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In chapter three John the Baptist declared the kingdom of the heavens, in chapter four the Lord proclaimed the kingdom of the heavens, and in chapter five the Lord spoke concerning the law and principle of the kingdom of the heavens.
Is this portion, Matthew 5—7, spoken to Christians?
First, insofar as the term "disciples" is concerned, this passage is spoken to Christians:
(1)In verses 1-2, although there were crowds, only the disciples went up to the mountain with the Lord. The Lord did not consider the crowds as His "disciples." This means that the disciples were Christians.
(2)Some say that the disciples mentioned in verse 1 were the Jewish disciples. However, this is not what the Bible says. Furthermore, the Lord says, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens" (Matt. 13:11). From this we see that this word is not spoken to the Jews. In Matthew 28:19 the Lord charged His disciples to "disciple all the nations," that is, to make the Gentiles the Lord's disciples. There is no such thing as "Gentile" disciples. From Acts 11:26 we know that disciples are equivalent to Christians. From Matthew to Acts, all who believed in the Lord, whether Gentiles or Jews, were called disciples.
Second, insofar as the Lord's word is concerned, this passage is spoken to Christians:
(1)In His charge in Matthew 28:19-20 the Lord said, " Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Of all the Lord's commands in the Gospels, none surpasses those given in Matthew 5—7. We may say that Matthew 5—7 is the center of all the Lord's commands and contains the Lord's most important commands. Therefore, this passage is spoken to Christians and should be observed by Christians.
(2)John 14:26 shows us that the work of the Holy Spirit is to remind the disciples of all the things that the Lord Jesus said while He was on the earth. The most important part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to lead us back to the Lord's word.
(3)What did Paul say concerning the word of the Lord? In Colossians 3:16 he said it is "the word of Christ." He did not say "the word of God," because the word of God refers to the whole Bible. Here he mentioned specifically "the word of Christ." Paul wrote Colossians while he was in prison, after the mystery of the church had been revealed to him.
Third, insofar as its contents are concerned, this portion is spoken to Christians:
(1)In Matthew 5—7 when we read words such as "you have heard that it was said to the ancients" and "but I say to you," we know that this portion is not concerned with the law of the Old Testament. Christians are not under the law. However, they are not without law. Rather, they are under the law of Christ.
(2)In Matthew 5—7 expressions such as "Father who is in the heavens" and "brother" are often mentioned. This indicates that this portion does not refer to the Old Testament. Rather, it is related to a group of people who have the life of God.
(3)We can find many teachings in the Epistles that are similar to those in Matthew 5—7. For example, Romans 12 has a number of teachings similar to those in this passage.
(4)If Matthew 5—7 contains the law of the millennial kingdom, how can there be "the unjust," "the evil," the robber, and the adulterer in that kingdom?
Verses 3-9 speak concerning nine blessings:
Verse 3:"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens." For one to be poor in spirit means that he is void of riches. "Theirs is the kingdom of the heavens" — the definition of the kingdom of the heavens cannot be determined here. However, we may say that it is a reward or more than a reward.
Verse 4:"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." "Mourn" indicates that God wants us to be pessimists in the world who react negatively toward the world, for the world will not get any better (Luke 17:26-29).
Verse 5:"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." To be meek is to put up no resistance but to endure all things. Such people will lose the things in the world today. Therefore, they will inherit the earth in the future.
Verse 6:"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." "Righteousness" refers, in particular, to our personal righteousness in our behavior. For example, to take advantage of others is to be unrighteous. It does not say, "Blessed are the righteous," because it is difficult to be righteous. Instead, it says "hunger and thirst for righteousness." This is to seek after righteousness as a hungry and thirsty person seeking for food and drink. Such a one, therefore, will be satisfied.
Verse 7:"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy." The previous verse speaks of righteousness. To be righteous is to give one what he deserves. This verse speaks of being merciful. To be merciful is to give one what he does not deserve. Today on this earth Christians should not try to occupy a position of advantage. Our obtaining of mercy will be at the judgment seat. The Lord will deal with us in the way that we deal with others (James 2:13). Our prayers of mercy will reach the judgment seat (2 Tim. 1:16, 18).
