Bible: Mat 5:21-37; 1

Anger and Murder

5:21You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 1 Do not murder,’ 2  and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother 3  will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults 4  a brother will be brought before 5  the council, 6  and whoever says ‘Fool 7  will be sent 8  to fiery hell. 9  5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement 10  quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, 11  or he 12  may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth, 13  you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 14 

Adultery

5:27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 15  5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29 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. 16  5:30 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.

Divorce

5:31It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ 17  5:32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

5:33Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 18 Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 19  5:34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, 20  because it is the city of the great King. 5:36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 5:37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yesor ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one. 21 

The Creation of the World

1:1 In the beginning 1  God 2  created 3  the heavens and the earth. 4 

1:2 Now 5  the earth 6  was without shape and empty, 7  and darkness 8  was over the surface of the watery deep, 9  but the Spirit of God 10  was moving 11  over the surface 12  of the water. 13  1:3 God said, 14 Let there be 15  light.” 16  And there was light! 1:4 God saw 17  that the light was good, 18  so God separated 19  the light from the darkness. 1:5 God called 20  the light “dayand the darkness 21 night.” There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day. 22 

1:6 God said, “Let there be an expanse 23  in the midst of the waters and let it separate water 24  from water. 1:7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. 25  It was so. 26  1:8 God called the expanse “sky.” 27  There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

1:9 God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place 28  and let dry ground appear.” 29  It was so. 1:10 God called the dry ground “land 30  and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good.

1:11 God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: 31  plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, 32  and 33  trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” It was so. 1:12 The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. 1:13 There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.

1:14 God said, “Let there be lights 34  in the expanse 35  of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs 36  to indicate seasons and days and years, 1:15 and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” It was so. 1:16 God made two great lights 37 the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also. 38  1:17 God placed the lights 39  in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth, 1:18 to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. 40  God saw that it was good. 1:19 There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.

1:20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms 41  of living creatures and let birds fly 42  above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 1:21 God created the great sea creatures 43  and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. 1:22 God blessed them 44  and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 45  1:23 There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

1:24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” 46  It was so. 1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

1:26 Then God said, “Let us make 47 

humankind 48  in our image, after our likeness, 49  so they may rule 50  over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, 51  and over all the creatures that move 52  on the earth.”

1:27 God created humankind 53  in his own image,

in the image of God he created them, 54 

male and female he created them. 55 

1:28 God blessed 56  them and said 57  to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! 58  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” 59  1:29 Then God said, “I now 60  give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 61  1:30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give 62  every green plant for food.” It was so.

1:31 God saw all that he had made – and it was very good! 63  There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

NET Bible Study Environment