No Private Interpretation

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own [private] interpretation [epilúseos  - indicates that no prophecy comes from any private source, referring to the exposition of the will and purposes of God by the prophets themselves].      2 Peter 1:20

“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from             it.        Deuteronomy 12:32 

“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.    Deuteronomy 4:2

Do not add to His words, or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.  Proverbs 30:6

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.         Revelation 22:18-19

The words of the Lord are pure [tahor – clean, pure, genuine, no mixture of falsehood] words, as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times (Psalm 12:6). The purity of God’s word is key to its ability. Its purity results from being refined and tested (Psalm 119:140). This is why the above warnings are so important; any additions, subtractions, or private interpretations of the Word of God make the words impure, less effective, or even worthless. Applying the Word of God against Jesus as Satan did in the wilderness can even be evil. In any case, the truth of the Word of God can be trusted without any alterations. 

The Tradition of the Elders 

Rabbinic Judaism has been the mainstream form of Orthodox Judaism since the 6th century, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud. Rabbinic Judaism has its roots in the Pharisaic school of Second Temple Judaism. It is based on the belief that Moses at Mount Sinai received both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah from God. The Oral Torah, transmitted orally, explains the Written Torah; the prohibition to do any "creative work" on the Sabbath, which is not clearly defined in the Torah, is given a practical understanding in the Oral Torah, defining what constitutes Sabbath laws. At first, it was forbidden to write down the Oral Torah, but after the destruction of the Second Temple, it was decided to write it down in the form of the Talmud and other rabbinic texts for preservation. The Sadducees, Karaite Judaism, Samaritanism, and the Essenes do not recognize the Oral Torah as having divine authority nor the rabbinic procedures used to interpret Jewish Scripture.

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?   For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this, you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN '" [Isaiah 29:13].            Matthew 15:1-9

During His three-year public ministry, Jesus consistently confronted the Pharisees and their methods of enforcing the Oral Law as if the Lord had also given it to Moses on Mount Sinai. He referred to this practice as the tradition of the elders, and, in some cases, they made it superior to the written Law. Isaiah spoke of this same issue 700 years before Christ (Isaiah 29:13). As quoted above, the Scriptures have multiple warnings about adding to or removing what is written in the Bible. This has been a consistent problem when man does not reverence or properly respect the authority of Scripture from the heart. They [the Pharisees] tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men, for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments (Matthew 23:4-5). Today’s Orthodox Judaism has fallen into this trap. Modern evangelical Christianity is not far behind. When Christians add to the Scriptures, they spoil the purity of God’s Word, compromising its ability to enlighten the eyes (Psalm 19:8). 

The Holy Spirit and the Kingdom

Throughout the Old Testament, God always spoke through His ordained men by "the Spirit of the Lord." The Spirit of God anointed the prophets to speak to His people with words of encouragement, warnings, and identification of sins committed, including predictions and prophecies of future events and judgments. Ordained offices, including priests, kings, and prophets, were anointed through a ceremony utilizing anointing oil to represent the Holy Spirit, which rested upon them to fulfill their unique offices. Inspiration and divine empowerment came through the Holy Spirit. 

On multiple occasions, the Old Testament prophesies the Kingdom Age, when Israel would again occupy its promised land, and the Messiah would rule them. The Pharisees asked Jesus about the kingdom of God in Luke 17:20-21, and His response is enlightening. He tells them that the kingdom cannot be recognized by observable physical signs but that it is "in your midst.” The Greek word entos literally means inside; Jesus introduced the concept that the kingdom of God is a reality that exists inside each one who recognizes the king and is, therefore, of the truth. The Pharisees were never able to grasp this principle. In John 18:36, Jesus told Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." The Messiah’s first coming would introduce a “spiritual” kingdom. 

This “spiritual” kingdom would require a brand-new approach to God’s laws. Instead of the old covenant, i.e., the Law of Moses, written on tablets of stone, the new covenant specifies that God’s laws are written on the believer’s heart (Hebrews 8:10). Instead of Jewish leaders enforcing these laws externally, the Holy Spirit would be the administrator, from the inside. John 16:8-11 tells the story:

Conviction

And He, when He [the Holy Spirit] comes, will convict [elegcho – convince, persuade, shown to be wrong] the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.          John 16:8-11

One of the weaknesses of the old covenant form of justice is how the laws are enforced. Multiple verses throughout the Scriptures establish that God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality or favoritism to anyone in relation to His justice. Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality” (Acts 10:34). Yet the woman caught in the act of adultery was brought before Jesus alone (John 8:3) while the Law of Moses (Leviticus 20:10) requires that both participants are subject to death. The Holy Spirit convicts the whole world without partiality; the law of God restores the soul when applied perfectly (Psalm 19:7). 

Adultery

You shall not commit adultery.                   Exodus 20:14

In The Complete Word Study Dictionary, Spiros Zodhiates identifies the word translated “commit adultery” (naap) as used for the physical act (Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10; Prov 6:32; Jer 5:7; 7:9; 29:23; Hos 4:2; Mal 3:5). In Leviticus 20:10, ‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Adultery is intended to speak of a physical act. When the definition of adultery is expanded to include non-sexual interactions, it should be considered a private interpretation.        

