Recording 166B is one of several that were used as source material for Chapter 17, “Your Father Knoweth,” in The Thunder of Silence.
“Resist not evil” is one of secrets to spiritual living given in the Sermon on the Mount. But WHY are we not to resist evil? What spiritual principles give us the basis for that non-resistance and allow us to practice it? In this class, Joel does not talk so much about the actual Sermon itself, but about the state of consciousness that allows us to follow the Christian life as given in the Sermon, and how we can develop that state of consciousness.
This recording is no longer available on this site, but if you subscribe to the Joel Goldsmith Streaming Service, you can listen to it there. To purchase this recording and/or the transcript from The Infinite Way Office, click/tap here.
In the introduction to this study program, we mentioned that Joel said that his revelations on the Sermon on the Mount came in a startling way during a class in 1956, and that before that time, he did not speak about the Sermon because he did not understand it. However, as we noted, there are three classes from the 1954 Honolulu Closed Class in which Joel focuses on the Sermon on the Mount. These are recordings 86A, “Fifth chapter of Matthew,” 86B, “Sixth Chapter of Matthew,” and 87A, “Seventh Chapter of Matthew.” We do not know why he doesn’t mention these in his later work, but they are in the library of recordings. We posted all three of these classes on one page for optional listening. The recordings are no longer posted on this site, but if you subscribe to the Joel Goldsmith Streaming Service, you can listen to them there.
To download or print these study suggestions, click/tap here.
These optional study suggestions will remain the same throughout the program, although from time to time, we will post additional recordings for further optional study.
Read Different Translations of The Sermon on the Mount
Joel has said that it can be helpful to read several different translations of any Bible text because they can elicit new insights for you. On the Introduction page for this study program, we quote Joel on this topic and provide information about ways to access multiple Bible translations.
Write Your Own Version
As you study the Sermon on the Mount, you might enjoy paraphrasing the Bible text in your own words, keeping your interpretations and notes in a special journal. One way to approach this activity is to take one section of the Sermon, read and contemplate it, and then listen in receptivity, asking for light and wisdom. Then write what comes to you. As you write, often you will find that more and more insight comes to you.
As we suggested for an earlier study program, if writing is not something you enjoy, you can work in a different medium, capturing your interpretations in paintings or drawings, sculpture, poetry, music, or any art form.
Practice the Teachings
Each week, you might choose one thing from the Sermon and focus on practicing that for the entire week. It might be one of the beatitudes, or some other instruction given by Jesus, such as “judge not” or “pray for your enemies” or “take no thought.” Contemplate your selection to understand what it means. What would it look like to practice it in your own life? Then watch yourself throughout the day and see how you do. If you go off the beam, what pulled you off? How did you (or could you) get back on track? Reminder cards placed around your home or workspace, or reminders kept on your smartphone can be very helpful with this type of practice.
Use the Electronic Search Tool
As you hear the recordings and read Part 3 of The Thunder of Silence, if you feel that you don’t quite understand something that Joel teaches, the electronic search tool can help clarify his meaning. You can search for the topic or term you want to understand better and find many different places where Joel addresses that topic or term. As you read the excerpts provided by the search tool, you will gain a clearer understanding. To access the search tool and the instructions for using it, click/tap here.
Additional Reading
Seek Ye First
The title of Joel’s book Seek Ye First comes from the passage in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)
In the book, Joel elaborates on the meaning of that passage and relates it directly to The Infinite Way principles. You might enjoy reading the book, or some excerpts from it, in connection with this study program.
The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox
Joel had high praise for Emmet Fox as a great mystic. So we are comfortable recommending the book The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox. The book may be particularly helpful to those who do not have a deep knowledge of the Sermon, because Fox takes the reader passage by passage through the entire text, offering his enlightened interpretations and insights along the way.