What happened when Peter cut off the ear? Jesus had just told Peter that he would deny Him, but here we see Peter standing up for Jesus. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. Luke 22:52-53. He kneels, but no one is watching as It was a part of the plan. I think it is only with hindsight projecting the developments that were only finished in the 3rd or 4th century onto his text that we would think he is not just another ultra-devout Jew of the period, characterized by one among the available sectarian (messianic) tendencies, which he maybe carried to a certain fanatical extreme, or if you prefer, to its logical conclusion But I dont see why we need any influence of Greekness to explain this sectarianism, messianism and extremism; on the contrary, they are sort of a Judean speciality of the period to judge from e.g. He was not armed. Isak Dinesen in The Deluge at Norderney (the first of Seven Gothic Tales) relates a story about Simon Peter wherein he uses the memory of cutting off Malchus' ear "to control his temper". 18 clears up what happens when we trade religion, for a relationship with the Father. teaches in the temple colonnade called Solomon's Porch. (Matt 26:51; Mark 14:43f; John 18:10). (The servant's name was Malchus.) This post is going straight to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival. ", "I always enjoy reading Neils blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest. And he touched the man's ear and healed him." While looking for Jesus, He revealed Himself and when the crowd would take Him, Peter wanting to protect Jesus, drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest. 50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. (, [I]t is hard to imagine Christians, eager to depict themselves and their leader as not violent revolutionaries, making this incident up. JOHN 18:10 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. is read allegorically does it have a chance to make any real sense. He rashly cut off the right ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, prompting Jesus to restore the mans ear miraculously. ", "By the way, my thanks to Neil for an ongoing superb job of exposing Jims review for what it is: a farcical and none too effective exercise in mythicism assassination, nothing to do with rational, let alone unbiased, scholarship. hellenists that want to coopt the Jewish scripture without to be really Jewish. The healing of Malchuss ear is the last miracle Christ performed as part of His earthly ministry before His death. That guy could then retweet it and tell the other apostles. Was he helping his Lord here? If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? Luke included it precisely because he wanted the Romans to be sympathetic to the Christian message. Faith can rest in what it cannot comprehend. I expect McGrath will be looking for an excuse to ban me, too, now. Ambivalence is written all over him. Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner. Suddenly, they encounter someone Does that mean that one is lying, or could it mean they are less detailed? While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the Luke 22 is the only gospel that records the . Now Caiaphas arrives, puffing, strutting, taunting. John 18:10 tells us the servant's name was Malchus. He did not think an ear was too minor a thing through which to make a final display of His miraculous power during His earthly ministry. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. Was not Luke a physician? In this threatening situation, Jesus could have chosen to perform a miracle for his own benefit, to avoid his impending arrest. Below is a partial list of miracles that Jesus performed during his ministry, as recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. "You are my ear, boy," says Caiaphas the High Priest to his that caught my eye. He had the power to escape but the purpose to stay. Good job. identification and the soldiers move in. Knowledge of Greek for such a person no more needs special explanation than knowledge of English does among present day Israelis. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. (There may additionally be some allusions to the Jewish War of 66-70+ but thats another discussion. Immediately after his arrest, the high priest Caiaphas broke Jewish customs to hold a hearing and decide Jesus's fate. his hands of the matter, and goes behind as the crowd surges up His ear is whole, the bleeding stopped, only his blood-soaked cloak to indicate that there ever was a wound. Malchus reaches up to feel his head. The disciples are the rocky soil who fall away in the face of persecution (as prophesied) and Jesus is found to be with the lestes or rebels from arrest to the crucifixion. There is no historical embarrassment. As Malchus is swept into a . But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.". He must get time he stares at his ear in the mirror. place me in the mythicist category, let alone the type of This was Jesus' last recorded miracle prior to his resurrection. Had some soldier from the temple guard gone on attack? Maybe it would have caused harm to Peter. Jesus restored him to the ability to hear completely and well, regardless of