In the books of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, and of John, you may come across the word council in the teachings of Jesus.
While you may have never stopped to think about this word, I think that we would all agree that Jesus never uttered one vain word in all of His speeches, so the word must have some importance in understanding the message.
Using the reference books at your disposal, I suggest that you research the term Sanhedrin, or Sanhedrine Council.
From Wikepedia:The Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin) identifies two classes of rabbinical courts called Sanhedrin, a Great Sanhedrin and a Lesser Sanhedrin. Each city could have its own lesser Sanhedrin of 23 judges, but there could be only one Great Sanhedrin of 71, which among other roles acted as a sort of Supreme Court, taking appeals from cases decided by lesser courts.
Now, this said, I want to look at one of the sayings of Jesus that has bothered me, and which I could not understand in relation to the government of the church as we see revealed in the Apostles writing.
This one is from the sermon on the mount:
Matthew 5:22 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.
In your research, do you ever find any mention of the council in the teachings of the apostles? Did a fear of judgment at the council ever motivate any NT Christian to do anything?
We might get a better idea of this council from the Scriptures themselves in the following passages.
Matthew 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led [him] away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; Also see Mark 14.53-55
As we can plainly see from this passage, the council consisted of those who put Jesus on trial, and had the power to do so. Here we notice that it consisted, at least, of the chief priests, elders, and the scribes.
The council consisted of the Jewish religious authorities who acted as the final authority in such matters.
Mark 15:1 ¶ And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried [him] away, and delivered [him] to Pilate.
Luke points out that the council tried Jesus, and found Him guilty.
Luke 22:66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Luke 22:67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
I might suggest that you read from Acts 4, and study it carefully. However, here are a few of the scriptures.
Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 4:15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
In historical context, these events happened after the church was begun in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.
Did the apostles fear this council of the Jews?
Did they respect its authority to quieten the gospel of Christ?
Looking at the above passage from Acts 4, we see the Peter referred to this council as the rulers and elders of Israel.
As we know, they spent some time in prison because they disobeyed the council.
Now, go forward some in this account into the next chapter of Acts 5.
Acts 5.9 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
Who commanded the disciples to violate the orders of the council?
The angel of the Lord told them to go and speak the words of life to the people, in opposition to the ruling of the high council.
Let's look again at the teaching of Jesus from His sermon on the mount.
Matthew 5:22 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.
Even though we can affirm the spirit of this teaching by Jesus, and prove some of the message by later teaching of the apostles to the church of Christ, there is a part of this verse that is bothersome.
A part of this verse was never affirmed as a part of the covenant of Christ, which went forth from Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.
- The covenant of Christ established the order of the government of the church, and Gods family was no longer to be in subjection to the religious authority of the Jewish council which Jesus spoke of here in Matthew 5.22. In the church of Christ, the Christians received the will and good pleasure of the gospel message through the inspired apostles, and from various Christians who had been given the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the apostles hands.
- Then we see that there were teachers, prophets, and bishops, or elders who had charge of seeing over the spiritual welfare of His church.
I Corinthians 12.27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Ephesians 4.11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Were the disobedient and unruly Christians judged before the council?
For matters relating to wordly issues, the Christian congregation was to make the judgment, rather than having brethren go to an outside court. This should prove that the Sanhedrein Council held no power in Christs Kingdom.
1 Corinthians 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
Those who refused to repent of certain sins against the will of Christ were to also be judged by the local congregation as well.
I Corinthians 5.11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
As you should now be able to see, Matthew 5.22, a statement by Jesus, had reference to the THEN CURRENT administration of Gods law, which was still recognized by God and by His Son Jesus Christ.
To conclude this section, under the teaching of Christ, in the text passage, there were 3 stated reasons why that His Jewish audience would be in danger of appearing before the Council. If a man was angry without cause, if he said Raca to his brother and if he called his brother a fool. I question whether all of these are included under the apostles teaching of the covenant of Christ, but if they are, we are not to fear the council, but instead we should fear God and His chastisement and judgment.
Point 2. THE ALTAR
Next, we come to the matter of the altar, which is found in the next saying of Jesus in Matthew 5.23-24.
Matthew 5.23 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.
The Levitical law describes the many types of offerings which were to brought for various sins to the tabernacle, and later the Temple.
I won't list them all, as this is an extensive study in itself, but it could be birds, oxen, sheep, grain, flour, among others.
Look specifically at the trespass offering, which was to brought to the altar in the tabernacle or Temple.
Leviticus 6.1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
This offering dealt with an offense of one Jewish brother against another Jewish brother.
According to this law, notice that first the offender was required to make restitution to his brother, prior to coming before the priest with an offering on the altar.
As I understand it, this is the Law of Moses to which Jesus refers in Matthew 5.23-24.
So, does the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5.23-24 apply to any situation in the church of Christ?
Does this passage establish scriptural authority for some type of physical altar, similar to that which existed in the Jewish Temple?
We can see that Jesus was referring to the altar of the Temple, which existed by authority of the law given by Moses.
