Our Lord's God
Well-known member
You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
It is disturbing how people will so readily conspire to nullify the words of Jesus. But they go right ahead and resort to such wickedness and teach others to do the same. Rather than seeking the truth with an honest and pure heart, they would rather manufacture up lies to believe and comfort themselves.
These sin laden folks just don't like the sound of these words. To them, the word "perfect" simply means "not sinning" and that is something they just cannot fathom. So they just go right ahead and butcher this teaching of Jesus. And they really don't care what Jesus meant by these words, They have their creedal idols to serve.
So what is Jesus teaching here exactly and why did he say this? Start here:
You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:36
Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5:43-48 are parallel accounts, the same teaching. Jesus is teaching his disciples to love like God loves, a love that goes all the way not just part way.
The word "perfect" at Matthew 5:48 means to be complete, finished, fully mature, to go all the way not just part way. Don't just walk one mile with someone but walk two when he asks you to walk just one. Don't just love your neighbor. That would not be perfect; it would not be complete. Love your enemies too. Jesus is teaching his disciples a righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees (5:20). He does this with several "You have heard it said.... But I say to you....." teachings.
You have heard it said... righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
But I say to you... a righteousness which surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees
Jesus is raising the bar and teaching his disciples that following Jesus is a much higher morality and righteousness than the prescriptions of the Law. And Jesus sums up with this:
You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In other words, love completely and perfectly just like the Father does. Loving your neighbor but hating your enemy is a self-serving love. God is love and He wants us to love just as He loves. While we were His enemies He loved us (Romans 5:8-10; John 3:16; Eph 2:4). Be perfect just as your Father is perfect.
See how easy that was when you actually care about the truth instead of resorting to lies when you don't like what you hear? Notice how this also accords with Luke's parallel account, "Be merciful...." Love is mercifully, compassionately self giving to all and anyone. Such love isn't just given to neighbors you like but also to your enemies and those who persecute you.
Notice how John is saying exactly the same thing:
...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven..... be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
.
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as He is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17
Same thing.
be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
as He is, so also are we 1 John 4:17
So now you don't need to believe and teach lies about Matthew 5:48 anymore.
Matthew 5:48
It is disturbing how people will so readily conspire to nullify the words of Jesus. But they go right ahead and resort to such wickedness and teach others to do the same. Rather than seeking the truth with an honest and pure heart, they would rather manufacture up lies to believe and comfort themselves.
These sin laden folks just don't like the sound of these words. To them, the word "perfect" simply means "not sinning" and that is something they just cannot fathom. So they just go right ahead and butcher this teaching of Jesus. And they really don't care what Jesus meant by these words, They have their creedal idols to serve.
So what is Jesus teaching here exactly and why did he say this? Start here:
You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:36
Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5:43-48 are parallel accounts, the same teaching. Jesus is teaching his disciples to love like God loves, a love that goes all the way not just part way.
The word "perfect" at Matthew 5:48 means to be complete, finished, fully mature, to go all the way not just part way. Don't just walk one mile with someone but walk two when he asks you to walk just one. Don't just love your neighbor. That would not be perfect; it would not be complete. Love your enemies too. Jesus is teaching his disciples a righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees (5:20). He does this with several "You have heard it said.... But I say to you....." teachings.
You have heard it said... righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
But I say to you... a righteousness which surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees
Jesus is raising the bar and teaching his disciples that following Jesus is a much higher morality and righteousness than the prescriptions of the Law. And Jesus sums up with this:
You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In other words, love completely and perfectly just like the Father does. Loving your neighbor but hating your enemy is a self-serving love. God is love and He wants us to love just as He loves. While we were His enemies He loved us (Romans 5:8-10; John 3:16; Eph 2:4). Be perfect just as your Father is perfect.
See how easy that was when you actually care about the truth instead of resorting to lies when you don't like what you hear? Notice how this also accords with Luke's parallel account, "Be merciful...." Love is mercifully, compassionately self giving to all and anyone. Such love isn't just given to neighbors you like but also to your enemies and those who persecute you.
Notice how John is saying exactly the same thing:
...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven..... be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
.
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as He is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17
Same thing.
be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
as He is, so also are we 1 John 4:17
So now you don't need to believe and teach lies about Matthew 5:48 anymore.
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