What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "What does the statement in the Sermon on the Mount that whoever says "Raka" to his brother falls under the High Council mean?"
Answer
The term “Raka” means something like “empty person” or “good-for-nothing” and represents a hateful or contemptuous expression toward another human being. Jesus teaches here that God assigns great value to people and already regards a word of contempt as a form of murder, since murder begins in the spirit of hatred and revenge in the mind. Whoever degrades his brother in this way is under Satan’s control and will be held accountable by God for every disrespect of a soul for which Christ died.
The Meaning of Raka and the Sanctity of Life
»Whoever says to his brother: Raka [good-for-nothing], will fall under the High Council." Through the dedication of His Son for our salvation, God has shown how great value He places on every human soul, and He gives no person the freedom to speak contemptuously about another. ... God will hold us accountable for every word spoken in contempt of a soul for which Christ gave His life.«
Hatred as the Origin of Murder
»Here Jesus describes murder as something that first exists in the mind. That wickedness and revenge that delights in acts of violence is in itself already murder. Jesus goes further and says: “Whoever is angry with his brother without cause is guilty of judgment.” ... He thereby shows that crimes arise in the mind and those who allow hatred and revenge to find a place in their hearts have already set their feet on the path of the murderer.«
Anger and Insulting Words in the Light of God
»It is a sin to harbor anger against someone. Christ regards anger as murder. He explains: “But I say to you: Whoever is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment; whoever says to his brother: Raka!, is guilty of the High Council; whoever says: You fool!, is guilty of the hellish fire.” God has a lawsuit with this person. ... His passionate words are a scent of death to death. Whoever utters them stands under Satan’s control.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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