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MATTHEW 5: 38-42

"AN EYE FOR AN EYE"

I. WHAT WAS MOSAIC INTENT?
        A. The control of excesses.
                1. Anger and desire for revenge.
                2. Natural instinct to hit back.
                        a. Want to hit back harder than hit.
                        b. Kruschef.
                3. Whole tendency to wrath, anger, retribution in human nature.
                        a. One of most hideous and ugly traits from fall.
        B. To set a boundary on limit of retaliation.
                1. Eye for eye - no more.
                2. Tooth for toot - no more.
                3. Punishment must fit crime, not more.
        C. Not to urge men eye for eye.
        D. Given to judges not to individuals.
                1. Law to be carried out by magistrate or judge.

II. PHARISEE TEACHING.
        A. Ignored that this was given for judges.
                1. Made it apply on individual basis.
        B. Legalist view.
                1. Right and duty.
                2. Something to be insisted upon.
                3. Not restraint.

Ill. CHRIST TEACHING.
        A. Principles of interpretation.
                1. Never regard Sermon on Mount as code of ethics.
                        a. Not a new kind of law for Christians.
                        b. We under Grace want to be under law.
                2. Teaching never applied mechanically.
                        a. Spirit rather than letter.
                3. If our interpretation makes teaching appear ridiculous, wrong interpretation.
                4. If our interpretation makes text seem impossible.
                5. If our interpretation makes it contract other plain and obvious teaching 
                   of Word - wrong.
        B. What Jesus Says.
                1. Resist not evil.
                2. What does He mean?
                        a. No soldiers, police, judges.
                3. Necessary to see injunction in context.
                        a. First this teaching not for world.
                        b. Not even for non-Christian.
                        c. This is way of life for man described in beatitudes.
                                1. Teaching  utterly impossible for anyone else.
                        d. We must be born again.
                4. World, nation, non-Christian law still applies.
                        a. Under restraints.
                        b. Until a man comes under Grace he must be kept under law.
                5. If you fail to punish your child for wrong heresy!
                6. This teaching concerns Christians personal relationships.
                        a. My relationship to nation, state, etc.
                7. Verse 42.
                        a. Unrelated?
                        b. Question of self attitude towards self.
                        c. We must be dead to self.
                8. Attitude toward self when.
                        a. Struck - revenge?
                        b. Injustices - rights?
                        c. Possessions.