Amen I say to you

[catholicanne]

What does Jesus mean when He says, “Amen, I say to you”?

 

[Hezekiah1997]

Doesn’t “Amen” just mean “It is so.”?

So it would be saying It is so, I say to you…

 

[CatholicTrekkie]

What does Jesus mean when He says, “Amen, I say to you”?

I have seen “amen” in that context also be translated as “truly”, as in, “Truly, I say to you” (don’t know how authoritative that translation is).

He usually prefaces very important sayings with that phrase to highlight it. So I’m guessing he’s just emphasizing it.

 

[RPRPsych]

Though the literal meaning is “it is so” or “so may it be”, it also has the overtone of “truly”. In fact, older versions translate “Amen” as “verily”. So it’s Christ’s way of emphasizing the truth or value of a particular statement.

“The Amen” (the one who is Truth) is also a name of Christ in Revelation.

 

[Pat_Payne]

Like CatholicTrekkie was saying above, doesn’t it mean something akin to “If you listen to anything I’ve said, listen to this because this is vitally important”, right?

 

[Hezekiah1997]

Like CatholicTrekkie was saying above, doesn’t it mean something akin to “If you listen to anything I’ve said, listen to this because this is vitally important”, right?

Usually, if Jesus is saying something akin to what is mentioned above… there will be TWO “Truly” or TWO “Verily”

For instance, “Verily, verily I say unto you.”

Or “Truly, truly I say unto you.”

 

[patrick457]

Usually, if Jesus is saying something akin to what is mentioned above… there will be TWO “Truly” or TWO “Verily”

For instance, “Verily, verily I say unto you.”

Or “Truly, truly I say unto you.”

“Amen, Amen, I tell you,” with the double ‘Amen’ is a quirk specific to John’s gospel, while the synoptic version has only a single ‘Amen’. As mentioned, many translations often obscure the ‘Amen’ in these passages (which is left untranslated and transliterated in the Greek) by rendering them into English as ‘Truly’ or (for older versions) ‘Verily’.

 

[TimothyH]

What does Jesus mean when He says, “Amen, I say to you”?

Jesus is changing the way in which God addresses mankind, changing the way in which God communicates with his children. Ever since sin entered the world, God has spoken to mankind through secondary sources, intermediaries, angels, his chosen mouthpieces, and prophets.

God spoke to the Israel through Moses.

***And the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the people **of Israel…(Exodus 20:22)

**For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the people **of Israel… (Exodus 33:5)

**Say to the people **of Israel… (Leviticus 23:2)

**Say to the people *of Israel… (Leviticus 23:10)

There are 31 verses like this in the Bible. In fact, the people begged that God not speak to them directly.

When the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the mountain smoking, they all feared and trembled. So they took up a position much farther away and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we shall die." (Exodus 20:18-19)

For centuries, the normal and ordinary way in which God communicated to man was through prophets.

*But the angel of the LORD said to Eli’jah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Sama’ria, and say to them… (2 Kings 1:3)

But you, gird up your loins; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. (Jerimiah 1:17)

The people also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them; and you shall say to them, `Thus says the Lord GOD…’ (Ezekiel 2:4)

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them,… (Ezekiel 34:2)

Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you. (Jonah 3:2)*

The advent of Christ however, changed everything. The Second Person of the Trinity became man and dwelt among us, and for the first time in all creation, God spoke to humanity directly.

*And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: (Matthew 5:1-2)

Knowing their thoughts, he said to them… (Matthew 12:25)

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38)

And he said to them, “The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.” (Luke 6:5)*

For the first time since Adam and Eve, God looks people in the eye and addresses them in the first person, not talking through intermediaries, spokesmen or propehts, but saying “Amen,*** I ***say to you…”

Jesus even confirms that God is no longer speaking through Moses and the prophets, but that he is in fact God, and that he has come to speak to humanity directly.

*You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44)*

It was a radical change in the way God chose to communicate with his children. God was no longer speaking to people indirectly, but had become man, dwelt among us, and was now speaking to us as one of us.

-Tim-

 

[catholicanne]

Jesus is changing the way in which God addresses mankind, changing the way in which God communicates with his children. Ever since sin entered the world, God has spoken to mankind through secondary sources, intermediaries, angels, his chosen mouthpieces, and prophets.

God spoke to the Israel through Moses.

***And the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the people ***of Israel…(Exodus 20:22)

**For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the people **of Israel… (Exodus 33:5)

**Say to the people **of Israel… (Leviticus 23:2)

**Say to the people **of Israel… (Leviticus 23:10)

There are 31 verses like this in the Bible. In fact, the people begged that God not speak to them directly.

When the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the mountain smoking, they all feared and trembled. So they took up a position much farther away and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we shall die." (Exodus 20:18-19)

For centuries, the normal and ordinary way in which God communicated to man was through prophets.

But the angel of the LORD said to Eli’jah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Sama’ria, and say to them… (2 Kings 1:3)

But you, gird up your loins; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. (Jerimiah 1:17)

The people also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them; and you shall say to them, `Thus says the Lord GOD…’ (Ezekiel 2:4)

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them,… (Ezekiel 34:2)

Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you. (Jonah 3:2)

The advent of Christ however, changed everything. The Second Person of the Trinity became man and dwelt among us, and for the first time in all creation, God spoke to humanity directly.

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: (Matthew 5:1-2)

Knowing their thoughts, he said to them… (Matthew 12:25)

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38)

And he said to them, “The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.” (Luke 6:5)

For the first time since Adam and Eve, God looks people in the eye and addresses them in the first person, not talking through intermediaries, spokesmen or propehts, but saying “Amen,*** I ***say to you…”

Jesus even confirms that God is no longer speaking through Moses and the prophets, but that he is in fact God, and that he has come to speak to humanity directly.

You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44)

It was a radical change in the way God chose to communicate with his children. God was no longer speaking to people indirectly, but had become man, dwelt among us, and was now speaking to us as one of us.

-Tim-

Wow thank you, Tim. I never heard of it being explained in that way but it makes perfect sense.

Thank you to everyone else. I know now that when I read, “Amen, I say to you,” to pay special attention to what is being said.