heymikey80 posted in message #174 of this thread:
For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an
iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called
least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches
them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:18-19
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy, but
to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law, till all be
fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17-18). This is not
referring to Jesus fulfilling all of the commandments of the Mosaic law,
because many of them he couldn't possibly fulfill himself, such as the
commandment regarding a woman after giving birth (Leviticus 12:5).
Instead, Matthew 5:17-18 is referring to Jesus fulfilling all of the
Messianic
prophecies regarding himself in the Old Testament:
"These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with
you, that all things
must be fulfilled, which were written in the
law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning
me" (Luke 24:44). Jesus
did come to abolish the commandments
of the Mosaic law, on the cross: "Having abolished in his flesh the
enmity, even the law of commandments" (Ephesians 2:15), "Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross"
(Colossians 2:14), "For there is verily a
disannulling of the
commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness
thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a
better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God" (Hebrews 7:18-19).
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of
heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19). Here "these
commandments" are not the commandments of the Mosaic law which
Jesus came to abolish, but the New Covenant commandments of
Jesus himself which immediately follow in the Sermon on the Mount,
the righteousness of which New Covenant commandments far exceeds
that of the Mosaic law kept by the Pharisees: "For I say unto you,
That except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time
[Mosaic
law], Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of the judgment: But I say unto you
[New Covenant, much stricter],
That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca [You're worthless!], shall be in danger of the council: but
whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest
that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift
before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly,
whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary
deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer,
and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by
no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
|
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time
[Mosaic law],
Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you
[New Covenant,
much stricter], That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy
right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not
that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for
thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole
body should be cast into hell.
|
It hath been said
[Mosaic law], Whosoever shall put away his wife,
let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you
[New
Covenant, much stricter], That whosoever shall put away his wife,
saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:
and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
|
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time
[Mosaic law], Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto
the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you
[New Covenant, much stricter],
Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by
the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the
city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,
because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than
these cometh of evil.
|
Ye have heard that it hath been said
[Mosaic law], An eye for an
eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you
[New Covenant,
much stricter], That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite
thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will
sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke
also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him
twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow
of thee turn not thou away.
|
Ye have heard that it hath been said
[Mosaic law], Thou shalt love
thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you
[New
Covenant, much stricter], Love your enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward
have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the
publicans so?" (Matthew 5:20-47).
heymikey80 posted in message #174 of this thread:
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Mt 5:48
"
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This can only be understood in the context
of what came before: we can be perfect, even more righteous than
the old abolished Mosaic law, if we will obey Jesus' New Covenant
commandments in the Sermon on the Mount, and elsewhere. And
we must obey them if we want to be saved in the end, for Jesus
"became the author of
eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him"
(Hebrews 5:9). We actually can become perfect if we do what
the Bible tells us to do: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect"
(2 Timothy 3:16-17), "Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).
So you like "I of Christ", eh? But it's in Paul's list ...?
