The Expounding of the Law (KJV:Matthew 5:17-48), sometimes called the Antithesis of the Law, is a less well known but highly structured ("Ye have heard ... But I say unto you") part of the Sermon on the Mount, following both the famed Beatitudes and the metaphors of salt and light. Rather than literal antitheses, it is essentially a reinterpretation of Mosaic Law, in particular the Ten Commandments. Jesus makes this clear in verse 17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." The teachings themselves are not literal antitheses to the law. Salt and light was a common nickname for the Mosaic Law, and hence the metaphors of salt and light form a sort of introduction to the expositions. The chronology of Jesus depicts the traditional chronology established for the events of the life of Jesus by the four canonical gospels (which allude to various dates for several events). ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... This article presents a description of Jesus life, as based on the four gospels. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... Adoration of the shepherds (1535-40), by Florentine Mannerist painter Agnolo Bronzino The term The Nativity, without qualifier, usually refers to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, although it is also used for the birth of Mary, especially in iconogrphy. ... The baptism of Jesus is an event recounted in the New Testament in which Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. ... The temptation of Christ in Christianity, refers to the temptation of Jesus by the devil as detailed in each of the Synoptic Gospels, at Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth (estimated around AD 30) on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt 5:1-7:29). ... The Twelve Apostles (, apostolos, Liddell & Scott, Strongs G652, someone sent forth/sent out) were men that according to the Synoptic Gospels and Christian tradition, were chosen from among the disciples (students) of Jesus for a mission. ... According to the canonical Gospels, Jesus worked many miracles in the course of his ministry. ... Palm Sunday is a moveable feast in the church calendar observed by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians. ... Jesus vertreibt die Händler aus dem Tempel by Giovanni Paolo Pannini The narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John, although it occurs close to the end of the Synoptic Gospels (at Mark 11:15-19, Matthew 21... According to the Canonical Gospels, the Ministry of Jesus began when Jesus was around 30 years old, and lasted a period of 1-3 years, with the Synoptic Gospels generally being considered to argue for it having been a period of 1 year, and the Gospel of John arguing for... Mary Magdalene is traditionally depicted with a vessel of ointment, in reference to the Anointing of Jesus, in reality the jar is more likely to have been an Amphora, a much larger object. ... According to gospel, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his death. ... Paraclete comes from the Koine Greek word (Strongs G3875) meaning one who consoles or one who intercedes on our behalf, which appears in the New Testament in the Gospel of John (14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7). ... Gethsemane by Wassilij Grigorjewitsch Perow The Arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical Gospels, in which Jesus is arrested. ... The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Canonical Gospels, in Mark 14:53–65, Matthew 26:57–68, Luke 22:63–71 and John 18:12-24. ... Pontius Pilate (Latin Pontius Pilatus) was the governor of the small Roman province of Judea from 26 until 36? AD although Tacitus believed him to be the procurator of that province. ... The Death of Jesus and the Resurrection of Jesus are two events in the New Testament in which Jesus is crucified on one day (the Day of Preparation, i. ... The Great Commission is a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing mission work and evangelism, particularly (but not exclusively) emphasized by evangelicals. ... The Christian doctrine of the Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to heaven by His own power in presence of His disciples, following his resurrection. ... The Second Coming or Second Advent refers to the Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ to fulfill the rest of the Messianic prophecy, such as the Resurrection of the dead, Last judgement and establishment of the Kingdom of God. ... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ... The Expounding of the Law (KJV:Matthew 5:17-48), sometimes called the Antithesis of the Law, is a less well known but highly structured (Ye have heard . ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth (estimated around AD 30) on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt 5:1-7:29). ... The Beatitudes (from Latin, beatitudo, happiness) is the name given to the well-known, definitive and beginning portion of the Sermon on the Mount of the Gospel of Matthew. ... Salt and Light was a metaphor that was frequently used in classical times by Jews to describe the Mosaic law. ... Antithesis (Greek for setting opposite, from against + position) means a direct contrast or exact opposition to something. ... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at the Esnoga synagogue of Amsterdam The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives which, according to the Hebrew Bible, were written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written... Neviim [נביאים] or Prophets is the second of the three major sections in the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). ...

Despite being less commonly known, the expounding is at the core of the argument about the relationship between the views attributed to Jesus (or the Gospel or Grace), and those attributed to Moses (or the Mosaic Law), and hence how the relationship between the New Testament and Old Testament should be interpreted, including whether either the extreme of antinomianism or that of legalism has any validity. This issue would have been a central one to the Jewish Christians, a group that the Gospel of Matthew is widely believed to have been directed at, or written by, as the Jewish Christians would have accused other Early Christian groups like the Pauline Christians, followers of Simon Magus, Gnostics, Marcionites, Montanists, and Manichaeists, of abandoning Mosaic customs, as for example in the Acts 15 record of the Council of Jerusalem or 6:13-14, 18:13, 21:21, 21:28. Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind, as manifest in the blessings bestowed upon all —irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ... Moses strikes water from the stone, by Bacchiacca Moses (Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה, Standard Tiberian ; Arabic: موسى, ; Geez: ሙሴ Musse) was an early Biblical Hebrew religious leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian. ... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... Antinomianism (from the Greek αντι, against + νομος, law), or lawlessness (in the Greek Bible: ανομια), in theology, is the idea that members of a particular religious group are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality as presented by religious authorities. ... Legalism, in Christian theology, is a term referring to an improper fixation on law or codes of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of pride and the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God. ... Jewish Christians (sometimes called also Hebrew Christians or Christian Jews, but see below for differences) is a term which can have two meanings, a historical one and a contemporary one. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Early Christians is a term used to refer to the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth, before the emergence of established Christian orthodoxy. ... The origins of Pauline Christianity lie in the teachings of Paul of Tarsus, who declared himself the Apostle to the Gentiles, and its development in his circle and among his followers. ... Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by the ancient Christian Orthodoxy to refer to someone they identified as a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic, and, also according to ancient Christian Orthodoxy, founder of his own religious sect. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In Early Christianity Marcionism is the dualist belief system that originates in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144 (115 years and 6 months from the Crucifixion, according to Tertullians reckoning in Adversus Marcionem, xv). ... Montanism was an early Christian sectarian movement of the mid-2nd century A.D., named after its founder Montanus. ... Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... Council of Jerusalem is a name applied in retrospect to a meeting described in Acts of the Apostles chapter 15. ...

Adherence to the Law

The Ten Commandments on a monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol

See also: Old Testament#Christian view of the Law

Matthew 5:17: "the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" lies at the heart of how different Christian groups view the Mosaic law as there are a wide number of interpretations of what is meant by fulfil. The word fulfil (in Greek πληρῶσαι: Strong's G4137, Liddell & Scott) is interpreted as meaning any of the following: establish, confirm, validate, complete, actualise, properly explain, accomplish, or obey. In contrast, Marcion's version of Luke 23:2[1] states: "We found this fellow perverting the nation and destroying the law and the prophets." Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (596x817, 135 KB)Ten Commandments Monument from the grounds of the Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (596x817, 135 KB)Ten Commandments Monument from the grounds of the Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas. ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at the Esnoga synagogue of Amsterdam The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives which, according to the Hebrew Bible, were written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written... Neviim [נביאים] or Prophets is the second of the three major sections in the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). ... Marcion of Sinope (ca. ...

Some argue that Jesus rejects some of the accepted tenets of Mosaic law, such as the understanding of sabbath, divorce laws, dietary laws, and Biblical festival days (such as Passover (Christian holiday)), while accepting others, and presents a New Covenant, doing so particularly by the antitheses. In contrast, E. P. Sanders in his 1985 book Jesus and Judaism, argued that, in spite of denunciations of Pharisees attributed to Jesus in the Gospels, Jesus himself was a Pharisee: he claimed that no substantial points of opposition could be found, especially since according to the Gospels Jesus did not transgress any part of Mosaic law, did not oppose or reject the law itself, and that the disciples continued to keep it: for example the Acts of the Apostles recounts that they continued to worship in Herod's Temple.^[1] Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written... This artyicle concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse. ... The circled U indicates that this product is certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Passover. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... Ed Parish Sanders (born 1937) is a leading New Testament theologian (Th. ... The Pharisees (from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate) were, depending on the time, a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 BCE–70 CE). ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... Herods Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Second Temple along with renovations of the entire Temple Mount. ...

