tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post102022737911310332..comments2024-03-19T00:26:30.753-07:00Comments on The Jesus Blog: Render to Caesar....Anthony Le Donnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01282792648606976883noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-36332296415305919922017-05-16T06:11:25.077-07:002017-05-16T06:11:25.077-07:00If He had answered 'Dont pay your taxes to Cae...If He had answered 'Dont pay your taxes to Caesar', it would probably have led to a revolt and no doubt Jesus arrested. Which is what they wanted. It reminds me of Paul's words, who effectively said we should abide by a government's laws, because they are set up by God, at least for the time they are in power. I think Jesus is perhaps also making the point that Caesar is not God, despite the emperor cult and that on a denarius coin the inscription says 'the divine son...'.<br /><br />Peter Culbert P Culberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12214514630150374019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-4613792006795159202017-04-21T08:23:12.588-07:002017-04-21T08:23:12.588-07:00I would say "Jesus is commanding us to accept...I would say "Jesus is commanding us to accept Caesar's as ruler while also desacralizing and relativizing the emperor's ultimate importance, because in the end everything belongs to God." So a combination of B, C, D I guess? <br /><br />I think this needs to be read with Matthew's fish-and-coin story, which is odd and cryptic but seems to both acknowledge Caesar's authority and undermine it to a degree.Joelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-48666635101616765662017-04-20T02:31:23.781-07:002017-04-20T02:31:23.781-07:00The most convincing explanation as I see it was gi...The most convincing explanation as I see it was given by S.G.F.Brandon in "Jesus and the Zealots", pp. 345-9. He argued that to a loyal Jew, everything belongs to God, so Jesus opposed paying taxes (option (E) above), but by adding to the saying the mention of a coin portraying Caesar's head, the author of Mark's gospel completely reversed the saying's message.Ron Pricehttp://www.behindthepagesofthenewtestament.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-74038696710777374802017-04-19T17:21:32.765-07:002017-04-19T17:21:32.765-07:00F) Garland's Commentary on Matthew - just by t...F) Garland's Commentary on Matthew - just by them having a coin on them already means they acknowledge Caesar's authority, but we owe our very selves to God. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-50222281903780599982017-04-18T11:17:42.898-07:002017-04-18T11:17:42.898-07:00The radical Scottish poet Edwin Morgan in his 1971...The radical Scottish poet Edwin Morgan in his 1971 poem The Fifth Gospel said it best:<br />"Give nothing to Caesar, for nothing is Caesar's."<br /><br />He came up with other thought-provoking reversals in the same poemRJShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04679820043499491984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-73915726708613374772017-04-18T11:04:44.180-07:002017-04-18T11:04:44.180-07:00I agree with those that see this is about Jesus in...I agree with those that see this is about Jesus in honour/shame interactions with religious leaders, (They want "to catch him in his words.") which are zero sum battles and which left Jesus as gaining honour in the eyes of the crowd. <br /><br />The question is a toxic question and dangerous to answer with a straight yes or no. The killer question from Jesus is "“Show me a denarius" ie in the temple he doesn't carry a coin with an idol on it, but his questioners do! They have the dirty money, in the temple. They are shown to be accepting of the diety claiming caesar. The point is not about paying taxes, but about the honouring of God and that they were accepting of something that was sullied idolatry, even whilst in the temple. <br /><br />That battle for honour goes to Jesus. And that is the point. The content is amibiguous but the winning of that battle wasn't. A clear knock out. They are shamed in front of all who matterBarabbasFreedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09337347571496873297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637125351921336084.post-68040457099171470592017-04-18T07:33:17.614-07:002017-04-18T07:33:17.614-07:00I devote a whole chapter to this question in my _T...I devote a whole chapter to this question in my _The Temptations of Jesus in Early Christianity_.Jeffrey Gibsonnoreply@blogger.com