![]() And so you get small children going to heaven and coming back to tell the story. They want to know that everything really will be alright in the end. They want to know what giant pearls look like. They want to know if the family pet will be there. People are just dying, yes that’s a pun, to know what heaven is like. Perhaps it is the ripping of this verse out of context that has led to the recent slough of bestselling books dealing with the afterlife. And it was used, as it is typically used, to encourage Christians that they cannot imagine the things that God has prepared for them in heaven. Some years ago this verse, by itself, was our theme verse for a semester at chapel at a school I attended. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.In this installment we consider 1 Corinthians 2:9: I have previously dealt with Jesus’ words, ‘ Judge not, lest ye be judged‘ (though I had not conceived of a series at that point). He is as likely to humble himself before God as a camel is to crawl through the eye of a needle.This will be the first of an ongoing series on the blog dealing with biblical texts that I repeatedly hear ripped out of context and misused. ![]() The rich man so often is blind to his spiritual poverty because he is proud of his accomplishments and has contented himself with his wealth. It is the poor in spirit who inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3), those who recognize their spiritual poverty and their utter inability to do anything to justify themselves to a holy God. Men are saved through God’s gifts of grace, mercy, and faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). ![]() Jesus’ answer is the basis of the gospel: "With man this is impossible, but not with God all things are possible with God" (Matthew 19:26). If the wealthy among them, which included the super-spiritual Pharisees and scribes, were unworthy of heaven, what hope was there for a poor man? They were utterly amazed and asked, “Who then can be saved?” in the next verse. The disciples had the appropriate response to this startling statement. Jesus destroyed that notion, and along with it, the idea that anyone can earn eternal life. Since wealth was seen as proof of God’s approval, it was commonly taught by the rabbis that rich people were blessed by God and were, therefore, the most likely candidates for heaven. Jesus’ message is clear-it is impossible for anyone to be saved on his own merits. Jesus used this technique at other times, referring to a “plank” in one’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5) and swallowing a camel (Matthew 23:24). The most likely explanation is that Jesus was using hyperbole, a figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis. To believe this, however, brings up more problems than it solves, namely casting doubt on the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture. Then the verse would read that it is easier for a cable (or rope) to go through the eye of a needle. Others claim that the word translated “camel” (Greek: kamelos) should actually be “cable” (Greek: kamilos). Beyond that, what sane camel driver would go through such contortions when larger gates were easily accessible? The problem with this theory is there is no evidence such a gate ever existed. It was purposely small for security reasons, and a camel could only go through it by stripping off any saddles or packs and crawling through on its knees. Some theorize that the needle Jesus was speaking of was the Needle Gate, supposedly a low and narrow after-hours entrance found in the wall surrounding Jerusalem.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |