If your hand causes you to sin

[Pons]

I’m sure no denomination dares to interpret this passage literally. Perhaps Jesus used extreme hyperbole to emphasize the wrongness of sin. As the pillar and foundation of truth (as Paul says), the Church knew what Jesus meant to say, so she hasn’t insisted on literally following this verse. Besides, if this can be interpreted non-literally, then the same goes for “call no man father.”

 

[HyeDetroit]

Now that you mention it, I wonder if any denomination has ever taken that passage word for word…

I sometimes think of that line about plucking out your eye if it causes you to sin etc etc, but then the whole world would be a blind,deaf, mute,and handless world lol

 

[brb2]

Origen took it almost literally, made himself a eunuch … and the Church was horrified.

 

[WALTHER]

I’m sure no denomination dares to interpret this passage literally. Perhaps Jesus used extreme hyperbole to emphasize the wrongness of sin. As the pillar and foundation of truth (as Paul says), the Church knew what Jesus meant to say, so she hasn’t insisted on literally following this verse. Besides, if this can be interpreted non-literally, then the same goes for “call no man father.”

Pons,

This text cannot be taken literally if left to its proper context.

Christ begins with these words:

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adulter with her in his heart."[Matthew 5:27-28]

Christ is thus saying that adultery does not consist in the mere physical act, but is rooted in the evil and perverse will of men. He is pointing man, not to the symptom, but to the disease and cause of his sinfulness.

Christ then continues:

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell." [vv. 29-30]

Here Christ drives us still further, pointing us to the extent our sin dominates us. For even if we were to rid the body of every member that offends, nevertheless, our sinful lusts and desires would remain *even apart *from those members.

These verses, therefore, ought to drive us to utter despair, knowing that there is no cure for our sinfulness apart from the pure grace and forgiveness won for us by Christ on the cross, and given to us by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit.

Sincerely,
WALTHER

 

[Prodigal_Son]

I take the text literally. If there were any part of my body that caused me to sin, I would cut it off.

Lucky for me, there isn’t.

Jesus was saying that *nothing *is determining us to sin. We may blame it on external causes, but this is just our excuse. In order to stop sinning, you need to be radically transformed, willing to “shed blood” to resist temptation. We are not told that we will have to shed blood, just that we must be willing to.

Sin proceeds from the heart, not from the body. We must be willing to circumcise our hearts.

 

[puzzleannie]

of more practical spiritual value is the practice of cutting loose from whatever attachment in the material world is causing us to sin: the internet, tv, other media, certain places such as bars if that is our problem, strip joints, clubs etc. Even a job if we are being required to be complicit in immoral behavior–lying, dishonestly, theft, offenses against the sanctity of life etc. It can even be time to cut certain people out of our lives: friends who drag us down and present a continual occasion of sin, toxic people, and people whom we consistently rate higher than God.

as for PP’s suggestion to take this literally please don’t let those people on the morality forum who struggle with a particular sin which often presents a struggle for male adolescents ever find their way to this discussion.