Matthew 5:39 Why would God command us to not resist evil?

Here (<- link) is a very informative page on the matter

I hope that helps

1COR. 21:8.
Now therefore in the sight of all Israel '''The Congregation' of The LORD''', and in the audience of our God,
((keep and seek for all the Commandments of The LORD your God))):
((((that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever".
YA'LL KNOW
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Matt. 5:39.
1COR. 21:8.
Now therefore in the sight of all Israel '''The Congregation' of The LORD''', and in the audience of our God,
((keep and seek for all the Commandments of The LORD your God))):
((((that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever".
SOME of YA'LL KNOW!!!
=hugs and kisses...

Hi again. Forgive my ignorance or lack of understanding when it comes to the nuances of such a distinction. Would you like to point at your post on here that explains it better or?? See to me its an on/off switch. To me the bible is targeted by God to those God expects to read it rather than say a bunch of things God says to those he speaks to at the time are for them only in that situation yet others he directs to those at the time and those who come after (us) without any real means of distinguishing one from the other, beyond convenience of a moment or interpretation.. am I missing something that helps me know plainly which are which?

Well i believe the bible tells us the intent and purpose within each book and letter . Heres some examples .

1 peter
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

1 John 5:13

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Acts 1
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

John .

John 20:31

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Rev 1
1¶The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Ect . Everything is within the bible. How to read it . The Authors intent , The central theme of each book and letter . Who the audience is and the timeline ect .
God always has a spokesperson. He uses the written word to record these things ,so that it would be preserved and understood.

Are you here to truly understand or try to cause a riff?

What you stated about John 3:16 you misrepresented, He makes an offer out of love and you change the words to make Him look like an dictator! Do what I say or heaven is withheld? If people could do what God asked, not told them, His Son would not have to die for our sins. Why are you here?

You cannot understand Matthew 5:39 because you are speaking as one in the flesh. Proven by the way you paraphrased John 3:16. Having some knowledge of the words but no understanding which comes from knowing God and being born again. Because you do not understand God’s love for you and His sacrifice, you cannot understand His ways. Then surly you cannot understand the Mercy and Love spoken of in Matthew if you do not understand the cross.

A brother in Christ

I Corrected below, I apologize, I misread it the first time and thought you said, John stated (do) as I say.

What you stated about John 3:16 you did still misrepresented, He makes an offer out of love and you change the words to make Him look like an dictator! Correction, you said (believe) not Do, what I say or heaven is withheld? That statement is still wrong.

If you had said (do) what God told them, His Son would not have to die for our sins. Why are you here? Believe is what you said and yes, it does say that you will be saved I’f you believe .

However, It does not say God will withhold heaven from you. We know we are all sinners and guilty. You don’t have to believe, or accept Him as Lord. That leaves that person naked and guilty of sin and that person who doesn’t accept him chooses darkness and to be separated from God by their own choice they with hold themselves from heaven not God with holding heaven.

You cannot understand Matthew 5:39 because you are speaking as one in the flesh. Proven by the way you paraphrased John 3:16. Having some knowledge of the words but no understanding which comes from knowing God and being born again. Because you do not understand God’s love for you and His sacrifice, you cannot understand His ways. Then surly you cannot understand the Mercy and Love spoken of in Matthew if you do not understand the cross.

if you believe in God, and believe in Jesus. Then you should know we did not deserve His love, or His sacrifice for our sin. Yet, he gave us mercy. He is teaching His disciples that He desires mercy and humility. Love and compassion. The same things He shows and gave us on the cross though we showed him no love. This fruit comes through His Spirit and walking with Him in it.

He did not say do not resist evil the way of not resisting the devil like you seem to be implying? He is saying do not resist (fight with) those who may use you, or hate and abuse you. Because he did not do that to us. He gave us mercy and love. He showed us how you act when evil comes upon you. You fight. You do it with love, mercy and humility. As God sent His son to die for a stiff necked people who abuse His name, His gift to them, and abuse His son as Christ foretold in a parable.

