Moderators Bravus Posted April 16, 2007 Moderators Share Posted April 16, 2007 'What Would Jesus Do?' always seems to me to be fraught with danger, because there's so much scope for us to project our own prejudices and assumptions onto Jesus. But here's a more factual question: During his life here on earth, according to the gospels, who did Jesus attack... verbally and in one case physically? Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shane Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 The self-righteous. Jesus attacked others not when they hurt Him, but when He saw them hurting others. Quote Pastoral Family Counselor... Find me at www.PostumCafe.com Author of Peculiar Christianity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Koot Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 During his life here on earth, according to the gospels, who did Jesus attack... verbally and in one case physically? Physically? PHYSICALLY? As in assault and battery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Bravus Posted April 16, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted April 16, 2007 Well, yeah... unless you want to do the weaselly 'he only used the whip on tables and animals' eisegesis... Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Koot Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Well, yeah... unless you want to do the weaselly 'he only used the whip on tables and animals' eisegesis... Ahem . . . the word simply means 'he threw out.' One cannot deduce from that any physical contact. To do so would, itself, be eisegesis. Faithfulness in observing and identifying the data, professor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Bravus Posted April 16, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted April 16, 2007 Heh, well, um... under law brandishing a whip at someone already constitutes assault... it becomes battery when you hit them. Meh, it's not a huge issue: point is, he was pretty intense about it. The text itself explains a reason. Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Koot Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 under law brandishing a whip at someone already constitutes assault... it becomes battery when you hit them. I concede your point. It is a good one. So, Jesus could have been charged with criminal assault--and sued in civil court for the tort of assault! And, possible, false imprisonment. But, at least we do not know that He physically touched them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Koot Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Although, the parallel accounts do indicate the tables and the animals, come to think of it. Might need to modify what I said. We do not know that He brandished a whip at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Koot Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 brandishing a whip Yes, upon further review, I find that there is no statement that Jesus brandished a whip at anyone. Such is not reported. There are three parallel accounts. Two of them only mention the livestock and the tables. The third mentions that He drove them all out. While it is a possibility, based on the text, that He brandished a whip at them, it is not so stated, and is only a possibility. The student sees potential problems with such an idea, on the ground that by doing so, He would indeed have been chargeable before the Sanhedrin, and under law, no doubt. That was the very thing Jesus sought to avoid until near the end of His ministry. The accounts are harmonized by the understanding that He applied the whip in such a way as to hasten the animals out, which were indeed desecrating the temple. And, of course the moneychangers tables. The idea of brandishing it against individuals is speculative, at any rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Bravus Posted April 16, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted April 16, 2007 Fair 'nuf. But I didn't say 'who did Jesus assault', anyway. I'm sure if someone came in and drove me out of my place of business with no warning I'd feel pretty attacked. Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Koot Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Fair 'nuf. But I didn't say 'who did Jesus assault', anyway. I'm sure if someone came in and drove me out of my place of business with no warning I'd feel pretty attacked. Good point. And, you may well be correct. The text certainly doesn't specifically say either way. I found the question intriguing as a point of interest. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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