What is the presence of good in the passage Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

What Jesus is teaching here is that you, a believer are to not hide your beliefs. Rather you are to be a witness to the world. Your mission is to win souls for the Kingdom of God.

mathewhanna has headlined his question as bible passage meanings?

Does that mean he expects to find multiple possibilities? Certainly multiple opinions about the meaning. An interesting fact is that the Bible in 2 Peter 1:20 says:"Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." A number of others are sure to point out that prophecy of the scripture needs to be analyzed carefully. The obvious meaning seems to be that prophecy refers specifically only to statements that predict the future. But that is not the only possibility. A critical reading of other scriptures indicates that prophecy can be defined in the Bible as any (and every) declaration of the word of God. Of course immediate context is essential, the surrounding verses. But there is an even greater context, the whole Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament.

There seems to be a tacit consensus of thought indicating that the words of Jesus (sometimes in red) in the New Testament take precedence over any and every teaching in the so called Old Testament. In my opinion, such an approach to the Bible effectively relegates the 'Old' Testament to second class status.

We would love to discuss this with you. What is your opinion or thoughts on it ?

Someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit, and have their heart set on things above were Christ is setting on the right hand of God can not hide the light that is in them or stop the river of life that flows out of them. People are not looking to hear anything from Christians, they want to see someone living the life and not just talking about it. We are living epistles known and read of all men!

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Originally Posted by 450donn

What Jesus is teaching here is that you, a believer are to not hide your beliefs. Rather you are to be a witness to the world. Your mission is to win souls for the Kingdom of God.

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As an individual we can not win anything. We are to be examples of Christ and show His way and His truth, then it is up to the individual to seek God and to find Him for their own salvation. You or I can not win any soles, but we can be a guiding source for them to follow. If you call that winning soles then so be it.

The passage signifies the Church and the knowledge of Christ it shines into the world.

"Christ Himself has lighted this lamp, when He filled the earthen vessel of human nature with the fire of His Divinity, which He would not either hide from them that believe, nor put under a bushel that is shut up under the measure of the Law, or confine within the limits of any one oration. The lampstand is the Church, on which He set the lamp, when He affixed to our foreheads the faith of His incarnation." (Bede, Golden Chain MT-MK 3514)

JoeT