A great Christian brother and prophet name Martin Luther King fought hatred with love, anger with compassion. As Christ instructed and changed the face of American policy and politics in regards to equal rights for others.


A brother in Christ[/QUOTE]

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For those who want to test and then say. But it is written, that He did not come to abolish the law but fulfill it!!! What say you?

The Pharisees came and tested Jesus about divorce. Do you remember His reply? Why did Moses give that law to the people?

The reasons why Jesus said what he said I gave above, and it is backed up by the new commandment Christ gave them. The second greatest commandment to love their neighbor!

Hello again,
For me I remain unclear. I mean in the past it would have been clear as I questioned nothing and just believed what I was told. But for a while now the Lord puts questions in me that . .have me seeking answers.

For example, John 3:16 to me basically says Jesus is direct God, what he says is what goes. Not more not less. So when Jesus says it believe it. Well I read all that Jesus says about going to heaven etc and it seems to be obey the 10 commandments, repent from all sin, and more.

However the verse you hold up isn't Jesus talking, so not dictation, but instead one of his followers who rather than saying "what Jesus said, believe it and heaven is yours" instead John 5:1 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” I'm no lawyer but it is easy to think.. why would this follower say just believe on his name and your good, when Jesus himself gives a lot of different things that one must do to obtain the same.

..anyhow, not to digress but I yet fail to see how your examples would tell me when to think the words of the bible are to be considered in the context of ourselves, and when they are not. To me a light is on or off, rather than some Schroedingers cat situation?

Thanks for the conversation, all of this is food for thought and I'm grateful for the sounding board and possible leads. God Bless.

Hello Martin13.
It's difficult to love people who hate and want to harm us, but that is what our sweet Savior did. I cannot claim that I would endure someone who intended to hurt my children, but God endures such evil every day.

The best thing we can do is grow in the knowledge of him and when difficult times come, he will guide us. Also, sharing the gospel while sinners are doing evil is not sitting idly by. Jesus continued sharing God's word from the cross.

Hello and thanks for reaching out.
Until lately I was of the "God hates sin, but loves sinners" "believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins adn heaven is ours" people.
God has been there for me in some very dark times, it would make your soul glow to hear of a few of them I'm sure. To me, God, our father is more real than .. anything else I know of. However in one of those dark times, God put it in my mind to read ONLY the words that Jesus himself spoke. Jesus isn't a messenger, he's trinity God. Quite often it seems like disciples are putting words into Jesus's mouth that he never said. At times it seems to be.. if they say or make promises Jesus didn't.. whats with that? Spiritually this is definitely a trying time. However if I have doubt, and I do, to me I'd be doubting the disciples and believing Jesus. Which.. brings me round to "do not resist evil" that one and the "all you need do is believe Jesus died for you and paid for your sins".. seems contradictory in the light of Jesus giving us a list of things we must do to earn heaven that don't include beliving he paid for our sins. His disciples make that claim, he does not. Seems to me if we resist evil (and show me the person who doesn't think thats the right and natural path) then we are not making the grade for eternal life. Sorry.. I know I can come off a bit intense, not my intent. Please have a wonderful day, God bless .

the context he is demonstrating the unconditional love of God to those who most would not do so. Do you remember the prison Gaurd when the earth equate hit the jail and he was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoner were all gone? what did Paul say to him? What was the response to Paul? the whole reason why we are to suffer persecution is that God is still able to witness through us by the Holy Spirit Acts 1:8.

WE are also in a sinful lawless world that many Christians will have to fight in wars and do things that are needed.

Thanks and God bless you also.
It helped me when I understood that "Jesus paid the price" only in the sense that he preached the gospel and "paid for it" with his life. Nowhere does the Bible teach that God exacts justice on the righteous for what the unrighteous do.

What our Lord, his Apostles and Prophets all teach is that Jesus bore injustice. He bore sins being committed against him and did so without exacting justice on those who abused him. He gives sinners time to repent, which he does require for salvation.

