MANY MESSIAHS ANOINTED TO SPEAK FOR GOD***
Messiahs are important characters in the Bible. In the Old Testament, there are sixty-seven mentions of the Hebrew verb Mashach (i.e. anoint, anointed), and thirty-eight mentions of the Hebrew noun Mashiyach (i.e. anointed, anointed ones, messiah).

The word “christ” is another way of identifying anointed ones. Christ is an adjective that describes New Covenant disciples. Christ is not a name and is not Jesus’ last name.

Christians believe that there is only one anointed messiah: Jesus. This belief does not agree with what the Bible says about who is anointed:

• • • Priests are anointed.
    • Kings are anointed.
    • Prophets are anointed.
    • Some people anointed themselves.
    • Sick and dead people, including Jesus, were anointed.
    • Non-human, inanimate objects are anointed.
    • Unnamed people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament are anointed.

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The material with which people are anointed is oil which is symbolic of God’s word.

Everyone anointed by God is a messenger who has one purpose: Prepare the way for people to hear God’s spoken voice.

The Hebrew word for messenger is “malak” which is most often translated as “messengers” in English. In addition to messengers, malak is also translated in the plural as angels, ambassadors and envoys.

Mashiyach and malak are most often translated in the plural form. Messiahs, therefore, are not a unique, singular person. God has sent, and continues to send messiah/messengers. The persona of Jesus, therefore, was not a unique messiah. Jesus is a symbolic representation of all messiahs/messengers God has sent in the past and continues to send as his servants.

This point is worth repeating: Jesus was not the only messiah.  Rather, he is one of a multitude of messiahs and messengers sent by God to speak for God.

Messiahs/messengers are sent by God to speak for God to people who cannot hear God because they have hardened their hearts to hearing God’s spoken voice. Messengers are known by several names: (i.e. prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, apostles and warriors.) They have different names, but they all have the same purpose: Speak for God.

Messiahs/messengers share the following histories and characteristics:

• • • Before God anointed them to be his messengers/messiahs, they were all once Old/First Covenant religionists who practiced defiled religion.
    • While they were religious, they had hard hearts that prevented them from hearing God’s voice.
    • Eventually they saw that religion was oppressive and unjust to them an other religious people.
    • Eventually they cried out to God for deliverance from religion.
    • They humbled themselves in repentance for practicing the sin of religion.
    • They were washed clean from religion through a baptism of repentance.
    • They were anointed by God and became children of God
    • They were tempted to return to religion but resisted.
    • From that point forward their character and ministry followed the pattern we see in Jesus’ life.
    • After they were anointed, they were servants who spoke for God as true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, warriors and apostles.
    • They suffered persecution, tribulation and insult from religious leaders who were threatened by the messiahs attempts to tear down religious idols and high places.  

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The New Testament stories of Jesus are a parable of the stories that are common to all New Covenant disciples whom God anoints to speak for him. Everything that Jesus said, everything that Jesus did, and everything that was done to Jesus by others represents the lives of messiahs/messengers/prophets/angels/high priests/witnesses/warriors/apostles and servants. God presents Jesus and these characters in the Bible to educate his people about his expectations for his servants.

STUDY TIP: See Servants and Shepherds for understanding of what it means to be a servant/shepherd of God.

Bible stories about God’s servants are also useful for discerning the differences between Trees of Life and Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Messiahs/messengers are Trees of Life, and Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Rabbis, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists are Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The stories and experiences of all true prophets, angels, high priests, witnesses, warriors and apostles create the picture of what it means to be a servant of God, but the story of Jesus is an especially detailed and graphic picture of the life of a messiah.

Messenger/messiahs/servants are not God, nor are they gods. God is invisible and  unchanging, but messengers/messiahs/servants are visible and mortal. They are like God only in the sense that their hearts have been recreated in God’s image (i.e. they are sons of God), and they speak for God. Beyond these characteristics, messenger/messiahs/servants are sons of man.