whatever flesh was left upon his head forming any ear. been explored in a way which incorporates Hellenism as a strong Perhaps Jesus did this great miracle so quickly that many there missed it in the . Peter had cut off Malchuss ear, but Christ restored it. The servant of the high priest lost his entire right ear when Peter swung in his direction! What happened to malchus? A place where magic is studied and practiced? What lesson can we learn from this about waiting on the Lord and not deciding ourselves what it is the Lord wants us to do? and soldiers converge, their torches casting eerie dancing Cant let nonsense rule in the cakemix. E-mail Bible Study From one moment to . His abruptness reflects that he was moved more by his passionhis emotionsinstead of upright, reasoned thought and godly principle. Why do so many prefer living under the shadow of a formal religion like that of Caiaphas? If the arresting party was hoping toreason with Jesus and get him to avoid causing a stir during the feast that might draw in Roman troops, or if they were hoping at worst to lock him away until after Passover, they may well have been trying to avoid an eruption of violence, even when provoked. Just because of the symbol of servitude? Answer (1 of 13): > Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. . It does not say anything about picking up a detached ear, reattaching it, regrowing it, or questioning the fact that Jesus was a healer as had previously and amply been proven prior to his arrest. them, for they know not what they do.". If it is a historical fact Two of the three disciples who were with Jesus and fell asleep during Jesus' agony in Gathsemane were ____________ . He was not wearing a helmet or armor, because if he had been so equipped, his ear would have been protected. Also, if the early dating of Pauls epistles are an indication of very In addition to being an act of peace and forgiveness, and an example for us to follow, this case also symbolizes Jesus treatment of people who have disabilities, people who are injured in the line of duty, and healing for those who commit violence and/or are traumatized by their acts in law enforcement or the military. "Ive even been cited by atheists with approval (which I really dont know how to take, so thanks, I think, but Im not sure,Vrider(even though I feel like I need to take a shower now)). Touch by John Ferguson portrays Malchus as a Roman soldier sent by Pilate to spy on the Sanhedrin. If the arresting party was hoping toreason with Jesus and get him to avoid causing a stir during the feast that might draw in Roman troops, or if they were hoping at worst to lock him away until after Passover, they may well have been trying to avoid an eruption of violence, even when provoked. But one of them actually seeing it; Thats different. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." syncretism, so the NT is utterly embedded in a pervasive exchange From most posts, it was obvious this was not a religious site, per se. covering his wound. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps (W)hen he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.1 Peter 2:19-24. by the accepted 6/7 letters, then Mark as the seed of the other 3 The rest of the day is a blur. However, I am not defending a PhD. It was me wot sold the pork sausages to the High Priests cook. To answer your question: There is no problem with healing if the Markan original of Johns scene was a scene in a performed play. Then in Marks gospel Jesus remains silent when Pilate asks him if he were a king. Did this satellite streak past the Hubble Space Telescope so close that it was out of focus? Direct reference to the one main guard over the High Priest. Healing the ear of a servant is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. Because another excludes it doesn't mean that it is false. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. ", "Many thanks for this post, and for the quality of your blog. Yet, amid all of this, Jesus chose to show mercy to His captors and to glorify His Father by submitting to His will. Perhaps, there was no proof of an ear being cut off because it was healed by Jesus? b) Peter and John. ", Mary Booker, February 2020 (personal email). Are you referring to anti-semitic scholarship in the sense 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. In the 2004 Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ, Malchus is represented as an armed member of the temple guard. Malchus' experience shows us that Christ loves all men. We wont know for sure until eternity. Is it not more likely that the incident reflects something that actually happened, and the oddities of the story reflect an attempt to reinterpret the event? So he touched the wounded man's ear and healed him. What character flaws does Peters deed expose? I don't say this with irreverence; I simply don't know how Jesus healed him. Here is the scene from the Gospel of John chapter 18 (NIV): 3So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. Considering the difficulty of making indisputable (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) The . The well of religion. The only crime they claimed was that Jesus was claiming to be king and that