If Thine Eye Offend Thee...

[Bakershalfdozen]

This thread is a split from the Ps. 119 thread.

Candlelight wrote this regarding the verse that says, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out":

Accept the highlighted part of the scripture is NOT to "pluck it out" in a literal sense, though. If anyone would like to challenge this...my pastor has given a sad story about this. Imagine?

What are your thoughts on this? Is this to be taken literally?


We don't need to get graphic in this thread. We all have imaginations.

Here is an example I read about...

A sex offender against children had himself made a eunuch so that he would not commit this crime anymore. His body was "offending" him - causing him to stumble and sin - so he did something about it. He can't molest children anymore. He took that verse literally apparently.

[joyfulpraise93]

I always thought the verse was just stressing the importance of not letting sin keep you from getting saved. Never thought much about it really.

[Bakershalfdozen]

Why would Jesus use specific words like blind, halt, maimed if He was just being general?

[Bakershalfdozen]

Interesting that this particular passage is smack in the middle of Jesus' discourse on adultery:

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.




And this one is smack in the middle of Jesus' discourse on children:

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.


Maybe these commands are specific and have to do with adultery and causing children to sin.

[Guest Guest]

Well...I didn't either. :smile My pastor, though, told this story about a woman years ago (whom they think was bi-polar or schizophrenic) but hadn't been properly diagnosed. Well...the preacher used this scripture and she apparently did exactly that. Her only son called the church screaming after he called 9-11. I think he was 13. The pastors and evangelists went to Metro General Hospital to see her. She was...of course in surgery to repair her eye. Well...they put her on medication (for whatever her disorder was) and, the preachers counseled her with the staff at the hospital. The poor woman and the child. :sad Especially her son...who had to deal with all of that. Apparently she is alright now...but, physically injured.

BTW, Metro is one of the top hospitals in the world along with the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. Metro is a trauma #1 hospital...that cares for the needy, as well.

That was all I had to add with that. I don't know what was said while she was counseled, though.

Thoughts?

[joyfulpraise93]

Well, all I know is that if my eye or hand (sins I was committing with these members) were keeping me from getting saved ...I'd rather pluck them our or cut them off. That's the truth. I feel that's what this passage is stressing. For some people they may need to do it literally?? The passage is true that it would be better to do this than to enter into hell having held onto this sin.

If I were using this passage to help someone who was holding onto sin instead of coming to the Saviour, I would use it to show the great importance Christ places on coming to Him for salvation....yes it's that important.

[Guest Guest]

Well, all I know is that if my eye or hand (sins I was committing with these members) were keeping me from getting saved ...I'd rather pluck them our or cut them off. That's the truth. I feel that's what this passage is stressing. For some people they may need to do it literally?? The passage is true that it would be better to do this than to enter into hell having held onto this sin.

If I were using this passage to help someone who was holding onto sin instead of coming to the Saviour, I would use it to show the great importance Christ places on coming to Him for salvation....yes it's that important.

I know how you feel...Rachel. Jesus did say these words for a reason. I sometimes wonder how people live with themselves with the things that they do on purpose.

I am wondering what this woman's story really was? :sad

Hmmm? Maybe, something was hindering her from salvation...and, her disorder made her do that so that she could get saved? I dunno?

Bakers did give the Scripture from the Lord Jesus Christ...and, as she mentioned, it is "smack in the middle of Jesus' discourse on children.

And this one is smack in the middle of Jesus' discourse on children:

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

:ideas: anyone? :pmpkn:

[deafnva77]

no it doesn't mean we have to cut it off literally. I always saw it as if you are in your unsaved sin state, It's comparing which would be better... plucking out sin or hell? if I had to compare which is worst (or which I would rather experience)... plucking out would be far better than going hell.

Kinda like the saying (the comparing, that is):
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

Another word, it is trying to describe what hell is like and what you would do if you knew what it is like.

[Guest Guest]

no it doesn't mean we have to cut it off literally. I always saw it as if you are in your unsaved sin state, It's comparing which would be better... plucking out sin or hell? if I had to compare which is worst (or which I would rather experience)... plucking out would be far better than going hell.

Kinda like the saying (the comparing which is better , that is):
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

Another word, it is trying to describe what hell is like and what you would do to avoid it if you knew what it is like.

Thanks, Angie. That makes sense to me. I really was confused about literally, here..."plucking out sin or hell"...yes, that is logical, IMO.

[Bakershalfdozen]

I don't know, ya'll.

Maybe some of the pastors on here can help us out.

Why would Jesus say, "...for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members [body parts] should perish than..." if it was just a comparison He was making? Like I was saying about the child molester...

[Guest Guest]

I don't know, ya'll.

Maybe some of the pastors on here can help us out.

Why would Jesus say, "...for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members [body parts] should perish than..." if it was just a comparison He was making? Like I was saying about the child molester...

HELP...pastors on OB with this discussion. :smile

[Anon]

Here is John Gill on the passage:

Ver. 29. And if thy right eye offend thee, &c.] Or "cause thee to offend," to stumble, and fall into sin. Our Lord has no regard here to near and dear relations seeking to alienate us from God and Christ, and hinder us in the pursuit of divine things; whose solicitations are to be rejected with the utmost indignation, and they themselves to be parted with, and forsaken, rather than complied with; which is the sense some give of the words: for both in this, and the following verse, respect is had only to the law of adultery; and to such members of the body, which often are the means of leading persons on to the breach of it; particularly the eye and hand. The eye is often the instrument of ensnaring the heart this way: hence the Jews have a {z} saying,

?whoever looks upon women, at the end comes into the hands of transgression.?

Mention is only made of the right eye; not but that the left may be an occasion of sinning, as well as the right; but that being most dear and valuable, is instanced in, and ordered to be parted with:

pluck it out, and cast it from thee: which is not to be understood literally; for no man is obliged to mutilate any part of his body, to prevent sin, or on account of the commission of it; this is no where required, and if done, would be sinful, as in the case of Origen: but figuratively; and the sense is, that persons should make a covenant with their eyes, as Job did; and turn them away from beholding such objects, which may tend to excite impure thoughts and desires; deny themselves the gratification of the sense of seeing, or feeding the eyes with such sights, as are graceful to the flesh; and with indignation and contempt, reject, and avoid all opportunities and occasions of sinning; which the eye may be the instrument of, and lead unto:

for it is profitable for thee, that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. This is still a continuation of the figure here used; and the meaning is, that it will turn to better account, to lose all the carnal pleasures of the eye, or all those pleasing sights, which are grateful to a carnal heart, than, by enjoying them, to expose the whole man, body and soul, to everlasting destruction, in the fire of hell.

{z} T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 20. 1.

[Guest Guest]

That makes sense to me. :thumb

[BibleBeliever123]

I always considered it to be one's attitude towards sin. For instance if the computer were the source of the person's sin then it would be profitable for them to cast it from them and etc.

I personally thought it was just an emphasis on the serious attitude one should have towards sin.

Also consider these verses:

1 Cor 3:16,17
16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

However the above verses would be for the Christian.


All I know is members being there or not, sin is a heart problem that come from within.