Why Did Jesus Cleanse The Temple

How many times did Jesus cleanse the temple? Why did He cleanse the temple?

QuestionAnswer Jesus cleaned the temple of the money-changers and product dealers out of displeasure with what they had done to God’s place of prayer and out of a desire to rid the temple of the abuse perpetrated by sinful men. Judea was under the dominion of the Romans at the time, and the currency in circulation was coinage from Rome. However, according to Jewish law, every man was compelled to pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary in the amount of “half a shekel” (Exodus 30:11–16), which was a Jewish coin.

Money-changers provided this convenience, although they would charge a modest fee for the exchange of the money.

Aside from it, two doves or pigeons were needed to be sacrificed in accordance with the Law (Leviticus 14:22; Luke 2:24).

The temple sacrifices were also supported by other merchants who sold oxen and lambs for the occasion.

  • At the same time that He smashed the tables of the money-changers, He rebuked them for turning God’s sanctuary of prayer into “a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13).
  • In his gospel, John makes it explicit that it was “after this” that He traveled to Capernaum, where He “remained for a few days.” Afterwards, in the following line (verse 13), John informs us that the “Passover of the Jews was approaching” (NKJV).
  • This is the first of two occasions on which Jesus cleaned the temple of its filth.
  • After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the final week of His life, the second cleansing of the temple took place immediately following the first cleansing.
  • Aside from the fact that they took place approximately three years apart, there are several variations between the two occurrences.
  • During the first cleaning, Jesus constructed a whip out of cords to use in order to drive the vendors away, but there is no mention of a whip during the second cleansing.

Jesus washed the temple on two separate occasions. Questions regarding Jesus Christ (return to top of page) I’m curious how many times Jesus washed the temple floor. What was He doing when He cleansed the temple?

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Why did Jesus Clear the Temple?

Although the depiction of Jesus as a kind teacher in a crowd of youngsters is accurate, it is only half accurate. There is another aspect to Jesus — he is a warrior, for example. When it came to standing up for the voiceless or preserving the Word of God from being corrupted by the ecclesiastical establishment, he embodied the very meaning of counter-culture. At the end of Mark 11:15-17, He pronounces judgment on the most important religious system of his day: the temple. Who knows what Jesus might have to say about the temple of God in Jerusalem.

As a result, they traveled to Jerusalem.

He also overturned the tables of money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

When He finished teaching, He asked them, “Doesn’t it declare in the Scriptures: ‘My home shall be considered a place of prayer for all nations?’ “However, you have turned it into a “den of thieves.” — Mark 11:15-17 (New King James Version)

REFLECT

For those whose livelihood and dominance were reliant on the sacrifice system, the temple had become a sacrosanct cow. Jesus knows that this institution is sterile, despite the appearance of devotion and sanctity on the outside. As a result of his challenge, he is confronted with a vast mountain of tradition and entrenched authority. The consequences of publicly denouncing religious or political corruption are significant. Holders of power are not often tranquil in the face of criticism, but instead will go to great lengths to eliminate their adversaries.

Jesus’ prophetic resistance resulted in the loss of his life.

Jesus … began driving out those who were buying and selling there (11:15).

Animals for sacrifice are being trafficked by those who are purchasing and selling them. When it comes to money and influence, the priestly elite may directly attribute it to their control over financial matters within the temple. Since Jesus expelled both buyers and sellers, it is clear that something other than dishonest profiteering is the source of his rage. archaeological finds reveal that the temple market was located within the Royal Stoa, rather than being dispersed around the so-called court of the Gentiles as previously thought.

  • By descending the stairs going down from Robinson’s Arch to the marketplaces on the streets below, visitors could get direct access to the major thoroughfare that stretched the length of the Tyropoeon Valley and proceeded north along the western wall of the temple complex.
  • It was designed in the style of a basilica and was the most important part of the building.
  • The Royal Stoa included a smaller market that “served principally for commerce in cultic provisions for the Temple,” according to the historians who studied it.
  • The temple’s regular operations necessitated the establishment of some sort of bazaar.