Messenger/messiahs are like God in the sense that they have his spiritual laws written on their hearts and speak for God. Another way to say this is that they are anointed by God’s spoken word so they can speak his words. Symbolically speaking, their hearts have been smeared with anointing oil which represents God’s spoken word. That is what gives them the desire, power and authority to speak for God.

God has two basic purposes in anointing and sending his messengers:

And there are several reasons why he  wants to set people from captivity to religion:

• • • Religion is Disease
    • Religion is Flesh in Motion
    • Religion is Sin
    • Religion is Idolatry
    • Religion is the Enemy
    • Religion is not Faith
    • Religion is a Stronghold of Wrong Thinking
    • Religion is Commerce
    • Religion is Deception
    • Religion is Injustice, Slavery, Oppression and Affliction

God and his servants understand these truths about religion. Religious people, on the other hand, do not understand God’s views of anything — especially religion. Religion blocks their minds to understanding the truth about religion. Because religious people do not understand what God and his servants know about religion, the life of a messenger/messiah is especially dangerous.

Here are a few of the reasons why religious people resent messiahs/messengers:

• • • Religious people love their religions and do not want to quit being religious.
    • They love their religious leaders to the point of idolizing them and will aggressively defend them if anyone suggests that they are not God’s chosen servants.
    • They love their religious music and rituals.
    • They love their religious buildings.
    • They love their community of people who share their religious beliefs.

The reason that religious people do not see religion the way God and his messengers see it is that religious people have hard hearts that prevent them from knowing how to hear God’s voice when he speaks to them in his spiritual language. Nevertheless, some religious people will listen when God speaks through his anointed messengers (i.e. messiahs.) Those who listen to God’s voice are resurrected from spiritual death to the rewards of spiritual life. They choose the narrow gate.

Those who choose the wide gate continue listening to false prophets instead of death to religion and resurrection to new life. Rejecting the rewards of listening to God’s spoken voice, they are satisfied with the rewards religion provides — even though they are spiritually dead because they practice religion.

The rewards and wealth of religion make leaving religion very difficult. Getting sober from addiction to religion requires a miracle that only God can do. Several other factors keep them engaged in religion:

• • • Fellowship they have with people who share their faith gives a sense of belonging and acceptance.
    • The predictability of religious rituals and traditions gives them security.
    • They love the music and singing.
    • They have a sense of security in the belief that God approves of their religion and will reward them for their efforts after they die.

All these factors are very real and important to religious people. They do not realize, however, that they mean nothing to God. Handicapped by a stronghold of wrong thinking that prevents them from knowing the truth, religious people have no idea that all that God wants and expects from them to worship in spirit and truth.

The main handicap to knowing the truth, however, is the religious leaders who tell them over and over that everything they are doing is what God wants them to do.

STUDY TIP: See these links for understanding of religious leaders:

• • • • Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Rabbis, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists.
      • Pharisees and Scribes
      • Serpent, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs
      • False Prophets
      • Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
      • Kings, Queens and Princes

Religious leaders are accepted and honored in their respective religious communities and often outside their religious communities. When friends, family and other trusted acquaintances put their trust in religious leaders, it is hard not to trust them also. The real obstacle to knowing the truth, therefore, is the convincing teachings of religious leaders. Religious people do not think of religious leaders as messiahs, but religious people effectively regard religious leaders as messiahs when they put absolute trust in everything the religious leader says. If a religious leader tells you how to get to heaven and avoid hell after you die physically, and if you believe what that religious leader tells you, that religious leader can be rightly called a false messiah or false prophet.

When gullible people hear charismatic leaders ( both religious and not religious) speaking with apparent wisdom, power, and authority, they are persuaded to believe that the one speaking knows the truth about God. Those religious leaders are, in effect, saviors or messiahs. In God’s eyes, however, they are false messiahs who lead followers to injustice, slavery, oppression and death — not to eternal life.