We see in the following passage that Jesus used the same word gift and clarifies that the gift in question was given in obedience to OT law.
While the following has no direct reference to the altar, we can see that the cleansed leper was to bring a gift or sacrifice to the priest.
Matthew 8.3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
It is evident that Jesus has reference specifically to the Law of Moses, and is not giving any New law to His church.
In Christs church, we are never instructed by the teaching of the apostles to offer up animal sacrifices or any other type of gift at an altar similar to that which existed in the Jewish Temple.
Before going any further with this, I wish to share with you that there was a valid reason for the instructions given by Jesus that clarified the Law of Moses. There was a good reason why that Jesus was teaching the Law of Moses here, rather than teaching the New Testament, or New Covenant.
We should know that Jesus stated more than once that He came to do the will of the Father in Heaven. Further, we should concede that Jesus never sinned, nor ever went against the express will of His Father, who is in Heaven.
Do you agree?
God had a plan and His timing for things, from the beginning of time, and also at the time of these teachings of Jesus here in Matthew 5.
It was according to Gods timeframe and Gods plan that the Law of Moses would continue as His law for His chosen race of people the Jews until a set time after the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus.
Notice this very truth in the New Covenant, in the Apostles teaching to the church of Christ in the letter written to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
What does our Lord tell us here?
Jesus abolished the law of Moses at the cross.
Did Jesus break down the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles during his earthly ministry, or after His resurrection?
What say the Scriptures?
Prior to the death of Jesus, while He ministered to His Jewish brethren, Jesus commanded them to teach and obey the Law of Moses.
Do you believe this from Matthew 5, from the Sermon on the Mount? Do you obey the following?
Matthew 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.18 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.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.20 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.
Will you obey Jesus?
Jesus said here in the Sermon on the Mount
Whosoever shall do, or obey the law and the prophets shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
There is a religious group today calling themselves Christians that teaches that we must heed this instruction by Jesus.
RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH
Some would tell you that Jesus spake words of His coming new law of Christ during the Sermon on the Mount, and that Jesus contradicted the then existing Law of Moses, which was His Fathers commandments to Israel.
Now, regardless of your first impressions, I would ask you to please consider that Jesus was not, nor is a hypocrite, nor did Jesus ever contradict Himself.
If Jesus condemned the violation of the Mosaic Law in the Sermon on the Mount, and if Jesus condemned the teachers who spake against the Mosaic Law, do you think that Jesus would have then did a flip-flop?
Would he have spoken Matthew 5.17-19, and then taught something which was in opposition to that same law which he applauded here?
If you read a commandment given by Jesus during this period of His ministry, and if that commandment APPEARS to contradict the Law of Moses, then it behooves us to dig a lot deeper and seek to understand the agreement between the teaching of Jesus, and the Law of Moses.
Seeing that we believe, by faith, that the Scriptures do not oppose one another, and that Jesus knew and obeyed the will of His Father, we should not attempt to force them to be in opposition.
Point 3. CAN A CHRISTIAN BREAK ANY LAW OF MOSES AND STILL BE RIGHTEOUS?
Seeing that Jesus made the statement of Matthew 5.17-19, that those who obeyed the Law of Moses, and the prophets as greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, does this statement by Jesus apply to you and I, as Christians today?
Is it considered a sin to violate any of the Laws of Moses?
Some who read this may actually state that the church is still subject to the Law of Moses, but if so, they must reject the various writings of the Apostle Paul which teach otherwise.
Galatians 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The commandment of Matthew 5.23-24 is rephrased here in Galatians 3.10. However, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and preaching the gospel of Christ, Paul told these Christians that we cannot be made just in God's sight by the law of Moses.
The just shall live by faith, and the law is not of faith. We have been redeemed or released from the curse of the Old Covenant.
Galatians 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
There can be do doubt what the teaching of the new covenant is concerning the Law of Moses.
Paul forbids the Christians from keeping the Law of Moses here. Is Paul then the least in the kingdom of heaven?
In order to answer such questions, we must draw the line at the place God drew His line. We must be able to rightly divide, according to the instructions of the scriptures.
When did the change take place?
Answer: When faith came, and faith came by Jesus Christ.
If we take every statement and teaching spoken by Jesus as the current law of Christ, regardless of when it was said, and regardless of the audience, then Paul must have been mistaken.
For a further, detailed study on this segment, I suggest that you study the entire book of Hebrews. The main purpose of Hebrews is to show the superiority of the law of grace compared to the Law of Moses.
The writer states in the book of Hebrews that the new covenant supplanted the first covenant, or that given by Moses to Israel.
Hebrews 8.6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Does this contradict the statement of Jesus in Matthew 5.17-19?
The distinction between the two teachings has to do with the historical context. Matthew 5.17-19 was spoken to a Jewish audience, one which was to be judged out of the Law of Moses, and Hebrews 8.6-9 was written to a Christian audience, who will be judged from the Law of Christ.
