- Review:
- Importance of attitudes in driving actions
- Attitudes in the parable of the good Samaritan
- Attitudes in the sermon on the mount
- Beatitudes
- Living exemplary lives
- Regard for the law
- Seek a higher righteousness than that of the scribes and Pharisees
- Points of the law vs. popular teachings of the time
- Attitudes leading to murder
- Roots of adultery, attitude of prevention
- Likeness of divorce to adultery
- Continuing points from the instructions of the ancients:
- Point 3: Swearing (Matthew 5:33-37)
- Principle: Be known for telling the truth (Ephesians 4:25)
- This precludes the need to swear
- Proliferation of oaths and their perceived lack of force
- Proliferation caused by lack of force
- Insincerity of oaths (Matthew 23:16)
- There will be no excuses (Ecclesiastes 5:2-6; Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Revelation 22:14-15)
- Prescribed oaths not barred (Exodus 22:10-11; Numbers 5:19)
- Remember verse 17
- Point 4: Getting even (Matthew 5:38-42; Exodus 21:23-25; Deuteronomy 19:18-21)
- Don’t
- Different levels of perceived offense
- People who do you actual harm
- Evil person who insults you
- One opposing you at law
- Government mandate
- People in need
- Justice is not a rendering of evil (v17)
- Resisting evil would be a never-ending task, not ours to do (I Thessalonians 5:15; Proverbs 20:22; Romans 12:17-19)
- Don’t avenge insults (John 18:20-23)
- Be compliant to a fault when “they” come after you
- By litigation
- By government coercion (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26)
- Point 3: Swearing (Matthew 5:33-37)
For further study, see also:
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