Matthew

Chapter 5 (Continued)
{Mental attitude murder -effecting worship (example is before Church Age)}
23~~"So then, if you bring your gift to the altar {a worship act before the Church Age} and there remember an act of mental-attitude sin against a brother . . . "

{Note: This is before the Church Age, a Jew would bring a lamb or money to the altar as part of worship. If he realized he had an unconfessed sin, Jesus is telling him to stop right there and get back into fellowship first.}

5:24~~ " . . . leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be transformed according to a principal {by rebound} and then come and present your gift."

{Note: In the Church Age would be to confess your sin using I John 1:9 and get back into fellowship and then worship (no offerings anymore after the cross).}

5:25~~"Have kind thoughts {a relaxed mental attitude from agape love} toward your adversary quickly, while he is expressing hostility toward you, for the purpose that he won't hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison."

{Note: At this time, a farmer would borrow money until a harvest. His enemy would buy up his notes and then go to court demanding immediate payment. Without payment, it was off to jail.}

5:26~~ "I {Jesus} tell you the truth, you will not get out {of jail} until you have paid the last quadrans.

{Note: A quadrans was a Roman copper coin worth a little over 30 cents (1/64 of a denarius) - a days wages.}

{The Seventh Commandment (Adultery) - used to demonstrate the fallacy of self-righteousness - Verses 27-30}
5:27~~"You have heard that it was said {Exodus 20:14}, 'You shall not commit adultery.' "

5:28~~"But I {Jesus} say to you {FINAL AUTHORITY} - for your benefit - that whoever checks out a woman to lust/desire her {blepo} has already committed adultery with her in his frontal lobe {heart}."

{Note: Blepo - a quick glance to capture an image and then commit mental adultery. Does not require a long glance - a front of respectability goes with this look Jesus is discussing. Click here to see more of a discussion on sex.}

5:29~~"And, if your right/dominant eye offends you {causes you to have mental attitude sin} - and it does - tear it out {self-mutilation} and throw it away {concept is REBOUND}. It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell {As a witnessing principal, Jesus is teaching the disciples - get unbelievers to agree it is better to lose the 'eye'/self-righteousness then the whole body (soul) into hell . . . one sin - even a mental attitude sin - will send an unbeliever to hell}. "

{Note: 'Right eye' is an idiom for the dominant eye for right-handed people - here is illustrates mental adultery where the right eye controls both eye. Jesus is using 'pedagogy by shock'! For the unbelieving self-righteous person, it means to give them the gospel. For the believing self-righteous person, use self-judgment/rebound the sin and get in fellowship. No one is expected to literally do this! It is a teaching tool Jesus used a lot. So for the believer, this is the same as I John 1:9 - means to confess it and move on.}

{Similar now for overt sins as Jesus taught the disciples concerning mental attitude sins}
5:30~~"If your right/dominant hand {overt adultery} causes you to sin {overt sin}, cut it off and throw it away {more pedagogy by shock}. It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell {again give the gospel/ and after sin confess it and move on}."

{Divorce - verses 31-32}
5:31~~"It was said {Deuteronomy 24:1}, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.' "

5:32~~"But I {Jesus} keep on saying to you {as the Ultimate Authority} - to your advantage - that whoever divorces his wife except on the grounds of fornication {porneia} causes her to receive adultery. And, anyone who marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery. "

{Note: Jesus is clarifying Deuteronomy 24 the term 'uncleanness'. It does not mean ceremonial uncleanness like entering a room where there is a dead person. But in legitimate divorce, we are discussing moral uncleanness - porneia. It is the man who is responsible for the marriage. The woman RECEIVES adultery and her next husband commits adultery.}

{Note: Porneia, from which we get pornography, primarily means in the New Testament to be having sex in connection with religion . . . as with the Phallic Cult. But, it can mean incest and other forms of illicit sex.}

{Oath/Perjury case - Subject still the clarification of the Mosaic Law -Verses 33:37}
5:33~~"Again {indicates that the subject continues}, you have heard that it was said by them of old {idiom meaning a reference to the Old Testament - Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12}, 'Never make a statement in the name of someone or something that is reliable/'greater than yourself' {epiorkeo}, making it responsible for your statement, but you should always keep your word {apodidomi}.' "

{Note: Epiorkeo in old English was translated 'foreswear'. It means to make a statement and to 'give it more force ' use a person or place greater or of more importance than you' to convince someone you are correct. Examples: 'God told me . . .' On my Mother's life . . .}

{Note: Apodidomi means to discharge an obligation. In context, this means to 'keep your word' if you make a promise. Part of having character!}

{Examples of the distortion}
5:34-35~~"But I {Jesus} say to you, do not make a promise with an oath at
all . . . not by heaven, because it is the throne of God . . . 5:35~~not by earth, because it is His footstool . . . and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King {making a promise by the Messiah}."

{Note: These were things the Jews of the day used in their oaths that Jesus told the disciples they were NOT to do.}

5:36~~"Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. "

{Note: Another saying of the day. We would say, "Cross my heart and hope to die . . ." You can not do this! Nor can you change the color of your hair by THINKING it!}

5:37~~"Let your word be 'Yes . . . {for} yes' or 'No . . . {for} no.' More than this is from the evil one."

