This post is going straight to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival. ), 36 Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. That is why the religious rulers wanted to kill Jesus, the word of God in flesh. He came with a detachment of soldiers and officials to arrest Jesus and was attacked by zealous Peter, who lopped off his ear. "And when the Lord had given the linen cloth to the servant of the priest, he went to James and appeared to him."[2][3]. This healing was the last miracle that Jesus performed before going to the cross to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world, the Bible says. is read allegorically does it have a chance to make any real sense. In this depiction, Jesus heals Malchus' wounded ear, leaving the latter to stay behind sitting dumbfounded in a state of disbelief, suggesting a possible conversion to . (The servant's name was Malchus.) The rest of the disciples (including the sword swinger) got away from 500 soldiers. Was not Luke a physician? In the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Bible, Malchus is the servant of the Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas, who participated in the arrest of Jesus. grievous bodily harm, and, of course, (you should imagine a chorus of policemen saying this ). Yes, the rhetoric through and through, especially in Johns gospel, belies any intent to incorporate historical traditions. The scene is as much a literary symbol as is Marks young man fleeing naked at the arrest of Jesus. Your clarity of expression, fair comments and personal insights are much valued. Jesus tells Peter to put away the sword. We know Caiaphass track record, and from it we can deduce what a sad life Malchus must have lived in the shadow of this corrupt and vain high priest. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. because such entire agreement as this comes not of simplicity. 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. 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. The powers of darkness have influenced this world to hinder and persecute Christians just as Christ was. Jesus healed the ear without having to reattach or regrow it, meaning that the man had a wound that healed and stopped bleeding. sword and begins to brandish it wildly. The virgin birth. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Presupposing a strong oral tradition which gives firm basis for atleast veridical You are doing essentially the same quality now (apart from the philology and languages) except mostly sticking to commenting on others work as informed comment/discussion. One of the Lords disciples reached for his sword and pulled it out of its sheath. 4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, Who is it you want?. at least the rulers he's familiar with. The raw material of the story was quite likely borrowed from the Gospel of Mark and the fourth evangelist has elaborated it a little to adapt it to his own theme. Jesus Restores Ear of Malchus | My Journey of Faith Imagine Malchus reaching for the right side of his head to find his ear gone and his head bleeding profusely. Meanwhile, the healed ear of Malchus was a testimony to Peter of Christs healing power through His dying and rising. A faithful priest, we are told elsewhere, had to be able to have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way (Heb. Perhaps in the dim light the man named Malchus saw the shining blade coming his way and, throwing his weight to one side, survived the attack. The healing of Malchus' ear also displayed the gentle & kind clam in Jesus in a time when others would be experiencing panic. wound. I appreciate your viewpoint on Hellenism as a mistaken I was trying to dispense with Acts, pointing out that it is the only ground for thinking he is not e.g. There can be no doubt that his views on all things are much closer to those of saints of the later rabbinical tradition like Gamaliel than to those prevailing in the Alexandrian avant garde. Nay, this very 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? 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? Does that mean that one is lying, or could it mean they are less detailed? It's by no means a major part of the Passion, but it communicates quite a bit in just a few short sentences. A defensive move would have been more serious. might be pretending to know it. The high priest's servant. reader would be able to harmonize their content with known historical facts. place me in the mythicist category, let alone the type of his face. If the gospel is described in Luke 18:31-34, what gospel were the disciples preaching earlier in Luke 9:6? Peter Swings for the Head But Gets an Ear! | Renner Ministries 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. Hellenism is the proper term for how various cultures Jesus is the ear. If it is a historical fact In fact, Godfrey is extremely well read and his librarian skills have brought many important academic works to my attention. is founded on biased, weak analysis of comparative religion. Peter Defends Jesus in the Garden - Reading Acts ", "I always enjoy reading Neils blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest. But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Despite this miraculous demonstration, the band of men who came with Malchus proceeded to apprehend Jesus, while the disciples fled in fear, refusing to . (51) But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this.". They find Jesus and his disciples at the perfume garden. . So Peter, doing what he did in such a tumultuous situation reacted. I call them amateurs only for the reason that they dont have, so far as I know, advanced degrees in the subject. one comes to the Father, but by me.". That guy could then retweet it and tell the other apostles. He is not a disciple of Christ, and neither did he do something good that we should emulate him. me to accept as a definitive correction; I think John 7-21 Study - So I Fix My Eyes According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, being armed with a sword, cut off the servant's ear in an . Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Malchus (/mlks/) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. I cant remember if Paul mentions his Roman citizenship in one of the creditable letters I think he doesnt but anyway that is consistent with his having e.g. 