Mateus 5
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 5:33-35
Spurgeon: And pay thy vows unto the most High. Let the sacrifice be really presented to the God who sees the heart, pay to him the love you promised, the service you covenanted to render, the loyalty of heart you have vowed to maintain. O for grace to do this! O that we may be graciously enabled to love God, and live up to our profession! To be, indeed, the servants of the Lord, the lovers of Jesus, this is our main concern. What avails our baptism, to what end our gatherings at the Lord's table, to what purpose our solemn assemblies, if we have not the fear of the Lord, and vital godliness reigning within our bosoms? Psalm 76:11 Make (command) vows to the Lord your God and fulfill (command) them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared. Spurgeon: Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God. Well may we do so in memory of such mercies and judgments. To vow or not is a matter of choice, but to discharge our vows is our bounden duty. He who would defraud God, his own God, is a wretch indeed. He keeps his promises, let not his people fail in theirs. He is their faithful God and deserves to have a faithful people. — — Let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. Let surrounding nations submit to the only living God, let his own people with alacrity present their offerings, and let his priests and Levites be leaders in the sacred sacrifice. He who deserves to be praised as our God does, should not have mere verbal homage, but substantial tribute. Dread Sovereign, behold I give myself to thee. 1) To whom vows may be made. Not to man, but God. 2) What vows should be thus made. Of self dedication. — Of self service. — Of self sacrifice. — How kept: Vow and pay. — From duty. — From fear of his displeasure. G. R. Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? Fulfill (591) (apodidomi [word study] from apó = from + didomi = give) means to pay or give back, implying a debt. This word carries the idea of obligation and responsibility for something that is not optional. The prefixed preposition apo (off, away from) makes the verb mean “to give off” from one’s self. To give back or pay back or to do something necessary in fulfillment of an obligation or expectation. The idea is that the one who gives a vow must fulfill His promise to meet his "obligation". Fulfill - 48x in 46v- Matt 5:26, 33; 6:4, 6, 18; 12:36; 16:27; 18:25f, 28ff, 34; 20:8; 21:41; 22:21; 27:58; Mark 12:17; Luke 4:20; 7:42; 9:42; 10:35; 12:59; 16:2; 19:8; 20:25; Acts 4:33; 5:8; 7:9; 19:40; Rom 2:6; 12:17; 13:7; 1 Cor 7:3; 1Thess 5:15; 1 Tim 5:4; 2 Tim 4:8, 14; Heb 12:11, 16; 13:17; 1 Pet 3:9; 4:5; Rev 18:6; 22:2, 12. NAS = account*(1), award(1), fulfill(2), gave back(2), give(3), give back(1), given over(1),giving(1), make (1), paid(2), paid up(1), pay(2), pay back(4), recompense(1), render(7), repay(10), repayment to be made(1), repays(1), returning(1), sold(3), yielding(1), yields(1). Expositor's Greek Testament says that "the Scribes misplaced the emphasis (on the significance of oaths). They had a great deal to say, in sophistical style, of the oaths that were binding and not binding, (but) nothing about the fundamental requirement of truth in the inward parts (see Ps 51:6 below) Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom. (Ps 51:6). Spurgeon: Thou dost desire truth in the inward parts. Reality, sincerity, true holiness, heart fidelity, these are the demands of God. He cares not for the pretence of purity, He looks to the mind, heart, and soul. Always has the Holy One of Israel estimated men by their inner nature, and not by their outward professions; to Him the inward is as visible as the outward, and He rightly judges that the essential character of an action lies in the motive of him who works it. Ryrie helps us understand how the scribes and Pharisees were perverting the Old Testament passages on vows noting that "Oaths taken in the name of the Lord were binding, and perjury was strongly condemned in the law (Ex. 20:7; Lev. 19:12; Deut. 19:16, 17, 18, 19). Every oath contained an affirmation or promise and an appeal to God as the omniscient punisher of falsehoods, which made the oath binding. Thus we find phrases like "as the Lord lives" (1Sam. 14:39). The emphasis on the sanctity of oaths led to the feeling that ordinary phrasing need not be truthful or binding. (The Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody Publishers) In other words, when the scribes and Pharisees made an oath in the name of the LORD, that oath must be kept. On the other hand if one made an oath without expressly use the LORD's name (this is the "catch", the "fine print" so to speak) this oath was considered to be of lesser significance and did not demand one to be quite so conscientious about keeping it. And so the practice had come into vogue of making oaths "by heaven", "by earth", "by Jerusalem", "by the Temple", etc. Later in Matthew Jesus again castigates the scribes and Pharisees for