By reality I mean the nature of the texts. They cart the lot down to the nick. tunic. The more I read your stuff (and I still do, of course), the more I realize how much we all owe you. But Jesus answered, 'No more of this!' And he touched the man's ear and healed him" (Lk. shadows among the gnarled olive trees. His experience with the Lord Jesus Christ, however, is something so amazing. "How Meanwhile, others who have read ahead just a little, even as far as verse 36, have found this: 36Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. Who did Peter strike with a sword, and what mortal blow did he inflict? I dont always agree with them, but I respect their work. Yet, like all those that preceded it, this miracle gave form and shape to what Christ would do in the ministry of reconciliation. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. ugly business. It is likely that the high priest sent him, along with soldiers and Judas Iscariot, to capture Jesus (see Matthew 26:1-4, 14-16, 47-49). Now anyone with any knowledge of the real world knows what happens next. On the Cutting off of Malchus' Ear. Yet, they did not mentioned it. Maybe he added it because it appealed to his line of work, and was fascinating to him. Luke 22:49-51, on the other hand, tells us, "When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" ", "I think you have a high quality blog that provides a positive public service by discussing academic topics within a wider audience. Thats not the sort of detail one would normally expect to be singled out by a shocked eyewitness and the Gospel of John is richly symbolic throughout. The details are adequately explained within the literary and theological interests of the evangelist. 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. ", "I still wonder at all the material you turn out for Vridar. The servant's name was Malchus" (John 18:10). This parable had a two fold meaning (which most do) . And he touched his ear, and healed him. This oversight has been corrected. him and arranges for a discreet meeting with Caiaphas. I call them amateurs only for the reason that they dont have, so far as I know, advanced degrees in the subject. The powers of darkness have influenced this world to hinder and persecute Christians just as Christ was. Christ elected to perform a miracle of mercyof outgoing love and faithfulnessto show the grace of God in action even during the most stressful of times. Mark is giving readers alternating images of Jesus the slave and the rebels against Rome. 2. Jesus tells Peter to put away the sword. 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. If Peter were right-handed he should have cutoff the left ear of the servant. into Jerusalem proper, people who know of him treat him with He had the power to escape but the purpose to stay. For example, Often times, when I do marriage counseling, one person will tell a story one way, and another will add more details. For other uses, see. . The man they call "the ear of Caiaphas" is If Jesus did not heal the ear that was cut off, then why was it not presented as evidence to aid in the requests for crucifixion? After the Last Supper in the Upper Room, after Judas left to notify the chief priests that Jesus would be vulnerable, Jesus led His remaining disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. One such short appearance is that of a man named Malchus. clarification you have offered, reveals to me that his letters Surely, I am lost, says Malchus. Do you think that his face. I have enough grasp of Paul to take seriously the idea that Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. That is why the religious rulers wanted to kill Jesus, the word of God in flesh. Finally John is the evangelist who tells us that Simon Peter was the one who wielded the sword, and that the name of the injured man was Malchus. I expect McGrath will be looking for an excuse to ban me, too, now. (The servant's name was Malchus.) (c.1450). We dont know whether Malchus ever came to believe in and live for this merciful High Priest, Jesus Christ. . Why, of course: [I]t is hard to imagine Christians, eager to depict themselves and their leader as not violent revolutionaries, making this incident up. He was found several days later in a temple, discussing affairs with some of Jerusalem's elders. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. Please carry on. Jesus is kneeling before him, right hand them from all suspicion, and speaks clearly in behalf of the character John 18:10: Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. They had come from the chief priest to arrest Him. It is part of the need of the suffering Messiah. It is not our world. He was not armed. It doesn't make sense. Strange words! receding. The ear is there -- all of it. Perhaps at first glance this healing of an ear doesnt seem to be a very magnificent final miracle. 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. He rashly cut off the right ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, prompting Jesus to restore the man's ear miraculously. specific to this discussion are interwoven with each other? Compare and contrast both lines of service. Luke 22:51 And Jesus answered and said . An You have stated your contrary opinion to the text that was quoted. Finally, Christs captors took Him into custody despite being witnesses to the greatest Source of knowledge and truth ever manifested on earth. for Judaites, rather than a dialect which originated in the This is easy to see when reading Mark's version of the story (Mk 14:47-50). We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Interesting. existing later. Presupposing a strong oral tradition which gives firm basis for atleast veridical In many ways, it is like St. Paul's experience on the road to Damascus, when the risen Lord appeared to him. And it was Luke alone who told us that Jesus healed Malchus' severed ear. as clearly revisable. 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? If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me.". After Jesus rebukes Peter for attacking the servant, he performs an unexpected miracle. Will we see Malchus in heaven? In fact, Malchus takes pride in being servant to the to protest. Now don't forget, Malchus was the ears of the High Priest. was a Mystic. This is unexpected because Jesus healed a man who had joined the group that had come to arrest him. times, nor in the same places, neither after having met together, and How does Peter represent believers, who, though wellintentioned, are still often so thoughtless? When it is wielded with the blessing of the Spirit, it does indeed wound, but from heaven the Son of God heals spiritually . I can hazard guesses like anyone else but thats all theyll be. Master. Jesus served the Father who is not a religion. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? But to ask some biblical scholars to stop and think about this is as pointless as asking them to give up their faith. Did Pilate know that during the arrest of Jesus, Jesus healed Malchus' ear? "And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. A place where magic is studied and practiced? However, I am not defending a PhD. That the Father is bigger than any limiting religion the world has to offer. Luke 22 is the only gospel that records the . Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension Bible 700. In Luke 8, why didn't Christ instruct the woman to appear before the priest? Jesus must be numbered with the transgressors. (And Malchus is a name meaning king, which isinteresting.). Oh well. Thus, Mark (and maybe Matt too) doesn't record the healing of the ear, because he doesn't want it to take away from his "final" healing of blindness symbolized back in ch10. On the day of Pentecost, alone, he showed that the sword of the kingdom is a spiritual sword. Malchus hasn't been a boy for years, but he is in no position you looking for?" thing is a very great evidence of their truth. he pours out his agony and begs forgiveness. Jesus had just told Peter that he would deny Him, but here we see Peter standing up for Jesus. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. If the slave, for instance, stole from someone, Mr X was responsible for the slaves debt, inasmuch as the slave was part of his household. (The servant's name was Malchus.) By the next morning they have the disciples fitted up for every crime in Jerusalem for the last three months. Jesus reprimanded the violence, immediately dropped to his knees and miraculously healed the servant's ear. For the slightest reason, some skip church services, neglect to come to the aid of others, or refuse to help with the needs of the church. All the And he touched the man's ear and healed him. myself into the original post by saying that any supposed dialogue I could go on and on about how the Gospels seem un-historical to me, but you Where Did the God of the Bible Come From? I cant imagine a univocalized meaning of the term offered a monotypical vision of the Messiah, but if I Luke 22:47-51 Also read: Matthew 26:51-54, Mark 14:44-47, John 18:10-11. . time he stares at his ear in the mirror. 11 When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection What did they give him to eat? God is the head. c) Joseph of Arimathaea. All rights reserved. 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? The Greek word for "ear" is otarion, and it refers to the entire outer ear. One disciple flashes a Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? As you point out, hindsight is prone to fallacious At the end of his servitude (or slavery) he was given the choice to be free or to serve his master until he died. I refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book purchases. Required fields are marked *. What happened to malchus? thinks the servant. Im sure they were confused by Jesus lack of defense or attempt to escape. What is this? Holy Guardian Angel, keep far from me all distracting thoughts; my patron saint, come to my assistance. He washes the caked blood from his shoulder, arm, and face, He could have escaped, but his purpose was to die. Once a person's ears have developed, if they ever get cut off, they do not grow back. In other words, Mark a had story, theme and purpose and wanted to tell it. It's by no means a major part of the Passion, but it communicates quite a bit in just a few short sentences. The arrest did not take Jesus by surprise. So Malchus befriends Jesus compares the action of the disciple with that of a lestes the name given to insurgents against Rome and the role assigned to Barabbas. they are; in my mind, early Christianity should be categorized as Remember, the servant's ear would have been sliced off in only one of two ways. . How can one be a legitimate scholar of an illegitimate subject? none of our enemies would have believed but that they had met So different We often respond like Peter did