This activity does not take place within the confines of the sanctuary’s hallowed spaces.

He overturned the tables of the money changers (11:15).

Tables lined the outer courts three weeks before Passover to accept the half-shekel tax, which was required of every Jewish man according to Exodus 30:11–16, which was collected annually. This levy provided funding for the daily sacrifices made in atonement for sin. Money changers traded inadmissible local currencies for the sanctioned Tyrian shekel, which was then used to pay the tax in exchange for a small commission. Because it was unlawful for Jewish officials to issue silver coins, they turned to the Tyrian shekel, which was both good quality and did not draw attention to Rome’s authority over Israel.

The benches of those selling doves (11:15).

Doves were the go-to sin offering for the impoverished who couldn’t afford to sacrifice animals for their sins (Lev. 5:7). They were also used for a variety of other purposes, such as the cleansing of impoverished women after childbirth (12:6, 8; Luke 2:22–24), the purification of men and women who had a bodily discharge (Lev. 15:14, 29), and the purifying of poor ex-lepers (14:21–22). It was once upon a time when doves were extremely expensive, according to a story recounted in the Mishna (two golden dinars for a pair of doves).

In one day, the price dropped to half a silver dinar from its previous high of one silver dinar (1 percent of the original cost).

REFLECT

Jesus’ actions are intended to be symbolic in nature. He, like prophets of old, makes a dramatic gesture, symbolizing God’s rejection of the temple worship and the impending demolition of the structure. He goes for the contributions and sacrifices that are the cornerstone of the temple’s operation, and he succeeds. Unless money can be exchanged for the holy currency, the monetary backing for temple sacrifices and the priesthood will have to be discontinued. If sacrificed animals are unable to be sold, then sacrifice must be discontinued.

He successfully makes his argument.

Jesus also criticizes the temple activities, which he believes were geared at encouraging the marketing of religion.

He … would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts (11:16).

This is a misinterpretation of the original. Josephus’s account that no one was permitted to bring vessels inside the sanctuary, as well as a passage from the Mishnah that prevents people from using the temple as a shortcut, are likely to have influenced this decision. According to the text, however, Jesus forbids them from transporting a “vessel through the sanctuary.” According to the LXX, the word “Vessel” refers specifically to the holy temple vessels that held the bread of the Presence, lamp oil, and incense censers (see Isa.

  1. The persons concerned are very certainly taken aback by the force of Jesus’ moral outrage on them.
  2. There does not appear to be any move to modify the temple practices as a result of Jesus’ conduct in the temple marketplace.
  3. Those engaged will quickly put their tables back in order and collect the money that has been strewn around.
  4. 4:36–59), who both cleaned the temple.
  5. Nothing indicates that the outer court was seen favourably as a site where Gentiles may worship on a regular basis.
  6. The railing around the sanctuary was adorned with warning signs, which warned Gentiles not to approach any farther and threatened them with death if they did (see Acts 21:27–30).

Gentiles had plenty of space to pray in the outer court, and creating a space for them to pray did not eliminate the barrier that had prohibited them from entering the hallowed chamber in the first place.

Conclusion

Jesus entered the temple with the intention of causing a commotion by performing a symbolic gesture that would disturb the day’s proceedings. He was well aware that devastation was on the horizon, and he established His authority to draw attention to the ways in which they pained the heart of God.

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Cleansing of the Temple – Wikipedia

The story of Jesus driving the merchants and money changers from the Temple is told in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament, and it is one of the most famous stories in the world. The scenario is a popular motif in Christian art, as may be seen here. When Jesus and his followers travel to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, they are accused by Jesus of turning the temple into “a den of thieves” (according to the Synoptic Gospels) and “a house of trade” (according to the Gospel of John), respectively, via their commercial operations.

In light of the fact that the Gospel of John contains more than one Passover, some scholars assume that these two verses refer to two different occasions.

Description

As previously indicated, Jesus is said to have been to the Temple in Jerusalem, where the courtyard was depicted as being crowded with cattle, merchants, and money changers, who exchanged the standardGreek and Roman currency for Jewish and Tyrean shekels. Jerusalem was jam-packed with Jews who had traveled to the city for Passover, estimated to number between 300,000 and 400,000 pilgrims. In the end, he drove them all out of the temple with a whip made of cords, along with the sheep and oxen.

