Mat 5:30And 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.
2006-07-03 16:28:13 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sorry, Christians, this is not a metaphor, but a direct and simple command from the son of god. The bible is either the literal truth of god, or it is complete nonsense. You can't pick and choose the bits you like.
2006-07-05 10:18:54 · update #1
That is the funny thing about English translations of ancient Greek and Hebrew - no appreciation of metaphors. This is symbolic language and certainly taken out of context if you think it is referring to a physical body of a single person. Think of a body of people, or an organisation.
2006-07-03 16:33:18 · answer #1 · answered by Aussiemum 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basically, it means that rather than suffer as a whole, its better to cut out the cancerous part. If your way to fond of masterbating (see Onan in the O.T. and don't want the have Children) then yes, you have a real problem and it would be better that you literally had no hand to do it with rather than defy God. If you spend all your time watching other people and pornography and then gossping about what you see people do and don't do anything else, its better that you pluck out your eye, again, this is an example, showing that we have choices. This is NOT an actual recommedation by God or He would have set these down into LAWS (think commandments).
2006-07-03 16:36:56 · answer #2 · answered by Derek W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is using a metaphor here. He is saying that it is better to be in pain and discomfort and at an advantage here on earth, then to suffer eternally in hell. The problem most people have with understanding Jesus' words is taking them out of context. Read the whole thing and you'll get that he's outlining a way of life, his words are not just blind statements disconnected from one another. Many times he is talking with individuals who are not believers and often times he is speaking with somewhat uneducated people or a mix of different social classes and educational backgrounds, so he uses metaphor a lot to really hit his message home.
2006-07-03 16:34:40 · answer #3 · answered by crazyzoomusic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ro 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Ro 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Ro 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Ro 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
2006-07-03 16:36:00 · answer #4 · answered by His eyes are like flames 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This verse means that we should be willing to do WHATEVER it takes to stop from sinning. If it comes down to cutting off our hand, then yes.
Most of the time it can be stopped other ways. If a friend is causing you to sin you need to get rid of the friend. If it is the internet you need to get rid of the internet. If it's tv, throw out the tv. It is better to live without tv, internet, that friend, etc. than to be cast into hell.
2006-07-03 16:35:21 · answer #5 · answered by My Avatar 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christians will tell you that is just a metaphor, and they will be correct. However, many of those same Christians will also tell you that Noah literally packed every single species of animal on earth into a giant boat, among other fantastic tales.
2006-07-03 16:34:14 · answer #6 · answered by Zombie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"This statement is somewhat ridiculous on quite a few diverse stages. First, something like a hand can not 'reason you to sin" -- your mind motives 'sin.' each and every sensible man or woman is popular with that. therefore, gouging your eye out or reducing your hand off is ineffective. once you've a project with 'sin' and also you may amputate something to unravel it, you would want to amputate your mind, on condition that that's the position all 'sin' originates." Atheists somewhat blow me away. They tell themselves and us how they are so sensible, and they don't even comprehend the that technique of the be conscious hyperbole. they are truly truly astounding.
2016-10-14 02:33:28 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't think Jesus might have been speaking figuratively. Perhaps the meaning is that if you have something in your life that is causing you to stray from God that maybe it is better to be rid of it than cost you your eternal soul!!!!
Kind of like "a stitch in time saves nine" isn't really talking about sewing!!!
2006-07-03 16:32:39 · answer #8 · answered by rhutson 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Metaphor?
2006-07-03 16:32:20 · answer #9 · answered by normobrian 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He didn't mean literally cut off your hand it means whatever is causing you to sin say like going to the club causes you to sin it would mean stop going to the club
2006-07-03 16:35:51 · answer #10 · answered by andrea j 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