So, to answer the question, it is my understanding that we not only can, but should disobey the Law of Moses, as it is not our covenant of promise. We live in a different time here in the last days, and we shall be judged by the law and will of Jesus Christ.
Point 4. PRAY IN YOUR CLOSET
Should we obey every teaching of Jesus Christ just because we can prove that He said it, and that settles it because we believe it?
I believe all of the teaching of Jesus, but I understand that not all that He taught is included in the New Covenant of Christ to the church He built.
Let's now examine another teaching of Jesus that is bothersome to consider.
Matthew 6.5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Do you abide and obey Matthew 6.6 from the Sermon on the Mount?
Are there any occasions that have arisen that required you to pray outside of a prayer closet?
You may try to explain away the obvious meaning of this commandment by pointing out that Jesus set an example of prayers outside under the elements of nature. You may point out that Jesus prayed in a room with others present during the Passover, and on various other occasions.
As a matter of truth, we cannot find any prayers that are recorded from Jesus that ocurred in a closet.
While the above objections are true, this type of reasoning should caution us to search the scriptures to discover their meaning. By putting V6 in its proper context, we can see that Jesus was not condemning public prayer at all, but rather was teaching concerning ones attitude and motivation while engaged in prayer.
While there are a few OT Scriptures that hint of private and secret prayers to God, there is nothing in this commandment that contradicts the Law of Moses.
Psalms 31.19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
A little historical knowledge might help here. Most, if not all of the Jewish houses built in the days of Jesus had a small room on the first level that was devoted as a place of private devotions to God, according to biblical history available from Barnes. Jesus would have been aware of this place, or closet.
In studying the context, we can see that Jesus compares the negative, hypocritical street praying with the secret prayers where the only audience for their prayers was God.
We don't have prayer closets in the modern constructions today, but we can certainly be more open with God when we find that quiet room or place outdoors even to pray. Our closet might be on the top of some wooded hill, or it might be in our houses, in a quiet room.
The new covenant of Christ teaches us to pray everywhere, to pray without ceasing, to pray in public worship, and in effect to pray everywhere.
However, the message we can pay heed to here is the warning against vain words in hypocrisy.
The NT condemns both vain prayers and hypocritical service.
2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Point 5. LORDS PRAYER?
Would it be unscriptural to pray the Lords prayer today?
In Matthew 6, after telling them to not pray in the streets for a show, Jesus instructs them how to pray.
Matthew 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
This is the only prayer that some people know how to pray. Do you believe that this is the prayer we should always pray, since Jesus said it?
While there is nothing inherently wrong with learning from this model prayer, we can prove several things about prayer.
Other prayers are just as righteous.
A portion of this prayer would not make sense to pray, and therefore would be wrong to include.
Time and again, we read of the preaching of Christ and His disciples that the kingdom was at hand, or in other words, yet futuristic.
Notice the following
Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
At the time of the instructions on how to pray the Lords prayer, the kingdom of Christ was still in the future, but not now.
If we know for sure that Jesus is in His kingdom ruling NOW, then why would we pray for the kingdom to come?
The kingdom of Christ did become a reality during the lifetime of most of the audience of Jesus.
Acts 2.30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
When did Peter say that Jesus assumed His throne?
Jesus rose from the dead to assume his throne, and that point in time, the Kingdom of God became the Kingdom of Christ. Jesus is now King over all.
The order of Gods Kingdom changed, and when the order changed, then there was a change of the law.
Then we see that Jesus used the apostles to establish His law.
Matthew 16.18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
As we can see here, Jesus delegated the future authority on earth to the apostles, and in effect, gave them the keys to the kingdom.
Whatever they bound, or taught was to be the new covenant, and binding not only on earth, but in heaven as well.
The word of Jesus went forth from Jerusalem, or Zion according to the OT prophesies.
Isaiah 2. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
After that I understood that the kingdom of Christ did not come in any way until the Day of Pentecost, I also realized that I could not scripturally pray the exact same words of the Lords Prayer of Matthew 6.10.
Point 6. DO YOU OBEY EVERY SAYING OF JESUS?
Did the Apostles of Christ ever testify that the church which Jesus built MUST keep and submit to all of the sayings and commandments of Jesus, even those which only applied to the correct understanding of the Law of Moses?
Jesus made this statement in the days preceding His death
Matthew 7.26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Are we foolish today if we do not keep every saying of Jesus which He made during His ministry to the Jews?
When was the last time that you went to the priest and took a sacrifice commanded by the Law of Moses?
Matthew 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Where is the Jewish priest in the organization of the church of Christ today?
If we can concede that there is JUST one saying or teaching of Jesus which would be wrong for a Christian to obey, then we can begin to study the issue, and try to come to some understanding of how to determine which teachings we should obey, and which we should not.
We know that some have taken these verses and tried to make some application in their particular religious groups today. They have earthly priests and they do accept gifts of money given in a vain attempt to gain forgiveness.
Seeing that Jesus said it, I believe it, and that settles it, why dont we take our sacrifices to the priest of the church?