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Then Jesus commanded those who were selling the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not turn my Father’s home into a place of business.” After that, Jesus walked into the house of God and drove out everyone who sold and purchased in the temple, overturning the tables of the money changers as well as the seats of those who sold doves, among other things.

This is the second time Jesus accuses the Temple authorities of thievery, after accusing them in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.

Dove merchants were selling doves that had been sacrificed by the poor, who couldn’t afford more elaborate offerings, and notably by female pilgrims.

This occurred in the Gentiles’ Court, which was the most remote part of the city.

Chronology

There are debates about when the cleansing of the Temple occurred and whether there were two separate events. St. Thomas AquinasandSt. Augustineagree that Jesus performed a similar act twice, with the less severe denunciations of the Johannine account (merchants, sellers) occurring early in Jesus’s public ministry and the more severe denunciations of the synoptic accounts (thieves, robbers) occurring just before, and indeed expediting, the events of the crucifixion. Claims about the Temple cleaning episode in the Gospel of John can be combined with non-biblical historical sources to obtain an estimate of when it occurred.

(Ant 15.354).

Given that it had taken 46 years of construction to that point, the Temple visit in the Gospel of John has been estimated at any time between 24–29 AD.

Analysis

Professor David Landry of the University of St. Thomas proposes the following solution: “The fact that Jesus dies within a week of this occurrence indicates the significance of this story for the Christian faith. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all agree that this was the event that served as the “trigger” for Jesus’ execution.” The animal sales, according to Butler Universityprofessor James F. McGrath, were tied to the sale of animals for use in the Temple’s animal sacrifices, which were performed on animals.

  1. According to E.
  2. Sanders and Bart Ehrman, Greek and Roman cash was changed into Jewish and Tyrolean money at some point.
  3. Krier Mich posits that a significant amount of money was stored at the temple, where it could be loaned by the wealthy to the poor who were in danger of losing their land due to debt.
  4. One of the first acts of the Initial Jewish-Roman War was the burning of the debt records in the archives, which was one of the first acts of the war.
  5. Aside from composing and delivering messages from God, Israelite or Jewishnevi’im (also known as “spokespersons” or “prophets”) frequently enacted prophetic activities in their daily lives.
  6. Carson points out, the reason that Jesus was not apprehended by the Temple guards was owing to the fact that the multitude backed him in his acts.

Interpretation of John 2:15

During a lecture at Loyola University Chicago in 2012, Andy Alexis-Baker, clinical associate professor of theology, presented a historical overview of the understanding of the Johannine text since Antiquity:

  • A remark on the text is first made by Origen (3rd century), who doubts that it is historical and understands it as metaphorical, with the Temple representing the soul of a person who has been liberated from earthly things as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice. In fact, John Chrysostom(v. 391) defended the historical authenticity of this passage, but if he considered that Jesus had used the whip against the merchants in addition to the other beasts, he specified that it was to show his divinity and that Jesus was not to be imitated
  • Theodore of Mopsuestia(in 381) – who responded, during the First Council of Constantinople, to the bishop Rabbila, who was accused of striking his clerics Cato the Great, Donatist bishop of Cirta, espoused a non-violent Christianity and criticized Catholic Christianity for transgressing this non-violence. Petilian of Constantine was born in a non-violent Christian family. The Bishop of Hippo responded by reading the cleansing of the temple as a time when Jesus was acting as a persecutor against the merchants of the temple, which the Bishop of Hippo agreed with. Following Augustine’s interpretation, according to Alexis-Baker, Christians have justified ever-increasing violence. For example, Pope Gregory VII(in 1075), quoting Pope Gregory I, relies on this passage to justify his policy against the simonic clergy, who he compares to merchants in terms of wealth. Many other medieval Catholic personalities, such as Bernard of Clairvaux, who advocated the crusade, believing that battling the “pagans” with the same passion that Jesus demonstrated against the merchants was a means of redemption, will do the same. When accused of aiding in the burning of Michael Servetus, a theologian who denied the divinity of Jesus, alive during the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin (in 1554), following in the footsteps of Augustine of Hippo and the Gregories, defended himself by citing (among other things) the purification of the temple. After doing a grammatical examination of the text, Andy Alexis Baker claims that, while the bulk of English-speaking Bibles depict Jesus lashing people as well as animals, the original text is more complicated, and that the text does not depict a violent deed by Jesus towards the merchants.