According to Augustine of Hippo, Jesus expanded the law but did not replace it. Others used analogy to explain this notion: Chrysostom used the analogy of a race saying that Jesus had added extra distance for the Christians to run, but the beginning remained the same; Theophylact of Bulgaria used the image of an artist colouring in an outline, and Thomas Aquinas saw it as how a tree still contains the seed. This view became the accepted Roman Catholic position, but was challenged in the Protestant reformation, with leading Protestants such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli rejecting the idea Jesus had added to the Law, and instead arguing that Jesus only illustrated the true Law that had always existed, but that the Law had been badly understood by the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders. The Anabaptists took the opposite view and felt that Jesus had greatly reformed the Law, and rejected anything that the Bible doesn't mention him as having confirmed. For the first Archbishop of Canterbury, see Saint Augustine of Canterbury. ... John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... Theophylact of Bulgaria (Bulgarian Теофилакт Български) (d. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Protestant Reformation, also referred to as the Protestant Revolution, Protestant Revolt,or theLutheran Reformation, was a movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism. ... Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (January 1, 1484 – October 11, 1531) was the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland, and founder of the Swiss Reformed Churches. ... The Pharisees (from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate) were, depending on the time, a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 BCE–70 CE). ... Anabaptists (re-baptizers, from Greek ana and baptizo; in German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ...

Matthew 5:18 states that "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled". Jot is the King James Version's translation of iota, the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, as the parallel letter yodh (י) is the smallest in the Aramaic alphabet. Tittle, the KJV translation of κερεία (a word which literally means horn), is a small mark of some sort, generally considered by scholars to refer to minor projections (horns) that differentiate certain letters, such as hooks in Aramaic - ב versus כ for example. Hence the phrase refers to even the tiniest minutiae being unaltered (see also Deut 4:2,12:32), and it is this meaning that not one iota, a common English phrase deriving from the statement, has taken. Some view the statement as eschatological, regarding that "till heaven and earth pass" means that Mosaic law would be superseded in the end times, though most view it simply as an idiom for the inconceivable. Likewise "till all be fulfilled" is somewhat debated, with some viewing it as a reference to end times (i.e., "fulfilled" having the same meaning as "heaven and earth pass"), others as a reference to such a time as all of Mosaic law is completely adhered to, and others still that it means that the law would only last until a messiah arrives, i.e. that the time had arrived with Jesus' existence and hence the law is superseded already. Many view the last interpretation as somewhat doubtful, since it is unlikely that Jesus would state till if it had already occurred, or would contradict his prior statement that heaven and earth must first pass before the law does. As for "till all be fulfilled", it is widely believed that Jesus has not yet fulfilled all Messianic prophecy (such as the Resurrection of the dead, Last Judgment and establishment of the Kingdom of God) but that he will in his Second Coming. An exception to this belief is Preterism#Full Preterism. A parallel to this verse is found in Luke 16:17. This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ... For programming language, see Iota and Jot. ... Because of technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... Yodh (also spelled Yud or Yod) is the tenth letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic (in abjadi order, 28th in modern order). ... The Aramaic alphabet is an abjad alphabet designed for writing the Aramaic language. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Albrecht Dürer - Four horsemen of the Apocalypse This article is about the concept of the end of the world. ... // The End Times are a time of tribulation that will precede the coming of a Messiah figure in many world religions. ... An idiom is an expression (i. ... Antinomianism (from the Greek αντι, against + νομος, law), or lawlessness (in the Greek Bible: ανομια), in theology, is the idea that members of a particular religious group are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality as presented by religious authorities. ... In Abrahamic religions, messianic prophecies describe the coming, acts, authority, personality, nature, etc. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Resurrection. ... Last Judgement. ... The Kingdom of God (Greek basileia tou theou,[1] or the Kingdom of Heaven) is a key concept in Christianity based on a phrase attributed to Jesus of Nazareth in the gospels. ... The Second Coming or Second Advent refers to the Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ to fulfill the rest of the Messianic prophecy, such as the Resurrection of the dead, Last judgement and establishment of the Kingdom of God. ... Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days (or End Times) refer to events which actually happened in the first century after Christs birth. ...

Matthew 5:19 condemns those who preach the commandments but do not uphold them, i.e. people that today we would refer to as hypocrites, see also Cafeteria Christianity. Some interpret commandments as referring to the Sermon on the Mount itself, though others think that the text is obviously referring to the Mosaic law, Noahide laws, or to the Ethical decalogue. Some scholars have read this verse as an attack by Matthew on Paul of Tarsus and Pauline Christianity,^{[citation needed]} generally regarded to have placed less importance on Mosaic law, though others claim there is little evidence that the author of Matthew had read Paul's works. Still others believe that Paul stressed the ethical and pedagogical value of the law as a standard for righteous living, rejecting it only as a means of justification. The Catholic Encyclopedia: Judaizers notes: "Paul, on the other hand, not only did not object to the observance of the Mosaic Law, as long as it did not interfere with the liberty of the Gentiles, but he conformed to its prescriptions when occasion required (1 Corinthians 9:20). Thus he shortly after circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:1-3), and he was in the very act of observing the Mosaic ritual when he was arrested at Jerusalem (21:26 sqq.)." See also New Perspective on Paul. A parallel to this verse is found in James 2:10. Look up hypocrisy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cafeteria Christianity is a pejorative term, used in general against individual Christians or Christian churches who are perceived as selectively following or believing the doctrines of their religion, particularly what the Bible states as being the word or will of God. ... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written... The Seven Noahide Laws (Hebrew: שבע מצוות בני × ×—, Sheva mitzvot bnei Noach), also called the Brit Noah (Covenant of Noah) mitzvot (commandments) and halakhot (laws) that are morally binding on non-Jews according to Judaism. ... The Ethical Decalogue, is one of two Decalogues included in the Bible, and is better known as the Ten Commandments. ... Paul of Tarsus (d. ... The origins of Pauline Christianity lie in the teachings of Paul of Tarsus, who declared himself the Apostle to the Gentiles, and its development in his circle and among his followers. ... In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of making or declaring a sinner righteous before God. ... Circumcision, when practiced as a rite, has its foundations in the Bible, in the Abrahamic covenant, such as Genesis 17, and is therefore practiced by Jews and Muslims and some Christians, those who constitute the Abrahamic religions. ... The New Perspective on Paul is the name given to a significant shift in how New Testament scholars interpret the writings of Paul of Tarsus, particularly in regard to Judaism and the later Protestant understanding of Justification by Faith. ...

Matthew 5:20 subtly condemns the Pharisees: only those who were more righteous than they would enter the "kingdom of heaven". Matthew generally condemns the manner in which the Pharisees adhere to the law (Matthew 23:1-3), portraying it as excessively legalistic, and here is no exception. This begins a pattern, repeated later in the Sermon on the Mount, in the Discourse on ostentation, where outward and public adherence to religious behaviour are condemned as being hollow, in favour of private and internal adherence. The word Pharisees comes from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate, from a root related to the Aramaic wordas upharsin (and divided) in the writing on the wall in Daniel 5:25. ... The Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God, Hebrew מלכות השמים, malkhut hashamayim, Greek basileia tou theou) is a key concept detailed in all the three major monotheistic religions of the world — Islam, Judaism and Christianity. ... Legalism, in Christian theology, is a term referring to an improper fixation on law or codes of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of pride and the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God. ... The discourse on ostentation, Matthew 6, is a section of the Sermon on the Mount, occurring after the antithesis of the Law, but before the discourse on judgementalism, according to the Gospel of Matthew. ...

