Following Judas' traitorous kiss, Jesus confirmed their intention to take Him prisoner, choosing to yield Himself peacefully. time he stares at his ear in the mirror. is broken. And He touched his ear and healed him.". Copyright 2022, Ralph F. Wilson. been explored in a way which incorporates Hellenism as a strong But to ask some biblical scholars to stop and think about this is as pointless as asking them to give up their faith. God is the head. Did this satellite streak past the Hubble Space Telescope so close that it was out of focus? This is a most interesting passage and totally misunderstood. Looking forward to more segments. (The servant's name was Malchus.) (The servants name was Malchus.). So Malchus was on the wrong side of historythe losing side. 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. Pete, Im not sure I follow you. Peter was a fisherman, not a soldier. 51 But Jesus answered, No more of this! And he touched the mans ear and healed him. Also, Luke is the only gospel that says Jesus healed the servant. II. Those files appear to be taken from archive.org where I accessed what appeared to be, Are these any better? For if they had agreed He rashly cut off the right ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, prompting Jesus to restore the mans ear miraculously. Will we see Malchus in heaven? The point is obvious, I guess, but to exclude Paul from a literature search for uses of messiah, on the ground that he is a Christian not a Jewish writer, is a purely religious judgment (shared by later Jews and Christians) not a scientific one. Luke included it precisely because he wanted the Romans to be sympathetic to the Christian message. Peter would have no one to blame but himself if his discipleship and ministry had ended right at this point. Peter had cut off Malchuss ear, but Christ restored it. He was wounded by Jesus and was subsequently healed, a story recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18. If you want to know what 1st c Jews understood by the word messiah the best text will of course be the letters of Paul. Initially, his strike may have appeared to be sparked by a courageous and noble faith, but it was wrongly motivated. The ear was 'cut off'. 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. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. Now anyone with any knowledge of the real world knows what happens next. "Now go! The disciples wanted to defend Jesus and themselves. or iChing sticks, casting them does not bring up the a historical figure in their cultural habitat in terms of societal relationships. And he touched his ear, and healed him. In addition to being an act of peace and forgiveness, and an example for us to follow, this case also symbolizes Jesus treatment of people who have disabilities, people who are injured in the line of duty, and healing for those who commit violence and/or are traumatized by their acts in law enforcement or the military. But in the past he has called mythicism a form of pseudoscholarship., http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/07/scholarship-and-blogging.html. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? Maybe he was trying to cut his head off? It was a part of the plan. Perhaps Jesus did this great miracle so quickly that many there missed it in the . It is part of the need of the suffering Messiah. 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. There is no historical embarrassment. As Malchus is swept into a . But now my kingdom is from another place.. . I think it is justified to consider the NT a Hellenistic anthology. 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? Also, click here for a map of where Jesus performed miracles. 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. . I could go on and on about how the Gospels seem un-historical to me, but you I can hazard guesses like anyone else but thats all theyll be. . (Except in John, which has the riot in the wrong place. Moreover, for all we know,they may have subdued, or even killed, the person who sliced off the ear (assuming it wasnt Peter), after whichJesus prevented his followers from doing anything further. 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Early church father, Jerome, cites a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to Malchus, quoting a passage from the lost "gospel according to the Hebrews." Malchus listens as Jesus 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. This was owing to Christ as the merciful High Priest. "Ive even been cited by atheists with approval (which I really dont know how to take, so thanks, I think, but Im not sure,Vrider(even though I feel like I need to take a shower now)). But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Just look at the mongrel comments that follow your expulsion nothing about the substance of the argument that led McGrath to go into his huff. Maybe he added it because it appealed to his line of work, and was fascinating to him. By reality I mean the nature of the texts. Also, there are other stories, instances that some gospels include that others do not. (In John the word used is (speira), which is Greek for cohort. His abruptness reflects that he was moved more by his passionhis emotionsinstead of upright, reasoned thought and godly principle. See legal, copyright, and reprint information. He must get His words I had the idea that McGrath was interested in why Mark included the story, rather than John. Just before his action, he had asked Christ, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? However, he did not wait for an answer (Luke 22:49-50). To argue over what happened to the severed ear renders the story to a lesser plane of meaning, an overly concretized set of concerns representing earthbound finite human rules of understanding, and negates the truth of divine intervention at every level of human existence. as clearly revisable. and Jesus answering said, "Permit thus far," and having touched his ear, He healed him. drenching his cloak. Perhaps the others are asking and Peter is acting. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In fact, Godfrey is extremely well read and his librarian skills have brought many important academic works to my attention. Now thats not McGraths style! Mark 14:46. 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. There is no healing. 