Verse 8:"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The nine blessings mentioned in this section, of course, are for the present age, but, even more, they are for the coming age. To be pure is to be single in purpose for God's glory and God's will, to seek only for God's gain (1 Cor. 10:31), to be solely for God. When a person sets his goal on God alone, he gains God at the end. If he fixes his eyes only on one thing, then he will see only one thing. When he fixes his eyes on God, he sees God. Revelation 20:6 says that the overcoming believers will be kings and priests of God the Father. Priests are those who see God. But some will lose the blessing of seeing God. Not exercising one's gift is also a reason for not being able to see God.
Verse 9:"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." This is a matter in the present time. God is making peace today; we are merely preaching it. "Sons" actually means children. Every believer is a child of God (John 1:12). The expression "sons and daughters" is used only in 2 Corinthians 6:18 and refers to each individual. In Christ, whether they are male or female, everyone is a "son"; there are no daughters. For example, we call someone a brother in the Lord because he is in Christ, not because he is a man. "Sons" are grown-ups.
According to the Greek custom, all offspring are called children. When the children grow up, the father selects one among them as the chosen heir, who then receives the "sonship."
Verse 10:"Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens." "For the sake of righteousness" means for the sake of rightfulness and justice. "Those who are persecuted," according to the original language, may be rendered in the past tense: "those who have been persecuted." Perhaps it also includes those in the Old Testament who had such righteous conduct. The suffering of persecution mentioned in this verse is different from that mentioned in 5:11. Here, in this verse, many Christians are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, that is, rightfulness, justice. In 5:11, however, Christians are persecuted directly for the sake of Christ.
"Enter into the kingdom of the heavens," "in the kingdom of the heavens," and "theirs is the kingdom of the heavens" — these three expressions should have different meanings; otherwise, they conflict.
Verses 11-12:"Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me. Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." People persecute Christians by three different kinds of treatment: (1) reproaching — right in one's face; (2) persecuting — method, environment; and (3) saying every evil thing — spreading rumors behind one's back. Because the ninth blessing refers to a reward, we know that the preceding eight blessings also are rewards. This is biblical parallelism. Since the first half of each blessing refers to conduct, then the second half refers to reward. In verse 12, since the Lord said that the reward is "great," it cannot be small. What a comfort this is to us!
Verses 13-16: This section covers two things: (1) the believers as the salt of the earth and (2) the believers as the light of the world. Salt is something inward and is toward oneself; this refers to nature. Light is something outward and is in relation to others; this refers to behavior. Here, the Lord does not say "You are the salt" but "You are the salt of the earth." Although there is much garbage on the earth, the presence of germ-killing salt keeps the earth from being fully corrupted. In the same way, the element of salt in the sea water causes the filth to become purified. If there were no salt, the earth would become rotten and would stink. Only Christians can influence the earth (2 Cor. 6:14-17).
"The salt has become tasteless" does not mean that the believers have fallen into apostasy. Rather, it means that they have lost the flavor that distinguishes them from the people in the world. They dress the same way as the earthly people do, and they eat the same way as the earthly people do. For them to become no different from the world means that they as the salt have become tasteless. They do not have to commit serious sins to lose their taste. "It is no longer good for anything" — this is in the eyes of God. "To be cast out" is to be put into the tribulation, because both "out" and "trampled underfoot" are terms used in connection with the tribulation. This may be referring both to the present and the future.
What about the light of the world? (1) It is like a city situated upon a mountain that cannot be hidden. Believers should not seek to be manifested among believers, but they should be manifested among the unbelievers to let the world know that they are Christians. (2) It is like a lamp on the lampstand. The preceding point says that the light cannot be hidden, and this point says that the light should not be hidden. "City" is with respect to outsiders, and "lamp" is with respect to those inside the house. God has a specific use for our light. If we hide the light, God cannot be glorified through us. Light can be shut out, but darkness cannot be shut out. Darkness is the nature of the world, but light comes as something extra. When light comes, darkness is chased away. It is the Father, not men, who will be glorified. The word "Father" proves that these people are regenerated ones.