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY' [Exodus 20:14]; 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.                 Matthew 5:27-28

Kingdom Life

Jesus’s public ministry began at His baptism, followed immediately by His temptation in the wilderness. While still ministering in Galilee, He introduced the principle of kingdom life, proper behavior in the kingdom of heaven. It meant a radical change in the laws given at Sinai, those commandments that focused on the public activities of the believer. The Sermon on the Mount was intended to focus attention on the private, inward life. In the beginning, Jesus centered on the inward convictions that would result in blessings of the kingdom. Each of these blessings is associated with a godly, internal condition that occupies itself with the Father’s attitudes.

"Blessed are the poor [ptoechos – cower like a beggar, utter helplessness] in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "Blessed are those who mourn [lament, grieve], for they shall be comforted." "Blessed are the gentle [kind], for they shall inherit the earth." "Blessed are those who hunger [starved] and thirst [desire ardently] for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." "Blessed are the merciful [compassionate], for they shall receive mercy." "Blessed are the pure [sincere, transparent] in heart, for they shall see God." "Blessed are the peacemakers [bringing peace to others], for they shall be called sons of God." "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”           Matthew 5:3-11

In each of these blessings, the inward condition produces the blessing and defines any resulting activity. Kindness of heart (toward others) results in the believer inheriting the earth. Kingdom life is an inward experience that produces a quality of life that may not be possible under a religious system such as the old covenant. When the heart is not fully engaged in the relationship with God, 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN '" (Matthew 15:8-9). The purity of the Word of God alone is not enough to keep the people in line, as is evidenced by the Old Testament history of the Jews.

The Weakness of the Law 

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.        Romans 8:3-4 

The Ten Commandments specifically addressed outward actions and the believer's accountability. At the same time, Jesus says that kingdom behavior takes the Law to another level by addressing the heart motive behind the action. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God (Romans 2:29). This higher standard is only attainable through the power of the Holy Spirit and not by living under the rule of the Commandments. Paul restates this principle in Titus 2:11-12 when he said For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. It is the grace of God that teaches us to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age.

In Secret 

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.          Matthew 6:1-4

The entire chapter of Matthew 6 addresses the principle of the outward, public life versus the inward, secret life. Jesus mentions not only giving but also prayer, forgiveness, fasting, and wealth and the importance of the godliness of the heart motives behind each activity. "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words (Verse 7). Practicing righteous activities publicly makes it self-righteousness; there is no reward since God gets no glory. "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Verse 14). The right heart attitude always produces a godly result. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal (Verse 20).

Jesus summarizes the chapter in verses 22-23 when He says, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so, then, if your eye is clear [haploos – seeing things as they are, no distortions], your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad [poneros – evil, lack of character], your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! The eye speaks of the attitude of the heart. When the heart is properly engaged with God, then understanding will be without distortion. 

The Thought Life

For as he [a man] thinks [saar - to calculate or set a price on] within himself, so he is.                                  Proverbs 23:7 

So much of a person's life quality can be tied to one's thought life. The Hebrew word translated “think” is that of misers who count the cost of everything that their guests eat or drink. They find no enjoyment in their guests but only worry about the cost of it all. There is intense spiritual warfare surrounding one’s thought life. The mindset defines how the believer connects with God.

Man’s experience as a member of the human race includes both a public persona and a private, personal life measured by his thoughts and motives. To most of the world, we are known by our public persona, activities that define our outward life, but only a few know the person of the heart, the inward life defined by his thoughts. According to Paul in Romans 8:5-6, For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. This life and peace principle is referenced in Malachi 2:5 regarding Levi: “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. The heart of this mindset is a reverence for God. Setting one’s mind on things above and not on earthly things propels the believer into the spiritual mind, thus finding life and peace.

Human Reason vs. Spiritual Understanding

Man tends to try and solve all of his problems and challenges by reason and his own ability to map out the conclusion to any difficulty utilizing his cognitive skills. Spiritual leadership follows a different pathway. Once the believer has found obedience to divine authority as his mode of operation, deferring the decision process to the Divine Will opens the door to true spirituality (that which is born of the Spirit is spiritual – John 3:6) and provides a victory over the strength of sin (1 Corinthians 15:56). In 1 Peter 1:14-16, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." Holiness is a willful decision to be set apart from worldly influences for a life in the kingdom under divine authority. 

The Church Age believer finds fulfillment in his relationship with God as he is taught by the Holy Spirit the deeper meaning and personal application of the Scriptures. Instead of adding to the Word of God by utilizing the rational mind, he learns to trust the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who gives life [zoopoieo – makes alive]; the flesh profits nothing; the words [rhema – speech, discourse] that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (John 6:63). According to Ellicott’s Commentary:

These words are immediately connected with the thought of the Ascension, which was to precede the gift of the Spirit. (Comp. John 7:39; 16:7 et seq.). We are to find in them, therefore, a deeper meaning than the ordinary one that His teaching is to be, not carnally, but spiritually understood. They think of a physical eating of His flesh, and this offends them, but what if they, who have thought of bread descending from heaven, see His body ascending into heaven? They will know then that He cannot have meant this. And the Descent of the Spirit will follow the Ascension of the Son, and men full of the Holy Spirit will have brought to their remembrance all these words (John 14:26), and they will then know what the true feeding on Him is, and these very words which He has spoken will carry their lessons to the inmost being, and be realized, not simply in a spiritual sense, but as spirit and as life.