The answer is keep reading He tells you why. And one must in this case read above and below. Did not Christ say love your neighbor as your self? Now who do we fight with? Not flesh and blood. The kingdom... your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.

Everything we see hear feel.. this is not they way it was meant to be. All of this will pass-away. Reading above when He talked about adultery. It was never ok to even think about it. What this natural man wants to do is not Gods will but everything against it. So being slapped whats your first reaction? none of us yet, but some day will see everything Jesus did while He was here but knowing just whats written about Him.. yeah that was not just some man. Think.. focus.. He made them.. made everything around them and even now is holding it together for the good for the bad.. rains on the just and unjust. He was GOD and don't look at how they treated Him but how He reacted, treated them. Take even Lot look how evil those cities. He came to see if the "cries He as hearing were true and if there was just 10 righteous He would spare them. God never stopped at 10 Abraham did.

He once looked for one among them to make a wall, stand in the gap so He would not have to Judge but found none. Don't miss understand me this is not ALL He is for no man knows all of Him. So yes there are many ways we can hmm react that is not sin but there will be no reward for it. Some things we do add to the fire. Things are not what they appear to be. Its ALWAYS about Jesus..do they know He came and took their sin died for them set them free. Yeah you have to get passed self frist

In context of the verses Jesus is talking about resisting an evil person who is persecuting you.. He is not saying that you should not resist evil by itself..

Matthew 5: KJV
38 "¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: {39} But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

And again the give our cloak and go the extra mile is not with ''IT" but the person who is being evil towards us..

In the end if our physical lives are destroyed by that evil person we shall be with our LORD Jesus in His perfect eternal existence..

BUT!!!

If we resist the evil person and end up killing them where do they end up? That's right in the eternal lake of fire.. Once we take the life of the evil person they no longer have any time to repent of their evil and accept Jesus as LORD and their Redeemer..

Did Jesus resist the ones who executed Him on the cross? He actually prayed for them and asked for their forgiveness.. He loved them before they ever came to love Him.. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should repent and come to believe in Him..

If a person believes in Jesus then their death is as nothing because they pass from this temporary faulty corrupt existence into a perfect eternal existence..

Well, day by day I feel less convinced. Christians make up the 2nd largest religion in the world. If Christians truly go by that verse, then what need do we have for police, and law? However we don't see this right? At all, even a bit. It's almost as if Christians ignore the full implications of Matthew 5:39 and can we blame them? Moreover, what is this idea that Christians need to suffer? Why should we suffer if God is love? In my mind, Satan wants to make us suffer, and needs no help in that, but for JESUS, our Savior, to want us to suffer our entire lives for a "next life" ?? God and Satan both? want us to suffer? There is no way souls can be reached out to without not resisting evil? God created and maintains existence and can do any and everything without our help, so wanting us to suffer our entire lives is .. the plan.. ? why? .. yeh some confusion here, actually alot.. .. and if Jesus is the son of God, why is so very little of what he said recorded (if God appears today you can BET our focus will be on him, not his servants) and realms of what his disciples said? .. so ya.. more and more confused here..

What if we were lied to?
What if some con men wrote the bible to emasculate people so the rich could get less resistance with their evildoings?
For all Christians to allow evil to reign unchecked, to embrace it destroying our lives on a vaguely understood promise of eternal life at this ones end.. without any logic given except "maybe by giving them their way unchecked they will turn into good people and thats worth the sacrifice of all the good ones" .. I see Matthew 5:39 and thats what it means to me.
I don't really dismiss God or the bible. God's been there many times for me in ways that science would have trouble explaining. I don't doubt God. I do doubt the vehicle of his message. I'm fine with love the sinner hate the sin, people can and do change. However to throw our loved ones to the wolves on the off chance the wolf may turn into a sheep? To actually do that? Who among us will right now today, if attacked on the way home, say hey.. you killed my child but .. you forgot the other one? on the off chance that seeing our willingness to sacrifice, they will turn from evil, and not just say "idiot" and sell your child into human slavery. Imagine if you live throughthat, your life will be hell knowing you betrayed those who trust and love you. Whys God want that? Which of us parents will do that to our loved ones or child? sorry I'll stop here i know Im ramblling at this point but .. I can't believe God would ask that of us. anyhow stopping.. but I'd love to hear your answer.

