Continuing His “Sermon on the Mount” exploration of the Jewish law and its implication in Kingdom living. Jesus looks at two external aspects of marital infidelity. He tells the crowd that they have heard it said “you shall not commit adultery” and that “anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” He goes on to not only explain the implications of these legalities but also provide advice on how to properly handle these difficult issues.

From Genesis to Revelation marriage is a central theme – from the first husband and wife to the marriage feast of the Lamb. The marriage of Jacob establishes the nation of Israel. Jesus performs His first miracle at a wedding feast. And when God expresses His frustration over the infidelity of Israel He likens their relationship to that of a husband and wife. (Hosea 1-3 & Jeremiah 3)

It is no surprise that our infidelity has been pointed out in passages such as James 4:4 where we read, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” But the good news is that God is rich in mercy as we see in Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

In our fidelity to God, much of what Jesus said concerning the avoidance of adultery with a spouse applies to our Kingdom living in light of God’s love. We should avoid even looking at temptations and certainly not touching and playing with them. As always, Jesus speaks and the depth of His teaching just goes deeper and deeper.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 27, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers Chapters 5-7 in the Book of Matthew, is Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/kingdom-power-matthew-5-7-digital-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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