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MATTHEW 5:19 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 5:18Matt 5:20
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The greatness-ranking in the kingdom is determined by one's relationship to the commandments: relaxing and teaching relaxation leads to the least designation; doing and teaching leads to greatness. The least in the kingdom is still in the kingdom — the verse is not about exclusion but about the quality of one's kingdom participation. The doing and teaching together communicate that the kingdom requires an integrated life where practice and instruction correspond: the teacher who teaches what they do not do, and the doer who does what they do not teach, are both incomplete.

Church Fathers on Matthew 5:19

Having now exhorted His hearers to undergo all things for righteousness' sake, and also not to hide what they should receive, but to learn more for others' sake, that they may teach others, He now goes on to tell them what they should teach, as though He had been asked, 'What is this which you would not have hid, and for which you would have all things endured? Are you about to speak any thing beyond what is written in the Law and the Prophets;' hence it is He says, 'Think…

Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation · ord.

And that for two reasons. First, that by these words He might admonish His disciples, that as He fulfilled the Law, so they should strive to fulfil it. Secondly, because the Jews would falsely accuse them as subverting the Law, therefore he answers the calumny beforehand, but in such a manner as that He should not be thought to come simply to preach the Law as the Prophets had done.

Pseudo-Chrysostom · 5th century

He here asserts two things; He denies that He was come to subvert the Law, and affirms that He was come to fulfil it.

Remigius · 9th century
Read all 32 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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Matthew 5:19 — Community Reflections | HolyStudy