Many religious people will sacrifice much to support those leaders so that they can accomplish what they promise they can do. Politicians could not get reelected if they were not articulate in speech and engaging in their relationships. Cult leaders would not seduce followers if they were not convincing speakers. And religious leaders (e.g. Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Rabbis, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists etc.) would not hold their leadership positions if they could not speak well and were not comfortable and confident in social settings. All leaders need gullible followers who judge people according to what they look like and what they say — not according to the condition of their hearts. People who are inclined to be religious will follow anyone who looks good and says the right things.

This is true in the case of Christianity just like it is true in any cult. In the belief that Jesus is their deliverer/savior from eternity in hell, Christians stumble over Jesus by judging according to what they see and hear with their natural eyes and ears. They see the pictures and statues, they watch the dramatizations of Christmas and Easter. They listen to the sermons and read the books. In considering everything see and hear, they judge Jesus to be their savior when he is only God’s messenger. And they judge that religious leaders who promote Jesus will help them get to heaven after they die instead of going to hell.They walk by sight — not by faith in the following ways:

• • • • They see pictures and statues of Jesus and find him to be an attractive, handsome human person– even though the Bible says he was not attractive.
      • They read/hear some of his words and find him believable.
      • They read the stories about the things he did and would like to be like him.
      • They read about the miracles he apparently did.
      • They hear religious leaders and people they trust say that Jesus is their savior.
      • They are moved with emotional attraction for Jesus when they celebrate Christmas.
      • The Easter story moves them to gratitude for the way he suffered and died for them.
      • They believe stories that say he physically died and miraculously came back to life.
      • They believe teaching that says he is the way to eternal life.

For all these reasons and more, Christians stumble in their thinking and feelings about the human Jesus. It is all wrong thinking and wrong feeling. Jesus was only a human person (i.e. son of man). Of course he was a spiritual son of God like all other true prophets, angels  messiahs, high priests, witnesses, warriors and apostles, but he is not God any more than any other child of God is God. God has many children, sons and daughters, but the Bible does not say that he considered any of them to be equal to himself. Here is what the Bible does say:

• • • God is one.
    • God does not share his glory with anyone.
    • The servant is not above his master.

In the world of Christianity, the trinity doctrine disagrees with what the Bible says. Here is what the trinity doctrine says:

• • • The trinity is three persons (father, son, holy spirit) in one.
    • God’s glory is shared with Jesus.
    • The servant Jesus is equal to his father. ***

Messiah/messengers have the challenge of convincing Christians that the trinity doctrine is a false doctrine. This is a challenge because Christians are organized into religious organizations led by Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Rabbis, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists who preach this doctrine. The very idea of the so-called Christian gospel sets the human Jesus above God because it says Jesus is a kind of gatekeeper to getting to God. This thinking is represented in the so-called four spiritual laws. ***

The heart of anyone who is born again is recreated into the image of God. Being created in the image of God means that the heart of that person is transformed from evil and impure to clean and pure. But having a clean pure heart does not make anyone equal to God. Having a clean pure heart means that God is your father because you are born of spiritual, imperishable seed: God’s spoken word. Being born again does not make anyone equal to God.

Jesus was born again when he was anointed by God. Prior to that, he was a religious Jew, born to religious parents and living in a community of religious Jews. That all changed when Jesus was baptized and anointed.

Christians stumble when they fail to go deep to understand Jesus’ character or his ministry. They stumble when they believe a simple gospel that presents Jesus as their savior.

Christians stumble when they listen to religious leaders who say that Jesus is the way to heaven. They stumble if they do not study and listen to God’s voice which would tell them that Jesus was not God but was only a messenger who speaks for God by the power of the holy spirit. Jews made this mistake regarding Moses, and Christians made this mistake regarding Jesus. Christians continue to make this mistake every time they listen to their religious leaders (e.g. pastors, priests, evangelists, etc.) Every time they listen to a religious leader, they stumble in their search to know God.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of why Jesus as a stumbling block. Also see this link for understanding of how to search for God, and this link of how to know God.

In the New Testament, there are over five hundred mentions of a christ (i.e. anointed one). Most of these references are translated as “Christ,” and only a few are translated as “messiah.”