According to later sources

Several later additions to the story of the episode are widely viewed as mythical or polemical by academics, and thus are not included here. When Yeshuhad entered the Temple with 310 of his followers, according to theToledot Yeshu, a parody gospel that was probably written down about 1,000 years later but possibly based on second-century Jewish-Christian gospelsif not oral traditions that could date back all the way to the formation of the canonical narratives themselves, he was accompanied by 310 of his followers.

Yeshu was also accused of robbing theshem hamphorash, the’secret name of god,’ from the Holy of Holies in the Toledot Yeshu, which is located in the Temple of Yeshu.

Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea

Demas, one of the two criminals who were crucified with Christ, is said to have stolen Solomon’s’secret deposit’ from the Holy of Holies, an act which Judas blamed on Christ: “He committed assaults on the rich, but was kind to the poor,” according to Joseph of Arimathea’s apocryphal account. And he set his hand to looting the multitudes of Jews, as well as stealing the law itself from the walls of Jerusalem. And it was not a Passover for Caiaphas and the multitude of Jews; rather, it was a time of deep sadness for them as a result of the robber’s theft of the temple.

In art

The purification of the Temple is a typical occurrence in the life of Christ that is represented under a variety of different titles. El Greco painted various variations on this theme:

  • Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple (El Greco, London)
  • Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple (El Greco, Madrid)
  • Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple (El Greco, Minneapolis)
  • Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple (El Greco, New York)
  • Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple (El Greco, Washington)
  • Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple (El Greco, Washington

Gallery

  • Temple purification is underway. Unknown artist
  • Giotto’s “casting out the money changers” (Casting out the money changers).

See also

  • Christian perspectives on poverty and wealth– Christians have maintained a variety of viewpoints on material wealth throughout history. Gessius Florus
  • Gospel harmony
  • Jesus’ ministry
  • Gessius Florus

References

  • Ched Myers’ “Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus,” Orbis (1988), ISBN0-88344-620-0
  • Robert J. Miller’s “The Complete Gospels,” Polebridge Press (1994), ISBN0-06-065587-9
  • Raymond E. Brown’s “An Introduction to the New Testament,” Doubleday (1997)ISBN0-385-24767-2
  • Raymond E. Brown’s “The New Jerome Biblical Commentary,” Prentice Hall (1990),

Notes

  1. Page 49 of The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary by Craig A. Evans, 2005 (ISBN0-7814-4228-1)
  2. AbSanders, E. P.The Historical Figure of Jesus. Penguin, 1993
  3. AbFunk, Robert W. and theJesus Seminar. It is necessary to search for the authentic deeds of Jesus in order to understand the Acts of Jesus. The HarperSanFrancisco edition published in 1998
  4. AbPaul N. Anderson’s The Fourth Gospel And the Quest for Jesus published in 2006ISBN0-567-04394-0 page 158
  5. AbPaul L Maier’s “The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus” published in Chronos, Kairos, Christos: Nativity and Chronological Studies published in 1989ISBN0-931464-50-1 page 113–129
  6. AbcEerd Encyclopedia of the Historical JesusbyCraig A. Evans2008ISBN0-415-97569-7page 115
  7. Encyclopedia of the Historical JesusbyCraig A. Evans2009ISBN978-0-8054-4365-3pages 140–141
  8. Because of some uncertainty about how Josephus referred to and computed dates, as stated by KöstenbergerKellum (page 114), various scholars arrive at slightly different dates for the exact date of the start of Temple construction, with their final estimates of the date of the Temple visit varying by a few years
  9. According to the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, page 246 states that Temple construction was never completed and that the Temple was constantly being rebuilt until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD/CE, and that the 46 years should refer to the actual number of years from the start of the construction
  10. Authors include Paul N. Anderson (2011), who wrote The Riddles of the Fourth Gospel: An Introduction to John (2011)ISBN0-8006-0427-Xpage 200
  11. Jerry Knoblet (2005), who wrote Herod the Great (ISBN0-7618-3087-1page 184)
  12. And Robert Tomson (2011), who wrote Jesus in Johannine Tradition (ISBN0-7618-3087-1). “God in the Details: The Cleansing of the Temple in Four Jesus Films,” Journal of Religion and Film, Vol. 13, No. 2, October 2009, University of Nebraska at Omaha
  13. “Fortna, Tom Thatcher 2001ISBN978-0-664-22219-2page 77
  14. “Landry, David. “God in the Details: The Cleansing of the Temple in Four Jesus Films,” Journal of Religion and Film, Vol. 13, No. 2, October 2009, University of Nebraska at Omaha The original version of this article was published on October 6, 2016. Obtainable on September 26, 2016
  15. James F. McGrath’s “Jesus and the Money Changers” is a classic work (John 2:13-16) On the 23rd of March, 2021, I was able to view ” Bible Odyssey “. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them), HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 0-06-117393-2
  16. Ehrman, Bart D. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them), HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 0-06-117393-2
  17. Chapter 6 of The Challenge and Spirituality of Catholic Social Teaching, published by Orbis Books in 2011 under the ISBN 9781570759451
  18. Mich, Marvin L. Krier. “Angelus Address: Jesus Cleanses the Temple of Jerusalem,” says Pope Francis. “Angelus Address: Jesus Cleanses the Temple of Jerusalem.” Zenit, 4th of March, 2018. Virginia M. Forrester provided the translation from the Italian
  19. Herbert Lockyer is credited with inventing the term “lockyer.” All of the Bible’s parables, as well as Zondervan, 1988.ISBN9780310281115
  20. Dansby, Jonathan. “Exegetical Essay on Jesus’ Cleansing of the Temple (Undergraduate)”
  21. CASEY, P. M. “Exegetical Essay on Jesus’ Cleansing of the Temple (Undergraduate)”
  22. (1997). “The Cleansing of the Temple: A Study in Culture and Historicity.” ISSN0008-7912
  23. “Violence, Nonviolence, and the Temple Incident in John 2:13–15,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 306–332, ISSN0008-7912. academics.edu (2012a)
  24. Andy Alexis-“Violence, Baker’s Nonviolence, and the Temple Incident in John 2:13–15” is available online. The Journal of Biblical Interpretation, volume 20, number 1, pages 73–96, ISSN 0927-2569
  25. Price, Robert (2003) Infancy Gospels, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck GmbHCo. KG, 2011, pp. 588–616
  26. Alexander, P. ‘Jesus and his Mother in the Jewish Anti-Gospel (the Toledot Yeshu)’, in eds. C. Clivaz et al., The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, p. 40
  27. Goldstein, Morris. The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, p. 40
  28. Alexander The Jewish Tradition’s View of Jesus 152
  29. Bauckham, The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, p. 45
  30. Eisenman, Robert, Maccabees, Zadokites, Christians, and Qumran: A New Hypothesis of Qumran Origins, p. 152
  31. Grave Distractions Publications, Nashville, TN, 2013, p. 10
  32. Zindler, Frank R. The Jesus the Jews Never Knew. Nashville, TN: Grave Distractions Publications, 2013, p. 10
  33. Matthew 27:38
  34. Narrative of Joseph of Arimatha, 1.in The Catholic Encyclopedia
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External links

With a closer study at the Gospel texts, it becomes clear that Jesus cleansed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem on two separate occasions. Following His first known miracle of turning water into wine at a Jewish wedding at Cana, which was reported in John 2, the first time is mentioned. According to John 2:14-15, “He discovered people who were selling oxen, lambs, and pigeons in the temple, as well as the money-changers who were seated in the temple. In the end, he drove them all out of the temple with a whip made of cords, along with the sheep and oxen.