IF we can properly understand the current order of God, then we can realize that in the days preceding His death, Jesus lived under the authority of His Father in Heaven, and His law at that time, which was the Law of Moses.
We know that the Law of Moses was fulfilled in the death of Jesus Christ, making way for a new law to go forth. When we see this in the light of Christ, we can resolve all the problematic passages found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that were said and occured prior to the cross.
It is only when we blindly insist that every teaching of Jesus, and every example of Jesus is our law and guide today that we bring confusion to the discussion.
Point 7. CAST INTO OUTER DARKNESS
I want to now consider another troublesome passage that in no way applies to the church of Christ today, or at least that is the way it seemed to me after this study.
Matthew 8.11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What does this mean? I thought that the children of the kingdom were promised eternal life.
We can learn from this passage the mind of Christ at the then current time regarding the subject of the kingdom, which was then in existence.
I understand that this might be a little confusing, and might require another entire study.
The truth of the matter is that there has always been a kingdom of God.
However, the coming kingdom preached by the apostles in the time preceding the death of Christ had reference to a new kingdom, ruled by a new king.
We can see this distinction between the kingdom that existed under the guidance of the law and prophets, and that ruled by a new covenant, the Kingdom of Christ.
Jesus had reference to the disobedient, hypocritical Jews who were children of the THEN existing kingdom.
The children of the kingdom would be cast out if they rejected the gospel of Christ which went forth from Jerusalem, beginning at Pentecost. We can read Acts 2, and see that at least 3,000 obeyed the gospel of Christ on that day, and became citizens of the kingdom of Christ. They accepted the Son of God as their Messiah.
Those who were disobedient to obey the gospel of Christ will be cast into outer darkness. After Pentecost, all Jews who continued to submit to the Law of Moses as their religious law were no longer accepted by God as His children, and if they continued in that way to death, will be lost eternally.
Whether I have made this totally clear or not, you must realize that Jesus could not have had reference to the children of the kingdom of Christ in this passage.
Point 8. LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD
Another teaching of Jesus that has been difficult for many to understand is His instruction to let the dead bury their own dead.
Matthew 8.21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
This brings up several questions.
If we consider this admonition of our Lord as applicable to the Christian age, would it be sinful to us to have funerals for our loved ones?
When our beloved dies, must we leave the arrangements to the spiritually dead?
Is this passage included in the law of Christ to His church?
Now, the obvious point that Jesus made in the passage is that we should never allow anything in the world take precedence over our submission to Jesus Christ. We can learn this same lesson in the apostles doctrine to the church in a multitude of passages.
We are to put Christ first in all our plans and considerations.
Here Jesus is dealing with a specific case in which He knew the heart of the man who wanted to first go and bury his loved one before following Jesus.
In general, we have the same thought found and applicable to the church of Christ today by the teaching of the inspired NT writers, such as John.
I John 2.15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
This being true, and in the absence of any teaching from the apostles, we can bury our dead.
Now I want to consider a specific command which was spoken by Jesus to the disciples that is in direct contradiction to the prophesies of the church, and in direct contradiction of the teaching of Christ through His apostles.
Jesus ordered His disciples to not preach to any of the Gentile people.
Matthew 10. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
When was the last time that you went out and preached the gospel of Christ to the lost Jews of your community?
Seeing that we are Gentiles by race, it is a great thing that the covenant of Christ included us.
In the above passage, we see that the disciples were to preach to the Jews that the prophesied kingdom of the Messiah was near in time, or at hand.
Jesus directly commanded them to not go to the Gentiles, but when the last days came, when Jesus built His church, then disciples were commanded to preach to all, beginning with the conversion of Cornelius.
Not everything that Jesus said can be construed as a commandment to His church. Therefore we must rightly divide the truth in knowing and learning from His teaching in the time preceding His death.
It is instructive to read the prophecies of old that foretold of the coming of Christ and His ministry to the Gentiles.
Isaiah 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isaiah 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
The above prophesies have a direct reference to the time after the church was begun on the Day of Pentecost. The Lord gave His covenant for the people through the ministry of His Holy Apostles.
Ephesians 3. For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you–ward:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
What other ages did the Holy Spirit have in mind here? It was the other ages during which there were no apostles and prophets with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. That much we should be able to know with little trouble. In the other ages, the Gentiles were not given the gift of God's grace in Jesus Christ. So, we can be quite sure that prior to the age of the church, in the last days, this message stayed hidden.
The mystery was first revealed to the Jews.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
In this age, the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ was preached first to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, and then preached to the Gentiles, beginning with Cornelius. The Aposte Paul was appointed by Jesus to expand this message to the Gentiles in particular, although he did preach to the Jews.
In the age before the church age, Jesus said that His mission was to Israel only.
Matthew 15.2 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Jesus died, was buried, then arose, and for the next 40 days taught the apostles and other disciples. After those 40 days, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on the Day of Pentecost, and the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ began to be preached to first the Jews, and then to all races of people on the earth.
