Re: Matthew 7.6

From: James C. Clardy, Jr. (JClar100@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Wed Apr 23 1997 - 08:47:47 EDT


> Brian E. Wilson wrote:

> We should therefore expect occasional sentences in the NT which are nonsense. Is not Mt 7.6 one such sentence? Others I would include are: Mt 6.34(b) and Mk 9.49.
> >

> Lee R. Martin wrote:>

> Dear Jim and Brian,
> I find no ambiguity in Mat. 7:6. What is the problem? Anyone who has
> fed hogs has experienced this verse. It is true that this isolated verse is open to various interpretations, but it seems to mean that you do not give anything valuable to those whom you know will not appreciate it.
>

>>Brian Wilson wrote:

If they have experienced what I read in Mt 7.6, they have already
departed this life (- 'and turn and tear you to pieces' - Revised
English Bible translation) !!

There is no problem for me. The fact that there are some
meaningless sentences in the Bible is to be expected. It is normal. It
would be a problem if there were no meaningless sentences in the
original 'autograph' manuscripts of such a large collection of
handwritten material.

=====================

Hello Lee and Brian:

Lee, my question: Is TO hAGION a reference to, as you suggest, "things
that are valuable?" And if that is the case, what are the "things that
are valuable?"

And Brian, though I agree, that, for whatever reason, this could simply
be a meaningless sentence, it is a bit dangerous to take that position
simply because one doesn't understand what is said or written. Lee's
comment about the "experience" of something is insightful.

Nevertheless, if we say the verse is a meaningless statement, or that
the text is corrupt, then it doesn't matter what one thinks the meaning
of TO hAGION is. TO hAGION has no meaning either. If the whole has no
meaning, then in context the parts could not either.

---I grew up in the country and I did feed the hogs. As I remember, the
times they turned on me were when it was feeding time and I was maybe
not ready to feed them (A mistake to not be made often) or when there
was some sense that their pigs were in danger from me (not always, but
more often than not they were really protective). Sometimes, as they
ran to the feeding pens, it was necessary to get out of the way, or one
could be "trampled" and get hurt. That was my experience with feeding
the pigs. Those were the days when I was a prodigal son.---

Jim Clardy



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