their abuse of oaths declaring "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.... And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering upon it, he is obligated." (Mt 23:16,18) In this example of manipulation of truth by the scribes and Pharisees, they (illogically) reasoned that swearing by the temple, did not obligate one to fulfill their vow, but swearing by the gold of the temple, obligated them to fulfill the vow. Similarly, they hypocritically reasoned that swearing by the gift on the altar was binding, but swearing by the empty altar was not. What they did was value gold above God since the temple was the house of God. In the following verse, Mt 5:34, Jesus clearly forbids such hypocritical swearing (see below). Vows (KJV = oaths) (3727 (horkos) "is primarily equivalent to herkos, "a fence, an enclosure, that which restrains a person;" hence, "an oath." The Lord's command in Matthew 5:33 was a condemnation of the minute and arbitrary restrictions imposed by the scribes and Pharisees in the matter of adjurations (Webster = a solemn charging on oath, or under the penalty of a curse; an earnest appeal), by which God's Name was profaned. The injunction is repeated in James 5:12 . The language of the Apostle Paul, e.g., in Galatians 1:20; 1Thessalonians 5:27 was not inconsistent with Christ's prohibition, read in the light of its context. Contrast the "oaths" mentioned in Matthew 14:7,9; 26:72; Mark 6:26 .Hebrews 6:16 refers to the confirmation of a compact among men, guaranteeing the discharge of liabilities; in their disputes "the oath is final for confirmation." This is referred to in order to illustrate the greater subject of God's "oath" to Abraham, confirming His promise; cp. Luke 1:73; Acts 2:30. (Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Wordsh) Kitto - Oath, an appeal to God in attestation of the truth of what you say, or in confirmation of what you promise or undertake. Cicero correctly terms an oath a religious affirmation; that is, an affirmation with a religious sanction. Hence it appears that there are two essential elements in an oath: first, the human, a declared intention of speaking the truth, or performing the action in a given case; secondly, the divine, an appeal to God, as a Being who knows all things and will punish guilt. According to usage, however, there is a third element in the idea which 'oath' commonly conveys, namely, that the oath is taken only on solemn, or, more specifically, on juridical occasions. The essence of an oath lies obviously in the appeal which is thereby made to God, or to divine knowledge and power. The customary form establishes this, 'So help me God.' The Latin words (known to have been used as early as the sixth century), whence our English form is taken, may be thus rendered: so may God and these holy gospels help me; that is, 'as I say the truth.' The present custom of kissing a book containing the Gospels has in England taken place of the latter clause in the Latin formula. Oaths did not take their origin in any divine command. They were a part of that consuetudinary law which Moses found prevalent, and was bound to respect, since no small portion of the force of law lies in custom, and a legislator can neither abrogate nor institute a binding law of his own mere will. Accordingly, Moses made use of the sanction which an oath gave, but in that general manner, and apart from minute directions and express words of approval; which shows that he merely used, without intending to sanction, an instrument that he found in existence and could not safely dispense with. Examples are found in , where an oath is ordered to be applied in the case of lost property; and here we first meet with what may strictly be called a judicial oath. (For full article see Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature = Oath - as an aside, C H Spurgeon spoke very highly of Kitto's work.) WORD STUDY KURIOS Lord (2962) (kurios from kuros = might or power) has a variety of meanings/uses in the NT and therefore one must carefully examine the context in order to discern which sense is intended by the NT author. For example, some passages use kurios only as a common form of polite address with no religious/spiritual meaning. The reader should also be aware that in view of the fact that kurios is used over 9000 times in the Septuagint (LXX) and over 700 times in the NT, this discussion of kurios at best only "skims the surface" of this prodigious, precious word. JESUS IS — LORD At the outset should be noted that in the NT Jesus is referred to as Lord (Kurios) more frequently than by any other title. Therefore it behooves us to understand the truth concerning Jesus as Lord and not allow ourselves to become side tracked in debate over so-called "Lordship salvation". The indisputable Biblical facts are that faith in Jesus saves and Jesus is Lord. This confession of "Jesus is Lord" became a direct affront to the practice of emperor worship. Certain cities even built temples for Caesar-worship as was the case in