Antithesis of the Law

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

See also: Law and Gospel, Dispensationalism, and New Covenant (theology)

This section of the sermon is sometimes called the Antithesis of the Law (on Antithesis see 1 Timothy 6:20-21, where it is translated "opposing arguments"[2], Strong's G377). As applied to this section of Matthew, the phrase is used in different ways. Some writers use it to mean something like "statements affirming the Law but going beyond it" (Greg Bahnsen, John Murray). Others mean something like "opposed to the false glosses of the Law" (Adam Clarke, John Gill). Still others mean "directly contradicting the Law" (possibly Marcion of Sinope); the second of the four basic tenets of Dispensationalism posits: "A radical distinction between the Law and Grace; that is, they are mutually exclusive ideas." Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... The relationship between Gods Law and the Gospel is a major topic in Lutheran and Reformed theology. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... Antithesis (Greek for setting opposite, from against + position) means a direct contrast or exact opposition to something. ... The three pastoral epistles are books of the canonical New Testament: the First Epistle to Timothy (1 Timothy) the Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy), and the Epistle to Titus. ... Greg Bahnsen Greg Bahnsen (September 17, 1948-December 11, 1995) was an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and a full time Scholar in Residence for the Southern California Center for Christian Studies. ... Professor John Murray (1898-1975), a native of Scotland, studied at Princeton Theological Seminary under J. Gresham Machen and Geerhardus Vos. ... Adam Clarke (1760 or 1762–1832) was a British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar. ... John Gill (born at Kettering, Northamptonshire on November 23, 1697 and died October 14, 1771) was an English Baptist, Biblical scholar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Marcionism. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind, as manifest in the blessings bestowed upon all —irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ...

Cyrus Scofield in his Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, ch. 6 LAW AND GRACE claims: "The most obvious and striking division of the Word of truth is that between law and grace. Indeed, these contrasting principles characterize the two most important dispensations: the Jewish and Christian. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). ... Law kills; grace makes alive. ... Law says, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"; grace says, "Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Law says, "Hate thine enemy"; grace says, "Love your enemies, bless them that despitefully use you." Law says, do and live; grace says, believe and live. ... Law stones an adulteress; grace says, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." ... Everywhere the Scriptures present law and grace in sharply contrasted spheres. The mingling of them in much of the current teaching of the day spoils both, for law is robbed of its terror, and grace of its freeness." Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843 — 1921) was an American theologian, minister and writer. ...

According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article on Antinomians: "a term apparently coined by Luther to stigmatize Johannes Agricola and his following, indicating an interpretation of the antithesis between law and gospel, recurrent from the earliest times." And from the article on Marcion: "It may be said that in the 2nd century only one Christian—Marcion—took the trouble to understand Paul; but it must be added that he misunderstood him. The profound reflections of the apostle on the radical antithesis of law and gospel, works and faith, were not appreciated in the 2nd century. Marcion alone perceived their decisive religious importance, and with them confronted the legalizing, and in this sense judaizing, tendencies of his Christian contemporaries. But the Pauline ideas lost their truth under his treatment; for, when it is denied that the God of redemption is at the same time the almighty Lord of Heaven and Earth, the gospel is turned upside down." The Encyclopædia Britannica (properly spelled with the æ ligature) is a general encyclopedia published by the privately held Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... Johannes Agricola (originally Schneider, then Schnitter) (April 20, 1494 - September 22, 1566) was a German Protestant reformer. ... Paul of Tarsus (d. ... Legalism, in Christian theology, is a term referring to an improper fixation on law or codes of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of pride and the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God. ... Judaizers is a term used by orthodox Christianity, particularly after the third century, to describe Jewish Christian groups like the Ebionites and Nazarenes who believed that followers of Jesus needed to keep the Law of Moses. ... The origins of Pauline Christianity lie in the teachings of Paul of Tarsus, who declared himself the Apostle to the Gentiles, and its development in his circle and among his followers. ...

According to Adolf von Harnack's History of Dogma vol. 1, ch. 5, p. 269: Marcion "accordingly supposed that it was necessary to make the sharp antitheses of Paul, law and gospel, wrath and grace, works and faith, flesh and spirit, sin and righteousness, death and life, that is the Pauline criticism of the Old Testament religion, the foundation of his religious views, and to refer them to two principles, the righteous and wrathful god of the Old Testament, who is at the same time identical with the creator of the world, and the God of the Gospel, quite unknown before Christ, who is only love and mercy." Adolf von Harnack, German theologian Adolf von Harnack (May 7, 1851 - June 10, 1930), was a German theologian and science administrator. ...

Specialised focuses

As well as a more general discussion about adherence to the law, the expositions individually cover the following aspects in greater detail:

• Anger (Matthew 5:21-26, Luke 12:58-59)
• Adultery (Matthew 5:27-30, Mark 9:43-47)
• Divorce (Matthew 5:31-32,19:7-9, Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11,7:26-28)
• Oaths (Matthew 5:33-37, James 5:12)
• Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42, Luke 6:29-31,6:34-35)
• Love for Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-28,6:32-33,6:36)

Each of these specialised sections begins with a scriptural quotation that indicates how the law officially regards each of these issues, and then goes on to, depending on one's interpretation, either extend the law's commandment to its most radical extent, or make a radical assertion opposing it. Though sometimes not as radical, Jewish sentiment in the period was much more in keeping with the exposition than the law itself, partly due to the influence of Hellenism, and so although parts of the exposition may seem quite radical in respect to the law itself, it should be understood that in many cases the exposition simply describes popular sentiment of the time. In addition, as the Jewish Encyclopedia article on Jesus notes: "Jesus, however, does not appear to have taken into account the fact that the Halakah was at this period just becoming crystallized, and that much variation existed as to its definite form; the disputes of the Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai were occurring about the time of his maturity." The Hellenistic period of Greek history was the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the annexation of the Greek peninsula and islands by Rome in 146 BC. Although the establishment of Roman rule did not break the continuity of Hellenistic society and culture, which... The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. ... Halakha (הלכה or Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... Hillel (הלל) was a famous Jewish religious leader who lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod; he is one of the most important figures in Judaic history, associated with the Mishnah and the Talmud. ... Shammai (50 BCE–30 CE) was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an imporant figure in Judaisms core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah. ...

Anger

The first exposition is on the subject of murder. Beginning by quoting the commandment thou shalt not kill (Deuteronomy 5:17), Matthew describes Jesus as going on to condemn the anger which lead to it as being just as bad. This view is not particularly new to Jesus, appearing in the Old Testament at places such as Ecclesiastes and Ecclesiasticus, as well as in the Slavonic Enoch, Pesahim, and Nedraim. Jesus is also described as condemning people who insult each other, specifically identifying the insult of calling someone a Raca. Scholars seem divided on how grievous an insult it was - for example Hill feels it was very grievous while France thinks it minor. The Ethical Decalogue, is one of two Decalogues included in the Bible, and is better known as the Ten Commandments. ... Ecclesiastes, Qohelet in Hebrew, is a book of the Hebrew Bible. ... The Wisdom of Ben Sirach, (or The Wisdom of Joshua Ben Sirach or merely Sirach), called Ecclesiasticus by Christians, is a book written circa 180 BCE in Hebrew. ... ... Moed (Festivals) is the second Order of the Mishnah (also the Tosefta and Talmud), Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. ...

What Raca means is unknown though there have been frequent attempts to explain it, particularly in the context of fool, the next insult to be mentioned. Despite condemning the use of the term fool, according to Matthew, Jesus himself used it to deride the Pharisees (Matthew 23:17), see also Luke 11:40, 24:25, Romans 1:21-22, 1 Cor 15:36, Gal 3:1. The most common view is that Raca is a reference to the Aramaic word reka (see also Aramaic of Jesus), which literally means empty one, probably referring to empty headed, or foolish. The word translated as fool is Moros which has a similar meaning to the Aramaic reka, but it can also be used to mean godless, and so was a much stronger term. Some writers have argued that raca can mean effeminate and moros referring to an homosexual aggressor, and so Jesus could here be seen to be condemning homophobia,^{[citation needed]} although like much of modern western culture, homophobic insults are likely to have often been used generally rather than only to specifically attack homosexuals.^{[citation needed]} The word Pharisees comes from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate, from a root related to the Aramaic wordas upharsin (and divided) in the writing on the wall in Daniel 5:25. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... It is often accepted that Aramaic was the mother tongue of Jesus of Nazareth. ... Effeminacy is character trait of a male showing femininity, unmanliness, womanliness, weakness, softness and/or a delicacy, which contradicts traditional masculine, male gender roles. ... Homophobia is the fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. ...