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? are sourced in a cross pollination of ideology. But the contrary, it may be said, has come to pass, What was the relationship Between Jesus and Malchus (slave of the High Priest Caiaphas) The book of John records an interesting event that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. Maybe he was trying to cut his head off? Im sure they were confused by Jesus lack of defense or attempt to escape. Compare also what he said in verses 33 and 60. close every day. ", "Thanks for your very elaborate review! There is nothing specifically Christian about him, if words are taken with their actual English meanings. However, while John doesn't give us this information, the other gospels tell us that Jesus quickly told Peter, "Enough!" and went to Malchus, touching his ear and healing it. Trying to understand how to get this basic Fourier Series. Who was the Roman soldier who asked Jesus to heal his servant? Luke 5:17 - the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. Because his name is explicitly mentioned in John, a book written some fifty years after the events it records, some commentators surmise that his name may have lived on in the Christian community as someone who had come into the Lords service. James F. McGrath suggests that this account reflects an event that did happen, in that early Christians would hardly have invented a story portraying themselves as violent.[1]. Data speaks, and gives us observations. c) Joseph of Arimathaea. d) Andrew and Peter. What Is the Difference Between 'Man' And 'Son of Man' in Num 23:19? What happened when peter cut off malchus ear? - Answers The healing of Malchus was Christ's final miracle before his resurrection. be your slave, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of Is there any legitimate reason given by scholars as to why Luke uniquely adds the account of Jesus healing the ear of Malchus after it being severed off? tunic. time Malchus arrives on the hilltop, Jesus is hanging from a It was a part of the plan. 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. There is no healing. Peter would have no one to blame but himself if his discipleship and ministry had ended right at this point. What is this? Hi and welcome to our site. 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. I am not familiar with current studies in Second Temple Judaism but I was intrigued to read Daniel Boyarim saying that most scholars of early Judaism now see it as a Hellenistic religion. Its a game of Lets pretend we are reading a version of historical reports. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost," In Ch10 of Mark, Jesus again heals a blind man on the way to Jerusalem right before the climax (passion week) of part 2 of his gospel. John. Its like trying to build a Frankenstein God with so many limitations. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 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. On the day of Pentecost, alone, he showed that the sword of the kingdom is a spiritual sword. 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. Jesus Heals The Ear Of Malchus | King's Kid Stuff But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. By the But that's all we know about . In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Annas is: One who answers; humble. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.. A soldier jerks Jesus to his feet and the spell of the moment Could Plato Really have Influenced Judaism and the Bible? Peter was the servant of Christ the true High Priest. Ambivalence is written all over him. The rest of the day is a blur. Why dont Matt, Mark and Luke mention Peter? of spiritualities, mutating each other into new forms which creates sees himself as a servant, not a would-be dictator. And the name of the servant was Malchus (John 18:10). Did this satellite streak past the Hubble Space Telescope so close that it was out of focus? Robert Eisenman thinks Peter was antisemitic. Why is same-sex marriage an issue in the election of the new Scottish First Minister? Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. On the Cutting off of Malchus' Ear. Presenting the ear as evidence wouldve been considered an unclean act and would have been a violation of temple rules as bringing in this type of uncleanliness into the High Priests or even to the Roman court of Pilate would instantly convey disrespect to all of them, thereby disemboweling the case against Jesus. I cant figure out what you were supposedly misrepresenting over there. In many ways, it is like St. Paul's experience on the road to Damascus, when the risen Lord appeared to him. God is the head. serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.". (Matt 26:51; Mark 14:43f; John 18:10). Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Pete, Im not sure I follow you. He washes the caked blood from his shoulder, arm, and face, How do we know his name is Malchus? They cart the lot down to the nick. Jesus heals a blind man in Ch8 right before Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah denoting the halfway climax and part 1 of Mark's account. A place where magic is studied and practiced? For example, Often times, when I do marriage counseling, one person will tell a story one way, and another will add more details. John 18:3-11; Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; Luke 22:47-53 Jesus is standing, somehow calm amidst the confusion. No wonder, then, that the Lord admonished Peter: Put up thy sword into the sheath (John 18:11). Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. thing is a very great evidence of their truth. receding. View More Bible Stories View Luke Chapter 22. Disciples rebuked: Matthew, Luke, John. John tells us that the victims name was Malchus and that he was a servant of the high priest, Caiaphas. 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Matt records that all those who live by the sword, die by the sword. What part does unbelief play in Jesus arrest? models for even recent history, I would say that Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? Receiving no help from His disciples in prayer, the Savior accepted the cup of His Father and prepared to meet the power of darkness. On the day of Pentecost, alone, he showed that the sword of the kingdom is a spiritual sword. His sword dripping with blood, he was more ready for Armageddon than for the Passion. It is part of the need of the suffering Messiah. Malchus returns to his room and removes his stiffening cloak and Direct reference to the one main guard over the High Priest. vengeful, so petty, so filled with hatred. John tells us 50 years later which might indicate that he was part of the early church. Malchus, a high priest's servant, has his ear severed by Peter during the arrest of Jesus, but after Jesus heals him, Malchus' hatred and rejection of Jesus disappear. 