When christos is translated as “christ,” it is always capitalized as though it were a proper name, which it is not. This error leads Christians to the common error of thinking that “Christ” is the last name of a man whose first name is Jesus. Four times christos is translated as “messiah.” Thus we often find Jesus and christ appearing together like first and last names. But, the Greek could also have been legitimately translated as “Jesus messiah.”

The important fact to remember here is that the name Jesus is a masculine noun and that the word christos is an adjective. References to “Jesus christ,” therefore, would more properly be written in English as “Jesus messiah,” because messiah is an adjective that describes his qualities or state of being.

Christ is not Jesus’ name like people have two or three or more names. Christ is a name for Jesus only in the sense that names in the Bible indicate character.

STUDY TIPS: See Third Commandment for understanding of names.

See this link for understanding of the qualities of a messiah.

In the Old Testament, we find anointing oil applied to kings, priests and prophets. Religious people interpret the practice of anointing with oil literally — not symbolically.

The person doing the anointing is always someone who was already anointed. That means the one who does the anointing has God’s spiritual laws written on their clean, pure hearts which is their qualification to speak for God. Symbolically speaking, when people are anointed with oil, the one doing the anointing smears God’s words over the hearts of the one who is anointed. When this happens, God does the miracle of changing their heart from evil and impure to clean and pure. Symbolically speaking they are spiritually born again.

The model for this practice appears in the story of Moses consecrating Aaron and his sons for service as priests

STUDY TIP: See Moses for understanding of Moses as messiah

From Old Testament references to anointing, we must conclude that the concept of a messiah is not exclusive to the New Testament. Nor is it exclusive to someone called the messiah. Prophets, angels, high priests, witnesses and warriors are also technically messiahs because they are all anointed and all speak for God. And they all have the same mission that Jesus the christ (i.e. the messiah) had:

From these plentiful Old Testament references to anointing, we must conclude that the concept of a messiah is not exclusive to the New Testament. Nor is it exclusive to someone called the messiah. Prophets, angels, high priests, witnesses and warriors are also technically messiahs because they are all anointed and all speak for God. And they all have the same mission that Jesus Christ (i.e. messiah) had:

When God puts his spirit on someone, he does it for two basic reasons: Convict people of the sin of religion. Make them aware of the rewards of listening to his voice.

STUDY TIP: See GOD’S SPOKEN WORD HAS POWER for understanding of the way God works through people he anoints with his spirit.

Moses was qualified to anoint Aaron and his sons because God put his words in Moses’ mouth when he sent Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt.

STUDY TIP: The topic of anointing and the story of Moses can be understood only when we first understand that Bible characters are not just historical characters. They exist to teach us about the difference between the holy and profane.

The story in Exodus 4:10-16 about God’s words in Moses’ mouth is not just a story about a unique man named Moses. Rather, it is a parable of the experience that is common to all New Covenant disciples. That means that we should see ourselves as deliverer prophets like Moses because our experience with religion and deliverance is modeled on Moses’ experience.

Like Moses, most of us are all born into religious environments. We all have some kind of status as spiritual sons of religious leaders (i.e. pharaohs). And a few of us have, like Moses, taken notice of the abuse that religious leaders have laid on our fellow religionists, and perhaps even made some feeble attempt to use our human strength to deliver them from oppression. And then, like Moses we have pulled away from religion because religious leaders tried to harm us because of our ineffective human efforts to subdue religion.

What happens to us after disengaging from religion may, or may not, be the same as what happened to Moses. The turning point for Moses was his encounter with God at the burning bush where he got a vision of Israel under fire from religion but not consumed by it. The vision he received was of God rescuing Israel (i.e. Moses’ family and friends whom he left behind in Egypt) from religious leaders (i.e. pharaoh) who had unjustly enslaved and oppressed them. Because Moses had already been moved in his heart to do something to help his people, he understood and appreciated what God wanted to do. And he was somewhat willing to do what God wanted him to do, but he had doubts that either pharaoh or Israel would listen to him. It is not surprising that Moses had doubts. God had a big job for him. Here is what he wanted Moses to do:

Moses’ doubted God on three points: That God would speak through him; that people would listen to him; that he was eloquent enough to speak for God. But the power of God’s word (i.e. anointing) is strong enough to overcome all human obstacles.***

From these plentiful Old Testament references to anointing, we must conclude that the concept of a messiah is not exclusively to the New Testament. Christians will be discomforted, therefore, with the reality that a man named Jesus was not the first, only or last messiah. Jesus, in fact, was one of a long history of disciples whom God anointed, continues to anoint, and will anoint in the future.

