Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Destruction in Disobedience

¹⁵ “Look! Today I have set before you life and what is good, along with death and what is evil. ¹⁶ That’s why I’m commanding you today to love the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by observing his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live long, increase, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in the land that you are about to enter to possess. ¹⁷ But if you turn your heart away, and do not obey, but instead if you stray away to worship and serve other gods, ¹⁸ I’m declaring to you today that you will surely be destroyed. You won’t live long^[a] in the land that you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and possess. ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to testify against you today! I’ve set life and death before you today: both blessings and curses. Choose life, that it may be well with you—you and your children. ²⁰ Love the Lord your God, obey his voice, and cling to him, because he is your life—even your long life—so that you may live in the land that the Lord promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Alef ^[a]

Living in the Law of God

Spiritual Immaturity

3 Brothers, I couldn’t talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as mere infants in the Messiah.^{[a] 2} I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you weren’t ready for it. And you’re still not ready! ³ That’s because you are still worldly. As long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, you are worldly and living by human standards, aren’t you? ⁴ For when one person says, “I follow Paul,” and another person says, “I follow Apollos,” you’re following^[b] your own human nature, aren’t you?

⁵ Who is Apollos, anyhow? Or who is Paul? They’re merely servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord gave to each of us his task. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept everything growing. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, but God, who keeps everything growing, is the one who matters. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own action. ⁹ For we are God’s co-workers. You are God’s farmland and God’s building.

Teaching about Anger

²¹ “You have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, ‘You are not to commit murder,’^[a] and, ‘Whoever murders will be subject to punishment.’^{[b] 22} But I say to you, anyone who is angry with his brother without a cause^[c] will be subject to punishment. And whoever says to his brother ‘Raka!’^[d] will be subject to the Council.^[e] And whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hell^[f] fire.

²³ “So if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and first go and be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court,^[g] or your opponent may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I tell you^[h] with certainty, you will not get out of there until you pay back the last dollar!”^[i]

Teaching about Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You are not to commit adultery.’^{[j] 28} But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body thrown into hell.^{[k] 30} And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body go into hell.”^[l]

Teaching about Divorce^(A)

³¹ “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’^{[m] 32} But I say to you, any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Teaching about Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, ‘You must not swear an oath falsely,’ but, ‘You must fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’^{[n] 34} But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne, ³⁵ nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Instead, let your message be ‘Yes’ for ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ for ‘No.’ Anything more than that comes from the evil one.”