{System of Retaliation/Vengeance - verses 38:42}
{A Mosaic Law ONLY for a Judge in a courtroom}
5:38~~"You have heard that it was said {Old Testament quote}, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

{Note: This was a judicial principle of law used by a judge after a trial, NOT to be used as a means for vengeance or personal retaliation, but it had been distorted to that. On the personal level, 'vengeance is Mine saith the Lord' - RMA - put it is God's Hands.}

{True Principal in a personal situation}
5:39~~"But I {Jesus} say to you, 'Do not retaliate against the low-down evil-doer {don't lower yourself to their level}. But whoever slaps {rhapizo} you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.' "

{Note: Jesus used the word 'rhapizo' here, which means to slap. It was a great insult and the disciples related to Jesus' meaning right away. In the ancient world, when kings entered a city whoever wouldn't get on their knees, he would have his body guards slap them in the face until they either gave in or became angry and attacked the body guard, in which case they were killed.}

{Note: This does not authorize pacifism or disarmament, but places the importance on the mental attitude which requires divine love and placing the retaliation in the hands of the Lord [faith rest principle 1Pet.5:7]. Retaliation lowers you to the level of the vindictive.}

{Note: This is a command regarding to your mental attitude primarily when witnessing by deed. Be mature: use divine viewpoint, faith rest, and the filling of the Holy Spirit. When under maximum pressure (which slapping is a great example), rely on God and His Word - humanly speaking this is impossible - must rely on a supernatural power - the filling of the Holy Spirit.}

5:40~~"And if someone wants to sue you and to take your shirt/vest {chiton}, also give him your outer garment {himation}."

{Note: The Chiton was a piece of clothing at this time like a long shirt to the knees combined with like a vest. The Himation was the garb that went over the Chiton. The concept though is like a matching outfit. Today we might say, 'if they want the suit coat, give them the matching trousers also. The concept is 'legalized theft' and they are clearly wrong. So what?}

{Note: The principle here is our relationship with the Lord is the basis for our happiness, not what we posses.}

5:41~~"Whoever drafts {aggaros} you to go a mile . . . go two."

{Note: Aggaros was the verb connoting the fact that Jerusalem was under the influence of the Persian Empire at this time. If a Persian officer had to deliver a message and his horse was tired, he could draft a Jewish civilian into the Persian Army to deliver the message. If asked to 'go a mile, go two' means to do your best as unto the Lord. If your country needs your services, you be the best you can be!}

5:42~~"Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you {this is a command but recognizes human volition - maybe you will, maybe you won't}."

{Note: Two types of down believers - one is in dyer straights and just wants aid -give it. The other is down but thinks he can recover and wants a loan - give it. Both are appropriate IF you have the ability to do so within reason and without undo strain on your family needs. And, grace says do this whether you like the person or not! His worthiness is not the point! Grace!}

{Dynamics of the Grace Life - Verses 43:48}
{Your personal attitude toward those you are in contact with each day - 'neighbors' verses 43-45}
5:43~~"You have heard that it was said {Leviticus 19:18}, 'Love your neighbor' and 'hate your enemy {last part is NOT true, legalists had added this part!}.'

{Note: The rabbi's (religious legalists) had been teaching this [which isn't a part of the Mosaic Law] because Judah was under the shadow of the Romans, and they wanted the people to hate the Romans. Hatred through religion was the ultimate self-destructive tool of the Jews. 'Religion sponsors hate NOT Christianity {Christianity is not a religion . . . it is a relationship with God based on the salvation work of Jesus Christ on the cross}!}

{SideNote: In Revelation 2:6, Jesus clarifies things a bit. It is ok to hate the 'deeds' or 'evil actions' of another person, just do not hate that person. The person you love impersonally - based on who and what YOU are - 'love the brothers'. But it is ok to hate evil thoughts and deeds.}

{The correct attitude toward your personal enemies.}
5:44~~"But I {Jesus} say to you {as the final authority} . . . 'Keep on loving your enemies . . . keep on speaking nicely about those who malign you {sins of the tongue toward you} . . . keep on doing good to those who hate you {Mental attitude sins toward you} . . . and keep on praying for those who persecute you {overt sins toward you} {and these verbs are imperatives - it is a command from Jesus to always do this!} . . ."

{Note: Again Grace is in view here. Your enemies do not deserve your love; but grace doesn't depend on the nature of your enemy, it depends on who and what you are}

5:45~~ " . . . for the purpose that you may become obviously the sons/children of your Father in heaven . . . since He keeps on causing the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and keeps on sending rain on the saved and the unsaved."

{Note: Again Grace in view here! God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on ALL PEOPLE - Grace! Imitate Christ! Treat everyone with the attitude of Grace - this will make you a great Ambassador for God and a Witness by your deeds! Your 'walk' should reflect your position as being in Union with the Jesus Christ, the Son of God}

5:46~~"For if you love those who love you - maybe you do, maybe you do not - what reward do you have? The publicans/tax collectors {lowest of society of the day} do that too, don't they?"

{Note: Even unbelievers can crank out 'human good'. The Christian way of life is much greater than that! Here you would only be imitating the unbelievers - so what?}

5:47~~"And if you only greet/'have social fellowship with' your brothers, what more do you do? The Gentiles do that too, don't they?"

{Note: 'Human good verses human good' is a tie! So what! Christianity is not anything that the unbeliever can imitate! What is divine good?}

5:48~~" YOU SHALL be perfect {prophecy of the Church Age - Union with Christ - filling of the Holy Spirit producing divine good} . . . as your heavenly Father is perfect.

{Note: Remember Jesus said this to the disciples 3 years BEFORE the Church Age so is in 'future tense' - not yet guys! Started at Pentecost in Jerusalem circa 32-33 AD. As part of our Union with Christ, we SHARE all that He has and is. We can lose this 'perfection' in time by sinning. Out of fellowship - human good - wood, hay and stubble. In the filling of the Holy Spirit - divine good - gold, silver and precious stones. In Eternity, our Old Sin Nature is left behind, and we continually will share all that Christ is.}

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