Verses 17-20:This section is on the importance of the law. (1) Verses 17-18 say that the Lord did not come to abolish the law; (2) verse 19 refers to people in the Old Testament; and (3) verse 20 refers to people in the New Testament. Verse 17 is the Seventh Day Adventists' basis for keeping the law; but to keep the law in this way is like committing suicide. "To fulfill" (v. 17) is to fill up that which is lacking in the law; it does not refer to what He would accomplish on the cross. Verse 19 is concerned with the annulling of the law in general, that is, by "whoever." Verse 20 is concerned with the fulfilling of the law; it refers to another group of people, not people in general but the disciples specifically. The highest righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees can fulfill only what is said in the second half of verse 19. But even if we can attain the righteousness like that of the scribes and Pharisees, we still cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. In other words, unless our righteousness surpasses the righteousness in verse 19, we still cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. What does the Lord want to fulfill? It is the words spoken in Matthew 5—7. This is to complement that which is imperfect in the law; it is not to add more items to the law.
The requirements of the law are of three aspects. First, it requires keeping. Men are required to keep every item of the law, from the first item to the last item. Only Christ keeps the law in such a complete way. Second, it requires punishment. If a man is punished, the law is also fulfilled. For example, if a man sheds another man's blood, his blood also needs to be shed. Both the first and second aspects are mentioned in Matthew. Third, it requires teaching. Because the law is not perfect, it needs either to be changed or to be fulfilled. This is still the fulfilling mentioned in Matthew 5:17.
The first requirement comes first, and then there is the second requirement, because the first requirement gives Christ the qualification to be punished in our place. The third requirement comes after the second requirement. Since the old covenant is over, the requirements of both keeping and punishment are over. The third requirement is what we need to keep.
"To fulfill" in verse 17 is different from "come to pass" in verse 18. Verse 17 refers to complementing, and verse 18 refers to carrying out. Verse 17 speaks of complementing because it mentions both the law and the prophets. Verse 18 speaks only of the law and does not mention the prophets. What is covered by the law extends only to the end of the millennial kingdom, but what is covered by the prophets, such as Isaiah, extends to the new heaven and new earth. The law does not mention eternity. In verse 18, "until" means up to that time.
Verses 21-26:This section is on being reconciled to our brother. Verse 21 corresponds to verse 17, and verse 22 corresponds to verse 19. Both prove that the above explanation is accurate. The judgment in verse 22 is the same as the judgment in verse 21. Although the judgment in verse 22 was not the judgment by the Jewish council, we can tell that it was the preliminary judgment because at that time the preliminary judgment was held at the gate of the city. The judgment by the Sanhedrin was a step higher. The next step would be before God. Although this portion is a word spoken to Christians, at that time those standing before the Lord were Jews. Naturally, the Lord used the background of the Jews in His speaking.
To be "angry" is inward. It is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark that the Lord was angry (Mark 3:5). The Bible does not say that all anger will be judged, but it says that some anger offends God and offends the brothers. Therefore, Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be angry, yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your indignation." This means not to be so angry as to sin and not to be controlled by sin. Anger should have a time limit. We should control our anger. Why is it that being angry with our brother is equivalent to killing him? This is simply because many times it is our position, our physical body, our environment, and our ethical education that prevent us from carrying out the killing. However, in reality, the inner desire to kill is present in us.
