I give my body to be burned

[Daniel_Marsh]

1 Corinthians 13:3
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

According to recent Archeological research, the idiom “body to be burned” simply refers to branding and tattoes.

It turns out that Roman Soldiers out of loyality to their commander would be tattoed or branded on their hand or risks with their Generals mark. Run away slaves would recieve a branding like that of cattle on their forehead.

So, Paul is saying even out of loyality we choose to recieve a mark, tatto or most likely branding with a mark of Christ and have not agape ( love of God ) such an action would be worthless.

Stigma: Tattooing and Branding in Graeco-Roman Antiquity
C. P. Jones
The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 77, 1987 (1987), pp. 139-155
doi:10.2307/300578
links.jstor.org/sici?sici...nlargePage

 

[TOME]

Daniel,
Thank you for your post, it helped me to get an historical reference to what Paul may have been talking about. I think many of us, especially those of us who are old enough to remember the 60’s, may picture in our minds the budhist monks in Vietnam buring their bodies in protest and think this is what Paul had in mind, but from what you wrote it could be (and I believe it is) Paul was writing of something that was common (tattoos)rather than extrodinary (immolation of ones body).

But this has made me reflect on the absolute necessity of the interior metonia Christ demands of his followers - outwards signs, actions and speach etc. are important and necessary but it is the interior giving of self in response to God’s Love (1 John) that is essential.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

p067.ezboard.com/fthetruth11187frm2.showMessage?topicID=1570.topic

I find it interresting that Bible Alone people would argue for an interpretation from tradition in the above link.

Amen, I John 4

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.

20 If anyone says, I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.