Jesus died as a sin sacrifice for all that will obey Him.
II Peter 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
There is no contradiction here as long as we put the scripture we are reading in the proper age and dispensation of Gods time.
Prior to His death, Jesus lived in the age during which Gods chosen people were those of Israel, and remained so until the end of the age.
Point 9. TELL NO MAN WHO JESUS IS
This is a command that would never be commanded by the apostles, as it was the mission of all Christians to preach Jesus Christ to the lost.
However, we see that in the age preceding the church, Jesus did command His disciples to keep it secret that He was the Messiah who would save Israel.
Matthew 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
As we watch the context carefully, we notice that there those times of private teaching only to the disciples. On some of these occasions, they were forbidden to reveal them to anyone until after Jesus was risen from the dead.
Matthew 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Matthew 8.9 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
Obviously, the Son of Man has arisen from the dead, and the message has now been told that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
I Corinthians 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Point 10. SELL ALL YOU HAVE AND GIVE TO THE POOR
In the age preceding His death, Jesus went about preaching the truth of the kingdom of God, and its then current law in truth. Their religious leaders had so distorted the truth that it was almost unrecognizable in some cases.
Keeping in mind that Jesus preached the Mosaic law to the people in that age, we can understand the following without troubling our minds as to the truth which we find in the New Covenant of Christ concerning salvation.
In Matthew 19, what was required for the salvation of the audience of Jesus?
Matthew 19.16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.23 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Is this the answer given on the Day of Pentecost when the Jews asked Peter what to do?
Is this what you have done in order to assure yourself that you have eternal life?
Jesus commanded him to see his possessions and give it to the poor. If we dont obey this commandment, we know that not every saying of Jesus applies to us.
However, there is a lesson to be learned from that event, and we can see some of the lessons in general taught in the new covenant. We are to do good to all men. A warning is given to the rich in the letter Paul wrote Timothy. We are warned against idolatry, that is the worship of things of the world in contrast to the giver of all good things being worshipped.
Matthew 19.16-22 presents no contradiction when we place it in the age preceding the church age, and properly draw the line where God has drawn it, by rightly dividing the word of truth.
There is a danger in not dividing the word of truth, and we see the confusion brought upon the world with the vast number of denominations who have attempted to mix up the covenants, choosing only those teachings they desire from each covenant.
One rule which we must use is that in our studies we should NEVER array one passage of Gods Word against another. We must never admit that there are contradictions in the message of the Bible.
Point 11. OBEY THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES
Now we come to another troublesome passage for those who say that Jesus taught the future laws of the church of Christ during his ministry in Galilee.
Matthew 23.1 ¶ Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Are you willing to teach this same teaching of Jesus to your fellow Christians today?
Are you willing to learn and obey the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees of that age?
The common sense approach in answering these questions posed to this point would be to simply admit that in these examples given, that Jesus was talking to people who would be judged on the final day by the law that God had given them, the Law of Moses.
Point 12. CROSSOVER LAWS
In an effort to rightly divide the word of truth, we need to understand that there are some principles which Jesus wants us to follow that were common to the prior ages of Gods dispensations of time.
The laws which Jesus wanted His church to subject themselves to are taught to us by the Holy Spirit inspired writers of the New Testament, after that the testator died.
Hebrews 9.11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?15 ¶ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
Those teachings which Jesus wanted us to have as a part of the covenant of Christ were given to us in the apostles doctrine. Those teachings which belonged only to the past age were not included in the writings of the inspired writers of the NT.
John 16.13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all truth. This explains why that many of the teachings of Jesus are never included in the new covenant.
Point 13. FEET WASHING
Today there are still some religious groups in our country who practice an item of worship at the communion of feet washing. They claim their authority for this from the teaching of Christ to the disciples.
John 13.2 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Why dont we practice foot washing in our worship services today?
Jesus commanded it to His disciples, did He not?
There is no need for this passage to trouble us, especially if we understand that the covenant of Christ had not yet been given to mankind, and that the church of Christ and its apostlic law was still in the future.
The rite of foot washing shows us the humanity, the love of our Lord, and His own humility, and was most certainly appropriate for the occasion, but was never taught as law to the church of Christ by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
We have looked now at enough examples to at least cause one to question how that the word is divided, to prove to me that not every saying of Jesus applies to regulating the conduct of Christians in the Kingdom today.
These examples should also establish a rule of study regarding the division that took place at the cross.
It should also teach us that we are supposed to observe the commandments of Christ only if He repeated those commandments by means of the inspired writers of the New Testament.
DID JESUS CONTRADICT THE LAW OF MOSES?
Many preachers have begun to teach that Jesus taught those teachings which opposed the Law of Moses, and thus they must have been the New Covenant, since it was different.
I believe their suppositions to be incorrect, so I do not believe in their conclusion either.
In an effort to show some of these things that are supposedly contradictory to the Law of Moses, lets look at some of those passages.
Point 14. TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
First, lets go back again to the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5.38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Here is what Christians hear from such passages. They hear ye have heard, but I say unto you.
