A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Matthew 5:21-32
Lesson #12
ANGER, MURDER, LUST, AND ADULTERY
- Memory verse: Gal 5:14
- This is one of the most important teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. It deals with everyday life.
- Read Exo 20:3-17
- Read Mat 5:21-26 Anger and Murder
- Jesus speaks with great authority. He says, “You have heard it said, but I say to you…”
- Men were amazed and sometimes dismayed by his authority.
- To the Jews, the Law of Moses was holy and the ultimate authority. Now Jesus quotes the law 5 times and then contradicts it. (5:21,27,33,38,43).
- Jesus presents a new standard over and above the Law.
- The standard of the Law said that outwardly committing the act of murder was worthy of the death penalty.
- The law said a man was a good person if he never did anything forbidden by Law, such as murder.
- Jesus said that internal anger made a man just as guilty and worthy of punishment.
- The new standard makes thoughts as important as deeds. The Law could never judge a man’s thoughts because none can know them except God.
- No man is a good man until he never desires to do a forbidden thing.
- The obvious conclusion: No man can reach the standard of perfection given by Jesus.
- The standard of the Law said that outwardly committing the act of murder was worthy of the death penalty.
- Anger:
- Jesus speaks of three levels of anger.
- =1= The man who is angry with his brother (5:22)
- Jesus speaks of three levels of anger.
Some English translations say, “angry with his brother without cause”
In Greek there are 2 words for anger:
-1- Thumos which means = anger like a flame that comes from dried straw, which quickly blazes up and then just as quickly dies.
-2- Orge which means = the anger that lives a long time and is encouraged by brooding. It is not allowed to die, but seeks revenge. This word is used in Mat 5.
Jesus says that the person with this anger (orge) is in danger of standing before the judgment court. This was the local village council that dispensed justice.
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- =2= The man whose anger turns to insulting words (5:22)
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Jewish teachers forbade such anger as “oppression in words” and “the sin of insult“.
The man who calls his brother, “raca“:
“Raca” is an almost untranslatable word because it describes the tone of voice of arrogant contempt.
Jesus says this man is worthy of punishment by the (council) Sanhedrin.
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- =3= The man who calls his brother, “Fool”:
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Fool (moros) means = a moral fool, one who lived an immoral life
Psa 14:1 this person says in his heart there is no God.
To call a person a “fool” (moros) was to destroy a person’s name and reputation by casting doubt on a person’s moral character, not his intelligence.
Jesus says this man is worthy of the fire of Gehenna. What is Gehenna (hell)?
The word was commonly used and understood by the Jews. It refers to the valley of Hinnom that lies to the southwest of Jerusalem.
The evil King Ahaz introduced fire worship of the heathen god, Molech, in this valley. Children were offered to Molech by being burned. (2Chr 28:3).
Good King Josiah put a stop to the practice and made the valley a cursed place. (2Kin 23:10).
The valley of Hinnom became the public incinerator and garbage dump for the city of Jerusalem. Fire burned there continually. It was inhabited by a loathsome worm, rats and other vermin (Mar 9:44-48). In the minds of the people, it became associated with all that was evil and foul and therefore, a synonym for “hell”.
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- Summary: The worst type of anger worthy of the greatest judgment is to destroy a person’s reputation which can be done by gossip. A man may never have committed murder but to have done any of these three types of anger is just as bad.
- The effective offering (23-24)
- Summary: The worst type of anger worthy of the greatest judgment is to destroy a person’s reputation which can be done by gossip. A man may never have committed murder but to have done any of these three types of anger is just as bad.
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To the Old Testament Jews, the effective offering (animal sacrifice) had to include confession of sin, true repentance, and paying the person for the wrong committed.
However, in reality the offering of an animal for sacrifice became the only part that was done.
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- Jesus is saying that you cannot be righteous with God until you are in right standing with men. You must do your best to remove the consequences of your anger from the life of the one you wronged.
- The time for peace (25-26)
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Before sin and trouble piles up, before relationships get worse, deal with a problem immediately.
In Greek law there was a process of arrest called, apagoge, which means = summary arrest.
It is similar to citizen’s arrest today. The person who is wronged could arrest the person that committed the crime.
He caught the person by the neck of his robe and if the person struggled, it would strangle him. Crimes for which this type of arrest was done were stealing, house-breaking, and kidnapping, etc.
The type of crime Jesus refers to here is an unpaid debt.
Put things right with other people while life lasts, for some day, life will end and then God will judge it.
It is better for you to judge it and make it right than for God to judge it later.
- Read Mat 5:27-30 Lust and Adultery
- Adultery and the Mosaic Law
- Exo 20:14 God says “thou shalt not“
- Lev 20:10 the punishment was death by stoning.
- How does Jesus make the Law more strict that says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”?
- Not only the act, but the thought of it is forbidden and equally a sin.
- The baited trap (29-30)
- How does Jesus make the Law more strict that says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”?