Those that are angry with their brother are then said in Matthew to be subject to judgement, sent to the council, which some consider a reference to a sanhedrin,^[2] for using the insult of Raca, and sent to Gehenna for using the insult of moros. Gehenna the rubbish heap south of Jerusalem which was permanently aflame, and had in the past been the place of cremation for human sacrifice. Despite the vivid unpleasantness of this, traditionally scholars have read this as only a metaphorical reference to damnation to Hell, though other scholars see the literal reading - being thrown into the rubbish heap south of Jerusalem - as the accurate one. Early manuscripts of Matthew are divided between some that state it is anger without cause that is being condemned, and those that state that all anger is condemned, with most modern scholars feeling that without cause was an emendation added by a later scribe (see Lectio difficilior potior). For the tractate in the Mishnah, see Sanhedrin (tractate). ... Note: Tanach quotes are from the Judaica press Tanach. ... Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. ... // [edit] Religious In some forms of Western Christian belief, damnation to hell is the punishment of God for persons with unredeemed sin. ... Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180) Hell, according to many religious beliefs, is a place or a state of pain and suffering. ... Lectio difficilior potior (Latin for the more difficult reading is the stronger) is a principle of textual criticism. ...

The exposition then goes on to state that even if one is in the middle of making the korban sacrifice (see also Korbanas), whenever one realises there is a dispute with one's brother, it is better to immediately stop what one is doing and try to resolve the dispute. Although the theme of asserting that "worship devoid of moral life is useless" occurs throughout the Old Testament, several scholars see Matthew here as attacking the overly ritualised Pharisees, with those scholars, for example Schweizer, thinking that the Pharisees believed sacrifice should not be interrupted. That Matthew here mentions the korban, which came to a halt in 70AD when the Temple was destroyed (Siege of Jerusalem (70)), is taken by a few scholars, like Albright and Mann, as evidence that Matthew was written before that date. Korban (קרבן) (plural: Korbanot קרבנות) is a Jewish practice of sacrificing an animal or of making an offering at the Temple. ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning to make sacred, from Old French, from Latin sacrificium : sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the... It is often accepted that Aramaic was the mother tongue of Jesus of Nazareth. ... The word Pharisees comes from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate, from a root related to the Aramaic wordas upharsin (and divided) in the writing on the wall in Daniel 5:25. ... Combatants Roman Empire Jews of Judea Commanders Titus Flavius Vespasianus Simon Bar-Giora Yohanan mi-Gush Halav (John of Gischala) Eleazar ben Simon Strength 70,000 men 13,000 men, split among three factions Casualties Unknown 60,000–1,100,000 (mass civilian casualties) The Siege of Jerusalem in the...

The expositions finally culminate with what could easily be seen as very practical advice to reconcile with enemies quickly, before the enemy causes the issue to be brought before a judge, since being placed into jail will require you to buy yourself out of jail, not even leaving you with a penny.^{[citation needed]} This piece of advice also appears in Luke 12:58-59, causing those who accept the Q hpothesis to suggest that it originates in |Q, though the words that are usually translated as penny differ between Luke and Matthew, with Matthew referring to a quadrans and Luke to a mite, which was worth half a quadrans. Luke gives the text a much more eschatalogical context, implying it refers to the Last Judgement, and so most Christians interpret Matthew the same way, some using it to argue for the existence of purgatory. Fundamentalists, however, have a tendency to be uncomfortable with the soteriology that this implies - that good behaviour is sufficient to avoid punishment - and so those such as Albright claim that some material is likely to be missing from this part of Matthew. The Q document or Q (Q for German Quelle, source) is a postulated lost textual source for the Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke. ... The quadrans (literally meaning a a quarter) was low value Roman bronze coin worth 1/4th of an as. ... A denarius by Maximinus. ... Albrecht Dürer - Four horsemen of the Apocalypse Look up eschatology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image:Michelangelo - Fresco of the Last Judgment. ... Purgatory commonly refers to a doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church, which posits that those who die in a state of grace undergo a purification in order to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. ... This article concerns the self-labeled Fundamentalist Movement in Protestant Christianity. ... In Christianity, salvation is arguably the most important spiritual concept, second only to the divinity of Jesus. ...

Adultery

The second exposition is on the subject of adultery. Firstly it quotes the commandment in the ethical decalogue at (Exodus 20:14) about adultery, and then goes on to state that looking at a woman in lust is equal to the act of adultery itself. This is often interpreted as Jesus expanding on the requirements of Mosaic law, but not rejecting it, and similar ideas were anciently expressed in T. Issachar and Tractate Kalla. Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than his or her lawful spouse. ... The Ethical Decalogue, is one of two Decalogues included in the Bible, and is better known as the Ten Commandments. ... Diverse women. ... See also Lust (onomastics) for other uses Lust is any intense desire or craving, usually sexual, although it is also common to speak of a lust for life, lust for blood (bloodlust for short), or a lust for power or other goals. ... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the Written...

When accompanied by a noun or pronoun in the genitive case or by a possessive adjective or when specified in some other way, the word "γυνή", which in itself means simply "a woman",^[3] is used to refer to a "wife". In this context there is no such specification of the word "γυνή". In any case, it would be quite unwarranted to conclude, perhaps on the basis of the reference to committing adultery, that Jesus was declaring that lustful looks at others than married women were permitted. Non sequitur is Latin for it does not follow. ...

The discussion in Matthew continues with two now well known phrases that are also to a degree present in Mark 9:47,9:43 and Matthew 18:8-9:

• If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out
• If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off

Rather than if...offend thee, the Greek text is literally if...causes you to stumble, which while a common metaphor for sin, also acts as a joke since plucking out one's eye will result in one stumbling about. No major Christian denomination has ever taken these commands literally, although Origen castrated himself in order to avoid sexual temptation. That almost everyone views them as deliberate hyperbole has led some commentators to see parts of the other expositions in the Sermon on the Mount as also being hyperbole. Origen (Greek: , 185–ca. ... Look up hyperbole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The link between the right hand and the discussion of adultery is somewhat unclear, although in Jewish writings of the time it was common to a triple structure, XYZ eye ABC XYZ hand ABC XYZ foot ABC, seen in Mark 9:43-48 and Matthew 18:8-9. That the hand appears here but not the foot is felt by Hill to be a deliberate reference to theft, which at the time adultery was seen as being a form of. An alternative view is that the mention of a hand linked to lust is a reference to masturbation - though in a Semitic culture the left hand, rather than the right, would be mentioned in that context - and many who criticise masturbation use this verse to condemn it, making this one of the Bible phrases most often cited for that purpose. In the Babylonian Talmud there are similar statements about masturbation and mention is made of cutting off the hand and suffering bodily harm rather than going to the pit of destruction (Tractate Niddah, fol. 13b). A third view is to see the hand reference as a connecting link to the next exposition, which is about divorce, as a metaphor for separation from a sinful spouse. Mulher Sentada de Coxas Abertas, Drawing 1916 by Gustav Klimt Masturbation is sexual stimulation, particularly of ones own genitals, often to the point of orgasm, that is accomplished manually, by other types of bodily contact (except for sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by some combination... The first page of the Talmud, in the standard Vilna edition. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse. ...

Jesus is portrayed in Matthew as making these statements because he considers it better that one cut oneself off from sin so as not to condemn the remainder of oneself to Gehenna. There is much debate as to quite in what way Gehenna is being referred to - whether Jesus was meant to be talking about a physical valley of fire, an afterlife of damnation, or whether the reference is eschatalogical. That the text refers to a whole body being thrown to Gehenna is regarded by some as implying that everyone, even the wicked, would have a full bodily resurrection in the end times, which is counter to the standard Protestant understanding of only the worthy being resurrected. Note: Tanach quotes are from the Judaica press Tanach. ... // [edit] Religious In some forms of Western Christian belief, damnation to hell is the punishment of God for persons with unredeemed sin. ... Albrecht Dürer - Four horsemen of the Apocalypse Look up eschatology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Resurrection. ... // The End Times are a time of tribulation that will precede the coming of a Messiah figure in many world religions. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Divorce

The third exposition, sometimes considered a continuation of the prior one about adultery, is on divorce, and is comparatively short. It begins with a reference to Deuteronomy 24:1, requiring a man who dismisses his wife for "some indecency" he finds in her to give her a formal written divorce certificate. However, the exposition describes Jesus as condemning anyone who, except in the event of porneia, divorces his wife and thus "makes her an adulteress", adding: "whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than his or her lawful spouse. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse. ...

