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Matthew 5:21-48
What are King Jesus’ standards
for living in His Kingdom?
Matthew 5:17–20
(1) that His teaching stands firmly in
agreement with every truth of the
Old Testament
(2) that the Jewish religious traditions
did not
“The condition of Judaism at the time
of Christ was remarkably like that of
the church in the sixteenth century.
The Scriptures were not translated
into the languages of the people. The
prayers, the Scripture reading, and
even most of the hymns were in Latin,
which none of the common people
knew or understood.
When a priest gave a sermon, the
people had nothing by which to judge
what he said. They had no idea as to
whether or not his message was
scriptural. The Bible taught what the
church said it taught. The church,
therefore, placed its own authority
over that of Scripture.”
(The Sermon on the Mount, 1:212)
Basic Principles
1) The spirit of the law is more
important than the letter.
2) The law is positive as well as
negative.
Basic Principles
3) The law is not an end in itself.
4) God alone is qualified to judge
men.
5) Every human being is commanded
to live up to the perfect divine
standard to which the law points.
Who is a murderer?
Who is an adulterer?
“In Jewish culture, the right eye and right
hand represented a person’s best and
most precious faculties. The right eye
represented one’s best vision, and the
right hand one’s best skills. Jesus’ point is
that we should be willing to give up
whatever is necessary, even the most
cherished things we possess, if doing that
will help protect us from evil. Nothing is
so valuable as to be worth preserving at
the expense of righteousness.”
[John MacArthur, Matthew, pg. 304]
Is divorce acceptable?
Malachi 2:15-16
…let none of you be faithless to the
wife of your youth. “For the man
who hates and divorces, says the
LORD, the God of Israel, covers his
garment with violence, says the LORD
of hosts. So guard yourselves in your
spirit, and do not be faithless.”
Should we make vows and oaths?
James 5:12
my brothers, do not swear, either by
heaven or by earth or by any other
oath, but let your “yes” be yes and
your “no” be no, so that you may not
fall under condemnation.
Is retaliation acceptable?
Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give
thought to do what is honorable in
the sight of all. If possible, so far as it
depends on you, live peaceably with
all. Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave it to the wrath
of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is
mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
To the contrary, “if your enemy is
hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give
him something to drink; for by so
doing you will heap burning coals on
his head.” Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Peter 2:23
When He was reviled, He did not
revile in return; when He suffered, He
did not threaten, but continued
entrusting Himself to Him who judges
justly.
Should we hate our enemies?