By: Robert Serreyn
Question? Matthew 5:22 has me perplexed, please help answer?
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Answer:
V22 of Matthew Chapter 5 has been THE CAUSE of Great Concern, Worry, and Fear for many people.
The words “THOU FOOL” was expression of GREAT INSULT and DEEP HATRED.
In V22 Jesus was WARNING to be careful to not let anger turn into hatred which carried a heavy price if acted upon, IN FACT 1 John 3:15 states…
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
V15 is a Roman Catholic Church favorite. THEY USE this verse as THEIR so- called proof text that those “Who Murder” will not and cannot go to heaven, but what the Roman Catholic Priest, Pope and all the DECEIVED followers of this False Religion fail to understand is that V15 is referring to UNRIGHTEOUS acts, deed or works, Please let me explain…
If a person is UNSAVED then they DO NOT HAVE eternal life, they are NOT ABIDING in him (Christ), They are UNRIGHTEOUS in the eyes of God and the Judgement of hell is upon them and ALL OF THEIR unrighteous deeds will add to their degree of torment in the Lake Of Fire.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books (book of works/deeds) were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
If a person IS SAVED then ALL their UNRIGHTEOUS Thoughts, Acts, and Words will be Judged as such and WILL BE burnt up and will not be allowed to follow the believer into heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
NOTE: To say that 1 John 3:15 should not be intrepretated in this way is to suggest that a saved person would go to hell if they committed a murder and that would make salvation by works and relied upon the individual by what they have done or not done and that would be a FALSE MESSAGE
In Conclusion:
I believe that Jesus’s MAIN FOCUS of Matthew 5:22 was to show OUR NEED of him as saviour and to bring out into the light how unrighteous and unperfect we are which excludes our entrance in God’s heavenly kingdom if we HAVE NOT Trusted in Christ alone as saviour.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH