Mateus 19

Mateus 19

Piper - Jesus does not deny the tremendous difficulty of his command. Instead, he says in verse 11, that the enablement to fulfill the command not to remarry is a divine gift to his disciples. Verse 12 is an argument that such a life is indeed possible because there are people who for the sake of the kingdom, as well as lower reasons, have dedicated themselves to live a life of singleness. NET NOTE - The verb eunouchizo occurs twice in this verse, translated the first time as “made eunuchs” and the second time as “became eunuchs.” The term literally refers to castration. The second occurrence of the word in this verse is most likely figurative, though, referring to those who willingly maintain a life of celibacy for the furtherance of the kingdom (see W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, Matthew [ICC], 3:23). Origen - The claim that Origen castrated himself originates from Eusebius of Caesarea, a 4th-century church historian, in his Ecclesiastical History (Book 6, Chapter 8) who writes "Origen, taking Matthew 19:12 literally, castrated himself so that he could teach women and live a life of purity without suspicion or temptation." He reportedly did this while he was still young and intensely devoted to living out Christ’s teachings with radical sincerity. Later in life, Origen discouraged others from taking Matthew 19:12 literally and the act disqualified him from official ordination in some regions of the church. ILLUSTRATION OF A MAN WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE AS EUNUCH FOR SAKE OF KINGDOM OF GOD - This man never married and God used him mightily to expand His Kingdom! His name was Francis Asbury (1745-1816) was a lower-middle-class metalworker from a rough neighborhood in the middle of the English countryside. After Francis Asbury heard the Methodist message of salvation marked by a life of discipline he volunteered to go to America as a missionary in 1774. Nothing about American religion would ever be the same again. Dynamic worship, energetic circuit-riding preachers, and a close-up, personal style of leadership made Methodism a movement perfectly suited to bring the word of God to the new nation of America. And Asbury led the way. TRAVELING LIGHT AND WITH AN OPEN HAND Asbury never married or owned much more than he could carry on horseback. He told Henry Boehm, one of his traveling companions, that “the equipment of a Methodist minister consisted of a horse, saddle and bridle, one suit of clothes, a watch, a pocket Bible, and a hymn book. Anything else would be an encumbrance.” George Roberts, another preacher, recorded that Asbury left New York for Boston on one trip with only three dollars in his pocket and refused to take more from anyone on the way. STARTLING STATISTICS When Asbury first came to the American colonies as a 26-year-old Methodist missionary in 1771, there were 600 Methodist believers on the new continent. Fewer than 1 in 800 people was a Methodist. When he died in 1816, there were over 200,000 Methodists (1 of every 36 Americans), and Asbury had ordained over 2,000 Methodist preachers, nearly all of those who were preaching at the time. Despite poor health, he had ridden over 130,000 miles and preached for 45 years (an average of eight miles per day), probably delivering more than 10,000 sermons—approximately one sermon every three days. See Christian History Magazine #114 - Francis Asbury and the Methodists Made eunuchs (2134)(eunouchizo from eunouchos - one in bed alone, thus a eunuch) means to emasculate, make a eunuch and is used only in Mt 19:12 in the Bible. Complete Biblical Library - This verb does not appear in classical Greek until the Fourth Century B.C., and it is not used in the Septuagint. However, the Septuagint does use the noun eunouchos (2116) from which comes our English word eunuch. The idea of castration was basically alien to Western society until the great influx of Oriental culture which was a result of the extensive conquests of Alexander the Great (Schneider, “eunouchizō,” Kittel, 2:765). The Old Testament strictly forbids castration of both man and beast; it goes against the divine will in creation (Deuteronomy 17:16ff.; 23:2-9). The rabbis thus taught that marriage was obligatory to all males in light of Genesis 1:28 (ibid., 2:767). In the only New Testament use of the verb, Jesus transcended the rabbinic view. In Matthew 19:12 He set in contrast three examples of becoming a eunuch: (1) those who are so from birth, (2) those who are so as a result of other men, and (3) those who are so because of choice. The first two ways were the limits to the rabbinic understanding; the third way of becoming a eunuch had not before been elaborated by anyone, thus reinforcing the fact that the point of Jesus’ words rests there. This last way should be understood figuratively, not literally, for Jesus would have abhorred castration like all true Jews. He had in mind those who voluntarily forego sexual companionship in order to render total service for the Kingdom’s sake. (See also the word study for eunouchos [2116], “eunuch.”) However, it is only fair to say that the Early Church was divided as to whether Jesus’ words were to be taken figuratively or literally (ibid., 2:765). Walter Kaiser's discussion of Eunuchs for the Kingdom’s Sake? from Hard Sayings of the Bible This saying occurs in Matthew’s Gospel only; it comes immediately after his version of the saying about marriage and divorce. When their Master ruled out the possibility of their getting rid of their wives by divorce, the disciples suggested that, in that case, it was better not to marry. To this he replied, “Not all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given” (Mt 19:11 RSV). This means that the only ones who can successfully live a celibate life are those who have received the gift of celibacy. This context shown how the following reference to eunuchs is to be understood; it certainly shows how Matthew understood it. The saying, as reproduced by Matthew, consists of three parts. The first two present no problem. Some men are born eunuchs, and as for being “made eunuchs by men,” that was no unfamiliar practice in the ancient Near East. The hard saying is the third part: what is meant by making oneself a eunuch “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (RSV)? It is reported that one eminent scholar in the early church, Origen