when we see more of the enemy around us than we do the guilt within us. serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.". Jesus chided him, picked the ear up and miraculously re-attached the soldiers ear. He lived, died, and rose again so that one day He could fulfill His own inspired words from Isaiah 61:1: He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. Yet, his captors and eventual slayers, in their ungodly malice, could see His good words and works only as threats and Him only as an enemy, a man to shame, wound, and kill. How to match a specific column position till the end of line? Perhaps there was even a real clash of swords for a moment and maybe others were even killed but the evangelist didnt want to let anyone think the disciples were that bad so he minimized the damage done in his narrative. And isnt there some more meaning that can be looked into? Through the darkness, the blade of a sword suddenly swung through the air. b) Peter and John. As for symbolism: I have just remembered the passage in Josephus War where, Antigonus himself also bit off Hyrcanuss ears with his own teeth, as he fell down upon his knees to him, that so he might never be able upon any mutation of affairs to take the high priesthood again, for the high priests that officiated were to be complete, and without blemish. (War, 1.13.9). The apostle Simon Peter cut off Malchus' ear with a sword. I think it was the word musings on Biblical studies, etc. Jesus healed the ear. His abruptness reflects that he was moved more by his passionhis emotionsinstead of upright, reasoned thought and godly principle. All you have to go by is that he wrote in Greek (like Josephus) and that Christianity, which might be called a religion of the Greeks, came about through him (a point that is irrelevant to historical description of him.). My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. Yes, the rhetoric through and through, especially in Johns gospel, belies any intent to incorporate historical traditions. As Malchus is swept into a . might be pretending to know it. product of syncretic exchange. . Rev. First of all, He was a High Priest towards Peter. Malchus, whose name means "king" according to Bible dictionaries, was the servant of the high priest who said that it would be best for Christ to die for all (see John 18:13-14). Such ungoverned passion rarely leads to righteous action. Discussed here: https://vridar.org/2020/03/05/the-gospel-of-mark-as-a-dramatic-performance/. teaches in the temple colonnade called Solomon's Porch. Peter would have no one to blame but himself if his discipleship and ministry had ended right at this point. Perhaps the Roman cohort really was sent to reason with Jesus and plead with himto stay quiet during the passover. What part does unbelief play in Jesus arrest? Ambivalence is written all over him. Our Lord Jesus said at another time they must be taught even when they resist the truth. They arrest Jesus. Jesus picked up the ear and healed Malchus, rebuking Peter for his misplaced zeal. case in vendita gaeta vista mare what happened to malchus after jesus healed his ear ", "Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at Vridar . blows. Is it correct to use "the" before "materials used in making buildings are"? assaulting a police officer writer who wants his character to fit a background ideology. Nevertheless, He then allowed these soldiers to bind His hands hands that had healed the sick, blessed children, and done so many miracles (John 18:8-12). I realized that I hadnt added your blog to our blogroll. Additionally this is a true story on Lukes account because, as a physician, he wished to highlight the power Jesus had to heal us on every level. He should have taken this as a cue that what was going to happen would not involve him, but instead of getting out of the way, Peter got in the way. of ancient semetic languages, or the current meaning which Had they truly known Him and the truth He brought, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (I Corinthians 2:8). He has heard amazing stories about Jesus and the people he has healed. The Fire Gospel, a 2008 novel by Michel Faber, centers on the discovery of the fictional lost gospel of Malchus. Literal Standard Version. Knowledge of Greek for such a person no more needs special explanation than knowledge of English does among present day Israelis. Is he smarting from being banned by Jerry Coynes blog for misrepresentation? Now that makes excellent poetic sense to me. But in the past he has called mythicism a form of pseudoscholarship., http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/07/scholarship-and-blogging.html. The mania for mystery cults in this sort of discussion was by the way characteristic of anti-semitic scholarship though of course it had other proponents. Why does the angel say to Mary "you have found" in Luke 1:30? Jesus only rebukes his disciples. that Paul is a Roman citizen, then in my mind it Peter was a fisherman, not a soldier. When it is wielded with the blessing of the Spirit, it does indeed wound, but from heaven the Son of God heals spiritually wounded people. ", Nancy Fraser- June 2019 (personal email), "For an excellent example of generally high-quality scholarship by someone who isnt a biblical studies professor, see Neil Godfreys work posted on the website vridar.org. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. Attention to the Lords instruction, keeps from being the Lords obstruction. The Lord had done a wonder on him, but where had that brought him? qualifier for classical Greek culture. Trying to understand how to get this basic Fourier Series. Jesus is standing, somehow calm amidst the confusion. Malchus is aghast at what he has done, at his part in this It was me wot sold the pork sausages to the High Priests cook. The servant of the high priest lost his entire right ear when Peter swung in his direction! 1. Good job. to protect him from Jewish leaders. . him. b) Peter and John. Upon seeing Jesus personally, however, we're told that he gets to see a character like no other: A Man who would do good even in the face of such injustice. But I have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship. Peter's blow was sufficient to cut . of spiritualities, mutating each other into new forms which creates The Son of Man must suffer the cross. But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? I bet he heard twice as good after that. The man who lost -- and recovered his ear, All four accounts tell us that one of Jesus' companions (Peter, according to John) drew a sword, swung it towards Malchus, and "cut off his ear.". The first rule of such a game is to ignore the literary context of any passage and speculate as wildly as one can on as wide a range of possibilities as one can imagine that might have happened quite independently of anything we read. @RoHa that kind of makes sense that Peter would be allowed to watch his Masters humiliation. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/09/an-interpolation-in-1-thessalonians.html#comment-1598470837. No; not only did Peter do damage to Malchus, he brought damage to his Lord. of the NTs overall ideology, and Judea is already receptive to cultic Then a sudden warmth. Malchus served the high priest Caiaphas. We don't know whether Jesus touched Malchus and a new ear grew or whether Jesus reached down and said, "I think this is yourshere" and reattached the ear to his head. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Looking forward to more segments. Strange, thinks Malchus. This High Priest, whose hands will soon be bound, will use His hands one last time to show kindness to an enemy. I know there is much scholarship about why the NT was originally The relevant passages in the Gospels of John and Luke, KJV, read: 10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. In John, Simon Peter is named as the one who wielded the sword and Malchus is named as the slave. We take note of the many enemies who threaten us; we become very anxious and perhaps even angry when we see the cause of evil advancing. 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! As such, the addition may have been an important detail for Luke to add, given what he was trying to accomplish with his writing. Meanwhile, the healed ear of Malchus was a testimony to Peter of Christs healing power through His dying and rising. (A follower of Jesus is pally with the HP!?!?). Index:Kritik der Evangelien und Geschichte ihres Ursprungs, Erster BandClaremont.djvu Index:Kritik der Evangelien und Geschichte ihres Ursprungs,, After a little more tinkering I believe I have found that my main problem has been getting a clear enough. Fact or fiction, the personal prominence and apostolic leadership of Peter runs through the first five books of the NT. I came across this site because I heard some story about the ear, and the Mount of Olives, when I was at the Mount of Olives. wound. 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. Malchus listens as Jesus Although the other writers mention the event, Luke is the only one who records the miracle. See legal, copyright, and reprint information. -Luke 1:1-4. In the Kabbalah the right ear signifies wisdom, especially as it concerns memory, prophecy and spiritual objectives. How do we know his name is Malchus? models for even recent history, I would say that So, I have a couple comments / questions. is founded on biased, weak analysis of comparative religion. (John Loftus has a blog that is about Debunking Christianity and this is quite a different site.) This servant, Malchus, is named in John's Gospel, although he is unknown to us. Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science. Imo. He ruled in a world with a relationship to the Father. . Malchus (/mlks/; Koin Greek: , romanized:Mlkhos, pronounced[mal.kos]) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. Comment: Christ worked this miracle in the same moment that He was submitting to His cruel enemies. II. 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. What does the name Annas mean? 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Foolishly thinking they were superior-minded to Christ and His disciples, these mens actions will forever be a shameful tribute to unbelief (Romans 1:18-22). John specifies it was the right ear that was cut off. "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Malchus lost his ear. So Peter cut his ear off, yet Jesus healed him. propositions; Ancient history to me is like tarot cards And perhaps this incident was a major reason why the authorities persecuted the subsequent Christian movement, morethan anything they believed about Jesus. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Christ possessed all the power to serveto heal and to bring peaceyet He was seized and bound to suppress His good works. There is for sure nothing hellenistic about the Acropolis!