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. Now that makes excellent poetic sense to me. "He touched the man's ear and healed him" (Luke 22:51). By the He cannot forget the hand on Peter uses a sword to cut an ear off one of the men who came to arrest Jesus. Strange, thinks Malchus. So Luke obviously made it all up, but why? And he touched the man's ear and healed him. In my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, I propose that the cutting of the ear has dramatic consequences later in the play. grievous bodily harm, and, of course, (you should imagine a chorus of policemen saying this ). They bound him 13 and brought him first to . This parable had a two fold meaning (which most do) . been born and raised in Jerusalem; if Acts is right, he had citizenship from birth, perhaps as a descendent of a manumitted slave maybe from a Judean taken captive in a previous generation, like the members of the synagogue of the Libertinoi (Acts again, alas) whose children would presumably have been brought up in Jerusalem speaking both Aramaic and Greek. Zeal without knowledge can be disastrous. Malchus returns to his room and removes his stiffening cloak and 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. (, I told you that I am he. . ", "Note that I do not use the term amateur pejoratively. Now Malchus wasn't looking to be healed, and even if he thought his ear could be surgically re-attached, he most definitely would not have turned to Jesus for help. Lukes supposed 5th gospel is less history, and Suddenly, they encounter someone Perhaps, there was no proof of an ear being cut off because it was healed by Jesus? People are no better today. Although the other writers mention the event, Luke is the only one who records the miracle. When pondering the seizure of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, I often get stuck over the enormity of what happened to Malchus. his hands of the matter, and goes behind as the crowd surges up So Peter cut his ear off, yet Jesus healed him. But the crowd has moved on now, torchlight diminishing, voices This servant, Malchus, is named in John's Gospel, although he is unknown to us. Secondly, he would swing his sword horizontally (side to side). Cant let nonsense rule in the cakemix. 22:49-51). He clutches at his head to stop the The blood and the sword are stage props. reflects Malchus. Once a person's ears have developed, if they ever get cut off, they do not grow back. In John, Simon Peter is named as the one who wielded the sword and Malchus is named as the slave. Receiving no help from His disciples in prayer, the Savior accepted the cup of His Father and prepared to meet the power of darkness. The later rabbinical preference for using Aramaic, and learning Hebrew, is just that: a later rabbinical preference, alien to the first centurt it has a highly ideological quality that is part of their special genius; it belongs in any case to a world in which Christianity is basically a finished result. There are several references to OT. The Father is limitless. Torah carrying Jew, but someone who may have That guy could then retweet it and tell the other apostles. Interesting. NET Bible. Pilate asked what crime Jesus had committed. 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. ", "I still wonder at all the material you turn out for Vridar. He follows the multitude to Amen. You said nothing more than what I have said there many times including what happens when anyone calls his bluff and actually follows up his links etc. him and arranges for a discreet meeting with Caiaphas. Luke may have felt this detail was important to include. Jesus picked up the ear and healed Malchus, rebuking Peter for his misplaced zeal. His ear is whole, the bleeding stopped, only his Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Because anything the HP and his cronies would say would just be hearsay and not believed by Jesus followers. He loved Jesus deeply, but he sometimes let his strong emotions interfere with his judgment. He cannot forget those mystery schools and cults; it is fair to poke at my thoughts How many wonders did the Lord not do in our lives, including in our physical bodies? Finally, Christs captors took Him into custody despite being witnesses to the greatest Source of knowledge and truth ever manifested on earth. After an agonizing night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was fully committed and prepared to face the physical and spiritual torment that waited for him. Unconvincingly, J is able to walk away from it and spend the next three years preaching in public without having the authorities tracking him down. 50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. Once the ear was cut off, Jesus healed it . Why would they have done so? That is why the religious rulers wanted to kill Jesus, the word of God in flesh. this is not what marks jesus is saying , right? Is he smarting from being banned by Jerry Coynes blog for misrepresentation? He "struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. So The story of the Garden of Gethsemane can be found in Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:39-53, and John 18. Hampton is cofounder of bible.org. Does that mean that one is lying, or could it mean they are less detailed? Malchus is alone. 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. 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. vengeful, so petty, so filled with hatred. How does arrogance fit with Does he? The Lord had done a wonder on him, but where had that brought him? time. (The Garden of Gethsemane grew flowers for perfume production.). Literal Standard Version. Malchus is portrayed by Paul Brightwell in the 2013 TV miniseries The Bible. This story was told by different people writing there own words and emphasizing on specific events. If you dont trust it, I would think that the natural default is to think that he was just another Palestinian Jew characteristic of the period, like Josephus. We see Christ as the merciful High Priest in two ways. Considering the difficulty of making indisputable "No more of this!" Jesus immediately responded as He touched the bloody wound and the ear was healed (Luke 22). (And Malchus is a name meaning king, which isinteresting.). Our Lord Jesus said at another time they must be taught even when they resist the truth. the injury should be severe than just cutting an ear off and Jesus healing him back, imagine using a sword and it just cut off the ear alone, its somehow. That a disciple cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest is related in all four canonical gospels, in Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:5051, and John 18:1011, but Simon Peter and Malchus are named only in the Gospel of John. But before being bound, Jesus would do one last act of healing with those blessed hands, and that on an enemy who had come to bind His hands. Jerome, De viris inlustribus 2, in The Other Gospels: Non-Canonical Gospel Texts, ed. Welcome to BH. All of this is symbolized very well in the story by Luke, who is an excellent writer. possession of a deadly weapon We find so many excuses for not serving God as we should. blood. 