meant that he opposed Caesar. help you, Malchus?". Just before his action, he had asked Christ, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? However, he did not wait for an answer (Luke 22:49-50). And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. After eating the Passover meal with His Disciples, Jesus led them out into the darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently? Good points. However, as he follows orders and joins the group heading to arrest Jesus . Jesus ruled in a world with no religion. In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Annas is: One who answers; humble. The attack on the high priests servant was a vicarious attack on the high priest, rendering him unfit for the office. who is considered Hellenized. The above ruminations from the planet of biblical studies are a classic nonsense and are one more example of the farce when scholars completely ignore the reality of the texts they are studying. southern kingdom, is valuable to me. Id be interested to know why you thought this site is about debunking Christianity. His special talent is listening, hearing. Jesus has commanded them to refrain from violence as a demonstration that his kingdom is not of this world. A cohort was a minimum of 500. John 18:10: Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. "Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. So Malchus was on the wrong side of historythe losing side. Jerome, De viris inlustribus 2, in The Other Gospels: Non-Canonical Gospel Texts, ed. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? The synoptics say (okhlos) multitude.) That grace causes us to rest in the finished work of Christ. So Malchus was on the wrong side of historythe losing side. he was not a pious Jew like the standards we know in the And again Mark is highly symbolic so there was also probably some symbolism involving the ear, too. himself. I can hazard guesses like anyone else but thats all theyll be. Jesus Christ exhibited great power ( John 18:6) and mercy ( Luke 22:51) when He restored the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest who had come to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Perhaps this shows us that by ourselves we can accomplish nothing - except to make matters worse. (The Garden of Gethsemane grew flowers for perfume production.). Other modules in . ", "I think you have a high quality blog that provides a positive public service by discussing academic topics within a wider audience. Comment: This tragic situation shows unbelief to be destructive, ugly, and cruel. This servant, Malchus, is named in John's Gospel, although he is unknown to us. Welcome to BH. Detail of Fra Angelico, "Arrest of Christ" are sharp. Matt records that all those who live by the sword, die by the sword. is applied in a political context? . models for even recent history, I would say that Why would letters and Gospels in an increasingly out of date koin of a forgotten empire be somehow more valid? If any Christian thinks he has problems sufficient to exempt him from serving God, he had better be sure his problems are greater than those that faced our Savior at the time of this miracle. close every day. Robert Eisenman thinks Peter was antisemitic. Malchus' story is found in all four Gospels. him. So Peter was again putting his actions into play before thinking of the consequences. It is part of the need of the suffering Messiah. Thanks. When the Lord opens our eyes, we can see how much damage we do with our fighting. According to John, one of the disciples, the Apostle Peter, being armed with a sword, cut off the servant's ear in an attempt to prevent his Master's arrest. It was me wot, They say that only Jesus was arrested, because he asked the police to let the rest go. "The elders Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. This is not the time for fighting. to protest. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Ive always wondered if it was really Simon the Zealot who cut off the ear rather than Simon Peter. This merciful act would be His last miracle before being crucified (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-12). to express appreciation for your detailed interaction with what Ive written! I will have to learn some more data about which language Secondly, he would swing his sword horizontally (side to side). You are right to say that Pauls personality cannot for in many places they are convicted of discordance. I bet he heard twice as good after that. Jesus served the Father who is not a religion. Even though the incident of the servant's ear being cut off is recorded in all four gospels, Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:51; and John 18:10-11; the servant and the disciple are named as Malchus and Simon Peter only in John. Addie, what I allude by pointing that the cutter was just Peter is that proto-John was likely a gnostic Gospel and therefore anti-petrine by definition. Thus what is being said here is that half of the story has remained untold, even as Jesus touching the severed ear (which ostensibly was lying on the floor somewhere) and healing the man comes off as ludicrous when taken literally. Caiaphas would have made this known to Pilate