Since judgment is mentioned here, we can see that it is a fact that Christians will be judged. Therefore, we should not believe the teaching by some that says that Christians will not be judged. "Brother" is mentioned here, and the requirement here is high. Therefore, this is not a word spoken to those outside the church. The Presbyterians, the Episcopalians, and the Brethren all follow Calvinism, which teaches that salvation is predestinated and, therefore, all who are saved cannot perish. The Methodists and some of the Pentecostalists follow Arminianism, which teaches that man has a free will and that Christians still can perish, since many Christians had fallen, as seen in the Bible. Calvinism is prevailing in that it exalts God, but Arminianism is also somewhat reasonable. Therefore, in my opinion, we should not overthrow a teaching that is based on a few Bible verses with another teaching that is based on many Bible verses. We should put all the verses together and let the Bible decide the matter.
The Lord speaks of eternal life and of not perishing forever, which are things relating to eternity. Before the creation of the world and after the book of Revelation — this is all eternity. Only the section in between, a temporary section, is called time, that is, from the creation of the world to the book of Revelation. In this period of time, some Christians may be punished (2 Cor. 5:10), and some may receive retribution. What could this be if this were not punishment? Luke 12:47-48 mentions the matter of receiving lashes. This is a matter before the judgment seat. It is possible for Christians not only to lose the reward but also to receive lashes. First Corinthians 3:15 mentions also that some will "suffer loss." Some have said that even if it speaks of suffering loss, as long as one does not feel the loss, it cannot be considered a loss. John 15:6 says, "If one does not abide in Me," showing that that one had abided before; then it says, "cast them into the fire," showing that there is surely punishment. Revelation 2:11 says, "He who overcomes shall by no means be hurt of the second death." In other words, he who does not overcome will be hurt of the second death. According to Revelation 20:6, only those who overcome will reign with Christ. If a Christian commits sin, God will cause him to pass through fire at the time of the millennial kingdom.
John 10:28 says, "They shall by no means perish forever." This means that those believers who commit sins and do not repent will temporarily suffer what the unbelievers will suffer. They will be released when the official criminals arrive. The Catholic purgatory begins with a person's death. Moreover, they have the teaching of the so-called release of the soul from suffering. Reference to this heresy should not be made to oppose the matter that Christians will be punished. We can only use the Bible to prove that the punishment is at the judgment seat. Sin in a Gentile is sin; sin in a believer also is sin.
Mr. Govett translated Raca as "useless"; others, as "stupid" or "good-for-nothing." Some say that the word Moreh is Syriac and that a more proper translation is "rebel." According to the context, it is more serious to call one's brother "Raca" than to be angry with one's brother. While to be angry is merely within one's heart, to call others "Raca" involves the using of one's mouth. The punishment for one who calls his brother "Moreh" is that he will be liable to the Gehenna of fire. We may thus see that the meaning of Moreh is stronger than that of Raca. Raca means "stupid," whereas Moreh, as Mr. Pember said, means "rebel." "The Gehenna of fire" is mentioned here. This indicates that Christians cannot escape judgment. If this referred to unbelievers, would they go to hell simply because they scold a person for being stupid?
Verse 23:"Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you..." "Therefore" means "for this reason." Here it does not say "offering your sacrifice" but "offering your gift." The offering of a sacrifice is for dealing with sin, whereas the offering of a gift is to give something to God and has nothing to do with sin. "Has something against you" indicates that you have done something wrong.
Verse 24:"Leave your gift there before the altar, and first go and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." The requirement in this verse is many times higher than that in the Old Testament. Not only the gift and the person should be right, but also the spiritual condition should be right. When the Lord spoke these words, the ceremonial law had not been abolished. "Offer your gift" and "before the altar" were the background at that time.
Verse 25:"Opponent at law" in Greek means "plaintiff"; "opponent" implies enmity. "On the way" means that you have not reached the end of the way and have not arrived before the judge. Therefore, be well disposed quickly toward your opponent for the following three reasons: (1) He may die. If he dies, there is no possibility for reconciliation. (2) You may die. Once you die, there is also no possibility for reconciliation. (3) The Lord may come back. Once the Lord comes back, there is no possibility for reconciliation. If you mistreat someone and do not deal with it properly, even the sound of his sighing can prevent your prayer from reaching God. The voice of Abel caused Cain to be troubled.