- Adultery and the Mosaic Law
Jesus is speaking in exaggerated form to make a point.
The picture is a baited trap. There was a stick on which was placed the bait. It triggered the trap and lured the animal to its destruction. Anything which lures a man to destruction should be removed.
Therefore, anything which seduces us to sin should be diligently cleaned out of our life.
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- 2 ways to defeat forbidden thoughts:
- =1= Christian action: Fill your life with serving God and others that there is no time for any other kind of action.
- =2= Good thoughts: Fill your mind with prayer and good thoughts so that there is no room for unclean thoughts.
- 2 ways to defeat forbidden thoughts:
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- Read Mat 5:31-32 The unbreakable bond of marriage
- Background:
- Marriage among the Jews:
- In theory, no nation had a higher ideal of marriage than the Jews.
- All men were expected to marry and have children.
- The only exception was for a man to study the Law.
- Divorce was unacceptable because God hated it. (Mal 2:16)
- Despite the ideal, the practice fell far short because:
- Women were considered property and had no rights.
- A man could divorce a woman for any cause even against her will.
- The cause:
- Read Deu 24:1-4
- Uncleanness was interpreted in 2 ways:
- =1= The Shammai School’s interpretation:
- Uncleanness was interpreted in 2 ways:
- In theory, no nation had a higher ideal of marriage than the Jews.
Uncleanness = adultery
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- =2= The Hillel School’s interpretation:
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Uncleanness = anything the man decided was unclean: spoiling dinner, an uncovered head, talking to men, quarrelsome, etc.
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- The Hillel school had the greater influence and acceptance among the people.
- No woman could divorce a man.
- The process of divorce was extremely simple. He only had to write down, “I divorce you”, give it to her in the presence of 2 witnesses, and send his wife out of the house.
- Jesus sought to reform this lax practice regarding marriage.
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- Marriage among the Greeks:
- Marriage among the Greeks was not valued.
- They had a low view of women.
- Men demanded women live a life of exclusion from social life and live a life of moral purity while men lived a life of immoral license.
- Sexual relationships outside of marriage carried no stigma and became accepted and expected.
- Divorce required no legal process. He only had to say to her, “I divorce you”, in front of 2 witnesses and send her away.
- Marriage among the Romans:
- Originally Roman religion and society was founded on the home. In the first 500 years of the Roman Empire, there was not one divorce.
- When the Romans conquered the Greeks, Greek immorality infiltrated the Roman Empire and divorce became common.
- Biblical truths regarding marriage and divorce: (See note** below.)
- God says nothing to the unsaved couple about divorce.
- The unsaved are living in sin in every area of their lives.
- Marriage and divorce are no exception. The unbeliever does not know the difference between good and evil.
- God does speak to the believer about marriage to a non-believer.
- Read 2Cor 6:14 1Cor 7:10-16
- Don’t marry a non-believer.
- If you are already married to a non-believer, stay married.
- If the unbeliever desires to leave the believing mate, divorce is permissible.
- However, remarriage for the believer is acceptable.
- God does speak to a believer married to another believer. (Mat 5:31-32)
- There is only one cause for divorce among believers:
- Read Mat 19:3-9 Unchastity = (porneia)
- This Greek word is translated in a number of ways into English: unchastity, adultery, and fornication
- Read 2Cor 6:14 1Cor 7:10-16
- God says nothing to the unsaved couple about divorce.
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However, these words unchastity, adultery, and fornication inadequately define porneia. Originally porneia meant = to sell. It was used of selling slaves for prostitution.
It is best defined as whoredom and is an attitude that includes every kind of sex sin possible.
It represents the immoral mind and goes beyond the foolish, temporary, adulterous affair.
In English we get the word pornography from this Greek word.
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- Therefore, immoral thoughts as well as immoral actions are covered by the words uncleanness and unchastity.
- Biblical truth regarding remarriage:
- Rom 7:1-3
- Remarriage for the believer is permissible if all the above conditions regarding divorce are intact.
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- (**Note: Material is based on the Ray Mossholder Marriage Plus Seminar.
Homework
Matthew 5:33-48
- Application of Mat 5:21-32
- The underlying principle of Jesus’ teaching is redemption and change through love.
- Consider the area of anger in your life. In what ways does anger affect your relationships to:
- Other people?
- God?
- How can love redeem and change you in this area?
- Consider the area of marriage in your life. In what ways can love redeem and change your relationship?
- Preparation for Mat 5:33-48
- Read Mat 5:33-37
- Your word is a pledge. Why do you think your word is so important that Jesus placed it in his sermon along with murder, anger, and adultery?
- Read Mat 5:38-42 Resentment, retaliation, and giving
- According to Jesus, what place does resentment and retaliation have in the Christian’s life?
- Make a list of personal rights that Christian’s have?
- Read Mat 5:43-48 Christian love
- Why does God demand that the Christian should love everyone?
- Read Mat 5:33-37
- Memory verse: Mat 5:37
