Matthew 5:20

"For I say unto you, that except your justice shall exceed the justice of the writers and Expounders, you shall in no way be entering into the realm of upward-vision."

As noted earlier in this blog, the Greek word translated as "justice" by the Etymological New Testament is often "righteousness" in many versions.  They do tend to translate the verb as "justify".  In the ENT, all the various forms of the word are translated with the literal root sense of "justice."

Commonly rendered "scribes and Pharisees", the ENT makes the etymologies of these words clear.  As noted in the Concordant Publishing Concern's Lexicon and Concordance, the root sense of the Aramaic word "Pharisee" comes from the verb "to expand" or expound. They loved to embellish and expound upon the divine law.  And thus sometimes missed the essential nature of these very directives.

Unless our hunger for justice exceeds that of the religious literati, we are unable to be entering into this new realm. It is not that we are prohibited. We are simply incapable (without a hunger for justice) of coming into this highest vision for humanity.

Matthew 5:19

"Whosoever therefore shall loose one of these least directions, and shall teach humans so, shall be called least in the realm of upward-vision: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the realm of upward-vision."

The Greek word LUO is employed in very many ways in the New Testament.  The Etymological New Testament makes the usage of this Greek verb much more transparent to the English reader than most translations.  And, it allows the reader to think about the possible ways to understand this verse.  It may well mean to "break" per the KJV and its descendants.  Or, it may convey a more subtle way of "loosing" Jesus' teaching.  Often, we say that we embrace what he is teaching and then twist or otherwise ignore what he is saying. To employ any tactic that diminishes Jesus' "directions" is to become least in this new realm of highest, upward vision.  One example among many: we affirm that we love the Prince of Peace and his teachings of non-violence, then we proceed to excuse our own violence toward others, e.g. "it's state sanctioned" or "I'm helping them learn."  May our aspiration be: "called great in the realm of upward-vision."

Matthew 5:18

"For verily I say unto you, Till upward-vision and land be beside-coming, one jot or one tittle shall in no way be beside-coming from the law, till all things be becoming."

The Greek word PARERCHOMAI is translated ultra-literally by the Etymological New Testament as "beside-coming" from its two components.  English versions translate this word in a large variety of ways, from "pass away" (as in this passage) to "arrive."  Whether coming or going, this word has a large semantic range.  One advantage of very literal translation is tracking a word in its various contexts.  In this verse, to move to the side of one's original position is to "pass away." 

But not the smallest part shall beside-come from the law until all things are "becoming."  Jesus' message is one of fullness and becoming, of fulfillment rather subtraction.  There is a time for beside-coming, but fulfillment comes first.