"The judge" refers to the Lord; "the officer" refers to the angel. The "prison" is a place where there is no freedom and a place of darkness as well. One who is put into prison cannot live glorious days; he cannot be like those who follow the Lamb wherever He may go. However, since this is the prison, this is not forever. We may thus see that there is still the possibility for Christians to be put in the Gehenna of fire in the future.
Verse 26:"You shall by no means come out from there until you pay the last quadrans." Since the debt has to be paid back sooner or later, why not pay it back today? Here, "come out" will take place in the coming age, that is, the age of the millennial kingdom. This refers to the forgiveness in the coming age.
Verses 27-32:This section is on adultery. In verse 28, " looks" indicates that it is intentional; "a woman" refers to another's wife. What is condemned by Christ is not any sudden thought put into us by Satan or any sudden evil thought that came up in our mind. Rather, what is condemned is that after seeing, we look with intention. Any action that our will disagrees with is not counted as a sin. However, the action of our will after we surrender to temptation is a sin.
The Lord teaches us here that we must guard our heart. Otherwise, we would surely commit adultery if it were not for reasons of ethics, environment, or position. It is written in Proverbs, "He that hath no rule over his own spirit / is like a city that is broken down, and without walls" (25:28). A city without walls is a place where the enemy can go in and out freely.
Verse 29:Unbelievers still have to go to hell even if they pluck out their eyes. Therefore, this word here is not spoken to unbelievers but to Christians.
Verse 30:Both the cutting off of the hand in this verse and the plucking out of the eye in the preceding verse are not to be taken literally. Rather, what is meant here is to cut off the opportunities for sinning. (Peter once cut off someone's ear with his hand, but his hand was not cut off.) This means that we should pay any price to cut off the opportunities for sinning.
Verses 31-32:Here the Lord puts the matter of divorce altogether in a new position. The Lord acknowledges that husband and wife are one body. Before this one body is damaged, nothing can destroy this oneness. Adultery destroys oneness. The certificate of divorce is only a recognition that the oneness has been destroyed. Unless the divorce is due to adultery, the oneness still exists before God. If the wife marries someone else, that means the husband causes her to destroy the oneness. He also causes the man who marries her to be guilty of destroying the oneness. Furthermore, if the husband himself marries another woman, he also commits adultery.
Verses 33-37:This section speaks concerning not swearing. James 5:12 says, "Above all things, my brothers, do not swear." No one is allowed to swear. Why does James put so much emphasis on swearing? It is because the emphasis of the entire book of James is the matter of speaking.
Men always like to use different ways to prove the honesty of their speaking. Not swearing means that a Christian's word should be simple. He should not use any extra effort to prove his word in order to convince others of his credibility. Swearing includes speaking "anything more than" yes and no.
Verses 38-42:This section is on not resisting one who is evil. Today is the time for us to be patient. The following are three kinds of persecutions: (1) Concerning one's physical body. For a Christian to endure the first slapping is not something special. What is special of a Christian is that he is ready to receive the second slapping. A Christian does not stop at simply not resisting; he goes further by joyfully giving himself over to be slapped again. The degree of one's power is not determined by what one can do; rather, one's power is measured by what one can endure. Therefore, Colossians 1:11 says, "unto all endurance and long-suffering." The many items that were required in the foregoing word are simply "unto all endurance and long-suffering." "Turn to him the other [cheek] also" indicates endurance to the utmost degree, that is, being ready to be slapped again. You should allow the life within to be expressed in a spontaneous way. It is not that you try to endure by yourself. The mentioning of "right cheek" and "the other [cheek]" does not mean to turn our cheek to the right or to the left. Rather, it means to endure the first slapping and be willing to be slapped again. This is what it means to "turn to him the other [cheek] also." This is the life of the Lamb. (2) Concerning one's property. The lawsuit here against the defendant is most unusual. What the Lord means here is that the suit is not merely to get the tunic. Rather, the suit is to get everything, including even the tunic. But the Lord said to yield the cloak too. We are preserved by the love of God. Besides this, none can raise his own hand to protect himself. (3) Concerning one's work. Here it says, " Whoever compels you to go..." Compel in Greek is a technical term used in the military.