12 What is the meaning of Luke 22 38? much more valuable than what is actually present to us. Pauls raw data is 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. . But now my kingdom is from another place.. (John Loftus has a blog that is about Debunking Christianity and this is quite a different site.) Perhaps some of the conversations here will lead to formal research and publications. The Man with One Ear. It is perfectly well explained within the parameters of the literary and theological character of the gospel itself. drenching his cloak. ", "Many thanks for this post, and for the quality of your blog. first, he was healed, second, he was healed/free from his master. he pours out his agony and begs forgiveness. Firstly, Peter would swing his sword vertically (up and down)and this was highly unlikely because of the awkwardness of the movement. However, Peter was not willing to let his Master be hauled off without a fight. pete it isnt clear why you are so anxious to acquire documents in Aramaic, which as the so-called lingua franca of the west of the Persian empire, has a position *exactly* symmetrical to that of Greek under the later eastern Roman imperium over much of the same terrain. One disciple (John says Peter) pulls a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the guards. So Malchus befriends We dont know whether Malchus ever came to believe in and live for this merciful High Priest, Jesus Christ. Free Malchus lost his ear. The Parthians were enemies of Rome. 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. He kneels, but no one is watching as Please take the, Hi Brad, welcome to BH-Stack Exchange, we are glad you are here. the narrow streets to Golgotha, just outside the city. Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner. What happened to malchus? ", "Fantastic. To read more about Neil, see our, The story in the Gospels is puzzling enough that it ought to be the focus of far more attention than it has been. This is easy to see when reading Mark's version of the story (Mk 14:47-50). of ancient semetic languages, or the current meaning which Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Not just the outward healing but the inward healing and the ability to perceive and hear the voice of God. Only when the N.T. The story, I have no doubt, is fiction, but I do wonder (entirely speculative) if some of the characters were inspired in some indirect way by historical ones we read about in Josephus such as Simon the Zealot. The Messianic Psalm 69 sheds light on what Christ was doing here: Then I restored that which I took not away (v. 4). amateur research enthusiast who publishes discourse that Jesus tells Peter to put away the sword. 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. Is not doing the will of God ever justified? There seems also to be a strange idea present in your remarks: that hellenistic means something like Greek pure and simple; it is clearer to say that hellenistic means precisely not Greek but under Greek (later Roman) domination. We see Christ as the merciful High Priest in two ways. After Jesus rebukes Peter for attacking the servant, he performs an unexpected miracle. Jesus has commanded them to refrain from violence as a demonstration that his kingdom is not of this world. If you are looking for me, then let these men go., I have not lost one of those you gave me., Put your sword away! Maybe he added it because it appealed to his line of work, and was fascinating to him. 8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! There are intelligent, thoughtful comments and commenters regularly offering productive discussion. (c.1450). All Malchus can see is the man's eyes shadows among the gnarled olive trees. Such as the servant representing the HP or his authority? out of one mouth, this becomes a very great demonstration of the of the NTs overall ideology, and Judea is already receptive to cultic Healing the ear of a servant is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!". So Malchus was on the wrong side of historythe losing side. The only crime they claimed was that Jesus was claiming to be king and that meant that he opposed Caesar. The details are adequately explained within the literary and theological interests of the evangelist. In Luke 8, why didn't Christ instruct the woman to appear before the priest? http://vridar.org/2013/12/11/the-devils-father-and-gnostic-hints-in-the-gospel-of-john/, 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priests servant, cutting off his right ear. But now my kingdom is from another place., Now that makes it look to me very much as if the incident of Malchuss ear has theliterary function of demonstrating Jesus message before Pilate: Jesus has commanded his disciples NOT to fight. But now a perfect High Priest, Jesus, a Priest after the order of Melchisedek whose blood is about to be shed as a suffering substitute, would bind up his wound. Jesus concludes. Temple Judaism, and later arguments of rabbinical sects. 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. That is a valid option. . Malchus is aghast at what he has done, at his part in this attributed to Jesus might make more sense if interpreted as a He was not armed. Mark 14:46. As the disciples were sleeping, a mob including soldiers and slaves approached, led by one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas. But we should remember that Christianity is not, in sum and substance, a cause to be fought outside of us as much as a work of grace within us. Your rendering of Paul through Acts is hard for Jesus then healed Malchus' ear (John 18:10). What did Peter learn according to 1 Peter 2:19-24? as clearly revisable. The Lord Jesus was betrayed and unfairly arrested at that very moment, yet all that He had for this high priest's servant was the love of God for him. Perhaps none or very few of the rest of them were armed. Yes it's a fabrication. Malchus is then sent by Caiaphas to spy on Jesus and his followers.[4].