Indeed, in the Greek gospels we find many idiomatic phrases that sound awkward or don’t make sense in Greek, even though they make perfect sense in Hebrew. All languages have idioms - figures of speech that don’t make sense literally, like “raining cats and dogs,” “beating around the bush” or “pulling someone’s leg.” We should expect that Jesus’ sayings may contain cultural idioms that we don’t understand. Christians have the frustrating task of defending one interpretation over another, when are all based in subjective interpretation.Ī better way to discern what Jesus was saying is to look at his words in the context of his first century culture. While Wesley’s interpretation agrees more with the Scriptures as a whole, we still have to admit that he was guessing at the meaning of the strange phrase, without knowing its cultural context. When humans were first created perfect, she says, they were enlightened by this third eye, but after the fall, it is now only reached through meditation. 2 In contrast, a well-known New Age teacher believes that Jesus was speaking of the “third eye chakra” or inner eye of enlightenment. One author sees Jesus as saying that we should deeply appreciate our physical senses and ability to see. 1 While his interpretation is well within traditional understanding, others come to different conclusions. John Wesley, who lived in the 1700’s, interpreted the “single eye” as being utterly devoted to pleasing God, and the “evil eye” as having our interests devoted anywhere else, to distract us from God. This opens the door for all sorts of interpretations. None of these adequately explain Jesus’ idea to modern readers. (Matt 6:22-23, KJV)Įvery Bible translation attempts to explain this obscure saying by clarifying the phrases about one’s “eye.” Various translations use terms like clear eye/bad eye (NASB), healthy eye/unhealthy eye (NRSV), eyes are good/eyes are bad (NIV). But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. A case in point is Jesus’ saying from the Sermon on the Mount: Sometimes Jesus’ words can be the most difficult, and prone to speculation and even misinterpretation. The Bible is an ancient book, and the honest reader will admit that many passages are hard to understand.
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