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Pearls of the Word |
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An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you not to resist [anthistemi] an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matthew 5:38-39). Jesus refers to three passages from the Torah:
In these three cases, there are voluntary acts. Inflicting the same injury as the one done to the neighbour, allowed to put away the evil from among the people (Deuteronomy 19:19). But Jesus goes further, he said not to resist [anthistemi] the wicked. The Greek verb anthistemi means 'to stand in front of', 'to oppose', 'to stand up', 'to resist'. So it is not "turning the other cheek" that disarms the wicked, but "not standing up to him". |
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