GOD looked beyond our faults and saw our need.People sometimes don't realize that they are being possessed or Influenced by evil so then we need to look past the evil and see what the person as a person would need, don't focus on the evil they are doing and the only way to help someone to have life Is with love.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
King James Version

16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.

17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Martin13,

Thank you first for being cordial and decent and subtle .

I do have another question for you. Because you still haven’t answered my last one, why are you here? Now you state “god” has put it to your heart to seek the truth, and not accept anything at face value, then why do you question the truth when you hear it? Because it is written God will draw man near to hear His word and know it is Him. It is good not to believe everything but to test the spirits, so what spirit are you following?

If you will not accept the words/writings of the apostles as truth, then you do not believe the word, I’f you do not believe the word then again, why are you here?

Ask yourself, who are you following? I understand you have education which you received. That you are logically analyzing with your mind of flesh to prove what you believe. So this is what I am going to do, you said it you want to see what Christ said only. Yet then try to question what Christ said.

I’f you want me to put only what Jesus said, as the argument instead of quoting whole scripture here it is.

You state, why did God say not to resist evil in Matthew?

He didn’t, clearly when you read it he is talking about how you should follow His second greatest commandment. However. You just said you don’t want to hear what Christ said or what the Holy Spirit and apostles say. Why are you here?

Below is what Christ said about resisting evil.

James 4-7 I want you to get the whole context though, it is important. In it you will see Jesus said, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsa are at war within you?b 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people!c Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

God didn’t say do not resist evil in the context you did in that part of Matthew, you did. God was teaching them do not resist evil people, because so where you evil until I came and saved you! U til I came and changed you! U til I came and made you useful to the great Potter to produce the fruit which comes by nature of the tree I make you I to by the Holy Spirit praise be to God!

You also lack understanding of the basics that anyone who has accepted Christ as your Lord knows. You call into question the Word of God. That is exactly what satin did in the garden with Adam and Eve. You twist the words of scripture to try and disprove, which is exactly what the devil did with Christ during His temptations after the forty days of fasting. Now remember Jesus has the power and authority to command Him away, yet He allows for the debate, why? To teach the people, His children, us that you must learn and know the word of God and fight the devil with the Word. Least you be tricked by Him.

You see, God is amazing brothers and sisters, evil comes to destroy and goes to do so, but God, but God has brought you here to reach others how to fight. So you fulfill your purpose. I praise God in heaven for he closes the eyes of the wicked and proud yet opens the eyes of babes and children to the truth. Praise be to God!

You talk about Christ wanting us to do this and that because you did not read the word of God completely and I’f you did, only with your flesh for worldly purposes. I do not see your questions as one born again in faith. I see them as one trying to find fault with the word of God, or cause others to doubt the word. Which is exactly what the devil would want.

Your first message mentioned how God would withhold heaven. This is something a non believer would say. Again to quote scripture as Jesus said, “this is how the judgement works a light has come into the world.” Which is quoted a little further down in the same text you quoted. Again, read the whole thing. That is how judgment works, they live the darkness.

16“For God so loved the world,i that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

To answer your last accusation against the word about works. He says do stuff keep the commandments and things. James 2:14 ty can read it there, but you won’t understand.

I ask you again, why are you here? You thought it was for one reason. You were wrong. God is in control hallelujah to the Lamb of God.

A brother in a Christ

Roman soldiers had the right to make a person carry a burden for them but no more than one mile. Then they could find someone else to carry it. I think it applied to non citizens or something like that. Jesus is saying to make a statement by going an extra mile after they were not under requirement by law to do so. It might make the soldier ask you why you did such a thing and you can tell them about the Love of Jesus and preach to them.
How does it apply today? Do more than what people expect of you as a servant to them. They are not used to that. They will want to know why.