Smyrna where the command was to honor the emperor by confessing "Caesar is Lord". To declare "Jesus is Lord" became a crime punishable by death, resulting in the martyrdom. I think the first century believers understood "Lordship" in a way modern believers would find it difficult to comprehend! (cp Jesus' "prophetic" warning in Mt 10:22, 23, 24, 25 where "master" is kurios) Lord is not merely a name that composes a title, but signifies a call to action so that every saint should willingly, reverently bow down to Jesus Christ. If Christ is our Lord, we are to live under Him, consciously, continually submitting our wills to him as His loyal, loving bondservants ("love slaves"), always seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness (Mt 6:33-note). According to this practical working "definition" beloved we all need to ask ourselves "Is Jesus Christ my Lord?". "Do I arise each day, acknowledges this is the day the Lord hath made?" (Ps 118:24-note) "Do I surrender my will to His will as I begin each day?" (cp Ro 12:1-note, Ro 12:2-note) Beloved, don't misunderstand. None of us have "arrived" in this area of Jesus as Lord of our lives. And it is precisely for that reason that Peter commands us to continually "grow (present imperative) in the grace (unmerited favor, power to live the supernatural, abundant life in Christ) and knowledge (not just intellectual but transformational) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2Pe 3:18-note) So do not be discouraged. Don't "throw in the towel" as they say. Keep on keeping on, pressing (continually = present tense) "on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Php 3:14-note)
Mateus 5:33-35
Spurgeon comments: This is often misunderstood. Some read it, “No man can serve two masters.” Yes he can; he can serve three or four. The way to read it is this: “No man can serve two masters.” He can serve two, but they cannot both be his master. He can serve two persons very readily. For the matter of that, he can serve twenty, but not two masters. There cannot be two master principles in a man’s heart, or master passions in a man’s soul. “No man can serve two masters.” Either the one or the other will be master, they are so opposed to each other that they will never agree to a divided service. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” It is the Lord Jesus Christ who says this, so do not attempt to do what he declares is impossible. Matthew 7:21-note "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does (present tense - as one's lifestyle = evidence of a changed life) the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22-note "Many (not a few, but "many") will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23-note "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE (present tense - as your lifestyle - no evidence of a changed life) LAWLESSNESS.' Comment: Professing Jesus as "Lord" or even acknowledging that Jesus is "Lord", is by itself not sufficient evidence of saving faith. So much for "Lordship salvation". Jesus is Lord whether we acknowledge that fact or not. What Jesus is saying is that the best evidence of genuine salvation is one's life, not one's lips! Doing the will is in the present tense which pictures the general "direction" of one's life (you will fail from time to time so don't become discouraged) and is a not a call for perfection, which no one except Jesus achieved (He 4:15-note). Remember also that the first step in doing the will of God is to believe on the Lord Jesus (Jn 6:29). Note that Jesus states there will be "many" who cry "Lord, Lord" and yet will be separated from His glory forever! This is tragic and always brings to mind the warning of Paul in 2Co 13:5 (If Jesus Christ is in you, His Spirit is in you and His Spirit is holy and is at work in you to urge and empower you to live a holy life. Remember we are not talking perfection, but direction! If an individual NEVER exhibits evidence a holy longing and/or holy living (in short, a "changed life"), it is possible that this individual has "failed the test" and needs to be diligent to make certain of their calling and election as Peter exhorts in 2Pe 1:10-note. Do not be deceived - no evidence of a changed life may be an indicator of no eternal life!) Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ (the Messiah), whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) call Him (referring to the "son of David") 'Lord,' (kurios) saying, 44 'THE LORD (kurios) (God the Father) SAID TO MYLORD (kurios) (God the Son), "SIT AT MY (the Father's) RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I (God the Father) PUT THINE (the Son's) ENEMIES BENEATH THY (the Son's) FEET"'? (Quoting Ps 110:1-note) 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' (kurios) how is He (God the Son) his (David's) son?" 