Porneia (πορνεία)[3], the Greek word from which we derive the term pornography, literally means fornication with a prostitute (πόρνη), but was used to indicate unchaste conduct generally. Accordingly, some claim it should be translated here as "adultery" (a view accepted in perhaps no English Bible translation: the King James Version and derivatives such as the American Standard Version have "fornication"; the Revised Standard Version has "unchastity" and the New International Version "marital unfaithfulness"; the NAB has "unlawful marriage"; see also Council of Jerusalem). At the time of Jesus, the majority view on Deuteronomy 24:1 was that of Hillel the Elder, who allowed divorce under a wide range of circumstances, even as minor as a wife burning dinner, while the minority opinion followed Shammai, who argued that only adultery could be grounds for divorce. Pornographic movies Pornography (from Greek πόρνη (porni) prostitute and γραφή (grafi) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... Look up Fornication in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ... The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is an English translation of the Bible that was popular in the mid-20th century and posed the first serious challenge to the King James Version (KJV) owing to its aim to be both a readable and literally accurate modern English translation of the Bible. ... The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Christian Bible which is the most popular of the modern translations of the Bible made in the twentieth century. ... NAB may stand for: National Association of Broadcasters, the industry group representing the commercial radio stations and television stations of the United States National Australia Bank Needle aspiration biopsy, a medical technique Neodymium aluminium borate New American Bible, an English Bible translation that was produced by members of the Roman... Council of Jerusalem is a name applied in retrospect to a meeting described in Acts of the Apostles chapter 15. ... Hillel (הלל) was a famous Jewish religious leader who lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod; he is one of the most important figures in Judaic history, associated with the Mishnah and the Talmud. ... Shammai (50 BCE–30 CE) was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an imporant figure in Judaisms core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah. ...

The house of Shammai say, a man may not put away his wife, unless he finds some uncleanness in her, according to Deu. 24:1. The house of Hillel say, if she should spoil his food, (that is, as Jarchi and Bartenora explain it, burns it either at the fire, or with salt, i.e. over-roasts or over-salts it,) who appeal also to Deu. 24:1. R. Akiba says, if he finds another more beautiful than her, as it is said, Deu. 24:1 "and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes."^[4]

Though Rabbinic Judaism abandoned Shammai's view, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Churches have traditionally read porneia as adultery. Some scholars believe Jesus was endorsing Shammai's view. Some claim that, under the liberal divorce policy of Hillel, men had been casually divorcing their wives on losing interest in them, thus deeply injuring them, and that Jesus was here defending the rights of downtrodden wives. Other reject this claim on the grounds that elaborate prenuptial agreements were negotiated prior to every marriage, invariably including steep financial penalties, known as ketubah, that a divorcing husband had to pay his wife, guaranteeing her financial security. On the other hand, such a prenuptial contract did nothing for her social and religious status (see also: social alienation and social stigma), which were very important aspects of life in a "shame-based" society such as ancient Israel.^[5] Rabbinic Judaism (or in Hebrew Yahadut Rabanit - יהדות רבנית) is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the written Torah as well as the Oral Law (the Mishnah, Talmuds and subsequent rabbinic decisions) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... Protestantism is one of three main groups currently within Christianity. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a religious organization which sees itself as the continuation of the original Christian body, founded by Jesus and his Twelve Apostles. ... // Definition A prenuptial agreement or antenuptial agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into by two people prior to marriage or civil union. ... A ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract. ... Social status is the standing, the honour or prestige attached to ones position in society. ... In sociology and critical social theory, alienation refers to the individuals estrangement from traditional community and others in general. ... Social stigma refers to severe social disapproval of personal characteristics that is against cultural norms. ... Shame is a psychological condition and a form of religious, political, judicial, and social control consisting of ideas, emotional states, physiological states and a set of behaviors, induced by the consciousness or awareness of dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation. ...

In the same verse, the specific term for "adultery", moicheia (μοιχεία) is used, in its verbal form (μοιχευθῆναι), immediately after the term porneia. Accordingly, some scholars conclude that porneia refers to something other than adultery, such as concubinage (a relationship between the man and the woman he puts away that is not that of a valid marriage but only cohabitation). They point to the quaintness, to say the least, of the interpretation, "He who dismisses his wife, except for adultery, makes her commit adultery," i.e. the divorced wife then commits adultery unless she has already committed adultery. And, in view of the fact that Greek has no specific word for "wife" — the word γυνή ("woman"), when specified by the context, is used for someone's "wife", as mujer in Spanish — they see as much more satisfactory the interpretation according to which the verse reads: "Every one who sends away his woman — except in the case of concubinage — makes her commit adultery." Look up concubine in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In line with this view, some scholars read porneia as referring specifically to marriages that, while perhaps permissible under pagan religions, were illegal under Jewish and Christian law, such as those between blood relations - in 1 Corinthians 5:1, Paul used the word porneia of a relationship he wanted ended between a man and a woman who had been the man's presumably dead father's wife - or mixed marriages with those of a different religion, while others have proposed that the phrase about porneia is in fact a later addition to the text, particularly since it is not present in the parallel passages of Mark and Luke.

Both Mark 10:11-12 ("Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery") and Luke 16:18 ("Every one who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery") present Jesus as making no exception to his condemnation of divorce with a view to remarriage.

Some believe that Jesus is using the same kind of formula he used to condemn the Scribes and Pharisees elsewhere (Mark 7:6-13; Matt. 15:14, 23:15ff), an argument that takes the form: "You claim you are doing a lawful thing, but by doing it you break the law or cause others to." John Gill explained the sense as follows: "[causeth her to commit adultery;] that is, as much as in him lies: should she commit it, he is the cause of it, by exposing her, through a rejection of her, to the sinful embraces of others". This interpretation seems to support the idea that Jesus is condemning divorce absolutely. John Gill (born at Kettering, Northamptonshire on November 23, 1697 and died October 14, 1771) was an English Baptist, Biblical scholar. ...

In (the undisputedly authentic) 1 Corinthians, Paul of Tarsus, writing in about the middle of the first century, likewise quotes Jesus as forbidding divorce without any exception: "To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband) — and that the husband should not divorce his wife" (7:10-11). However, "to the rest" Paul, on his own authority ("I say, not the Lord"), gives the rule (later referred to as the Pauline privilege) that someone who on becoming a Christian is abandoned by a non-Christian spouse is not tied to that spouse (7:12-16). Many interpreters have held that Paul has two different groups in mind (viz., in the first instance, "the [legally] married", and in the second, "the rest [in mixed marriages]"), so that Paul's sanction does not contradict that of "the Lord," but expands on it to meet an exigent situation. A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus The Pauline epistles are those books in the New Testament that are traditionally attributed to Paul of Tarsus. ... (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... Paul of Tarsus (d. ... The Pauline Privilege (Privilegium Paulinum) is a Christian concept drawn from the apostle Pauls instructions in the First Epistle to the Corinthians. ...

On the other hand, others have proposed that the term porneia here relates to spiritual fornication, i.e. participating in the polytheistic religion of the Middle East, since porneia was in the Old Testament (LXX) used of such participation (e.g. Ex 34:15-16, Lv 17:7, Ezk 16:26, 29, etc.). Another view is that the exception clause is a comment indicating that adultery automatically led to divorce under the law of the time, a law Jesus may perhaps have disagreed with. Similarly, some have argued that the other Synoptic Gospels lacked the porneia exception as something totally obvious to their readers.^{[citation needed]} The Synoptic Gospels are the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. ...

