In the Bible what was meant by " if your eye offends thy then cut it out "?

Question

I am not a practising christian , but have often wondered of the meaning of this sentance .

Answer 1

These verses are considered by many to be hyperbole. Meaning that Jesus was using an over exaggerated expression to get his point across.

That point was that it is better to do away with anything that causes you to be tempted into sin and thus fall from grace. Drunks should not go and hang out in bars even to "minister" to others like themselves. We all have weakness that we should avoid and sometimes it takes drastic solutions to the problem.

I would however submit that though this it hyperbole it could also be very practical if it were all that were keeping you from a heavenly lifestyle. But, it would be wise to make sure this was your only problem area.

Answer 2

You are missing the correct quote. Matthew 5;29 says " If your right eye causes you to sin pluck it out..." It also say the same thing about your right hand. Please note that it is specifying the right hand and the right eye. Why the right one rather than the left? Remember when interpreting scripture we have to know when a literal interpretation versus a symbolic interpretation is required. A rule of thumb is that when the literal sense makes sense then it makes sense. If not then it is symbolic of something else. Jewish culure is rich in symbolic language. In this case it helps to remember that the Lord sat down on the right hand of the Father, also when seperating the goats from the sheep, the sheep passed to the right while the goats were sent to the left. In this instance the things that are pleasing to the eye in the sense that you reserve the best things for yourself you are violating a principle not to covet or to set anything in that place reserved for the Lord, which would symbolically be the things on the right. Your right hand would be the things that you do which might be made more important than those things which you would or could be doing for God and therefore would be an offense an we must put things in their proper perspective.The bible says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit so it is quite obvious that we are not to pluck out our eye or cut off our hand. If we did that we would be called Moslems not Christians.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

I'll never understand why it is that anti-Christians feel compelled to answer questions about Christianity when they have absolutely no intention of actually trying to answer the question, but rather mock a religion. I guess it's worth it to them to get two points, even if they make themselves look like completely childish morons in the effort.

To answer the question, it's a hyperbole, or a form of "over-the-top exaggeration" used to illustrate a point, much the same as saying "I'll skin you alive" as a threat when you really have no intention of doing anything that drastic. Christ was referrring to valuable body parts, such as the hand, foot, and eye, for the purposes of establishing value, and not in the literal sense of promoting self-mutilation in the name of religion, like some idiots would assert.

The general meaning of the phrase is "Recognize the value of eternal things; don’t be derailed by temporal and physical distractions."

Answer 4

You ask a good question. I believe it means two things:

(1) Committing serious sin, such as cheating, stealing, murdering, adultery, abortion, misusing the name of Heavenly Father or Jesus, etc., are worse than being blind or even worse than dying. So take sin very seriously and avoid it at all costs.

(2) Cut yourself off completely from people and circumstances that will create a strong temptation to commit serious sin. For example, do not socialize with people who use illegal drugs, abuse alcohol, make jokes about Heavenly Father or Jesus, have sex outside of marriage, cheat, lie, steal, have pornography around, brag about sin, etc.

The verse you quoted does not mean that anyone should ever maim themselves or cut themselves or injury themselves in any way. No Christian teacher has ever taught that, or ever would.

Answer 5

Jesus meant just what He said. He went on to say that it would be better to enter into life (eternal life) having one eye, than having both eyes, to be cast into Hell.
He was impressing the weightiness of the matter He was addressing. He was saying that, if you could remove sin from your life by plucking out your eye, that that would be preferable to retaining your eye, but coming into eternal punishment for your sin.
It is clear from the teachings of the rest of the New Testament that that is not in fact the way we overcome sin. Sin is overcome through faith in the atonement of Christ, and the experience of being born again, in which we receive a new nature, the nature that resided in Jesus Christ, which nature enables us to overcome sin by the power of God residing within us.
We have come to take this word sin very lightly. If the doctor came and told you tomorrow you have cancer, not many would lightly dismiss such a sentence. But God testifies that we have sin, which brings about far more dire consequences than cancer. Sin kills, eternally.

Answer 6

It is not meant literally. If your eye offends you then cut it out...if your right hand offends you then cut if off...better to lose your eye or your hand then to spend eternity in hell. This is not a direct quote...I am paraphrasing. It basically means that if you are doing something wrong or hang out with someone who tempts you to do wrong, leave that behind you. Cut off your relationship so as not to be tempted to sin and risk the possibility of falling out of God's Grace.

Answer 7

What it means is that if something or someone is causing you to sin then you should get away from it and " cut it out" of your life.

I think in the bible they also have the same example with your hand so its not just about seeing!

Answer 8

It's just an analogy, it's not an endorsement for self-mutilation. Eliminate the source of your sin or, like a cancer, your whole being will be lost. So, for instance, if you act like an ignorant *** every time you drink, then quit drinking. People are often destroyed by their excesses.

Answer 9

Because Hell is such a horrific place and it never ends, it is better to go to Heaven with out all your parts then it is to go to Hell with all of them. If you go to a strip club with this verse it would mean for the customers there to cut out their eyes so they can't sin that way because lust is of the devil and is a great sin. Before Jesus came sin wasn't forgiven so easily. Does that make sense?

Answer 10

“What did Jesus mean in Mark 9:43ff when he said if the hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin to cut the hand or foot off or pluck the eye out? I have heard sermons where it was said that Jesus did not mean that literally. It's like your mother telling you that if you run with a stick, "You'll put your eye out." Sheer hyperbole/exaggeration.