They read that it says one thing in the Law of Moses, but Jesus has a new law to give them.
This thinking is wrong.
Jesus does not teach the people something which violates, or contradicts the law and the prophets.
First, lets look at the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 25.1 ¶ If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.3 Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
According to the Law of Moses, when there was a personal controversy between men, they were supposed to take the matter to the judge, and the judge would rule and mete out the punishment for the offender.
According to the Law of Moses, personal retaliation was forbidden.
It was not Gods order for judgment to rest in the hands of the individual. We can see the wisdom of that even in our own judicial system today, and also in the government of the church of Christ.
God set up this system of justice in the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 16.18 ¶ Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Jesus did not forbid righteous judgment, but instead the unrighteous judgment of taking the law into their own hands.
Let us look at the particular and specific law which Jesus is teaching them about.
Exodus 21.22 ¶ If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Did Jesus contradict the letter of the law?
The law that speaks of a man abusing a pregnant woman had been expanded to a much broader tradition.
The law of Moses put the retribution in the hands of the judge, so Jesus was in agreement by telling them to not resist evil.
The law forbade personal vengeance, so this is not something new, but rather a clarification by Jesus of the original intent of the Law.
Leviticus 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
In the New Covenant, we are also taught by our Lord to not resist evil and to love our neighbor and brother as ourselves. So, we see many of Gods principles in all the covenants from the beginning to now.
Point 15. HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE 1ST STONE
Further on with the thought concerning judgment, we see that Jesus shows that he knows and recognizes that there is a proper way to execute judgment.
As I hope that you might see from my reasoning, Jesus did not disagree with punishment if that punishment was according to the Law of Moses.
Jesus disagreed many times with the common, everyday understanding of the Law, because of its distortion by the religious rulers of His day.
John 8.4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Did Jesus write some new law here, one that disagreed with the Law of Moses?
Jesus does not disagree with the law of Moses, and furthermore responds by telling them to go ahead and stone her.
The one without sin should throw the first stone.
What did the Law of Moses teach on the question of what to do when a person was caught in the act of adultery?
Leviticus 20:10 ¶ And the man that committeth adultery with [another] man’s wife, [even he] that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Why were the questioners of Jesus convicted by their own conscience when Jesus told the one without sin to cast the 1st stone?
Notice, if this woman was indeed caught in the very act of adultery, where was the man?
Was he one of the accusers? Notice that they were not willing to pursue the matter any further.
If they had, they would have been bound to produce for judgment also the man with whom she was caught in the very act of adultery with.
The tempting of Jesus was in the fact that the accusers knew that only the eyewitnesses could cause the guilty parties to be taken before the judges. According to the Law of Moses, Jesus could not accuse nor condemn her, as he was not a witness to her sin.
Point 16. RESIST NOT EVIL
In a previously stated passage from Matthew 5.38-39, Jesus told them to resist not evil.
Matthew 5.38-39--38 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Does the church of Christ have a law from Christ today that says we cannot resist evil?
If the command to resist not evil is a law of Christ, how could the church exercise church discipline, and on a personal level, how could the individual resist temptation?
Our Lord said through Peter to the church that we are supposed to resist the devil, or evil.
I Peter 5.8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
However, there is a Christian lesson to be learned from Matthew 5.38-39, and that lesson is that we should be longsuffering, that we should be forgiving in our nature, and that time and again we will be called upon to suffer quietly when we are persecuted for the glory of our Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
We are taught to be patient in well doing.
1 Peter 3:17 For [it is] better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
This said, we should never get the wrong idea that our Lord wishes for us to compromise to evil in our personal life, or in the church worship.
Philippians 1.27 ¶ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Contrary to this, we are taught by the Lord to stand fast, to defend the faith, to contend for the truth, and to be bold in our condemnation of evil.
We are given a way to address grievances between brethren.
Neither the law of Christ, nor the law of Moses teaches that we have no redress for sins incurred upon us.
Point 17. WAS THE LAW OF MOSES A LAW OF HATE?
There seems to be a false impression among the brethren that the Law of Moses was a law of hatred, or at the very least without grace.
In line with this erroneous thinking, many believe that Jesus contradicted the law of Moses in Matthew 5.43-44, and in effect gave a new law to the church of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.
Consider the reading
Matthew 5.43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44 But I say unto you, 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;45 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.46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
I urge you to consider that when Jesus made the statement, Ye have heard, or it hath been said, that in such renderings, he had direct reference to the false teaching of the religious rulers of that time, and not to the law of Moses.
The question before us is whether or this is a new law of Christ, or whether it is simply the truth of what the law meant.
Was it a new law to love ones enemies? Was one allowed to do good to those who hated them, under the law of Moses? Was one allowed, under the law, to pray for ones enemies, and to bless them?
Before taking you directly to the Levitical or Mosaic Law, I would like for you to see what Jesus said in answer to these questions in the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 7:12 ¶ Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Here in what is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule, we notice that Jesus declares for all time that He is discussing the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets of old.