In Jesus' time, capital punishment was not actually imposed for adultery, but was technically prescribed by Mosaic Law (cf. John 8:5), and so Martin Luther argued that, since in the eyes of God an adulterer was dead, the spouse was free to remarry. The view that adultery was a valid reason for divorce became the majority Protestant position. Some Protestants even took broader views, with Zwingli and Bullinger both reading porneia to refer to all manner of marital immorality such as spousal abuse, and abandonment. Nowadays, while the porneia clause in Matthew has significance for individual Protestants, many Protestant Churches simply leave questions of divorce and remarriage to civil law, without taking any doctrinal stand on the question.[4] Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... Zwinglis Successor Zwinglis successor, Heinrich Bullinger, was elected on December 9, 1531, to be the pastor of the Great Minster at Zürich, a position which he held to the end of his life (1575). ... Heinrich Bullinger Heinrich Bullinger (July 18, 1504 - September 17, 1575) was a Swiss reformer, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zurich church. ... Spousal abuse is a specific form of domestic violence where physical or sexual abuse is perpetuated by one spouse upon another. ...

From an early stage, the Roman Catholic Church clearly excluded divorce. Saint Augustine of Hippo stated in Of the Good of Marriage (§7): "[T]he compact of marriage is not done away by divorce intervening; so that they continue wedded persons one to another, even after separation; and commit adultery with those with whom they shall be joined, even after their own divorce, either the woman with a man, or the man with a woman."[5] The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see Terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins and sees itself as the true Church founded by Jesus of Nazareth and maintained through Apostolic Succession from the Twelve... For the first Archbishop of Canterbury, see Saint Augustine of Canterbury. ...

There were disputes about what constitutes a valid and indissoluble marriage, with some claiming that what constitutes marriage is the contract entered into by free and knowing consent, and others saying that carnal union ("two becoming one flesh", cf. Matthew 19:5) is what is essential. By medieval times it was accepted that marriage, though constituted by consent alone, becomes indissoluble only when completed or consummated with the second element, so that only death can dissolve a valid, consummated, sacramental marriage. If a presumed marriage is proved to have been invalid from the start, the Church issues an annulment or declaration of nullity at the request of at least one of the parties.[6] It also grants petitions for dissolution of a marriage shown not to have been consummated and, in certain circumstances, of a non-sacramental marriage. Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ...

Oaths

The third/fourth exposition is about oaths. While Gundry feels that this follows the discussion of divorce since Deuteronomy discusses these things one after another, though in reverse order, other scholars feel that it is simply a natural progression, as one of the major legal issues of the day was over marriage vows. An oath (from Old Saxon eoth) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. ...

The exposition opens with a quote from the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, the first half of which appears to come from Leviticus 19:12 and the second half from Psalms 50:14. However, Psalm 50:14 is about vows, not oaths; Jewish scholars made a distinction between the two concepts. Schweizer feels that the wording implies that Jesus is only discussing oaths associated with vows, and that he never speaks against the oaths of innocence or truthfulness that were not linked with vows. While the text literally condemns perjury, it can also mean break an oath, and some individuals translate it much less restrictively as do not make vows rashly. The Septuagint: A page from Codex vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Brentons English translation. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

After having made the quote, Matthew presents Jesus as extracting from it the rule never swear and then moves directly to examples, quoted from the Old Testament:

• Not to swear by heaven (Isaiah 66:1) - at the time one view held that, as expressed in M. Shebuoth, while oaths to God were binding, oaths to other subjects, such as heaven, were not. Schweizer feels that Jesus is here indicating that swearing by heaven is swearing by God with heaven being God's throne.
• Not to swear by the earth (quoted from Isaiah 66:1) - Schweizer feels that Jesus is here indicating that swearing by earth is swearing by God with earth being God's foot stool
• Not to swear by Jerusalem the city of the great King (quoted from Psalms 48:2) - this could be linked to the practice of turning toward Jerusalem when swearing an oath. The term great king may either be a reference to David or to God, with Christians usually interpreting it as the latter. Schweizer feels that Jesus is here indicating that swearing by Jerusalem is the same as swearing by God, owing to it being God's city.
• Not to swear by your head, because you can't make one hair white or black - this does not, according to Schweizer, take into account hair dye, which was a common and well known practice even in that time.

Very few Christians interpret this exposition to literally mean that all oaths are prohibited, since in other parts of the Bible oaths are looked upon more favourably. Paul for example is described in 2 Corinthians and Galatians as swearing oaths. Avoiding the literal meaning, most Christian thinkers have concluded that by never swear, Jesus is using hyperbole to emphasise his point or failing to mention exceptions to this rule that would have been implicit to his audience. Thus most Christian churches believe that only false and vain oaths are prohibited, and John Calvin argued that only oaths counter to God are wrong. Several important Christian groups do not however accept such re-interpretations, preferring to uphold what the text actually says; most notably the Quakers and Mennonites firmly reject all oaths, a stance that has led to their persecution by governments that insist on oath taking. Panoramic view from Mt. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Ashlie from Lizzie McGuire, with green hair Hair coloring products generally fall into four categories: temporary, semipermanent, deposit only/demi, and permanent. ... Paul of Tarsus (d. ... (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... Look up hyperbole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism. ... The Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers) began in England in the 17th century by people who were dissatisfied with the existing denominations and sects of Christianity. ... The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations based on the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons. ...

According to Matthew, Jesus then instructs people to only respond with yes, yes; no, no. The exact meaning of this is much disputed, and while one reading is that you should simply always answer with yes or no, as is clearly the view of James 5:12 where this whole exposition is reiterated, the Slavonic Enoch, however, states that a double yes or a double no were themselves forms of oath, and so by this understanding Jesus is not banning all oaths, but outlining an example of an oath that is permissible. Jesus is described as going on to say that whatever is more than this response constitutes something of the evil one, which in other parts of the New Testament are frequently used to refer to the devil, and Schweizer believes that the implication is merely that swearing was evil, many Christians do not see a theological difference. The formula yes, yes; no, no also appears in 2 Cor 1:17. According to Jewish Encyclopedia: New Testament: Misunderstood Passages: "...the sentence, "Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay" (Matt. v. 37, R. V.), which is derived from Lev. xix. 36 (Sifra, Ḳedoshim, viii. 7; B. M. 49a; comp. Tos. Soṭah vii. 2; Giṭ. 35a; Num. R. xxii.)..." ... The Devil is a title given to a supernatural entity, who, in most interpretations of the Abrahamic faiths, is the central embodiment of evil. ...

Retaliation

The penultimate exposition partly paralleled in Luke's Sermon on the Plain, is on the subject of punishment. It begins with a quote of the lex talionis - an eye for an eye - which is found in three of the law codes in the pentuateuch (in the Deuteronomic code, Holiness Code, and Covenant Code). Although this principle of retributive punishment dates back at least to the Code of Hammurabi, by the first century AD it had been superseded by a system of fines, and so several scholars here consider that it is the whole principle of retribution which Jesus is here meant to be discussing, rather than just the lex talionis. The Sermon on the Plain, said to be by Jesus according to Gospel of Luke 6:17-49, may be compared to the longer Sermon on the Mount. ... Look up Punishment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lex talionis (literally the Latin for law as retaliation) or law of retaliation is the belief that one of the purposes of the law is to provide retaliation for an offended party. ... Eye for an Eye is a movie starring Sally Field, Keifer Sutherland, Ed Harris, Beverly DAngelo and Joe Mantegna. ... Look up Pentateuch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible. ... The Holiness Code appears at Leviticus 17-26, and is so called due to its highly repeated use of the word Holy. ... The Covenant Code is a text appearing in the Torah at Exodus 21:2 - 23:33. ... Retributive justice is a theory of criminal justice wherein punishments are justified on the grounds that the criminal has created an imbalance in the social order that must be addressed by action against the criminal. ... An inscription of the Code of Hammurabi The Code of Hammurabi (also known as the Codex Hammurabi and Hammurabis Code), created ca. ... A fine is money paid as a financial punishment for the commission of minor crimes or as the settlement of a claim. ...

