Paul was writing about transformation. The people who were open to the Spirit of the Lord were being transformed into the image of the Lord. This was an ongoing process that would continue as long as the people remained open to the Spirit.

But what was this image? Paul wrote that Christ was the image of God. Therefore, if we are open to the Spirit of Christ, we will be transformed into the image of God Himself. We will be emptied of our own ego-centric spirit and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was expressing the more profound significance of the commandment 'not to murder'. Being angry with someone or insulting someone would make a person liable for judgment. Before a person would be considered worthy of bringing a gift to the altar, it was necessary to make sure that their relationship with others was reconciled. True worship of God required that a person is in the right relationship with others. Resolving one's debts was another example of Jesus' desire that his disciples' behaviour would reflect inner purity and not just external compliance.