All messiahs, past, present, and future have the following characteristics in common:

• • • • They were either born into religion or at some time chose to be religious.
      • They enjoyed the perks of being religious.
      • After spending some time in religion, they began to notice in big and small ways that religion is not as pure and holy as it represents itself to be.
      • They began to see that religion is unjust and oppressive.
      • They were open to hearing God’s spoken voice.
      • God wrote his laws on their hearts.
      • They believed that God would speak through them.
      • They chose to serve God as true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses and warriors.

The words they speak are God’s words — not their own words –and not for their own glory. The words they speak are spiritual words — not human wisdom. Their words warn religious people to leave religion and listen to God’s voice. They are easily identifiable as true prophets.

A false/different gospel is spoken through religious dreamers who speak for their own glory with visions from the imaginations of their evil hearts — not from the mouth of God. They are easily identifiable as false prophets. They are all Old/First Covenant religionists.

STUDY TIP: See The Gospel for more understanding.

God’s voice (i.e. blood) delivers people from the sin of religion. Once people learn how to listen to God’s voice, they learn that they have been slaves to religious systems based on literal interpretations of the Bible. And when they learn this truth, they will no longer put their trust in false prophets who effectively function as idols.

Whether people listen to the message of true prophets or not is up to them. All that is required of the messiahs is to speak what God tells them to speak.

STUDY TIP: See Blood, Swords, Arrows and Stones for understanding of what it means to be saved by the blood. Also see FORGIVENESS AND ETERNAL LIFE for more about salvation from religion.

The story of deliverance from the sin of religion is symbolically represented in the scriptures about Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. There we see that the way of escape from bondage is opened to people who painted blood on the doorposts of their hearts. This story symbolically says that God’s voice saves people from the plague of death (i.e. religion).

Many times Israel was tempted to return to Egypt to practice the religion it learned there. The pattern is repeated and further explained by the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness as reported in the following scriptures:

Matthew 4:1-11: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

COMMENTARY: In this well-known story, we find the devil quoting the literal scripture to tempt Jesus. In each temptations the devil implies that Jesus would receive a reward if he would interpret scripture literally and apply it literally in his life. Jesus, of course understood the temptations and counters the devils literal interpretations of scripture with the spiritual meaning. He never succumbs to the temptation to apply scripture literally.

In the first temptation, the devil does not quote a specific scripture but makes a general reference to Jesus as the Son of God who, being like God, has the same creative ability that God has. Since there are no scriptural references to God creating natural bread from stone, the creation story is the basis for the implication that Jesus can create something out of nothing, or at least transform a physical stone to physical bread.

Jesus of course would not try to perform a physical miracle, because he knows that God does not alter his natural laws. To do so would be against his own character and his laws which do not change. Furthermore, because God is very comfortable being invisible (i.e. spiritual) and has no need or desire to display his power through physical miracles that appeal to man’s desire to see physical signs and wonders, Jesus also has no need or desire to perform a miracle. He only does what he sees the father doing. That also means he does not do what the father does not do, and he does not try to do what only his father can do (i.e. change the hearts of people). He therefore resists the temptation.

Furthermore, Jesus knows that the devil’s oblique reference to creation as a physical event is a deceptive temptation to be religious. Jesus, however, knows that the creation story is about spiritual re-creation — not physical creation.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of the creation story.

In the third temptation, the devil demonstrates his authority over religious kingdoms. If he did not have that authority, he could not promise to give that authority to Jesus. The devil does not quote a particular scripture in this temptation, but he is challenging Jesus to violate the First Commandment regarding worship of other gods.