Having made the quotation, Matthew goes on to describe Jesus as saying that one should instead turn the other cheek, and superficially appears to state that one should not resist evil at all, even going so far as to give someone your cloak as well when they sue you for your tunic, and when you are compelled to travel one mile one should go so far as to travel two. Though this appears to quite clearly advocate a radical degree of pacifism, many Christians reject this interpretation. According to France, the Greek words translated as don't resist have a far more restricted meaning, and should instead be translated as do not resist by legal means, as this is how Schweizer believes the words are used in Deuteronomy and Isaiah (even though they are different, Hebrew, words in Deuteronomy and Isaiah). Striking on the right cheek refers to a back-handed slap to the face, which throughout the Middle East, both in the first century and today, is one of the highest forms of contempt. According to France the gesture is a grave insult, not a physical attack, and so, again according to France, this would distance the instruction from espousing non-violence. Turn the other cheek is a famous phrase taken from the Sermon on the Mount in the Christian New Testament. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. ...

Appearance of Christ to the People, John 1:36, by Alexander Ivanov, 1837-57. The large figure is John the Baptist, with camel hair tunic and leather belt.

To give someone your cloak (a sleeveless coat, likely of heavy wool, see also Himation) was quite a radical thing to do, since at the time, it referred to a blanket, like a poncho, that was used to keep warm in the night. Due to the often cold nights in the region, a cloak was hence necessary for survival to the extent that Jewish law regarded it as "distrainable" (a legal term meaning seizable against unpaid debt), see also Exod 22:26-27, Deut 24:10-13. The tunic (a full-length sleeveless shirt, likely of light cotton or linen, see also Chiton) on the other hand was merely the basic piece of clothing worn on the body. Although most people interpret the instruction from Jesus to give the cloak up to be enforcement of pacifism, France disagrees, and instead sees it as referring to renunciation of property and material possessions. In Luke the situation is somewhat reversed, where highway robbers demand the outer cloak and Jesus is described as insisting that one give up ones tunic as well. Ultimately, the instruction in Luke and Matthew may originate in the tale of Diogenes, a Greek philosopher who is said to have given robbers his tunic as well when they only demanded his cloak.^{[citation needed][6]} The Scholar's Version notes for Luke 6:29: "The coat and shirt are the full-length outer and under garments worn in the ancient world. One who lacked both garments would be nearly nude." Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (889x556, 202 KB) Summary Alexander Ivanov Appearance of Christ to the People 1837-57, oil on canvas, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (889x556, 202 KB) Summary Alexander Ivanov Appearance of Christ to the People 1837-57, oil on canvas, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. ... A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat – it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. ... A woman with a chiton (left), and two women with a himation over a chiton (right). ... Typical Andes poncho in a flea market in Genoa, Italy A poncho is a simple garment designed to keep the body warm, or if made from an impermeable material, to keep dry during rain. ... Halakha (הלכה in Hebrew or Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish law, custom and tradition regulating all aspects of behavior. ... Tupa Inca tunic The tunic was the common masculine garment of Roman civilization. ... A Danaid, wearing a low-girded chiton A chiton was a piece of clothing in the Ancient Greek world. ... Diogenes (Διογένης) is a Greek name shared by several important historical figures: Diogenes of Sinope ( 412- 323 BC), better known as Diogenes the Cynic or simply Diogenes Diogenes Apolloniates (c:a 460 BC), philosopher Diogenes of Seleukia (c:a 150 BC) Diogenes Laertius...

The requirement to go the extra mile specifically refers to the Roman practice of requisitioning individuals to act as a guide or porter, a practice which the Zealots loathed. Thomas Aquinas used this requirement to argue that it is reasonable to follow laws that are unjust (though he also argued that unconscionable laws mustn't be obeyed). After making this requirement, Jesus is described as insisting that one should give to anyone who asks you and not to turn away those who would borrow from you. Most major Christian groups do not advocate the unrestricted level of charity that literal readings would imply, with Luther arguing that the verse is restricted only to those who need assistance, and Calvin stating that generosity is important, but one should never be profligate. Some have interpreted that not turning away those who would borrow is condemnation of usury, particularly since this interpretation is more strongly supported by a similar instruction in the Gospel of Thomas, #95: "[Jesus said], "If you have money, don't lend it at interest. Rather, give [it] to someone from whom you won't get it back." [SV], causing those who accept the Q hypothesis to suggest that it may originate in Q. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Zealotry. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Luther is a surname, and may refer to: Bill Luther, American politician Bobbi Sue Luther Charles Luther Frank Luther Hans Luther (15th century) Hans Luther, German politician and Chancellor of Germany Karl Theodor Robert Luther Margarethe Luther Martin Luther, German theologian and Augustinian monk who inspired and began the Protestant... The name Calvin origionated from the word scritonious, or ass-like. ... Usury (//, from the Medieval Latin usuria, interest or excessive interest, from Latin usura interest) was defined originally as charging a fee for the use of money. ... The Gospel of Thomas is the modern name given to a New Testament-era apocryphon completely preserved in a papyrus Coptic manuscript discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi, Egypt. ...

Love for enemies

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

The final exposition is on the subject of love. It begins by making a now famous quotation from Leviticus - love thy neighbour as thyself - (Leviticus 19:18). Matthew continues the quote to state that it includes hate thine enemy, which is not actually part of the command in Leviticus, though neighbour was interpreted in the first century to refer to fellow Jews rather than everyone.^{[citation needed]} To hate one's enemies is however a sentiment expressed in some Old Testament verses such as the vengeful Psalms 137:9, and also in some of the rules of the Qumran community, and even in the New Testament such as Luke 14:26, see also But to bring a sword. The Scholar's Version notes on Matthew 5:43: "It may be a reference to the Community Rule of Qumran: "They may love all that He has chosen and hate all that he has rejected."" Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Love Look up love in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... Qumran (Hebrew:חירבת קומראן Khirbet Qumran) is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in Israel. ... I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword is one of several controversial statements reported of Jesus in the Bible. ...

Vereschagin's painting Apotheosis of War (1871) came to be admired as one of the earliest artistic expressions of pacifism.

After having made the quotation, the exposition then goes on to contradict it by instructing people to love thine enemy. Early church thinkers saw this as one of Jesus' most important teachings, but the history of the early church shows that very few church fathers actually lived up to the literal ideal it espouses.^{[citation needed]} By the Middle Ages, the verse had become seen as problematic in regard to war, and so it was re-interpreted so as to only apply to relations between individuals rather than those between nations, countries, faiths, or ideologies.^{[citation needed]} Several later thinkers rejected this view as a blatant attempt to re-write things that one disagreed with rather than accept that it contradicts ones own stance at face value,^{[citation needed]} and Leo Tolstoy specifically read this verse as a rejection of militant nationalism. This does not however mean that those later thinkers approved of the sentiment of the verse, and Nietzsche rejected the command entirely, arguing that love of one's enemies is weakness and dishonesty. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (853x544, 42 KB)Vasily Vereshchagin. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (853x544, 42 KB)Vasily Vereshchagin. ... Vasily Vereshchagin Vasili Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (1842 - 1904) was the most famous Russian battle painter and the first Russian artist to be widely recognized abroad. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. ... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828 [O.S. August 28] – November 20, 1910 [O.S. November 7]) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution. ... Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ...

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia: BROTHERLY LOVE: "... Jesus asserted the principle of brotherly love as applied by the liberal school of Hillel to all men. Indeed, the Talmud insists, with reference to Lev. xix. 18, that even the criminal at the time of execution should be treated with tender love (Sanh. 45a). As Schechter in "J. Q. R." x. 11, shows, the expression "Ye have heard . . ." is an inexact translation of the rabbinical formula (שןמע אני), which is only a formal logical interrogation introducing the opposite view as the only correct one: "Ye might deduce from this verse that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy, but I say to you the only correct interpretation is, Love all men, even thine enemies."" Hillel is a Hebrew name that has been held by many famous Jewish rabbis and thinkers. ... The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ...

See also Judaism and Christianity#Love. Judaism and Christianity are two closely related Abrahamic religions that are in some ways parallel to each other and in other ways fundamentally divergent in theology and practice. ...