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question. Comment: Earlier Jesus had asked His disciples a similar question (Mt 16:15) and they gave the correct answer (Mt 16:16). The Pharisees' answer "Son of David" was the expected (correct answer, cp Mk 12:35). David refers to the Messiah as hisLord, thus is saying that He is more than just his “son” and this stumped the religious leaders. It's amazing how often simple Biblical truths stumble non-believers. Mark 1:3 "The way of the Lord" - Comment: The “way” is hodos, a road. Lord = kurios, the One Who is the possessor and disposer of a thing and in the context of believers, of the possessor of the believer's body and his/her life (cp 1Co 6:19- note, 1Cor 6:20-note). He is the Master and there is to be no other master (Mt 6:24-note) lest we bring great anxiety into our souls (Mt 6:25ff-note). Kurios is used in the Septuagint (LXX) to translate the title of the self existent God Jehovah. The Gospels tell the story of how the Ancient of Days (Da 7:9, 13, 22) incarnated Himself in humanity, grew up from a little child to manhood, and offered Himself to Israel as her Messiah (her "Anointed One") and King. And when John the Baptist cried out that the King's road needed to be prepared, he was not referring to a literal road but figuratively making reference to the hearts of His Chosen People which must be prepared to receive Him, and yet most failed to heed the call (cp Jn 1:11, 12, 13). Here in Mk 1:3, “Lord” does not have the definite article ("the" - not present in the Greek text), and thus the emphasis is upon the character or quality. Kurios is in the genitive indicating possession, so that the road is the Lord’s road, a road of such a quality as would belong to and befitting Jehovah-Jesus. THOUGHT - Do we arise each morning and seek to "make ready the way of the Lord" in our hearts? If not, we need to listen to the voice of one crying in the wilderness and prepare our hearts to receive our King and our Lord each day of our life for the rest (and the "rest" in terms of ceasing from our fleshly labors) of our lives! Mark 7:8 - "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs" - Comment: Kurios is used here of the one to whom a person or thing belonged, about which he has the power of deciding. It refers to the master or disposer of a thing. The woman uses kurios as the master or disposer of something and this is the sense this woman used Kurios. Romans 6:9-note knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. Comment: Death is personified as a "master" but not over Jesus because of His resurrection from the dead, proving death had no victory over Him (or all who are in Christ). Romans 10:9-note that if you confess (to assent, own and acknowledge openly) with your mouth Jesus as Lord (kurios), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10-note for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Mounce comments: The earliest Christian confession is that "Jesus is Lord." This was the climax of Peter's speech on Pentecost (Acts 2:36); by making this confession a person is saved (Ro 10:9,10). Jesus is Lord whether He is on earth (Mt 7:21, Mt 21:29, 30) or exalted in heaven (1Co 16:22, Re 22:20-note). By confessing Jesus as "Lord", the Christian community was also recognizing that He has dominion over the world. As a result of Jesus' sovereignty, one day every created being will acknowledge what the insignificant, persecuted community at Philippi confesses in its worship: "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Php 2:11-note). (Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words)
Mateus 5:36-37
Spurgeon comments - Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth. That mouth had been used in prayer, it would be a pity it should ever be defiled with untruth, or pride, or wrath; yet so it will become unless carefully watched, for these intruders are ever lurking about the door. David feels that with all his own watchfulness he may be surprised into sin, and so he begs the Lord himself to keep him. When Jehovah sets the watch the city is well guarded: when the Lord becomes the guard of our mouth the whole man is well garrisoned. Keep the door of my lips. God has made our lips the door of the mouth, but we cannot keep that door of ourselves, therefore do we entreat the Lord to take the rule of it. O that the Lord would both open and shut our lips, for we can do neither the one nor the other aright if left to ourselves. In times of persecution by ungodly men we are peculiarly liable to speak hastily, or evasively, and therefore we should be specially anxious to be preserved in that direction from every form of sin. How condescending is the Lord! We are ennobled by being door keepers for him, and yet he deigns to be a door keeper for us. ) Samuel Johnson had wise advise for parents writing… Accustom your children constantly to this [the telling of the truth]; if a thing happened at one window, and they, when relating it, say that it happened at another, do not let it pass, but instantly check them; you do not know where deviation from truth will end… It is more from carelessness about truth than from intentional lying, that there is so much falsehood in the world. Matthew