Loved the piece about selling pork sausages to the High Priest cook. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. When pondering the seizure of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, I often get stuck over the enormity of what happened to Malchus. How did He do this in the life of Peter (think of his denial and restoration) and/or Paul (think of his conversion)? According to John, one of the disciples, the Apostle Peter, being armed with a sword, cut off the servant's ear in an attempt to prevent his Master's arrest. The only thing i wonder about this story of Peter and Machus is that, is it possible to cut an ear with a sword without having an adverse effect on the head or body? The courtyard is astir with news of Jesus' capture. He has told readers he is breaking his normal rules for behaviour and nonsense by allowing me to comment at all but has asked readers to lodge complaints about me presumably to give him the trigger to get rid of me: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/09/defining-pseudoscholarship.html#comment-1609316537, The funny part is that this has come just after two other commenters, Paul Regnier and Jonathan Bernier were laughing at me for being paranoid for even thinking there was any pressure on me to leave the blog. Gradually, he begins to recognize the Teacher's followers. Christians are prohibited from praying in many government buildings or at public gatherings and are sometimes prevented from speaking the truth because mans laws have, in effect, seized and bound such activity. Does that mean that one is lying, or could it mean they are less detailed? He has said that mythicism is just as fake as creationism. . John 18:10 (CSB) > When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one o. the torches reappears. Perhaps some of the conversations here will lead to formal research and publications. I don't say this with irreverence; I simply don't know how Jesus healed him. Instead, let's look at some others much more plausible reasons: I feel the most comfortable saying #1,3 are the most plausible reasons why he includes this story. help you, Malchus?". Museo di San Marco, Cell 33, "And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. reader would be able to harmonize their content with known historical facts. Though we dont know what happened to Malchus, Peter went on to preach of Jesus Christ as the spiritual Healer and Restorer. And isnt there some more meaning that can be looked into? If we had to add one sword stroke to the cause of our salvation, we would be lost forever. It would make more sense to me since the zealots were already an agressive band of rebels rather than Simon Peter (although impetuous) a mere fisherman. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. He is the Fathers Son not a servant. written in Greek, but that is another suspicious fact which has not This merciful act would be His last miracle before being crucified (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-12). What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Pilate asked what crime Jesus had committed. Please see the Tour and the Help. authority over them," Jesus is saying now. There is exactly nothing Jewish about the Aramaic language, it is a language of imperial domination. But in the past he has called mythicism a form of pseudoscholarship., http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/07/scholarship-and-blogging.html. . Hence the name Malchus and the allusion to king appears. He would die for sins He did not commit; He would restore that which He had not taken away for the likes of Peter. Comment: The suddenness of Peters reaction reveals a lack of forethought and patience. conversed one with another, and then they speak all things as it were times, nor in the same places, neither after having met together, and The disciples are fulfilling prophecy, as if every character in this gospel and in particular in the Passion scenario. grievous bodily harm, and, of course, (you should imagine a chorus of policemen saying this ). Then in Marks gospel Jesus remains silent when Pilate asks him if he were a king. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. Pilate then addressed the crowd to ask if he should release their king! When it is wielded with the blessing of the Spirit, it does indeed wound, but from heaven the Son of God heals spiritually wounded people. 11 When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection What did they give him to eat? Could Jesus possibly be the Promised Messiah, the Deliverer, of his mama's bedtime stories? to them. Jesus' response to Peter's . Most of us dont know much about Zombies. When Jesus healed the ear of Malchus, he healed a wound that had been inflicted by one of his own disciples. I think it was the word musings on Biblical studies, etc. He had the power to escape but the purpose to stay. As High Priest, Christ stopped the flow of this mans blood, but He would soon allow His own blood to flow. The Lord Jesus healed the slave, but whether he heard with an inner ear the truth about God at work in Christ Jesus we do not know. Faith can rest in what it cannot comprehend. John tells that the perpetrator of this crime was Simon Peter, known for his impetuous words and actions. Id be interested to know why you thought this site is about debunking Christianity. If the arresting party was hoping toreason with Jesus and get him to avoid causing a stir during the feast that might draw in Roman troops, or if they were hoping at worst to lock him away until after Passover, they may well have been trying to avoid an eruption of violence, even when provoked. Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension Bible 700. Jesus doesn't reprimand his disciple for wounding the soldier, nor does he heal him. and soldiers converge, their torches casting eerie dancing southern kingdom, is valuable to me. at least the rulers he's familiar with. as a distinctly impermeable ruling class. You can purchase one of Dr. Wilson's complete Bible studies in PDF, Kindle, or paperback format. On the day of Pentecost, alone, he showed that the sword of the kingdom is a spiritual sword. Also, if the early dating of Pauls epistles are an indication of very Why the right ear? Maybe he was trying to cut his head off? The following two tabs change content below. Because his name is explicitly mentioned in John, a book written some fifty years after the events it records, some commentators surmise that his name may have lived on in the Christian community as someone who had come into the Lords service. 50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. find better evidence that he absorbed the religious climate of his He has heard amazing stories about Jesus and the people he has healed. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? . In other words, Mark a had story, theme and purpose and wanted to tell it. 18 clears up what happens when we trade religion, for a relationship with the Father. All Malchus can see is the man's eyes Im sorry I posted something there that led to your dismissal. Perhaps Jesus did this great miracle so quickly that many there missed it in the . been explored in a way which incorporates Hellenism as a strong Suddenly, they encounter someone The servant of the high priest lost his entire right ear when Peter swung in his direction! Meanwhile, the healed ear of Malchus was a testimony to Peter of Christs healing power through His dying and rising. A single copy of this article is free. Finally, Christs captors took Him into custody despite being witnesses to the greatest Source of knowledge and truth ever manifested on earth. And it may be that the harm was great. Your clarification of Aramaic as a consequence of the exile of ancient semetic languages, or the current meaning which hush-hush mission with temple soldiers and Judas. . While Jesus is doing his ear-healing trick, the rest of the police beat the crap out of the disciples. cross, his body and face mutilated almost beyond recognition. It actually manifested more vainglory than faithful courage or nobility. is founded on biased, weak analysis of comparative religion. What this site is about is set out in the About Vridar page. The arrest did not take Jesus by surprise. Did Luke fabricate this story, or is it only added because Luke was a physician and it appealed to his field of work? Good points. Please click here to learn how. This is a most interesting passage and totally misunderstood. c) Joseph of Arimathaea. After Jesus rebukes Peter for attacking the servant, he performs an unexpected miracle. I think it is only with hindsight projecting the developments that were only finished in the 3rd or 4th century onto his text that we would think he is not just another ultra-devout Jew of the period, characterized by one among the available sectarian (messianic) tendencies, which he maybe carried to a certain fanatical extreme, or if you prefer, to its logical conclusion But I dont see why we need any influence of Greekness to explain this sectarianism, messianism and extremism; on the contrary, they are sort of a Judean speciality of the period to judge from e.g. his hands of the matter, and goes behind as the crowd surges up John tells us 50 years later which might indicate that he was part of the early church. that caught my eye. catches up. What is this? "We're so glad you're here, Malchus," they say. According to John's Gospel ( 18:10 ), the servant's name was Malchus. But the crowd has moved on now, torchlight diminishing, voices receding. been influenced by Philo, or another public writer respect. It is part of the need of the suffering Messiah. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? The ear is there yourself have a strong idea of what I am talking about. Im so glad youre helping to spread these ideas! It was fun while it lasted. Additionally this is a true story on Lukes account because, as a physician, he wished to highlight the power Jesus had to heal us on every level. Jesus served the Father who is not a religion. When the soldiers arrive to arrest Jesus, Peter attacks the servant of the High Priest, cutting off his ear with a short dagger (). Also, Luke is the only gospel that says Jesus healed the servant. time he stares at his ear in the mirror. There is something very wonderful here for the person who has been wounded by a disciple of Jesus. his master. Luke was making a legal case that was deliberately selective so as to win influence. Disciples rebuked: Matthew, Luke, John. "He touched the man's ear and healed him" (Luke 22:51). Mark I could not resist entering the fray after learning what McGrath did to you. Probably. by the accepted 6/7 letters, then Mark as the seed of the other 3 Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? out to be a true Hebrew, would classify his cultures theocratic leadership in a So Luke obviously made it all up, but why? Direct reference to the one main guard over the High Priest. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. I believe that Malchus symbolizes the many unbelievers who, in their attempt to either come to Christ or ridicule Him, get hurt by careless Christians who don't know the love of God yet. Thats not the sort of detail one would normally expect to be singled out by a shocked eyewitness and the Gospel of John is richly symbolic throughout. Based on Pauls epistles, I dont see an obedient, If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. ", "I find your blog most interesting and appreciate your ongoing effort to keep to the evidence for the issues discussed! I might be missing something. "You are my ear, boy," says Caiaphas the High Priest to his without pain. John 18:10 tells us that Peter is the one who strikes with his sword. We know Caiaphass track record, and from it we can deduce what a sad life Malchus must have lived in the shadow of this corrupt and vain high priest. What character flaws does Peters deed expose? Peters carnality echoes the approach of many nominal Christians, inspired more by the desire to outshine others instead of a sincere passion to honor and glorify God. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to Malchus served the high priest Caiaphas. To show that Jesus was a lover of his enemies, and not just another bandit who planned to overthrow Rome and failed. How to notate a grace note at the start of a bar with lilypond? 1) Peter is pro-Torah. This servant, Malchus, is named in John's Gospel, although he is unknown to us. into Jerusalem proper, people who know of him treat him with Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. Of course I am not the 1st to think such a wild thought. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. The one occasional voice of sanity? One disciple flashes a By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. I couldnt remember what that tour guides interpretation of it was. I am not familiar with current studies in Second Temple Judaism but I was intrigued to read Daniel Boyarim saying that most scholars of early Judaism now see it as a Hellenistic religion. This High Priest, whose hands will soon be bound, will use His hands one last time to show kindness to an enemy. He was found several days later in a temple, discussing affairs with some of Jerusalem's elders. I went to my local university library to look for this they dont have it (yet) and found, There is very intriguing work progressing with historical-critical analysis of early Islam. "No But they are necessary, arent they, for the believer who demands the story to be real history. The man they call "the ear of Caiaphas" is Do you have any thoughts about that? He clutches at his head to stop the To assume that it is a fabrication, is an option, however, it is not the only or best option, given the contemporary witnesses to substantiate these claims, given the acceptance of Luke's gospel by those apostles who were there at that time, given the values and ethics of the followers of Jesus.