because it clearly states that the person whose ear was cut off, was a servant to the high priest. Christ had just said in Peters hearing: Let these go their way (John 18:8). A lot of respected scholars are only, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/09/an-interpolation-in-1-thessalonians.html#comment-1598470837, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/09/defining-pseudoscholarship.html#comment-1609316537, https://vridar.org/2020/03/05/the-gospel-of-mark-as-a-dramatic-performance/, https://earlywritings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=145080#p145080. Is McGrath boasting that he has an environment in which no-one, not even mythicists, feel victimized or insulted or misrepresented? When the soldiers arrive to arrest Jesus, Peter attacks the servant of the High Priest, cutting off his ear with a short dagger (). Click here for more Easter articles and stories, See legal, copyright, and reprint information, My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. sliced his ear clean off. But Jesus answered, 'No more of this!' And he touched the man's ear and healed him" (Lk. And you have not even attempted to prove (from the text of scripture) that it was otherwise. What is this? Perhaps he was even trying to impress his fellow disciples. Yes, I need deeper understanding of semitic/oriental There is exactly nothing Jewish about the Aramaic language, it is a language of imperial domination. And he touched his ear, and healed him. They bound him 13 and brought him first to . Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? (, It has long seemed to me that this incident might have had a significant impact on the way things unfolded for Jesus. Sometimes they will also give a different bent to the same story. especially about Jesus, the new healer who bears watching. Your clarification of Aramaic as a consequence of the exile http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2012/01/history-is-to-mythicism-and-science-is-to-creationism-as-mcdonalds-is-to.html. ", "Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at Vridar . Free identity for Judeans. Initially, his strike may have appeared to be sparked by a courageous and noble faith, but it was wrongly motivated. have gathered to try him.". I think it is justified to consider the NT a Hellenistic anthology. One disciple flashes a yet Jesus heals him. Foolishly thinking they were superior-minded to Christ and His disciples, these mens actions will forever be a shameful tribute to unbelief (Romans 1:18-22). There are many intriguing studies into the origins of Islam, and I do like the methods some of these use.. Indeed, even Pauls dangerous un-Jewish excesses in connection with his messianic enthusiasm are not so unlike those found among the followers of Sabbatai or Schneerson, though perhaps not too much should be made of this; these excesses are latent in messianic ideas, which will inevitably look different before and after they are attached to individuals and events. He lived, died, and rose again so that one day He could fulfill His own inspired words from Isaiah 61:1: He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. Yet, his captors and eventual slayers, in their ungodly malice, could see His good words and works only as threats and Him only as an enemy, a man to shame, wound, and kill. is broken. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. An Your email address will not be published. Please click here to learn how. Demigods, Violence and Flood in Plato and Genesis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7c], Primeval History from Cain to Noah [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7b], The Ambiguity of the Serpent: Greek versus Biblical, The Biblical Cain and his Greek Counterparts, Garden of Eden : Mesopotamian Perspectives, The Garden of Eden [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7a], The Second Creation Story in Genesis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus 6], Inside the Pentecostal Christians Mind #1, Charbonnel: Jesus Christ sublime figure de papier. I did not intend to write such a long comment, but I think I can reel . 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. The arrest did not take Jesus by surprise. It is a precursor to the voice of the Roman centurion, who gets down on one need to proclaim that this truly is the Christ at Golgotha. Pilate then addressed the crowd to ask if he should release their king! 4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, Who is it you want?. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Peter's blow was sufficient to cut . (comment by JFM). As such, the addition may have been an important detail for Luke to add, given what he was trying to accomplish with his writing. View More Bible Stories View Luke Chapter 22. vengeful, so petty, so filled with hatred. It only takes a minute to sign up. . 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Later, when he hears the news of Jesus' resurrection, he accepts Him as the Messiah as does his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Tabitha, even though in doing so she must give up . Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. 