Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke John Calvin
Matthew 5:20-22
MATTHEW 5:20-22
Matthew 5:20-22
20. For I say to you, That, unless your righteousness shall be more abundant 387 than that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter 388 into the kingdom of heaven. 21. You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 389 Thou shalt not kill: and he who shall kill shall be liable to judgment. 390 22. But I say to you, That every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment: and he who shall say to his brother, Racha, shall be liable to the council: and he who shall say, Fool, shall be liable to the hell of fire. 391
Matthew 5:20. Unless your righteousness shall be more abundant. He takes a passing notice of the Scribes, who were laboring to throw a stain on the doctrine of the Gospel, as if it were the ruin of the Law. True, he does not reason on this subject, but only points out briefly, that nothing has less influence over their minds than zeal for the law. "They pretend, that their hostility to me arises from their strong desire, that the law should not be violated. But their life makes it evident, how coldly they observe the law, — nay more, how unconcerned they are about mocking God,392 while they boast before men of an assumed and hypocritical righteousness." This is the view which the most of commentators give of the passage.
But it deserves inquiry, whether he does not rather blame the corrupted manner of teaching, which the Pharisees and Scribes followed in instructing the people. By confining the law of God to outward duties only, they trained their disciples, like apes, to hypocrisy.393 They lived, I readily admit, as ill as they taught, and even worse: 387"Si votre justice n'outrepasse;" — "if your righteousness does not go beyond." 388"Vous n'entrerez nullement, ou, jamais;" — "you shall not at all enter, or, you shall never enter."
389"Aux anciens." 390"Sera digne d'estre puni par jugement;" — "shall be worthy of being punished by judgment."
391"Sera digne d'estre puni par la gehenne du feu;" — "shall be worthy of being punished by the gehenna of fire."
392"Comme ils se moquent de Dieu sans en faire conscience." — "How they mock God, without making conscience of it."
393"Ils accoustumoyent leurs disc p es k ne hypocrisle, et en faisoyent des singes." — "They