sjreeves@eedsp.gatech.edu (Stan Reeves) (09/20/89)
Should the "cut off one's hand, pluck out one's eye" in the Sermon on the Mount be taken literally? Well, sorta. I think Jesus was saying that if sin could be traced to a particular locality in the body, that it would be better to remove that part of the body than to sin. I believe Jesus was that serious about people dealing with the sin in their lives. The problem with actually carrying this out is, as Darren Provine pointed out, that sin can never really be traced to a particular part of the body. A blind man would still lust, and a thief would still covet. Getting rid of sin just isn't that simple. If it were, though, I believe Jesus would have wanted us to take even these radical measures to get rid of it. The general principle is this -- we should be committed to doing whatever it takes to remove the sin from our lives. Sometimes even a legitimate thing can become a source of stumbling in our lives. Jesus said that we need to be ready to get rid of things that cause us to stumble -- even those things that may be good or neutral in and of themselves. Stan Reeves
geoff@pmafire.UUCP (Geoff Allen) (09/23/89)
In article <Sep.20.04.23.51.1989.19732@athos.rutgers.edu> sjreeves@eedsp.gatech.edu (Stan Reeves) writes: > >The general principle is this -- we should be committed to doing whatever >it takes to remove the sin from our lives. Sometimes even a legitimate >thing can become a source of stumbling in our lives. Jesus said that we >need to be ready to get rid of things that cause us to stumble -- even >those things that may be good or neutral in and of themselves. And we should also avoid what causes others to stumble -- even if those things may be good or neutral in and of themselves. Note Paul's comments: All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. (Romans 14:20b-21) Be careful, hovever, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block for the weak. ... Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. (I Cor. 8:9,13) -- Geoff Allen \ Since we live by the Spirit, {uunet,bigtex}!pmafire!geoff \ let us keep in step with the Spirit. ucdavis!egg-id!pmafire!geoff \ -- Gal. 5:25 (NIV)
fullmer@dover.sps.mot.com (Glen Fullmer) (09/25/89)
Stan Reeves says: > Should the "cut off one's hand, pluck out one's eye" in the Sermon on the > Mount be taken literally? Well, sorta. I believe Jesus was > that serious about people dealing with the sin in their lives. The problem > with actually carrying this out is, as Darren Provine pointed out, that sin > can never really be traced to a particular part of the body. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Can't sin be traced to the brain? i.e. "If your brain offends thee cut it out!" You go first! -- ___ _ "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence" {__/ // "over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." \ // _ ___ Dick Feynman, Appendix F of Shuttle Disaster Report {__/ </_</_// <_ fullmer@sps.mot.com sun!sunburn!dover!fullmer