Treat others as you would have them treat you, is what Jesus says is taught in the existing law and prophets.
Have you ever realized that this much publicized Golden Rule is not a new law of Christ, but instead it already existed in the Law and Prophets of the Old Testament?
The law and the prophets had as their central core the theme of love.
Even if we didn't quote for you from the letter of the law of Moses, we can prove our premise here by Jesus himself, and His statements of fact.
Again, we find Jesus affirming that He is discussing the Law of Moses here in the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 22.34 ¶ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment.39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Did Jesus know what He was talking about? Of course he did. Was love the central core of all the commandments found in the Old Testament? Of course they were.
Now, I take you to the law of Moses which speaks of ones brother and neighbor.
Leviticus 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Again, lets look at the OT law regarding the attitude of the Israelite toward his enemy.
Proverbs 24:17 ¶ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Exodus 23.4 If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Proverbs 25:21 ¶ If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Proverbs 20:22 ¶ Say not thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
Love was the central theme of the law of God in the Old Testament covenant.
Now, you may be confused over the historical stories of the OT that tell of massive destruction of the enemies of God by the armies of Israel and in those accounts you fail to see anything but hate for the enemy.
Here is the way that I understand this point
The law of Moses appears to teach the individual a personal responsibility toward his brother, his neighbor, and his personal enemies. The law never allows the individual, nor the leaders of Israel to take matters of vengeance upon themselves.
The nation of Israel was what we call a theocracy, or a nation ruled by God. God set up a government which allowed grievances to be dealt with and settled. God had his way by which he destroyed the enemies of Israel. Sometimes God used what would appear to men as natural disasters, and at other times he gave orders to the leaders to assemble an army and to go against his enemy and utterly destroy. If you will study all of the times when Israel went to war without the approval of God, you will see that they suffered defeat on these occasions.
Parallel in the church
We see a parallel thought in the church today. Christians are commanded to love their enemies.
Romans 12.0 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any [man]; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all [men].
Similar to Israel, we are supposed to rely on God for the victory over our enemies, which are the enemies of Christs church.
We are to fight, but only as God directs and in a spiritual warfare.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
II Corinthians 10.3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Point 18. IT HATH BEEN WRITTEN--RULE OF STUDY
To further aid in this study of the many statements by Jesus which appear as contrary to the Law of Moses, you may consider the following rules.
Rule A. When Jesus made the statement, It hath been written, he was always referring to those things that were written in the Old Testament, such as we find in the law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophetic writings.
Rule B. When Jesus made the statement, It hath been said, he was referring to the false teaching of the religious authorities. These false statements were interpretations by men as to what they thought that the law meant.
It hath been written was by divine inspiration, while It hath been said was not by inspiration, but rather a human interpretation of the divine law.
Point 19. SWEAR NOT
To forswear meant to swear falsely, or to commit perjury.
To swear meant to affirm or promise something, or ones word by invoking an oath.
While we know that it is wrong to lie, and thus we know that it is wrong to forswear.
Can we prove by the covenant or law of Christ that it is sinful to take an oath?
Matthew 5.33-37--33 ¶ Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
What is an OATH?
According to Smiths Bible Dictionary, an oath is an appeal to Divine authority to ratify the truth of an assertion.
Taking an oath is telling men that you can call God as a witness to your testimony.
Hebrews 6:16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife.
If a Christian can rightly follow the example of a Holy Apostle, then consider that the Apostle Paul took an oath, or swore by the name of God.
Galatians 1:20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
If you were to research all of the Bible on this one subject, you would find that the words oath, swear, vow, and adjure all imply the same thought and meaning.
To enter into, or make a covenant also involved the taking of an oath.
We can prove this point by looking at the following two scriptures.
1 Samuel 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
2 Samuel 21:7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’S oath that [was] between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
The word adjure comes from the Hebrew word shava and is translated in some of the translations as oath. In I Kings 22.16 and in II Chronicles 18.15, the same word is used with the meaning to charge or bind under the penalty of a curse.
In Matthew 26.63-64, we find that Jesus subjected himself under this type of oath.
Matthew 26.62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
As Christians, we understand the meaning of having a covenant relationship with God. When each of us became a Christian we submitted ourselves to the will of Christ and in effect entered into a covenant with God with a promise to follow His Son.
This is the covenant which is spoken of in the apostles teaching in reference to our covenant with Christ.
Hebrews 8.6 ¶ But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
It was impossible for this covenant to come into existence until the Lord Jesus put His law into their minds and hearts in a way other than verbal teaching. This was only fulfilled at the time that the Holy Apostles were immersed in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and received the message from Jesus, and then began at that point to share the will of Jesus to the world.
It was only when the new covenant came that their sins would no more be remembered.
But let us get back to the subject of the connection between a covenant and swearing or taking an oath to affirm the truth.
When a believer in Jesus enters into the covenant with God, he or she takes a vow, an oath to God that they are ready and willing to abide by the requirements of the covenant of Christ. This oath or vow is taken at the point of confessing Jesus Christ as Lord.
