seems to be nothing in the Tanakh which quite measures up, and judging by the resounding silence in response to the OP's request apparently not a lot in the NT either!

As TCG suggested earlier, lowering the bar just so Moses can stumble over it is not a great look and really doesn't help us become any better or wiser. I reckon we can learn much more from the limitations and errors of earlier generations' literature than by searching for a few areas we still partially agree in order to gloss and glorify them into something they simply are not.

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Post #37

Post by bjs »

[Replying to Zzyzx]

Very well. I will cite some wisdom from the Bible. Hopefully I can reach 100 words. Let me start in the first book of the NT. Chapter five:
3
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
17
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26
I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27
"You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.'
28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31
"It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' [6]
32
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
33
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
34
But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35
or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37
Simply let your `Yes' be `Yes,' and your `No,' `No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38
"You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' [7]
39
But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40
And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41
If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43
"You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Understand that you might believe. Believe that you might understand. –Augustine of Hippo

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Post #38

Post by bjs »

[Replying to post 33 by Zzyzx]

Maybe I can find a little more wisdom in the sixth chapter of Matthew.

1
Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4
so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9
"This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11
Give us today our daily bread.
12
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18
so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life [2] ?
28
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31
So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?'
32
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Understand that you might believe. Believe that you might understand. –Augustine of Hippo

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Post #39

Post by bjs »

[Replying to post 33 by Zzyzx]

Maybe a few verses of chapter 7 in Matthew have wisdom. I think that this will get me past the 100 word mark. I will also note that chapters 1 – 4 are filled with wise words, but require more context to see their depth and meaning. Plus there is the rest of the Gospel of Matthew, and the rest of the NT.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4
How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22
Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23
Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
24
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29
because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Understand that you might believe. Believe that you might understand. –Augustine of Hippo

Zzyzx
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Post #40

Post by Zzyzx »

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bjs wrote: Very well. I will cite some wisdom from the Bible. Hopefully I can reach 100 words. Let me start in the first book of the NT. Chapter five:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
None of the above represent wisdom. They are unverified religious promises and propaganda

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
More religious propaganda – not wisdom

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
More religious propaganda – not wisdom

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
More religious propaganda – kindly show any wisdom

25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Poor advice for someone who is in the right and/or has competent legal representation

27"You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.'
28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Idiotic at best

29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Insane

31"It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' [6]
32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Kindly show any wisdom in this

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37Simply let your `Yes' be `Yes,' and your `No,' `No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Religious propaganda. Impractical to refuse to take an oath for office, military, doctors, etc

38"You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' [7]
39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Foolish advice at best. “Give in to tyrants and oppressors� No thanks.

42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
I would like to borrow a thousand dollars. Kindly send it via PayPal. Only a fool would lend to anyone who asks.

43"You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Try telling that foolishness to those who participated in D Day (on either side). Nice, meaningless words from an armchair quarterback.

45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
More religious propaganda – kindly show any wisdom

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
The sun ‘rises’ because the Earth rotates and rain occurs when atmospheric conditions warrant. No gods required.

46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
This ‘takes the cake’ of foolishness

47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
???? Significance?


If you were trying for a hundred wise words, it appears as though you have a hundred yet to go.
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Non-Theist

ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence

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