THE VOICE OF CHRIST

THE VOICE OF CHRIST

THE LAW WHICH ALL CHRISTIANS 

ARE OBLIGED TO KEEP PERFECTLY

Baptism became for all of us, the beginning of the necessary work we need to accomplish, if we desire salvation and membership in the kingdom of heaven, a task that can only be accomplished in this present life, because after death comes judgment. In Baptism, we renounced the Devil who is the ruler of this world, and by our three immersions and emersions in Baptism, we  died to sin and were resurrected into Christ’s glorious Resurrection. This is the beginning, but our Lord teaches many important things  to the  believers who were baptized into His death and Resurrection.  Christ raises His voice and speaks to us, and this  requires our dedicated attention and obedience. He established the Christian law and  commanded that we keep it, which is an impossible task if we don’t know and understand it.  For convenience we are printing it here from Scripture, in an improved translation from the original Greek, being the Gospel Law of the Lord.  In reading it, is good to remember the Lord’s words: “whoever breaks one point of the law breaks the whole law.” If we struggle to keep all of His commandments, they will develop into good habits, delighting our hearts, filling us with great hope for eternal life and the joy of our Lord!

     In the Gospel of Matthew, chapters five, six, and seven, is what was called by the Church,  the Evangelical Law; it details many things and sets the boundaries of what we are permitted or required to say or do, for in following Christ we can no longer follow our own will, but the will of God. 

That is why these divinely established laws when applied, will change our attitude and character,  and this will attract grace from God, changing our sinful ugliness into gracious beauty. Gradually this will transform us into the image and likeness of the Lord, “to the fullness of the stature of Christ” thus becoming men whom the Lord transformed into gods!

Matthew 5

1. Seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when he was seated his disciples came to him. 

2. Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 

3.  Immortal are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

4.  Immortal are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

5.  Immortal are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. 

6.  Immortal are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled. 

7.  Immortal are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. 

8.  Immortal are the pure in heart for they shall see God. 

9.  Immortal are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. 

10.  Immortal are those who are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  
11. Immortal are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. 

12. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

13. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt becomes insipid, how shall it be re-salted?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  

14. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

15. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 

16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

17. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 

18. Amen, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one iota or one dot will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  

19.Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;  but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

20. For I say to you, that unless your justice exceeds the justice of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 

21. You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. 

22. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, Racca, shall be responsible to the council. But whoever shall say,  You fool,  shall be in danger of Gehenna.

23. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24. Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you are thrown into prison. 

26. Amen, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. 

27. You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not commit adultery. 

28. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman and desires her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  

29. And if your right eye scandalizes you, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more advantageous for you that one member perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 

30. And if your right hand scandalizes you, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more advantageous for you that one  member perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna,

31. Furthermore it has been said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.

32. But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except for fornication causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  

33. Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.

34. But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

35. Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 

36. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  

37. But let your yes be yes, and your no no.  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.  
38. You have heard that it was said,  An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

39. But I tell you not to resist evil.  But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 

40. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your robe, let him have your coat also. 

41. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42. Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. 

43. You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

44 . But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefuly use you and persecute you, 

45. That you may be sons of your Father in heaven;  or he causes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  

46. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 

47. And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  

48. Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6
 1. Be careful not to perform your merciful deeds before men, in order to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 

2. Therefore, when you perform merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men.  Amen, I say to you, they have their reward.  

3. But when you perform merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 

4. That your merciful deeds may be done in secret;  and your Father who sees in secret. Himself will reward you openly. 

5. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the avenues, that they may be seen by men.  Amen, I say to you, they have their reward. 

6. But you, when you pray, go into your innermost room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father in the hidden place; and your Father who sees what is hidden  will reward you openly. 

7. But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 

8. Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows what you have need of before you ask him.  
9. Therefore, pray in this manner:  Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be your name.  

10. Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  

11. Give us this day our most essential bread.  

12. And forgive us our debts,  As we forgive our debtors.  

13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  

14. For if you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  

15. But if you do not forgive men their transgressions, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.  

16. Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, bearing a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that it may appear to men that they are fasting.  Amen, I say to you, they have their reward.  

17. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 

18. So that you do not appear to be fasting before men, but in secret before your Father;  and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 

19. Do not treasure up for yourselves treasures on earth, where they vanish from moth and rust and where thieves break through and steal; 

20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where they do not vanish from moth and rust and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  

21. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22. The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 

23. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 

24. No one is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be hold to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon. 

25. Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will wear.  Is not the soul more than food and the body more than clothing? 

26. Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? 

27. Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?  

28. And why are you anxious about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;  they neither labor nor spin; 

29. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

30. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you,  you of little faith?  

31. Then do not be anxious, saying,  What shall we eat? or What shall we drink?' or What shall we wear?' 

32. For after all these things the nations seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 

33. But seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added to you.  

34. Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own evil.

Matthew 7 

1. Judge not that you will not be judged. 

2. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, so it will be measured back to you. 

3. And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the log in your own eye? 

4. Or how can you say to your brother,  Let me remove the splinter from your eye; and behold, a log is in your own eye? 

5. Hypocrite!  First remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. 

6. Do not give what is holy to the dogs; neither throw your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. 

7. Ask and it will be given to you;  seek and you will find;  knock  and it will be opened to you. 

8. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 

9. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 

10. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 

11. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those who ask him.

12. Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets. 

13. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way leading to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  

14. Because narrow is the gate and restricted is the way leading the way to life, and few are those finding it.  

15. Beware of  false prophets, who come to you in sheeps’ clothing, but inwardly they are plundering wolves.

16. You will know them by their fruits.  Neither do men gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.

17. Therefore, every good tree bears good fruit but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit.  

18. A good tree cannot bear evil fruit nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit. 

19. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  

20. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  

21. Not everyone who says to me,  Lord,  Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in the heavens. 

22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many mighty works in your name?

23. And then I will declare to them,  I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice iniquity. 

24. Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a prudent man who built his house on the rock;

25. And the rain descended, the rivers came up, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 

26. Now everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand;

27. And the rain descended, the rivers raised up, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell and great was its fall.

28. And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at his teaching, 

29. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as did the scribes.