You Fool!

Dear Brethren,
I am not offended, and I was not offended, but because of the reaction of some in my congregation when I don't say 'donkey' instead of the kj reading, I knew someone would find offense.

AS far as me, I worked telephone construction for the last five years, I have had plenty of offense before 6:00 am and all in the wrong context.

Bro. Dallas

 

Matthew 5:21-22 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.

Jesus delineates three groups here:
1. The judgment: " It was a court that sat in each city or town, and consisted commonly of seven members. It was the lowest court among the Jews, and from it an appeal might be taken to the Sanhedrim." (Barnes)

2. The council is known as the Sanhedrin throughout the Scriptures. It was made up of 72 of the chief priests and elders of the city.

3. Hell fire--Gehenna--the valley of hinnon.

The parallel that is drawn here:
1. If you are angry without a cause you are danger you are in danger of the judgement. Therefore get it resolved in the immediate context, that is your own church, your own community, or just between you and your brother as the case may be. The following verses bear this out. Read Mat.5:23-25. Agree with thine adversary quickly. Bringing the matter before a small group of people and getting the problem resolved, and not letting it go any farther is best.

2. "whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council."
This is the equivalent of church discipline. Bring it before the church. Matthew 18. The council is no longer the Sanhedrin; it is the local church as a whole. Raca is a serious charge. It has the meaning of: worthless, stupid, empty-headed. Words hurt, and sometimes forever. Such foolish and anry words were cause enough to bring to the Sanhedrin. They were the words of a fool. God does not tolerate fools. Neither does the church. A man who continually runs his mouth with such verbal abuse needs to be disciplined.

3. "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
This is the most serious charge of all, and it puts a person at the judgment bar of God as one that is unsaved, and worthy only of the condemnation of God. Look elsewhere in Scripture.

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Those that hate; those who have continual anger with their brother are not saved. The Bible labels them as murderers. And we know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Only the lake of fire awaits him. He will stand at the Great White Throne Judgement awaiting the final sentencing of God.

Thus Jesus draws this parallel using the Jewish mode of justice and applies it to God's justice system for us.
DHK

 

It has seemed to me that the Lord was referring to a legal code vs. the higher moral code. Raca had a legal sanction against it, what we would call in our legal system "fighting words." Since "fool" did not have this sanction, a Jew might use that slander and technically be immune to prosecution. But the Lord was teaching that it's the heart motive that God looks at. "It may be legal, but it's just as wrong." This is what he taught in so many other instances.

(Excerpted from Pipedude's Critical Commentary on Matthew, p. 61)