Leviticus 20:10 vs. Matthew 5:27-28?
How does Leviticus 20:10 connect with Jesus' teachings on adultery in Matthew 5:27-28?

Leviticus 20:10—The Clear Old Covenant Standard

“‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—if he commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.’”

• A literal civil statute for Israel: adultery warranted capital punishment to protect covenant purity (cf. Deuteronomy 22:22).

• The law reveals God’s holiness and shows sin’s seriousness; death is the just consequence for violating the marriage covenant.


Matthew 5:27-28—Jesus Intensifies the Same Standard

“‘You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’”

• Jesus quotes the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14) then presses it inward.

• Lustful intention equals the act in God’s sight—He weighs motives and desires (1 Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 24:12).


Where the Threads Meet

• Both passages uphold the sanctity of marriage; neither relaxes the command.

• Leviticus exposes the deed; Jesus exposes the desire. Together they show sin running from heart to action (James 1:14-15).

• Jesus affirms the law’s moral core, “I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Fulfillment brings the law’s true depth into focus rather than lowering its bar.


Why the Penalty Shifts but the Principle Stands

• The death penalty in Leviticus functioned within Israel’s theocratic judicial system.

• Under the New Covenant, civil enforcement changes, yet the wages of sin remain death (Romans 6:23). Spiritual death and final judgment replace Israel’s immediate civil execution.

• Church discipline now addresses open immorality (1 Corinthians 5:1-5), while governing authorities bear the sword for societal order (Romans 13:1-4).

• Christ bears the penalty for repentant sinners (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24), offering life where the law pronounced death.


Heart-Level Purity—Consistent Through Scripture

• Old Testament concern for inward faithfulness: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Exodus 20:17); “Do not desire her beauty in your heart” (Proverbs 6:25).

• David’s plea, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10), anticipates Jesus’ focus.

• The Spirit enables believers to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:16-24).


Living Out the Joined Message Today

• Guard the eyes: make a covenant like Job (Job 31:1).

• Cultivate marital faithfulness: “Let marriage be honored among all” (Hebrews 13:4).

• Pursue internal transformation: renew the mind with Scripture (Psalm 119:9-11; Romans 12:2).

• Confess quickly: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9).

• Walk in accountability and the Spirit’s power, knowing that Christ’s grace does not lessen the standard but empowers obedience (Titus 2:11-12).

What consequences are outlined in Leviticus 20:10 for adultery, and why?
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