  1. (John 4).
  2. On that day, the Sunday before His crucifixion, Jesus was nailed to the cross “In the temple, Jesus ejected everyone who sold or purchased anything there, and he overturned the tables of moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves, as well as the whole structure.
  3. What was the reason for Jesus’ cleansing of the Jewish temple on these two occasions?
  4. It is obvious that Jesus cleansed the temple because those who were selling doves, lambs, and oxen were doing it for profit rather than for the benefit of God’s people, who were required to make animal gifts to the temple at Passover.
  5. Sellers then began to reap the benefits of the system.
  6. During the second cleansing, Jesus condemned the Jewish system of moneymaking as being incompatible with God’s Passover once again.
  7. A house of worship, not a location where merchants took advantage of the poor, was the goal of the construction of the temple.
  8. Children cried out to Jesus in a temple courtyard during the second cleaning, the scribes and chief priests instructed Jesus to chastise the people, and Jesus shortly after left the city for the neighboring town of Bethany.
  9. This identical region of Jerusalem will ultimately serve as the site of His death and resurrection, demonstrating His status as the promised Messiah.
  10. What evidence do you have that Jesus is the Son of God?

What is the significance of the triumphant entry? What was the purpose of the temple veil? In light of Jesus’ death, what is the significance of the temple curtain being torn in two? What were the most significant events in Jesus’ life? Return to the page: The Truth About Jesus Christ.

In Mark 11:15-17 why did Jesus cleanse the temple?

Peace. There is, in fact, something else going on. Matthew Miller pointed out that “moneychangers” were preventing the praise that was due to the Name of God from all countries because they were trading God’s glory for money, which was (and continues to be) a hindrance to the praise that is due to God’s Name from all nations. He should be addressed as “House of prayer” by all countries; yet, because the world is aware of the money shifting that takes on within his residence, the world refers to it as a “den of thieves.” The nations of the earth are to gaze at us and give thanks to the Almighty.

  • Jesus “began” to cast them out, and he is still doing so, for the exchange of the glory of God that is due to Him for the sake of money is still going on in the world.
  • (17)And he instructed them, saying, “Is it not stated, My home shall be called by all nations the house of prayer?” but “you have turned it into a den of thieves,” referring to their actions.
  • The moneychangers in the church are publicly rebuked.publicly shamed.as the rest of the world strikes out at those who are implicated in the scandal.
  • The “birds”.the doves.represent the “peace” that they are trying to sell when there is no peace in the world at all.
  • The “four-footed creatures” refer to the sheep that they are using to make goods while on their quest for worldly treasures (the creeping things).
  • They are preoccupied with worldly things because they only serve their stomachs, and their glory is found in their disgrace (as the world talks ill of them, so embarrassing them) since they are only concerned with earthly things (what to eat, what to drink, what to wear).

(18)(For many walk, of whom I have told you many times, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: “Behold, they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” whose destiny is ruin, whose God is their stomach, and whose glory is in their disgrace, and who are preoccupied with earthly matters.) These are persons who “sit” in positions of leadership within the temple of God (His people) while carrying out these acts.

  1. They are rulers, shepherds, and preachers, to name a few titles.
  2. KJV translation of Romans 2:20-24 The form of knowledge and the truth in the law have been given to you by an instructor of fools, an instructor of babies, and you have given them to me.
  3. Do you steal, thou who preaches that a man should not steal, and yet you do?
  4. (22)Doesn’t thou, who preaches that a man should not commit adultery, yourself commit adultery?
  5. (23)Thou who makes thy boast of the law, dost thou dishonor God by disobeying the law, and vice versa?
  6. Isaiah 52:5-6 King James Version What do I have here now, asks the LORD, that my people has been carried away for nothing?
  7. (6)As a result, my people will recognize my name; as a result, they will recognize in that day that I am the one who speaks: for behold, it is I who speak.
  8. 1 Thessalonians 2:9 King James Version Because you recall our labor and toil: for laboring night and day so that none of you would be held accountable, we proclaimed vnto you the good news of God’s salvation.
  9. In this, we are urged to “follow him together,” as the Bible says.
  10. (33)I have had no desire for any man’s silver, wealth, or clothing.

