Why Jesus used Strong Language
The following is from an email I received last week from Dr. Boyd Purcell, the author of “Spiritual Terrorism.” It is a quote from his soon to be released book, “Christianity Without Insanity.”
Mild Accuracy A Weakness!
Dr. Rocco Errico, a scholar in the Aramaic which Jesus spoke, said that an Aramaic speaker’s purpose was not to deliver the message in scientifically accurate terms. “He piles up his metaphors and superlatives, reinforced by a theatrical display of gestures and facial expression in order to make the hearer feel his meaning. He speaks as it were in pictures…It is also because he loves to speak in pictures and to subordinate literal accuracy to the total impression of an utterance, that he makes such extensive use of figurative language…he is fond of metaphor, exaggeration, and positiveness in speech. To him mild accuracy is weakness.” [Errico, Rocco A. And There Was Light. Smyrna, The Noohra Foundation, Inc.,, 1998, p. 9]
Dr. Purcell writes, “This understanding of the Aramaic language and culture explains exactly why Jesus’ used all these vividly-strong picture words in general and, especially in regard to hell—weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, cutting off one’s hands and feet and gouging out one’s eyes, unquenchable fire, being salted with fire, etc., because He needed to communicate in the manner His audience would have readily understood. They would not have taken such word pictures literally. On the other hand, they would have considered mild accuracy weakness! If Jesus had spoken in a mild manner, He may have lost his audience as they became bored and walked away. Even if they had not walked away, they may have missed His point if He were speaking in a style unfamiliar to them.”
Boyd continues, “When trying to correct the inconsistency between what the Pharisees taught and what they did, Jesus could have said in our Western-world abstract style, ‘Your teachings and your behavior are incongruent.’ But Jesus, as an excellent Aramaic speaker, exclaimed, ‘hypocrites,’ ‘serpents and generation of vipers,’ ‘child of hell’ [lit. Gehenna], ‘blind guides,’ ‘fools,’ ‘strain out a gnat and swallow a camel,’ ‘whitewashed tombs’ [clean on the outside but a stench on the inside], and How can you escape the damnation of hell'” [lit. the judging of Gehenna. “Damnation” is not a Biblical concept] (Mt. 23:13-33)?
“Doubtlessly, Jesus deliberately mixed the metaphors of fire and salt to make it impossible for literalists to logically interpret this metaphorical language literally. It is, of course, impossible to literally salt anyone or anything with fire. And yet literalists, locked into a mindset of literalism, still interpret Jesus’ words literally. This is a major cause of spiritual abuse/terrorism and spiritual insanity. Yes, Tasker, the general editor of the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, is definitely right. It is difficult to overestimate the emotional and spiritual damage which can be done when fire is understood literally, rather than metaphorically!” [Tasker, R.V.G. The Gospel According to St. Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979, 240]
End Quote from Boyd Purcell (M.A., M.Div., Ph.D. Author, speaker; Board Certified Chaplain and National Board Certified Counselor)
In “Hope Beyond Hell” I quoted Greek scholar William Barclay who wrote:
“It was the eastern custom to use language in the most vivid possible way. Eastern language is always as vivid as the human mind can make it.”
As well, I quoted Thomas Allin, author of “Christ Triumphant” who wrote:
“The whole Bible is oriental. Every line breathes the spirit of the east, with its hyperboles and metaphors, and what to us seem utter exaggerations. If such language be taken literally, its whole meaning is lost. When the sacred writers want to describe the dusky redness of a lunar eclipse, they say the moon is ‘turned into blood.’ He who perverts Scripture is not the man who reduces this sacred poetry to its true meaning. Nay, that man perverts the Bible who hardens into dogmas the glowing metaphors of eastern poetry—such conduct Lange calls ‘a moral scandal.’ So with our Lord’s words: Am I to hate my father and mother or pluck out my right eye literally? Or take a case by Farrar: ‘Egypt is said to have been an iron furnace to the Jews (De. 4:20; Jer. 11:4), and yet they said, ‘it was well with us there,’ and sighed for its enjoyments (Nu. 11:18).’ Therefore I maintain that no doctrine of endless pain can be based on eastern imagery, on metaphors mistranslated very often, and always misinterpreted.”
In Luke 14:26, Jesus says:
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”
Is “hate” here literal or metaphorical? No Bible teacher I know of has ever taught that Jesus spoke literally in this passage. In the same way, the terms “fire” and “burning” are metaphorical. To say otherwise, is to grossly misinterpret the Scriptures and malign God’s character before the world. (For an explanation of what “fire” means in the Scriptures, see this link: Fire in the Bible )
One final thought:
Not everything in the Bible or in the words of Jesus are meant for you. Some of the most severe of Jesus warnings were targeted specifically to the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt 3:7; 12:34; 23:33; etc.), those whom Jesus needed shock treatment to wake up. To those who are prideful, self-righteous and selfish, the strongest warnings are needed. But to those who are humble, disgusted with themselves (who feel they are truly missing the mark and sincerely desiring to be changed), He has but comforting words of mercy and grace. Remember what He said about the humble publican and proud Pharisee who went to the temple to pray? Who left the temple justified and forgiven? (Luke 18:10). Or what did He say to the woman caught in adultery whom her accusers wanted to stone?” (John 8: 6-8). Did He speak harshly or gently to her? This is why we need to seek and listen to the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible, to discern what is meant for us. Paul exhorts us to “rightly” divide the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15).
Are you feeling down about yourself, truly wishing you could be a good person? Then listen to what Jesus would say to you…
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Mt 11:28-30).”
