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Ulrich Luz notes that the idea of the gates of heaven was in existence at the time of Jesus, and this verse may be a reference to that notion. [3] The metaphor of God providing two ways, one good and one evil, was a common one in the Jewish literature of the period. It appears in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 30:19 and Jeremiah 21:8.
The metaphor in this verse implies that the path of sin is an easy one to follow, and that one will do so without conscious effort not to. Davies and Allison note that the notion of vice being a far easier path than virtue is a common one to most religions. The verse seems clear that it is only a minority that will find and follow God's path.
In the Rabbinic literature of the period salt was a metaphor for wisdom. [21] Salt also played role in ritual purity and all sacrifices had to contain salt. John Nolland argues that the many different uses of salt show its importance in the life of the period, and it is this importance of the disciples that is being referenced. [29]
The asking, seeking, and knocking, may be searches for knowledge just as much as for aid. This verse can thus be read as a support for inquisitiveness. [6] A third view, rejected by almost all scholars, is that these verses are outlining a specific religious ritual involving asking, seeking, and knocking, and that the verse is not a metaphor at ...
If legislation is used for such an attempt, people observe the letter of the law rather than improve the desired behaviour. The threat of punishment may make behavior less rather than more ethical. [23] Studies of business ethics indicate that most wrongdoing is not due directly to wickedness but is performed by people who did not plan to err. [24]
The dominant reading is that the two expressions are both referring to the same thing and the same group of people. To Nolland this verse is not an attack on any particular group, but rather a continuation of the theme of God and Mammon begun at Matthew 6:24 and that verse is an attack on wasteful
Spears posted a handwritten Bible verse reading "Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy -- psalm 126:5." In an understated but meaningful caption, Spears wrote, "Love this verse ...
Accordingly, the synod at Leipzig in 1869, and the German-Israelitish Union of Congregations in 1885, stood on old historical ground when declaring (Lazarus, "Ethics of Judaism", i. 234, 302) that " 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' is a command of all-embracing love, and is a fundamental principle of the Jewish religion"; and Stade 1888, p. 510a ...