(35)I have shown you everything, and I urge you to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who stated, “It is more blessed to give than to get.” (36)I have shown you everything, and I urge you to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The apostles did give up their ability to harvest material gain from the congregations to whom they preached in order to ensure that the message of Christ would not be hampered.

  1. This authority was not exercised by them; rather, they labored with their own hands to provide for their own needs, so that the world would not have the chance to blaspheme God’s Holy Name or to deny the truth.
  2. (12)If others have this influence over you, aren’t we, on the other hand, the ones who should be concerned?
  3. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has commanded us to labor with our own hands to provide for our own earthly needs in order to ensure that the gospel is not hampered in any way.
  4. gave surrendered his or her authority to do so.
  5. They set a high standard for themselves, and we can all learn from their example.
  6. (10)After all, even when we were among you, we instructed you that if anybody refused to labor, he should not be permitted to eat.
  7. (12)Now, to those who are like this, we command and encourage, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they labor quietly and eat their own bread.

(14)And if any man does not obey our word as expressed in this epistle, make a note of him and refuse to associate with him so that he may feel humiliated. (15)However, do not regard him as an adversary, but rather as a brother who has to be corrected.

Why Did Jesus Have To Cleanse The Temple?

Jesus cleansed the temple on two separate occasions, but why did He do so?

Den of Thieves

The Temple is a religious building in the city of Jerusalem. As early as the first century, when Jesus’ earthly ministry took place, the Temple had truly become a “den of thieves,” ripping off innocent people who were forced to convert their money into a form of currency that the Temple would accept. They were also rejecting the worshipers’ only animals, telling them that they were insufficient and that they would have to purchase one from the Temple itself. During the Roman colonization of Judea, individuals travelled from all across the region to offer sacrifices, and they frequently brought their own animals with them.

It was a questionable situation, with questionable prices and questionable quality of the animals, and the vendors or money exchangers were taking advantage of those who had traveled a long distance to attend.

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Every time, they were taking advantage of those who had come to worship God and make a sacrifice.

Because of the manner they conducted their business, they were referred to as “thieves’ dens” by Jesus, who referred to the Temple as “a den of thieves.”

Jesus Was Angry

In fact, Jesus was enraged on more than one occasion, and it wasn’t just at the Temple that He demonstrated holy, righteous rage. He considered the devout Jews and their self-righteousness to be hypocrites because they were not even caring for their own old parents. As a result, when Jesus saw how they had polluted the Temple, He became enraged and justified in his anger. Anger is not a sin in and of itself. God is constantly filled with righteous fury (Psalm 7:11), but “the anger of man does not create the righteousness of God” (Psalm 7:18), according to the Bible (James 1:20).

According to the Apostle Paul, “Be furious, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Eph 4:26), therefore there are some situations that should make us enraged.

People should be upset about things like abuse, neglect, or taking advantage of the old; abusing children; and exploiting the poor.

In contrast, we do not execute judgment and are instructed to “never avenge yourselves, but rather leave it to the wrath of God, because it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” declares the Lord (Rom 12:19).

That is something Jesus would never do. Instead, He was ejecting them from the courtroom because of what they were doing, which was essentially conniving the Jews who had come to worship God in good faith to get their money.

Cleansing the Temple

There were two instances in which Jesus cleaned the Temple of its filth. It had happened once, not long after He began His earthly mission, and in reality, the Temple in ancient Israel had been polluted as a result of the disregard of the Law of God, also known as Scripture. Uzziah’s arrogance led him to assume the role of high priest in the Temple (2 ndChron 26:16). In the course of cleaning and rebuilding the Temple, King Hezekiah instructed the priests to go into “the inner portion of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out all the uncleanness that they discovered in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord.” Israel’s history of turning the Temple into a den of thieves dates back to 2nd Chronicles 29:16, indicating that the practice of turning the Temple into a den of thieves is not new.

