Adultery Revisited
Matthew 5:27-30
Magnifying the law in his teachings, how did Jesus define adultery?
#AdulteryDefined
#AdulteryMagnified
#SermonOnTheMount
Published August 2nd, 2017; Updated August 2nd, 2017
Passage
Main point summary
Diagram of Matthew 5:27-30
Passage
Adultery 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘ Do not commit adultery .’ 38 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 39 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
notes
Main point summary
Jesus corrected the people's misunderstanding of adultery as that which is confined to a physical sexual intercourse with the spouse of another to one that includes even sexual lust towards anyone. So serious is the penalty for violating the commandment against adultery, i.e., damnation in hell, that Jesus strongly urges his listeners to do whatever is necessary in order to escape this judgment.
Diagram of Matthew 5:27-30
NT
Matthew 5:27-30
esv
mine
nasb
net
h “You have heard that it was said, i ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
"You have heard that it was said,
“ a You have heard that it was said, ‘ b You shall not commit adultery’;
“You have heard that it was said,
'You shall not commit adultery.'
‘ Do not commit adultery .’ 38
ideaexplanation
But I say to you that j everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
But as for myself, I am saying to you,
but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman a with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
But I say to you
that anyone who looks at a woman
that whoever looks at a woman
for the purpose of indulging his intense sexual desire for her,
to desire her
actionpurpose
in that person's heart, he has already committed adultery with her.
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
actionresult
negativepositive
k If your right eye l causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into m hell.
So then , if your eye, the right one, causes you to stumble,
a If your right eye makes you 1 stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you 2 to lose one of the parts of your body, 3 than for your whole body to be thrown into 4 b hell.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
gouge it out
tear it out
then throw it away!
and throw it away!
progression
conditional
for it is to your own benefit that you lose just one part of your body
It is better to lose one of your members
than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 39
ground
k And if your right hand l causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into m hell.
And if your right hand causes you to stumble,
a If your right hand makes you 1 stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you 2 to lose one of the parts of your body, 3 than for your whole body to go into 4 b hell.
If your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off
cut it off
then throw it away!
and throw it away!
for it is to your own benefit that you lose just one part of your body
It is better to lose one of your members
than for your whole body to go into hell.
than to have your whole body go into hell.
inference
discourse
Comments
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.