286  A   CRITICAL   EECONSTRUCTION    OF   THE    TEXT

the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  does  not  even  observe  the  fact
that  vv.  21,  22  have  been  placed  at  the  beginning  to  serve  an
editorial  purpose.'  (4)  He  separates  Matt.  v.  25,  26  from
its  context  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  places  it  in  a
fictitious  discourse  consisting  of  Luke  xiii.  1-9 ;  xii.  54-59,^^
whereas  the  truth  is  that  Luke  xii.  58,  59  (Matt.  v.  25,  26)
has  been  taken  by  the  evangelist  from  the  discourse  on  prayer
and  forgiveness,  and  added  to  ver.  57  on  account  of  the  verbal
connection  between  to  SUaioif,  '  what  is  right,'  and  6  avrihiKos
the  adversary.  The  adversary  means  primarily  the  plaintiff
in  a  suit  at  law  ;  but  two  suits  are  presupposed  by  the  illus-
tration, one  before  a  magistrate  on  the  earth,  and  the  other
before  the  heavenly  Judge  ;  and  the  avriSc/cos  is  both  plaintiff
and  defendant.  He  is  defendant  or  debtor,  inasmuch  as  his
brother  is  taking  him  before  the  magistrate  to  be  judged  ;  and
he  is  plaintiff  or  creditor,  inasmuch  as  the  implacable  spirit  of
the  other  reverses  the  relation  in  God's  sight.  The  magistrate
in  Luke's  version  is  clearly  distinguished  from  the  judge,  and
this  shows  that  the  interpretation  here  given  is  correct.  Mat-
thew has  obscured  the  significance  of  the  original  by  repre-
senting the  avTiBiKos  as  one  who  is  simply  the  plaintiff.  The
precept  thus  means,  *  "When  your  adversary  is  taking  you  to
the  court  of  justice,  agree  with  him  quickly.  Make  amends
for  your  fault,  if  you  wish  to  escape  the  penalty.'  This  is  no
doubt  excellent  advice,  but  the  wisdom  of  the  precept  is  not
remarkable.  Jesus  really  said.  When  your  brother  has  com-
mitted a  fault,  or  incurred  a  debt,  and  you  are  taking  him  to
be  judged  by  the  magistrate,  abandon  your  revenge.  Eepress
the  implacable  spirit ;  for,  if  your  brother  is  cast  into  prison
on  earth,  he  will  condemn  you  before  God.  Wendt  fails  to
perceive  the  meaning  of  the  fragment,  and  he  places  it  in  a
context  which  is  purely  fictitious.  (5)  He  leaves  Matt.  xii.