We can see this point affirmed by a prophecy of these last days.
Isaiah 45.22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
We can affirm that swearing and confession are equal in meaning from the Word of God by looking at this same prophecy from our Lord by the words of His Holy Apostle Paul.
Philippians 2. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Again, we see that Jesus was made High Priest by our Heavenly Father by an oath.
Hebrews 7.9 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
Again, in addition to this, we find that the Apostle Paul took an oath of truth.
2 Corinthians 1:23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
Galatians 1:20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
We find the actual text words in the NT that Paul had a vow upon him for a time.
Acts 18:18 ¶ And Paul [after this] tarried [there] yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn [his] head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
Now, with all of this evidence before you, I would like to connect this with our original point that Jesus said to not swear at all, in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5.33-37.
Since we all can agree that the Holy Scriptures cannot contradict themselves, and that God cannot lie, I believe that we have seen sufficient proof in the preceding scriptures to state that Jesus was not condemning those specific oaths authorized by the Law of Moses.
If Jesus had forbidden all types of oaths, he would have violated his own commandment in Matthew 26.64, when he submitted himself to the oath by the Jewish high priest.
Jesus was condemning the same types of oaths which were also prohibited in the text of the Law of Moses. It should be obvious that Jesus has reference to profane statements or lying statements with an oath, or taking the name of God in vain.
We can see that when Jesus said to not swear at all that, at the same time, puts limitations upon this statement by prohibiting a swearing by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, and by the head. See Matthew 23.16-22.
Matthew 23.16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
The problem facing Jesus, and the Jewish people was that the Jewish rulers failed to quote the law with its full meaning.
The law which Jesus is trying to correct with His teaching to not swear at all is apparently found in the Law of Moses in Leviticus 19.12.
Leviticus 19.11 ¶ Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
According to several of the ancient Jewish historians who wrote about the Jewish religion of this specific period, stated that the Jews thought that they had found a legal loophole in the law. They thought they had found a legal way to false swear and a legal way to break an oath. They believed that they could do this by being careful in their speech not to mention the name of God when they swore. Instead of using the name of God in their oaths, they would swear instead by the temple, by their head, or by some other thing.
Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
The 3rd of the 10 Commandments taught to not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, which by implication seems to teach that there were occasions when the name of the Lord could rightly be taken, and we see such an oath commanded in Exodus 22.10-11.
I have not went into such great detail in any attempt to convince you to swear or take an oath. It appears to me that it would safest to not swear at all, even though we know that the apostle Paul took a vow, and used Gods name to affirm his statements at times.
James 5:12 ¶ But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
As we see by this, James gives us the teaching of the New Covenant law concerning swearing, and it sounds very much like that of our Lord in His response to the false swearing of the Jews.
Here, the Lord by James teaches us that there is a danger of condemnation in taking any oath. All that we are commanded to do is to let our own character and reputation stand for affirmation of what we say.
In coming to your own understanding, I suggest that you study all of these passages together.
This was the point that I was trying to make with this study on swearing not at all. The point is the same as when we began, and that is that this study is designed to prove that Jesus never contradicted the Law of Moses. Jesus never commanded anyone during his days preceding his death, to disobey any of the Laws of Moses.
Yes, Jesus did teach many many truths which are to be obeyed by Christians.
Yes, Jesus did prophesy of the coming Kingdom, and used parables to teach the disciples about the coming church age.
Yes, the Gospels do teach us many important facts about the life and character of God.
Yes, the Gospels do teach us to appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.
But, during the days preceding the death of Jesus, He never contradicted in any of His words the existing law of God at that time.
I refer you again to Matthew 5.17-19.
For those who seek to justify divorce and remarriage by insisting that Jesus was teaching new law to the future church of Christ in Matthew 5.32, 19.9, I would like to make a final, closing thought.
One day we will all stand before the Judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ and answer for our words, our deeds, our thoughts, and our teachings.
I pray that this article will stir your minds and consciences to study and to rightly divide the word of truth.
Please dont try to make the word of God contradict itself. In your studies, you should instead be studying with a mind to find understanding between those passages that seem to differ in their message, and see the true division which occurs at the cross of our Lord.
For the unity and continued power of evangelism of the true church of Christ, it is super important that we must never attempt to array one scripture against another, but to make all scriptures agree as being inspired from God. Once that you make one passage stand in contradiction of another passage, you not only lose your validity as a representative of Christ to the world, but you also begin the personal destruction of your own faith in the Divine inspiration of all the Holy Scriptures. At some point, you will go about to establish your own righteousness and you will recreate God in your own image.
Please dont try to falsely prove or try to justify to yourselves that wrong is right by taking scriptures out of context.
Personally, let me say that there is much in the Bible and much about the bible that I have yet to learn or comprehend, but the things that I do understand and know I feel compelled to share with others.
If you have studied this issue for yourself and believe that I am wrong, please feel free to comment.
