Matthew 5:17-30
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
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.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
The Grace New Testament Commentary - Matthew 5:20
5:20 This verse is a typical example of the Lord's teaching style. He ministered under the Law in preparing the nation for a deeper understanding of His kingdom program. But He was also preparing them for a deeper understanding of grace. His purpose was to provoke a response and create tension, not to give full clarification. That would come later, particularly in the Epistles.
Verse 19 may seem to imply that one can break commandments and still be in the kingdom. However, Jesus boldly asserts that "unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus indicates that the scribes and Pharisees have been defective in their teaching and practice of the Law. These religious leaders had committed themselves to complying with every detail of the Law of Moses as well as the traditions of the elders. If their righteousness was not sufficient to qualify them for entrance into the kingdom, then how could they enter? The idea that pharisaic righteousness could not save was a shocking charge for an unschooled rabbi to be making against Israel's scrupulous religious leaders. But Jesus has to blast their self-righteousness before He can build an understanding of grace.
In spite of the fact that saved disciples are still capable of sinning, it is possible for their righteousness to exceed that of the Pharisees and thus guarantee entrance into the kingdom. They would be the recipients of Christ's imputed righteousness that was perfect in every respect (2 Cor 5:21). But this righteousness is received by grace through faith, not by works (Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9). Furthermore, they would be recipients of imparted righteousness for their daily lives through the enablement of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16). Faith in Christ would guarantee entrance into God's eternal kingdom (John 3:3, 15-16).
The Grace New Testament Commentary - Matthew 5:22
5:22 Jesus argues that while the rabbis say that the external act of murder is liable to judgment in a human court of law, internal anger is liable to God’s judgment in His court of law. While the rabbis affirm that insulting language is even punishable by the council (probably the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court), Jesus says that insulting language is punishable by "hell fire." Yet Jesus’ words can cause consternation even among the saved. It is not unusual for them to ask, "Does this mean I can expect to be eternally lost if I carelessly call someone a fool just before I die?" But this threat of hell is directed at those trusting in pharisaic righteousness, not those who have been saved by grace through faith alone. The righteousness of Christ imputed to them is more than sufficient to meet their need of eternal security.
Charles Bing - Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship - Plucking Out Your Eye, Matthew 5:29-30 (cf. Mark 9:43-48)
(Salvation) Interpretation: A person who does not do what is necessary to stop sinning will be thrown into hell.
(Discipleship) Interpretation: It is better to be a believer who suffers loss in order to stop sinning than to be a whole unbeliever thrown into hell.
We remember that Jesus is addressing His disciples with the multitude listening in. He is not telling His disciples that if they continue to sin they will lose their salvation. He is certainly not suggesting if people stop sinning they will avoid hell. He is telling his disciples that kingdom conduct demands a radical effort to avoid a serious sin like the sin of adultery that He mentions (vv. 27-28). Of course, plucking out the eye and cutting off the hand are metaphors for a radical commitment to not sin. While the disciple will have to suffer severely in order to deny his sinful desires, he is better off than an unsaved person who sins with abandon, makes no effort to avoid sin, and remains a whole person (with all his body parts), but is thrown into hell. While cutting off body parts is symbolic, the reality behind the metaphor can involve things like suffering a financial loss to avoid sin, suffering a severed relationship, or suffering a relocation to avoid a temptation. The loss is real and may be painful, but it is nothing compared to those who refuse to deal with their sin and end up in hell.
Mark 9:43-48 uses the same metaphors (but includes cutting off a foot) and the same consequences. In this context, Jesus is teaching his disciples a lesson about greatness in the anticipated kingdom (Mark 9:33-35). Greatness is found in those disciples who value, accept, and serve those who are younger, weaker, and less committed to Christ (the children of Mark 9:36-37 and the one who is not following Christ as a committed disciple, vv. 38-41). Together, these are the "little ones" or the young and immature believers of verse 42. It is a serious offense to the Lord to cause one of these to sin, and therefore wreck their fragile faith, as is shown by the reference to hanging a millstone around the offender's neck and throwing him into the sea.
In verse 43, there is a dramatic shift from talking about someone who causes a little one to sin to directly addressing the disciples' potential to sin. This is probably because a disciple who sins can lead a less mature believer to sin also. As disciples, suffering a temporary loss (if we continue with the metaphor, all body parts would be restored in eternity) and entering life is a better fate than an unbeliever who suffers no loss as he indulges in sin and goes to hell with all his body parts, a whole person (vv. 43-48). Disciples shouldn't grieve about losses in this life when they sacrifice desires for the sake of others, because enduring such a brief loss is nothing compared to the fate of an unbeliever. Worse, the sin of an indulgent unbeliever may cause a little one to sin, bringing the severe punishment represented by the millstone and watery fate.
As followers of Christ, we have a kingdom responsibility to take drastic measures to avoid sin. Sin misrepresents the Lord, despises His grace, and can cause less mature believers to sin, injuring their walk with the Lord. The Lord takes sin seriously, and so should we.
Thomas Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible - Matthew 5:29
5:29 As before (vv. 23-26), two illustrations aid our understanding of what Jesus meant. The eye is the member of the body initially responsible for luring us into an immoral thought or act (cf. Num. 15:39; Prov. 21:4; Ezek. 6:9; 18:12; 20:8). The "right eye" is the best eye, applying the common metaphorical use of the right anything as being superior to the left.
A literal interpretation of this verse would have Jesus crippling every member of the human race. Should not one pluck out his left eye as well, following this literal line of interpretation? Furthermore, disposing of the eye would not remove the real cause of the offense, which is a lustful heart. Clearly this is a hyperbolic statement, not to be taken literally, designed to make a point by overstatement. Unfortunately, the early church father Origen took this command literally and castrated himself. Jesus' point was that His disciples must deal radically with sin. We must avoid temptation at all costs. This is not a condition for salvation but for discipleship.
Thomas Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible - Matthew 5:30
5:30 "Hell" is Gehenna, the final place of punishment for all the wicked. Its mention here does not imply that believers can go there. It represents the worst possible destiny. It, too, is hyperbole here, though hell is a real place. The loss of any body part is preferable to the loss of the whole person, is the point.