of Alexandria (A.D. 185–254), took these words with literal seriousness in the impetuousness of youth, and performed the appropriate operation on himself.16 In later life he knew better; in his commentary on Matthew’s Gospel he rejects the literal interpretation of the words, while acknowledging that he once accepted it, and says that they should be understood spiritually and not “according to the flesh and the letter.” What then did Jesus mean? These words are no more to be taken literally than his words about cutting off the hand or foot or gouging out the eye that leads one into sin. In the Jewish culture in which he lived and taught, marriage was the accepted norm and celibacy was not held in the high esteem which it later came to enjoy in many parts of the church. That men such as John the Baptist and Christ himself should deny themselves the comforts of marriage and family life may well have aroused comment, and here is Jesus’ answer to unspoken questions. Some men and women have abstained from marriage in order to devote themselves more wholeheartedly to the cause of the kingdom of heaven. The man who marries and brings up a family incurs special responsibilities for his wife and children; they have a major claim on his attention. Jesus indicated his attitude toward the ties of the family into which he was born when he said that anyone who did the will of God was his brother, sister or mother (Mk 3:35). It was people like these—those who had taken on themselves the yoke of the kingdom he proclaimed—who constituted his true family. To incur the more restricted obligations that marriage and the rearing of children involved would have limited his dediction to the ministry to which he knew himself called. At the same time, Jesus made it plain that only a minority among his followers could “receive” this course: for most of them marriage and family life should be the norm. Twenty-five years later the same teaching was repeated in different language by Paul. Paul himself found the celibate way of life congenial, but he knew that the consequences would be disastrous if those who were not called to it tried to follow it. Hence his advice for the majority of his converts was that “each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband”—for, as he went on to say, “each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that” (1 Cor 7:2, 7). Those whom God called to the celibate life would receive from him the “gift” of celibacy—of making themselves “eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (RSV). QUESTION - What is a eunuch in the Bible? ANSWER - The eunuchs of the Bible were usually castrated males or those incapable of reproduction due to a birth defect. A eunuch could also be someone who performed work typical of eunuchs, although he remained perfectly capable of having sex—i.e., “eunuch” in some cases was simply a title. The purpose of intentional castration was to induce impotence and remove sexuality. It was a common practice in ancient times for rulers to castrate some of their servants and/or advisers in order to subdue and pacify them. It was especially common to castrate men who tended the royal harem. Queen Esther’s eunuchs are mentioned in Esther 4:4. In Matthew 19:12, Jesus mentions eunuchs in the context of whether it is good to marry. He says, “There are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” Jesus identifies three types of “eunuchs” here: natural eunuchs (“born that way”), forced eunuchs (“made eunuchs by others”), and voluntary eunuchs (“those who choose”). Natural eunuchs include those who are born with a physical defect, but they also comprise those who are born with no real desire for marriage or sex. Forced eunuchs are those who have been castrated for whatever reason. Voluntary eunuchs are those who, in order to better serve the Lord in some capacity, choose to forego marriage. God calls some people to remain single (and therefore celibate). Paul speaks of those who serve the Lord in their unmarried state in 1 Corinthians 7:7—9. Some gay groups argue that Jesus was referring to homosexuals when He mentioned eunuchs who were “born that way.” However, the Bible never uses the words homosexual and eunuch interchangeably. Furthermore, eunuchs are never referred to in Scripture as being in sin, while homosexuality is universally condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. Matthew 19:13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. BGT Matthew 19:13 Τότε προσηνέχθησαν αὐτῷ παιδία ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὐτοῖς καὶ προσεύξηται· οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς. NET Matthew 19:13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. CSB Matthew 19:13 Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. ESV Matthew 19:13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, NIV Matthew 19:13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. NLT Matthew 19:13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. brought: Mt 18:2-5 Ge 48:1,9-20 1Sa 1:24 Ps 115:14,15 Jer 32:39 Mk 10:13 Lu 18:15 Ac 2:39 1Co 7:14 and the disciples rebuked: Mt 16:22 Mt 20:31 Lu 9:49,50,54,55 Related Passages: Mark 10:13+ And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. Luke 18:15+ And they were bringing even their babies (brephos) to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. COMMENT - A somewhat technical note on Luke 18:15 is that the material in Luke 9:51 to Luke 18:14 has no direct parallel with the material in the other Synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Mark. But in Luke 18:15-17 we find a definite parallel with the Gospel of Mark 10:13-16 and Mt 19:13-15. Luke has more duplication of the other Synoptic Gospels in the chapters that follow than we have seen in Luke 9:51-18:14. JESUS LAYING & PRAYING FOR CHILDREN DISCIPLES REBUKING Then some children (paidion) were brought (prosphero cf use in Mt 4:24) to Him so that He might lay (epitithemi) His hands on them and pray (proseuchomai) - Luke's version has babies (brephos) (Lk 18:15+). Brought was used of bringing offerings to God (as an act of worship), and speaks of intentional presentation, often with reverence or purpose, as if one is "offering" these children to Jesus (cf our modern practice of dedication of children). Brought (prosphero) means to bring something toward someone — it implies effort, movement, direction. David