2) Peter is antisemitic. Id make a better theologian than some of the theologians who try to do history. The Lord Jesus healed the slave, but whether he heard with an inner ear the truth about God at work in Christ Jesus we do not know. People are no better today. Malchus, breathing hard, How do we know his name is Malchus? He has heard amazing stories about Jesus and the people he has healed. The relevant passages in the Gospels of John and Luke, KJV, read: 10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. Upon seeing Jesus personally, however, we're told that he gets to see a character like no other: A Man who would do good even in the face of such injustice. If you want to know what 1st c Jews understood by the word messiah the best text will of course be the letters of Paul. Even in the church and spiritual communities there is so much sword-swinging from which we must repent and turn. There is very little written about Jesus' early life. Then they arrest them all on charges of, conspiracy, Neil made a good synthesis of the work without being an expert of the field. way which creates a boundary; to me, that is a sign of allegorical framing by a happen to be some of the most astute and well-read amateurs you can read on the internet on the subject of biblical historicity. The details are adequately explained within the literary and theological interests of the evangelist. Holy Guardian Angel, keep far from me all distracting thoughts; my patron saint, come to my assistance. He ruled in a world with a relationship to the Father. tunic. Later in Chapter 18, John records that a relative of Malchus witnessed Peter's assault in the Garden of Gethsemane, and identified Peter as a follower of Christ. breach of the peace Jesus' unbelievably gracious answer to his cry: "Father, forgive Probably. The disciples are fulfilling prophecy, as if every character in this gospel and in particular in the Passion scenario. of the NTs overall ideology, and Judea is already receptive to cultic incognito, ear open for a seditious comment he can report back to I know of no other site which offers a wide range of topics related to careful critical analysis of historically and scripturally related issues. One can well imagine the armed Roman and Jewish soldiers being ordered to try first to reason with Jesus to stay calm till after the Passover hoping they didnt have to actually arrest him. Kate Forbes: Would a Christian be permitted to lead Scotland. The servant's name was Malchus" (John 18:10). possession of a deadly weapon Such unbelievers should be ushered into the Lord, and such Christians need to grow in the love of God. Filed under: Biblical Studies, New Testament What happened to the soldier that Jesus healed his ear? It was me wot done the purse snatching in the Kwik-E-Mart near the East Gate. John 18:10 (CSB) > When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one o. without pain. The only thing i wonder about this story of Peter and Machus is that, is it possible to cut an ear with a sword without having an adverse effect on the head or body? It is necessary to establish the theological message. with no piercing. out of one mouth, this becomes a very great demonstration of the What have I done to this kind, gentle man? If Jesus really healed the servant of the High Priest, Mark would've mentioned it. Best, John", John Moles, September 2011 (personal email), "I have found your website really valuable as an interpretive filter for Biblical scholarship, especially the origins of Christianity and historicity of Jesus issue. There are several references to OT. Malchus' story is found in all four Gospels. ", "Thanks much for this book review. Malchus returns to his room and removes his stiffening cloak and Wind ), 36 Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. at least the rulers he's familiar with. And it may be that the harm was great. And it was Luke alone who told us that Jesus healed Malchus' severed ear. But that's all we know about . Peter would have no one to blame but himself if his discipleship and ministry had ended right at this point. He rashly cut off the right ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, prompting Jesus to restore the man's ear miraculously. Jesus had started a riot in the Temple, so the authorities set out to arrest him straight away. "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must In my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, I propose that the cutting of the ear has dramatic consequences later in the play. Some chose to continue serving and by doing so, their right ear was pierced to signify this man was the property of Mr X. Is it not more likely that the incident reflects something that actually happened, and the oddities of the story reflect an attempt to reinterpret the event? What part does unbelief play in Jesus arrest? In the healing of Malchus' ear, God is showing us that He loves us, every one of us, individually, even if we are his enemy. rubric for interpreting the NT, as well as apocryphal texts. together, and had written what they wrote by some human compact; intense animosity towards Rome by what is seen sword and begins to brandish it wildly. to them. Compare and contrast both lines of service.