Love here has a much more restricted sense than the normal English term. Greek considered there to be four quite different forms of love, having a word for each, all of which we now translate as love:

• eros - erotic love
• stergein - brotherly/familial love
• philia - deep affection
• agape - the other kind, its meaning being somewhat disputed

Agape, the word translated as love in the instruction love thine enemy, is referred to some 140 times in the New Testament, and so its meaning is the focus of some debate. That it appears elsewhere in Greek use tends not to influence the arguments. Barclay translates it as continued benevolence, Tertullian viewed it as referring to charity, and ancient philosophers used it in a sense of universal, all encompassing love, like a lust for life, and like philanthropy. This kind of love had a high priority in Early Christianity, and the ritual of the love feast was viewed as one of the most important. Enemies is also a broad term, and it applies to all manner of foes and adversaries, and so several commentators have sought to restrict it only to non-Christians, to make it have the sense that one should love converting non-Christians to Christianity, though this advocation is not supported as its meaning by scholars. Agapē (written αγάπη in the Greek alphabet, and pronounced or ), is one of several Greek words meaning love. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In the twelfth century it indicated a state of benevolance towards the poor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Fourth-century inscription, representing Christ as the Good Shepherd. ... The Agape feast was the Eucharistic celebration of the early Christians. ...

As a motive for acting according to the commandment to love thine enemy, the exposition recommends imitating God rather than groups whom the listeners despised.

God treats both friend and enemy the same. Although in wetter and more northern societies, rain is often viewed as unpleasant, in Mediterranean society it was seen as positive, and so here stating that God rains upon friend and enemy alike would have been interpreted as a positive equality not a negative one.^{[citation needed]} The prominent Rabbi Joshua ben Nehemiah had made similar note of rain's equal treatment of the good and the wicked, and saw it as a sign of God's benevolence.

God's attitude is contrasted with that of the tax collectors (τελῶναι - verse 46 - sometimes translated as publicans) and Gentiles (ἐθνικοί - verse 47 - but some manuscripts have τελῶναι again). The tax collectors referred to were Jews employed by the Romans to collect taxes on their behalf, sometimes even extorting further funds, and consequently were seen by other Jews as traitors, and criminals, much like debt collectors and some bailiffs are today. These were hence viewed as the lowest of the low, and being no better than them was considered a terrible insult, as was being put on the same level as non-Jews. The basic argument of the allegory is that, since even these despised individuals love their friends and family, then if you love only those who are close to you, you are no better than them, and so, in order to stay above them, one should love enemies. A Gentile refers to a non-Israelite; the word is derived from the Latin term gens (meaning clan or a group of families) and is often employed in the plural. ... A Bailiff in a United States courtroom Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian; cf. ...

This exposition, and the whole collection of expositions, culminates with the instruction:

Be perfect, just as God is perfect

This is known as the imitatio Dei - the imitation of God - and also appears in Luke's Sermon on the Plain. It originates in the holiness code's fundamental command to be holy because God is holy. There is some debate in Christian circles about what exactly this verse means, since many view being as perfect as God something of a complete impossibility. Some Christians believe that this is deliberate on Jesus' part, that the purpose is not what it seems at first but instead a goal is being set that cannot be reached in order to teach people humility,^{[citation needed][7]} though others interpret it for what it appears to be - that the pursuit of perfection is important, even if the attainment of it impossible, see also Theosis. Like many Protestants, Fowler has proposed that it is merely a limited form of perfection being sought - that Abraham and Noah are referred to as perfect due to their obedience to God, and hence that this imitatio Dei is an instruction to be completely obedient to God. Conversely, other Protestants, such as Barclay, consider that since Greek philosophers used teleios (Liddell & Scott,Strong's G5046) - the word here translated as perfect - to refer to things that fulfilled their function, that the imitatio Dei is an instruction to love (agape), as the preceding discussion implies this is mankind's function. The Scholar's Version translation notes: "To be unstinting in your generosity means to follow all the demands of the Torah without any reduction. See 1 Cor 14:20 where Christians are urged by Paul not to be babies but mature. The same Greek word is used to translate perfect and mature." Imitatio dei (Latin, imitating god) is a religious concept according to which virtue among man is found by resembling God, to which man should aspire. ... The Sermon on the Plain, said to be by Jesus according to Gospel of Luke 6:17-49, may be compared to the longer Sermon on the Mount. ... The Holiness Code appears at Leviticus 17-26, and is so called due to its highly repeated use of the word Holy. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... It has been suggested that Abraham (Hebrew Bible) be merged into this article or section. ... Noahs Ark, Französischer Meister (The French Master), Magyar Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest. ...

Notes

1. ^ For example, see Acts 3:1; 5:27-42; 21:18-26; 24:5; 24:14; 28:22. See also Romans 3:31.
2. ^ 5:22NIV, 5:22NAB, 5:22YLT
3. ^ See Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon and 1 Thayer's Lexicon
4. ^ Mishna Gittin, 9.10. See: T. Hieros. Gittin, fol. 49.4; Sota, fol. 16.2; Bemidbar Rabba, 9 (fol. 195.2).
5. ^ David deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity (InterVarsity Press, 2000), p. 36; Bruce Malina and Jerome Neyrey, Portraits of Paul: An Archaeology of Ancient Personality (Westminster, 1996), p. 196.
6. ^ Diogenes the Cynic was said to live naked^{[citation needed]} in a barrel in Athens, though Diogenes Laertius's Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers: Life of Diogenes says he slept in a borrowed cloak which he refused to give up.
7. ^ See also Sermon on the Mount#Interpretation, "Repentance View"

Diogenes, the Cynic, Greek philosopher, was born at Sinope about 412 BC, and died in 323 at Corinth, according to Diogenes Laërtius, on the day on which Alexander the Great died at Babylon. ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth (estimated around AD 30) on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt 5:1-7:29). ...

See also

• The Bible and homosexuality
• Halakah (Jewish law)
• Law and Gospel
• Judaism and Christianity
• Jewish Christians

A mediaeval copy of the Bible. ... Halakha (הלכה or Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... The relationship between Gods Law and the Gospel is a major topic in Lutheran and Reformed theology. ... Judaism and Christianity are two closely related Abrahamic religions that are in some ways parallel to each other and in other ways fundamentally divergent in theology and practice. ... Jewish Christians (sometimes called also Hebrew Christians or Christian Jews, but see below for differences) is a term which can have two meanings, a historical one and a contemporary one. ...

References

• Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
• Barclay, William. The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 1 Chapters 1-10. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1975.
• France, R.T. The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary. Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
• Fowler, Harold. The Gospel of Matthew: Volume One. Joplin: College Press, 1968
• Hill, David. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981
• Instone-Brewer, David. Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 2002.
• Gundry, Robert H. Matthew a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.
• Johansson, Warren "Whosoever Shall Say To His Brother, Racha." Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 212-214
• Jones, Alexander. The Gospel According to St. Matthew. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1965.
• Kissinger, Warren S. The Sermon on the Mount: A History of Interpretation and Bibliography. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 1975.
• Levine, Amy-Jill. "Matthew." Women's Bible Commentary. Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, eds. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998.
• Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 1-7: A Commentary. trans. Wilhlem C. Linss. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortess, 1989.
• McArthur, Harvey King. Understanding the Sermon on the Mount. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1978.
• Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1992.
• Robinson, B. A. 1996-2005 What the Bible says about homosexuality. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
• Sabourin, Leopold. The Gospel According to Matthew. Bombay: St. Paul Publications, 1983.
• Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975

William Foxwell Albright (May 24, 1891 - September 19/20, 1971) was an evangelical Methodist archaelogist, biblical authority, linguist and expert on ceramics. ... The Anchor Bible Series is a scholarly and commercial co-venture that has been setting a high standard since the early 1960s, when individual volumes of the series began publication. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Robert Horton Gundry is a noted Biblical scholar. ... Eduard Schweizer was a Swiss New Testament scholar who taught at the University of Zurich for an extended period. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

External links

• Calvin's Commentary on Matthew 5:17
• Wesley's Sermon on Matthew 5:17-20
• Biblical Research on Divorce and Remarriage
• Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologia: Whether charity requires that we should love our enemies?
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Jesus: Attitude Toward the Law