your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 66 21. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22. but I say unto you, 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, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. tively, as Acts iii. 22: "A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you;... Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you "-yet not as contradicting that saying, but as explaining its spirit. The sixth commandment broken not only by the murderous deed of the hand, but there is a constructive murder of the heart and tongue, which violates the spirit of the commandment as follows:— exceed .. scribes. The Scribes, also called lawyers (xxii. 35) and "doctors of the law" (Luke v. 17). They were transcribers (in the absence of printing) and expounders of the Law. The Scribes were mostly of the sect of the Pharisees, e.g. "a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law" (Acts v. 34). The worthlessness of the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees summed up (xxiii. 28), "outwardly righteous; within, full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Here in the sense of the Church in glory. 21. Said by them-R.V. "to them." In danger of the judgment. Not meaning the future judgment, but punishment from a local court of justice. Deut. xvi. 18: "Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment." 22. But say unto you. Our Lord claims to speak authorita | 47 iamgh to the altar, and there itemi: Nevertheless I have Sub-apps somewhat against thee." hath offended; and the other party will not be persuaded to godly unity, but remain still his frowardness and malice: e Minister in that case ought o admit the penitent person to he Holy Communion, and not bstinate." ith-i.e. be recon sary. First, the ry or plaintiff, or whom thou art at t next, the Word adversary to the Eph. iv. 26: "Let go down upon your 23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24. leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary fool-R. V. margin, "Moreh, a | Rev. ii. 4, "Nevertheless I have Hebrew expression of condemna- somewhat against thee." tion"-i.e. use reviling speech. 1 Cor. vi. 10: "Nor thieves. nor revilers... . shall inherit the kingdom of God." Our 24. Go thy way; first be reconciled-thus seeking the peacemaker's blessing, verse 9. Holy Communion Rubric, concerning those betwixt whom the Curate perceiveth malice and hatred to reign; not suffering them to be partakers of the Lord's Table, until he know them to be reconciled. And if one of the parties so at variance be content to forgive from the bottom of his heart all that the other hath trespassed against him, and to make amends for that he himself hath offended; and the other party will not be persuaded to a godly unity, but remain still in his frowardness and malice : the Minister in that case ought to admit the penitent person to the Holy Communion, and not him that is obstinate." Be in danger of hell fire-R.V. "the hell of fire," and R.V. margin, "Gehenna of fire." Gehenna, (first) the valley of Hinnom, at foot of Moriah, where the offal of Jerusalem was cast out to be burnt. Hence an emblem of the place of future suffering: "hell, the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark ix. 43). Lord describes above three degrees of guilt, all being violations of the spirit of the sixth commandment:-(1.) the feeling of rage in the heart; (2.) this feeling venting itself in words of rage; (3.) in words of hate with three degrees of punishment, set forth as graduated human penalties: viz. (a.) the judgment or inferior court; (b.) the council or higher tribunal; (c.) the valley of Hinnom ;-degrees of Divine punishment being intended. So does our Lord uphold, not destroy, the sixth commandment. So does S. John | unforgiving. (1 John iii. 15): "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." 23. Ought against thee. 25. Agree with-i.e. be reconciled (ver. 24). Thine adversary. First, the human adversary or plaintiff, or any one with whom thou art at variance. But next, the Word of God is an adversary to the Quickly. Eph. iv. 26: "Let not the sun go down upon your So wrath." deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26. Verily I say unto thee; Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 27. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28. but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29. 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. 30. 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. 31. It hath In the way with him. In the way of this mortal life, and on the way to the Judge; and hast it in thy power. Deliver thee to the officer-i.e. jailer, viz. the angel of punishment. Ch. xiii. 41, 42: "The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire." 26. Not come out thence till paid the uttermost farthing -i.e. never, as xviii. 34, "delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him." 28. But I say. I now tell you the true meaning of the seventh commandment. Whoso . . . looketh .. to lust. The letter of the commandment forbids overt acts of impurity; the spirit of it forbide inwardly indulged impurity. |