Post by Zac Loh on Feb 6, 2009 11:52:08 GMT -5
Dear Saints,
There is so much to be received just by reading the Gospels. It is the food that will last us for eternity. We receive this food by believing what we read.
Thirty Pieces Of Silver
Matthew 27:3-4
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” (Matthew 27:3-4)
It is difficult to ascertain what coins are here meant. Mr. Poole, of the British Museum, one of the best authorities on numismatics, suggests (see SMITH’S Dictionary of the Bible, s. v. PIECE OF SILVER) that the thirty arguria, mentioned here and in Matthew 27:3,5,6,9 were not denarii, as many commentators suppose, but shekels, and that shekels must also be understood in the parallel passage of Zechariah 11:12-13. Thirty shekels of silver was the price of blood when a slave was accidentally killed. See Exodus 21:32. As there were probably no current shekels during our Lord’s time, Mr. Poole supposes that the tetradrachms of the Greek cities of Syria were the coins which composed the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas. These tetradrachms have the same weight as the skekels of Simon Maccabaeus; and the stater found by Peter in the fish was a specimen of them.
[an excerpt from the book, Manners & Customs Of The Bible by James M. Freeman, page 384]
Thirty shekels of silver was the price of blood when a slave was accidentally killed according to the law.
If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. (Exodus 21:32)
Evidently, Judas was the ox which was killed (he hanged himself). The chief priests and elders paid Judas their thirty pieces of silver for the act of betrayal. Consequently, the chief priest and elders owned the wayward ox, Judas.
But Judas threw away the silver after the betrayal. The chief priests took the silver, and gave the silver for the potter’s field in order to bury strangers in it. So, in a way, the chief priest paid to God, the chief priest paid the silver to the master of the servant (Jesus) who was killed.
I would like to propose two angles here:
First Angle
The chief priest and elders accidentally killed the servant of God. Not in the act itself, but they had accidentally achieved God’s aim in crucifying Jesus. They never intended to comply with God’s will on that matter. They had been using their religion to serve their own purposes.
which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8)
The chief priests and elders, and Judas, were all used by Satan. Their intent was to finish-up Jesus. Satan’s plan was to thwart God’s plan. They all accidentally fulfilled the plan of God (even though to God, it wasn’t really an accident!).
Second Angle
The chief priests and elders had strongly suspected, from the miracles that Jesus performed, and the wisdom that He displayed; that Jesus was truly the servant of God. Of course, they refused to acknowledge or endorse this fact publicly.
They deliberately, plotted and murdered the servant of God. But they had religious knowledge. It is possible that they made it in such a way, through a religious twist, that they would have `technically’ killed the servant of God by accident.
My guess is that the main protagonists used this religious `just in case’ logic to make the plan plausible in that hyper religious environment, and to convince those among them who were feeling guilty about it.
Now, if the public accused them, they would probably say that they didn’t know that He was truly the servant of God.
Because of their religious clout and intelligence, they could explain away everything. The chief priests and elders were blinded by their steep religiosity. They were deceived while deceiving others.
Today’s Scenario
Some of us are culpable. Through our knowledge of Bible text, we have twisted it to our own advantage. Ministers might used certain theology for self-gain.
Certain aspects are deliberately focused to promote the ministry, or to enlarge the ministry, which we know will ultimately benefit ourselves: our public image among our friends and relatives in the name of self-esteem, or our monetary/material in the name of financial security/stability.
We might even placate ourselves of our so-called `normal’ motive which is to be established in our career or profession, which happens to be the ministry (quite easy for the ordinary people to accept this line of thought, isn’t it?).
Topic such as the message of health-and-wealth is opened to manipulation, springing from an ulterior motive of the heart.
I am NOT saying that the health-and-wealth message is wrong; in despite of my misgiving of its extremes and excesses due to the one-sided and incomplete picture being put out there.
Ministers ought to seek God as to what is to be preached and taught on every occasion. And ministers ought to check whether they are motivated by divine love so as to ensure that they are not deceived nor overcame by their own human agenda.
As for regular Christian, some might find themselves using certain Bible text for self-consolation, in order to ease their guilty conscience.
There is so much to be received just by reading the Gospels. It is the food that will last us for eternity. We receive this food by believing what we read.
Thirty Pieces Of Silver
Matthew 27:3-4
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” (Matthew 27:3-4)
It is difficult to ascertain what coins are here meant. Mr. Poole, of the British Museum, one of the best authorities on numismatics, suggests (see SMITH’S Dictionary of the Bible, s. v. PIECE OF SILVER) that the thirty arguria, mentioned here and in Matthew 27:3,5,6,9 were not denarii, as many commentators suppose, but shekels, and that shekels must also be understood in the parallel passage of Zechariah 11:12-13. Thirty shekels of silver was the price of blood when a slave was accidentally killed. See Exodus 21:32. As there were probably no current shekels during our Lord’s time, Mr. Poole supposes that the tetradrachms of the Greek cities of Syria were the coins which composed the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas. These tetradrachms have the same weight as the skekels of Simon Maccabaeus; and the stater found by Peter in the fish was a specimen of them.
[an excerpt from the book, Manners & Customs Of The Bible by James M. Freeman, page 384]
Thirty shekels of silver was the price of blood when a slave was accidentally killed according to the law.
If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. (Exodus 21:32)
Evidently, Judas was the ox which was killed (he hanged himself). The chief priests and elders paid Judas their thirty pieces of silver for the act of betrayal. Consequently, the chief priest and elders owned the wayward ox, Judas.
But Judas threw away the silver after the betrayal. The chief priests took the silver, and gave the silver for the potter’s field in order to bury strangers in it. So, in a way, the chief priest paid to God, the chief priest paid the silver to the master of the servant (Jesus) who was killed.
I would like to propose two angles here:
First Angle
The chief priest and elders accidentally killed the servant of God. Not in the act itself, but they had accidentally achieved God’s aim in crucifying Jesus. They never intended to comply with God’s will on that matter. They had been using their religion to serve their own purposes.
which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8)
The chief priests and elders, and Judas, were all used by Satan. Their intent was to finish-up Jesus. Satan’s plan was to thwart God’s plan. They all accidentally fulfilled the plan of God (even though to God, it wasn’t really an accident!).
Second Angle
The chief priests and elders had strongly suspected, from the miracles that Jesus performed, and the wisdom that He displayed; that Jesus was truly the servant of God. Of course, they refused to acknowledge or endorse this fact publicly.
They deliberately, plotted and murdered the servant of God. But they had religious knowledge. It is possible that they made it in such a way, through a religious twist, that they would have `technically’ killed the servant of God by accident.
My guess is that the main protagonists used this religious `just in case’ logic to make the plan plausible in that hyper religious environment, and to convince those among them who were feeling guilty about it.
Now, if the public accused them, they would probably say that they didn’t know that He was truly the servant of God.
Because of their religious clout and intelligence, they could explain away everything. The chief priests and elders were blinded by their steep religiosity. They were deceived while deceiving others.
Today’s Scenario
Some of us are culpable. Through our knowledge of Bible text, we have twisted it to our own advantage. Ministers might used certain theology for self-gain.
Certain aspects are deliberately focused to promote the ministry, or to enlarge the ministry, which we know will ultimately benefit ourselves: our public image among our friends and relatives in the name of self-esteem, or our monetary/material in the name of financial security/stability.
We might even placate ourselves of our so-called `normal’ motive which is to be established in our career or profession, which happens to be the ministry (quite easy for the ordinary people to accept this line of thought, isn’t it?).
Topic such as the message of health-and-wealth is opened to manipulation, springing from an ulterior motive of the heart.
I am NOT saying that the health-and-wealth message is wrong; in despite of my misgiving of its extremes and excesses due to the one-sided and incomplete picture being put out there.
Ministers ought to seek God as to what is to be preached and taught on every occasion. And ministers ought to check whether they are motivated by divine love so as to ensure that they are not deceived nor overcame by their own human agenda.
As for regular Christian, some might find themselves using certain Bible text for self-consolation, in order to ease their guilty conscience.