This is a serious theological question from a Believer. Please limit the spam. The question is: how do we as Christians reconcile these two phrases. Do man's deeds deserve an eye for an eye or should a Christian turn the other cheek and forgive 7 x 70 time, etc.
Please include bible references if possible. Is it a new testament vs old testament change. Please tell me what you know about what seems to be an inconsistency in His commandments to us.
2006-09-05 04:02:16 · 10 answers · asked by answers999 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance; the punishment should not exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation.."
~Mt. 5:38-39 FOOTNOTES
2006-09-05 04:14:17 · answer #1 · answered by tslittleflower 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have already stated the answer. The new testament is NEW and the one we are under. The eye for eye is the law and what the person deserves. Christians don't get what they deserve, they go to heaven due to the works of another man (Jesus Christ)
Like a will. A person dies and you go to the reading of the will. Do they read the will that he wrote ten years ago or do they read the one that he wrote last year.. They read the most current will and ignore the other as it is not valid. READ AND OBEY THE NEW TESTAMENT..
2006-09-05 11:09:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One is from the Law.
The others are from Christ.
Turn the other cheek- as myself, If someone because of what I say or do strikes me, it is most likely my fault, and will turn the other cheek!
If someone unjustly strikes another I will do a little more than use the LAW on them (bouncing there head down the street comes to mind)
In the same way if a brother in Christ sins against me (could be anything from calling me a liar, to striking me) I will forgive him, 70 x 70 a day, now I'm going to get mad at him when he exceeds that! That a little more than 3 times a minute for 24 hours strait every day! He goes to 4 times a minute every minute for 24 hours and I'm going to get mad!
2006-09-05 12:26:14 · answer #3 · answered by Grandreal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eye for eye -- that was to advise not to do even more damage in retaliation and thus not spark an escalation of violence.
Turn other Cheek-- Every boxer does it every day----- turn the head to make the followup punch just a glancing blow instead of a direct hit.
(This is asked so often I wonder if I should make and file a cut-n-paste)
2006-09-05 11:07:21 · answer #4 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many contradictions in the Bible. Is this the first one you have discovered? I can list dozens, and I have in a series of letters to a local editor. When my kid sister divorced, Dad said it'd be a sin for her to remarry. I looked in a concordance and saw verses that show Jesus said it's a sin, but Moses said it's not. Who are we to believe? Do Yahweh's laws change radically in 1400 years? The earliest Bible account of David's census says Yahweh-God inspired it. A later one says the Satan did. Judas died by hanging or by falling. I could continue this all day.
2006-09-05 11:12:03 · answer #5 · answered by miyuki & kyojin 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
an eye for an eye is the way the law in the old testimate deals with issues, turn the other cheek is what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tells us to do. there are many scriptures like this.
2006-09-05 11:42:46 · answer #6 · answered by wisdom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the eye for an eye was only to the husband who had a wife and was pregnant and someone made her lose her baby. Then and only then could the husband do a eye for an eye. Read Exodus 21 where it talks about this.
2006-09-05 11:13:19 · answer #7 · answered by iwant_u2_wantme2000 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was not advocating revenge. He was explaining the law (Jewish) as it then stood about giving violence for violence, hurt for hurt. His way was pacific; far better he said if a man strikes you on the cheek turn the other so that he may strike that also. In other words, take the hurt.
I prefer the first option.
2006-09-05 11:36:45 · answer #8 · answered by John L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as I've gotten older i too have started questioning why i believe the way i do. maybe it's just human nature to justify our actions by whichever verse suits us as the time. kind of like i wonder why Christians don't believe in reincarnation but yet the bible tells us that Jesus was resurrected. maybe our faith has to take over...i hope you find your answer.
2006-09-05 11:09:14 · answer #9 · answered by notyours 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reported. Many, many times.
2006-09-05 15:39:40 · answer #10 · answered by greezy_whore 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