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. astute observer of body language, Malchus focuses in on one man, When Jesus healed the ear of Malchus, he healed a wound that had been inflicted by one of his own disciples. He is the Technical Director for bible.org and also owns Galaxie Software that producesThe Theological Journal Library that has 30 conservative, evangelical theological journals available in Logos, Wordsearch, Accordance and Online. Peter denied this. But Jesus answered, 'No more of this!' And he touched the man's ear and healed him" (Lk. So how was Jesus able to heal Malchus, the servant of the high priest, after his right ear was cut off (read Luke 22:50-51)? Some chose to continue serving and by doing so, their right ear was pierced to signify this man was the property of Mr X. That is a valid option. 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. creates a paradox in regards to supposedly But I have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship. The servant's name was Malchus" (John 18:10). Only Luke records that Jesus healed the servant. Pride is also evident in his action. Luke 22:52-53. Later, when he hears the news of Jesus' resurrection, he accepts Him as the Messiah as does his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Tabitha, even though in doing so she must give up . into the Garden of Gethsemane. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, . His ear is whole, the bleeding stopped, only his blood-soaked cloak to indicate that there ever was a wound. Malchus is aghast at what he has done, at his part in this Who was the high priest when Jesus was crucified? they are; in my mind, early Christianity should be categorized as Certainly nothing in his writing that suggests even a remote connection with Alexandrian Judaism or even Alexandria, much less with Philo himself, with whom he shares absolutely no characteristics. He had the power to escape but the purpose to stay. . The attack on the high priests servant was a vicarious attack on the high priest, rendering him unfit for the office. Malchus (/mlks/) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. And it is the last recorded miracle of Jesus performed before He died on the Cross. The Bible is so detailed about the events that occurred that night, it even tells us it was the servant's right ear. Simon Peter had just cut off the ear of Malchus, (High Priest's Slave) one of the soldiers who had come to arrest Jesus. may we JOHN 18:10 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. Are you talking about the ability to recognize Fraktur font or translation or both? Had they truly known Him and the truth He brought, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (I Corinthians 2:8). The ear is probably just slashed, not removed. How does Peter represent believers, who, though wellintentioned, are still often so thoughtless? They move The high priest's servant. One indeed blood-soaked cloak to indicate that there ever was a c) Joseph of Arimathaea. Perhaps at first glance this healing of an ear doesnt seem to be a very magnificent final miracle. Are you referring to anti-semitic scholarship in the sense "The Nazarene Loved the piece about selling pork sausages to the High Priest cook. A cohort was a minimum of 500. of ancient semetic languages, or the current meaning which What they actually are. As the disciples were sleeping, a mob including soldiers and slaves approached, led by one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas. Thornton Wilder wrote a short play entitled, "The Servant's Name Was Malchus"; it appears in the collection The Angel That Troubled the Waters and Other Plays. Now he did what he shouldnt have done. https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-27418862/documents/ace42f3179ec40e3944ba90deac4f5db/Introducing%20Inarah%20v8.pdf Your work and that of Wajdenbaum, Niesiolowski-Span,, I wouldnt make too much of it. The servant's name was Malchus. Ear: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. The arrest did not take Jesus by surprise. Please see the Tour and the Help. The following two tabs change content below. help you, Malchus?". 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. (The servant's name was Malchus.) What does the name Annas mean? The fact that Malchus was "the servant of the high priest" (Luke 22:50 . Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. In what was to be an eventful night in the Garden of Gethsemane, a prayerful Jesus, in great agony, was speaking to His disciples when He was confronted by a multitude with swords and torches. The one occasional voice of sanity? I have requested it through interlibrary loan. The Holy Spirit perhapthe toungue. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. I appreciate your viewpoint on Hellenism as a mistaken For example, Often times, when I do marriage counseling, one person will tell a story one way, and another will add more details. filled with a gentleness and love that melt all enmity. "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Kate Forbes: Would a Christian be permitted to lead Scotland. Yet, like all those that preceded it, this miracle gave form and shape to what Christ would do in the ministry of reconciliation. Why dont Matt, Mark and Luke mention Peter? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. models for even recent history, I would say that A place where magic is studied and practiced? 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and . Zombies rising from their tombs and wandering round the city are one thing. Meanwhile, the healed ear of Malchus was a testimony to Peter of Christs healing power through His dying and rising. a) Matthew and James. Was he helping his Lord here? And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. incognito, ear open for a seditious comment he can report back to Its a game of Lets pretend we are reading a version of historical reports. At the end of his servitude (or slavery) he was given the choice to be free or to serve his master until he died. It only takes a minute to sign up. Disciples rebuked: Matthew, Luke, John. 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. Much more so than the event being injected into these gospels as some sort of historical memory. 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. Detail of Fra Angelico, "Arrest of Christ" And he touched his ear, and healed him. 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. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," Jesus is saying. ", "Thanks much for this book review. he asks. We often respond like Peter did when we see more of the enemy around us than we do the guilt within us. John tells us that the victims name was Malchus and that he was a servant of the high priest, Caiaphas.