The blessings of a Christian issue from his turning the other cheek, yielding the cloak, and going the second mile. This is the principle of the second. Very often we cannot even go one mile. Only those who follow the principle of the second will be glorified with the Lord. All those who will reign with the Lord in the future are those who would not reign today.
In conclusion, here in verse 42 Christ did not tell us to choose those to whom we should give. Christ only commanded us to do our part. We can only take care of what God requires of us. We cannot take care of what God requires of others.
Verses 43-48:This concerns the motivation of love. The actions taken in the preceding verses are caused by love. If we are indignant about injustice, we cannot pray for those who persecute us. The love here is neither love out of one's preference nor love out of one's affection. Rather, it is love out of one's compassion. (There are four kinds of love: affectionate love, preferential love, respectful love, and compassionate love.) We should not close our compassionate heart.
Verse 44:"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." Only by so doing can we become children of the heavenly Father and express the nature of the heavenly Father.
Verse 45:"Because He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust." By this we see how generous God is toward men. If God were like us, no one would be saved. Only God can forget men's evildoings. Man has no ability to forget because man does not have absolute forgetfulness. "So that you may become" has the sense of "so that you may be manifested as."
Verses 46-47:Without the deeds described in the above verses, we cannot receive the reward. A greeting many times expresses an attitude of the mind.
Verse 48:"You therefore shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." "Perfect" here refers to being perfect in love. We cannot be perfect as God is perfect in nature, power, wisdom, glory, and holiness. God requires us to be perfect only in our deeds of love. To be perfect here does not mean to eradicate sin, since the preceding verses in this section are concerned not with punishment but with the deeds of love. In parallel to this word, Luke 6:36 says, "Be full of compassion, even as your Father also is full of compassion." By this we see that Luke interprets "perfect" here in terms of compassion. Here it cannot mean that we should be perfect as God is perfect in righteousness. The Bible tells us to be righteous toward ourselves and to be perfect in love toward others as God is perfect.
The clause "it was said to the ancients" is used in verses 21 and 33. However, it is changed to "it was said." Since the word concerning "hate your enemy" is not plainly written in the Old Testament, the Lord said that "it was said" and not that "it was said to the ancients." Although "a tooth for a tooth" is written plainly in the Old Testament, it was spoken to the judge and not to the common people. Furthermore, at that time, the scribes and the Pharisees had already taken this word as a teaching. Therefore, the Lord did not say here that "it was said to the ancients," but He was quoting the scribes. Hence, He said that "it was said."
In chapters one through five we see the following principles of Bible interpretation:
Example 1: If a conjunction is used between words, and if the part that comes before the conjunction is interpreted according to its spiritual sense, then the part that comes after the conjunction should also be so interpreted. Likewise, if one part is interpreted according to its literal sense, the other part should also be so interpreted. The interpretation should be consistent for both parts.
Example 2: A teaching with few supporting Bible verses should not be sacrificed for another teaching with many supporting Bible verses.
Example 3: All the words in the Bible should be interpreted literally unless the literal interpretation is nearly absurd. Parables, visions, and signs should not be interpreted literally. Everything else should be interpreted literally.
Example 4: It is not sufficient to determine a truth based on one Bible verse alone. There should always be the "Again, it is written."
Example 5: Two words or phrases that are similar should not be interpreted in the same way if their contexts are different.
Example 6: All parallels are equals.
Example 7: In interpreting the Bible one should not be bound by the background, nor should he ignore the background.
Example 8: One Bible verse alone cannot cover all aspects of any truth. For example, no one can find out all aspects of the truth concerning the law from one Bible verse alone.
