Archived Daily Manna | Rejoice Fellowship | A mission to release people to rejoice in the world.

Message: First off, a note on the translation. The word “hell”, in this instance, is a “dynamic equivalent” — that is, a type of translation that replaces a literal word with a more modern term that will, hopefully, convey the meaning better than a literal translation. Here, the literal word (in Greek) is “Gehenna”, a word that would be meaningless and even confusing to a first-time or casual reader; and so, the ESV translates the meaning rather than the word, and discusses being thrown into “hell”. Sodom, Corot Burning of Sodom (detail), Corot For those with more Biblical knowledge, the literal term is actually more colorful and descriptive. Gehenna was a hideous smoldering valley filled with acrid smoke, where all of the nastiest refuse of Jerusalem was dumped and burned. A live person might literally prefer to cut off his hand than live there. Gehenna also raises another colorful image: If we tempt others to sin, God is going to throw us onto the trash heap for permanent disposal! Similarly, the Greek text for “temptations” literally means “stumbling blocks” or “obstacles”; this was discussed yesterday. Let us presume that Christ is not telling us that we should actually pluck out our eyes or cut off our hands. Cutting off a hand would not be very effective, anyway. (There have been sects that did mutilate themselves to prevent sin — most notably an 18th century Russian cult called the “Skoptzy”, who castrated themselves, male and female, to eliminate sexual temptation.) But most readers infer that the term should not be taken too literally. Christ is using intensively disturbing imagery to drive home exactly how seriously we should take the matter: tempting others to sin. The Scripture is a continuation of Matthew 18:5-6; Jesus here elaborates on what a terrible thing it is to lead another person, especially a child or innocent person, into temptation. We will sin and we will face temptation; but we are capable of avoiding being the intentional source of temptation to others. Adam Eve serpent 17th century - long Committing adultery, for example, is a sin. Intentionally seducing a married man or woman — talking someone into committing adultery who was not already tempted — increases the gravity of the wrongdoing. Really, this passage can be read as saying that tempting another person into sin is worse than simply committing sin. Much of the New Testament seems to imply that there is no hierarchy of sins, although Christ does say that some people will be rewarded more than others in heaven. (E.g. Matthew 5:17-19) The Catholic Church teaches that there is a distinction between venal and mortal sins. Other denominations teach that all sin is mortal. (It is, to me, an open question. Smarter people than I have studied it and reached different conclusions!) The second paragraph lends itself to both a personal and a societal message. In the personal realm, Christ is telling us to get rid of temptation within our own lives. Do you watch pornography on hotel televisions? Have the front desk disable the television when you check in. Do you look great in that skimpy bikini? Don’t try it on in the first place. Do you get furious when somebody tailgates you? Pull over and let him pass you. The societal message, at least within the setting of a church, is to get rid of disruptive influences. If there are people who insist on tempting others into sin . . . out they go! Paul was quite clear about this, in his advice to the church at Corinth, where a man was sleeping with his father’s wife and refused to stop: “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor. 5:3-5) As far as I can tell, he didn’t mean that the person should be executed; he meant he should be sent out into the world, where hopefully he would suffer enough from his depravity that he might repent.