Hey guys

[Faithful Son]

Hope you are all doing well.

I was chatting on irc recently and visited a local chat room. A quick chat was given about Jesus and when He said: if your hand bothers you cut it off. Something along those lines. I don't know where in the Bible it is, but I was thinking about it. What did Jesus mean when He said that? Being the type of person I am I take the Bible too literally, I was raised that way I guess, black & white, if it's written there you should do it. So a few guys mentioned that Jesus meant that if you have something bad in your life, you should get rid of it, like a bad friend or bad habit.


What's your opinion about it, and can you give me the scripture where it is mentioned?

Much love
teraside

 

[Chad]

That was a metaphor to highly emphasize how serious the sinning is itself. Jesus was emphasizing how dangerous it is to sin like that and the danger of the consequence(s), ultimately leading in death (hell). We should take these sins and all sins drastically. Jesus was not teaching self-mutilation, just the danger of these matters

Matthew 5:29-30
29 So if your eye--even if it is your good eye--causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand--even if it is your stronger hand--causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

 

[chinaski]

Think it could also mean seperating ourself from temptations. If there are elements in our life that are causing us to sin or we should remove ourself from them.
Like when I became a christian I had to stop spending time with some friends because they had bad influence on me(drugs). They were great people but utimatly bad influence.

 

[Prometheus]

Matt. 5:29: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Matt. 5:30: And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
The King James Version

Chinaski is right. If Jesus meant it figuratively He meant for us to get rid of things in our lives that drive us away from God. Like bad friends, people that cause us more harm than good, things that poison us both spiritually and physically. Yes Jesus doesn't want us to practice mutilation since we cannot repay evil with evil, either against ourselves or against others.

But since we don't have the original hebrew wording here we must accept other interpetations as well. I see another deeper meaning in what Jesus said. If we take it literally offend can also mean things that hurt us so in a literal sense it can mean that if a part of our body is doing us more harm than good (like for instance an infection that would end up killing us) it would be better to cut off (amputate) the affected body part. Many people believe that we should do nothing and let God's will be done. Jesus tells us that this is not the case and that if we can do something that would end up causing less harm we should do it because it would be better.

Anyways, only my two cents worth. God Bless everyone.

 

[Faithful Son]

Thanks for the reply's I appreciate it, seems like it was a simple enough question to answer. God bless you guys too

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Jesus often used hyperbole in his teachings; hyperbole being literary exaggeration for the purpose of driving home a point. The parable you refer to is in Matthew 18:7-9.

Another example of a parable that is loaded with hyperbole is Matthew 7:3: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

SLE

 

[faithworks]

Get Rid of Sin

Yes we are to get rid of all things that cause us to no please God Almighty. Sin He will not tolerate in any shape or form or size. "Be Holy therefore as I AM Holy."

When I quit drinking and drugging I had to change playmates and playgrounds, really I did not want to be around them anymore. Jesus changed that in me He gave me a new heart and new mnd. Praise Jesus, All Glory goes to Him, He is awesome beyond words. I am a new creation in Him.

debbi

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Hi Debbie. Your story is similar to mine. I've been sober 23 years. Welcome to TJ.


SLE

 

[faithworks]

Hi SLE, yes I have been sober for 20 years the Lord set me free. whom the Lord sets free you are free indeed. Praise the Lord. Good to be here. Sometimes I go out of town but will be back. We are going to Detroit for an outreach with the homeless, this weekand that is awesome. Gdo bless all.

debbi