In all three temptations Jesus counters literal scripture with his paraphrased interpretations of Deuteronomy 6:13-18:

You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you; 15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. 16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land which the LORD swore to give to your father.

In his responses to the devil and his quoting of Deuteronomy 6:13-18, Jesus makes two important points about interpreting scripture:

First, he does not agree with the devil’s literal interpretation. Second he interprets the written word with the correct spiritual understanding. He does this by introducing subtleties and nuances that cannot be found in the literal words. These subtleties and nuances can be understood only when the law is written on the hearts of New Covenant disciples. They are spiritually discerned. They are possible only when there is a level of intimacy that allows knowing God face to face (i.e. spirit to spirit because God does not have a physical face). This is the essence of being created in God’s image.

In making these interpretations, Jesus shows by example the serious problems people face when they interpret the law literally. Basically, what happens is that they end up worshiping the Devil who has tempted them to adopt a literal interpretation of the written word.

The story of Jesus’ temptation is a parable for what goes on in religion. The devil is a type of religious leader who insists on interpreting the Bible literally. The devil is also an example of a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Jesus the messiah also reinterprets the literal law on many other occasions which are typically, but not always, introduced with the statement “you have heard it said” which is a reference to the written word. What has been heard are paraphrased quotes from the written Law of Moses which is what the Jews lived by then and now. See the following examples of Jesus reinterpreting scripture:

Matthew 5:21-22  “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ‘ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’

JESUS’ REINTERPRETATION: 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

STUDY TIP: See Sixth Commandment: Murder for a detailed reinterpretation of Jesus’ words.

Matthew 5:27-28  “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY ‘;

JESUS’ REINTERPRETATION: 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of adultery and prostitution.

Matthew 5:31: “It was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE

JESUS’ REINTERPRETATION: 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. See this link for understanding of adultery and prostitution.

Matthew 5:33-34  “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.

JESUS’ REINTERPRETATION: 34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.

36″Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37″But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes ‘ or ‘No, no ‘; anything beyond these is of evil.

Matthew 5:38-42: “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.

JESUS’ REINTERPRETATION: “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41″Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42″Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:43-48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’

JESUS’ REINTERPRETATION: 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

COMMENTARY on verse 44: Jesus is speaking to New Covenant disciples. Their enemies are Old/First Covenant religionists because they enslaved and oppressed while they were religious before they left religion.

STUDY TIPS: See Love for understanding of love.  Also see this link for understanding of greater love,  and this link for understanding of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Also see The Lord’s Prayer for understanding of the prayer that should be prayed for enemies. Also see this link about persecution.

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

COMMENTARY on verse 45: New Covenant disciples are sons of their father God because he has caused them to be spiritually born again. Old/First Covenant religionists are sons of their father the devil (i.e. religious leaders).

Sun and rain are symbolic references to God’s voice. This verse says that everyone has the innate ability to hear God’s voice. It is only people who have clean, pure hearts, however, who recognize God’s voice and respond to it.

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

COMMENTARY: Religious people show partiality to  other religious people. They receive no reward from God for this kind of love

47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

COMMENTARY: Brothers are Old/First Covenant religionists who share the same religious beliefs. They greet each other and love one another but do not show the same kind of affection for people who do not share their beliefs. In fact, what they do is sin by judging one another.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of what Jesus said about judging and murder.

48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

COMMENTARY: Religious people show partiality toward people with whom they share religious beliefs, but they are enemies to people who have other religious beliefs. God, who does not show partiality, displays perfect love toward everyone. Only New Covenant disciples can display perfect love toward everyone because they have God’s name (i.e. character) written on their hearts.

In each of these scriptures Jesus first cites the literal words of the Bible when he says “you have heard it said”, and then he reinterprets the literal words with their symbolic meanings. But even the symbolic meanings are difficult to understand, and indeed they cannot be understood unless the spirit of God reveals the spiritual meaning. Such revelations are only available to New Covenant disciples to whom God reveals mysteries (i.e. the spiritual meanings of literal scriptures).