Your take on Mark 9:43-50

"...the words are to be understood, not literally, but figuratively; and the sense is, it is better to part with every thing here, that is detrimental to a man's doing, or enjoying, what is spiritually good, and enter into eternal life" - Dr. John Gill

Dr. Gill put it more eloquently that I did as a new Christian. When I was asked about the giving up of this or that in order to follow Jesus my answer was, and still is, "If it is in the way, whatever it may be, of your following Jesus and going after Him, get rid of it."

 

Pinoy, here's my "take" (FWIW to you :laugh: )

This is from the Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon, Christ was annunciating the "law" of His kingdom. More specifically, His earthly, MK but it does have application to His earthly but spiritual kingdom, the church.

In the latter case of the church, the application, like the kingdom itself, is SPIRITUAL. If you eye offend, for instance, you are under the "law covenant" and you need to come to Jesus for sin.

But now let's look at the PHYSICAL MK. From there, after 1000 years, the believing citizens will go into God's PHYSICAL kingdom and receive new, restored bodies. But again, the options are keep the law and pluck out the eye or fall upon the mercy of Christ. This passage "comes on" almost like the one about the RYR. He claimed under the law that he had done all the law and was thereby, saved. Conceding that to be true, Jesus told him to sell all he had (riches would soon offend just as an "offending eye" could) and follow Jesus (which in the MK will be literally possible.

That's what I see anyway. Most people preach the Sermon on the Mount for us but since the kingdom is only spiritual now, we also look at the spiritual rather than literal application.

skypair

 

Here is a real Irony, Origen of Alexandria took the subject passage literally and physically yet is accused of doctrines that are to spiritualized


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Consider Origen (c.185-c.254AD) of
Alexandria. People who think they take
the Bible more literally than others condemn
Origen for saying that there is much in the
Bible which can only be understood
on a spiritual level.

1 Co 2:14 (KJV1611 Edition):
But the naturall man receiueth not the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnesse
vnto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.

Back in his day, a person prosessing faith
in Messiah Yeshua were trained in The Faith
for two years before they were Baptized
(some were martyred prior to Baptism, blowing
the concept you have to do the Work of Baptistm
to get saved.) Origen was a Training Mentor for
new Converts.

When Origen came of age, he literally took
these verses:

Mat 18:89 Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foote cause thee
to offend, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better
for thee to enter into life, halt, or maimed, then hauing
two hands, or two feete, to be cast into euerlasting fire.
9 And if thine eye cause thee to offende, plucke it out,
and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter
into life with one eye, then hauing two eyes
to be cast into hell fire.

See also this scripture:
Mat 19:11-12 (Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition)
But he sayd vnto them, All men cannot receiue this thing, saue they to whom it is giuen.
12 For there are some eunuches, which were so borne of their mothers belly: and there be some eunuches, which be gelded by men: and there be some eunuches, which haue gelded them selues for the kingdome of heauen. He that is able to receiue this, let him receiue it.

We are talking about a sacrifice here - not an offering! 'Geld' means physical castration. 'Eunuch' means a male who has been physically castrated.

Origen had his sexual members surgically removed
so he would be more interested in Serving
Messiah Yeshua than chasing women.
I really think Origen is condemned for being
way to literal but the words used to condemn
him say things like this passage from the Dictionary
of Premillennial Theology (Kregel, 1996):

 

The context of the passage appears to be dealing with the coming persecution of Christians. (v.41-42) "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as (followers} of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. (420 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea."

Jesus had just compared believers to little children who accept Him. He then warns that some will be tempted to "stumble", most likely because of the coming persecution. The "hand", "foot", "eye" that causes to stumble is symbolic of persecution that causes loss for the believer, perhaps even being maimed for the cause of the gospel. To "stumble" means to turn from the gospel, and therefore reject Christ, because of the fear of persecution.

Jesus is saying that believers must stand firm (the reference to salt) and persevere in the midst of persecution, even if their body is to be abused to the point of losing a hand, foot, or eye.

Better to enter the kingdom maimed than to be thrown into hell whole.

peace to youraying:

 

Here's my take: Probably not genuine.

 

The TNIV strikes again. :laugh:

 

Do you own a copy of the TNIV? It's almost always spot on. :laugh:

But seriously, we're not going to settle this matter this side of time.