What does Matthew 5:21 reveal about Jesus' interpretation of the Old Testament law? Canonical Text (Matthew 5:21) “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ” Context within the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:21 opens the first of six “You have heard … but I say” antitheses (vv. 21–48). Each contrasts prevailing rabbinic exposition with Jesus’ own. The pattern reveals Christ’s role as the Lawgiver whose authority surpasses both oral tradition and scribal interpretation, yet never contradicts God’s written revelation (cf. Matthew 5:17–19). Intertextual Link to Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 The command “Do not murder” (לֹא תִּרְצָח, loʾ tirṣaḥ) is the sixth word of the Decalogue. Jesus cites the text exactly as the Septuagint renders it (οὐ φονεύσεις). He thereby affirms Mosaic inspiration while preparing to deepen its intent. Jesus’ Hermeneutic: From External Act to Internal Motive a. Judicial Scope—“subject to judgment” referenced local courts (Hebrew, mishpat; Greek, krisei). Rabbinic tradition confined culpability to the physical act. b. Ethical Expansion—In 5:22 Jesus extends liability to anger, insult (“Raca”), and character assassination (“You fool”). He interprets the command as prohibiting the heart-root that culminates in homicide (cf. Genesis 4:6–8; 1 John 3:15). This moves from casuistry to cardiology—fulfilling Jeremiah 31:33’s promise of an internalized law. Affirmation of Scriptural Unity and Inerrancy Jesus places His gloss on equal footing with Torah, demonstrating continuity, not contradiction. Early papyri (𝔓¹, 𝔓⁶⁴/⁶⁷, 𝔐) preserve identical wording, nullifying claims of later doctrinal development. Dead Sea Scroll 4QExod-Levf (c. 150 BC) shows the murder prohibition unchanged for centuries, underscoring textual stability. Authority Claim: Yahweh’s Own Voice The formula “But I say to you” parallels prophetic “Thus says YHWH,” but here the speaker is the incarnate Word (John 1:1,14). Christ’s self-referential authority evidences divine identity, corroborated by His resurrection attested by the “minimal facts” data set (1 Corinthians 15:3–8; empty-tomb tradition in 1 Cor pre-creedal material dated < 5 years post-crucifixion per Habermas-Licona). Legal and Covenant Implications Jesus does not annul civil jurisprudence (see 5:25; Romans 13:3–4) but unveils a higher righteousness exceeding scribes and Pharisees (5:20). The New Covenant ethic demands Spirit-empowered transformation (Ezekiel 36:26–27), fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2), illustrating continuity between testaments. Comparison with Second-Temple Halakhah Mishnaic tractate Sanhedrin (4.5) restricts capital murder to overt acts with intent. Qumran’s Community Rule 1QS IX,16-17 enjoins members to rebuke anger lest it lead to sin—showing contemporary awareness but lacking Jesus’ universalized remedy of interior change. Practical Discipleship Applications a. Reconciliation prerequisite to worship (5:23–24) highlights relational integrity as central to true piety. b. Zero-tolerance for contempt dismantles hierarchical devaluation of persons made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27), fostering a culture of life. Patristic Witness Origen (Contra Celsum 2.79) notes Jesus “brings the whole field of ethics into the conscience.” Augustine (De Serm. Dom. I.21) sees 5:21–22 as exposing “the root of sin in the will.” Early Fathers unanimously treat the passage as Magisterial, not merely advisory. Archaeological Corroboration of Gospel Setting Inscriptional evidence from the “Galilee boat” (first-century) and Magdala stone affirms the authenticity of Galilean milieu where Jesus delivered the discourse, reinforcing the historical reliability of the event. Summary Answer Matthew 5:21 reveals that Jesus accepts the Old Testament command against murder as authoritative but interprets it at the deeper heart level, asserting His own divine authority to define its fullest intent, thereby uniting inner motive and outward act in a seamless, Spirit-empowered righteousness consistent with the entire canon of Scripture. |
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