Question and Answer
Jesus told His disciples that “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). I was told that the “you” is plural. Is this correct?
Yes, the word you in Matthew 5:13 is plural. It is not only an individual Christian who is salt but the redeemed community of Christians as a whole who are the salt of the earth. The plural you does not eliminate our personal responsibility to function as salt, but it does highlight the responsibility of the church as a whole. This is more striking when we understand that the you is not only plural, it is also emphatic in the Greek text. Jesus emphasizes that His body, the redeemed believers who are following Him, are the salt of the earth.
BY Dr. Winfred O. Neely
Dr. Winfred Neely is Vice President and Dean of Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School. An ordained minister, Winfred has served churches across the city of Chicago, the near west suburbs, and Senegal, West Africa. He is the author of How to Overcome Worry (Moody Publishers) and a contributor to the Moody Bible Commentary and Moody Handbook of Preaching. Winfred and his wife Stephne have been married for forty years and have four adult children and nine grandchildren.