jkgayle Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Have English translators generally understood what Matthew's Jesus had in mind by getting his disciple to pay tax for him this way?http://biblehub.com/matthew/17-27.htmWhat did Jesus mean by his acknowledgement of the tax collectors and/or the Empire of Rome when he says this in Mt 17.27? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abram K-J Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Maybe this is too paradoxical, but do you think he's both honoring the authority structure by paying taxes AND subverting it by not paying taxes out of his own pocket, but rather out of thin air (a fish's mouth), as it were? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkgayle Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) Yes, yes. I think your question is really smart. Jesus does make us ask this question, doesn't he?And I was wondering about the translation of the word we transliterate scandal. Is Matthew's Greek suggesting that Jesus cares he's going to offend by not paying taxes? What is it to issue a command then to bait a hook and to cast it to lure a fish to find a coin? Do you think there's something more tricksterish going on here? Could it be Jesus is, rather, interested in not tripping the tax collectors up? Could he be genuinely interested even in them perhaps? Do you think that Matthew might be reading the Greek translation of Sirach at this point? παρθένον μὴ καταμάνθανε, μήποτε σκανδαλισθῇς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις αὐτῆς. A virgin is not for your male gaze, fellows. Look too long and lustfully and you'll get tripped up by her value.ἄραγε ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί. ἵνα δὲ μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς,πορευθεὶς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρονκαὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον,καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα·ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ. sure enough the sons are free but those other fellows don't need us to get them tripped up either get back down to the water to cast a baited hook and reel in the first fish you catch. that's enough and check in its mouth to find value, a statḗrtake that to give them for you and me both Edited February 20, 2018 by jkgayle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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