  • After reprimanding Judah, Jeremiah the Prophet asked them: “Has this home, which bears my name, become a nest of robbers in your eyes?
  • I believe that’s where Jesus drew his quotation from, and the context is precisely the same as it is with Israel.
  • “He overthrew the money-changers’ tables, pouring out their coins as he did so” (John 2:14).
  • ” “It is written that my house should be called a place of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers,” he told them (Matt 21:11-13).
  • The picture of Jesus doing such in art is wholly incompatible with the Bible.
  • There is absolutely no proof that Jesus ever caused harm to anybody as a result of His righteous rage.
  • The distinction is that we tell the authorities and allow them to carry out God’s judgment(Rom 13:1-5), so that retribution comes from God himself (Rom 12:19).

Your Temple

God is still purifying the temples, but not the one in Jerusalem, as he did previously. That one has been completely demolished. The temple I’m referring to (with a small “t”) is our own physical body, in which the Spirit of God resides. As the Apostle Paul points out, there is a major difference between the real, physical temple and the believer in Christ, who is then a temple for the Holy Spirit to reside in. “Or do you not realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, whom you have received from God?” Paul asks.

As a result, praise God with your body” (2 ndCor 6:19-20). As in ancient Israel, they did not own the Temple, and we do not own the Temple today. Because of the precious blood of the Lamb of God, we were purchased. It is to Him that we owe our entire existence.

Conclusion

Allow me to refresh your memory. There are only two temples left in existence today: temples dedicated to the wicked one and temples dedicated to the Holy One. It was Jesus who stated that you were either for or against Him (Matt 12:30). You are unable to maintain objectivity. Choosing to make no decision is a choice to reject Christ, and “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him”(Rom 8:9), so Paul wants us to “understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord!” except in the Holy Spirit”(1 stCor 12:3), but it is “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it You recognize him because “he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17), therefore seek to keep your temple clean since God resides there.in you, according to the Bible.

  • More information on the Temple may be found here: Temple is being torn down.
  • The ESV is an abbreviation for English Standard Version.
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  • Tagged as:Cleanse the Temple,Jesus Cleanse the Temple,Jesus Cleanse the Temple

Contradictions: When Did Jesus Cleanse the Temple?

However, whereas the Gospel of John claims that Jesus cleansed the temple early in His career, the other Gospels locate the temple-cleansing as occurring near the conclusion of His time on the earth. Who is correct?

The “Problem”

Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem around Passover, according to the second chapter of John, and used a whip made of cords to drive away the money changers who were conducting business there. He also poured out the money and flipped the tables (John 2:13–15), among other things. “Take these things away from here!” Jesus commanded to people who sold doves. “Do not turn My Father’s home into a storefront for products!” (See also John 2:16). A similar story is told in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) about Jesus entering the temple, driving out those who bought and sold, overturning their tables, and telling the crowd that they had transformed the temple into a “den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–46).

During the first Passover (of three) recounted in John’s Gospel, the temple is said to have been cleansed, according to John’s description.

Is this a contradiction, and if so, who has the upper hand here?

The Solution

The mere fact that two stories appear to be similar does not imply that they both relate to the same entity. Students of theBibleneed were taught that resemblance does not necessarily imply the sameness of things. To put it another way, simply because two stories are similar does not always imply that they relate to the same item. In this particular instance, the solution is actually fairly straightforward. On at least two times, Jesus cleaned the Temple of its filth. According to the Gospel of John, the first occurrence occurred towards the beginning of His ministry.

Even though the critic may argue that this is just an ad hocanswer (i.e., a solution devised solely to address the criticism), the biblical stories support this position.

As a result, rather of instantly exclaiming “Contradiction!” we should try to find a workable alternative.

These occurrences occurred at various stages throughout Christ’s public ministry.

When Jesus was arrested in John, he was immediately questioned by temple authorities who inquired, “What sign do You show us, considering everything that You do?” “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it up,” the Lord said, according to John, who revealed that the Lord pointed to His impending Resurrection (John 2:19; 2:22).

  1. According to the Synoptics, however, following the second cleaning, Jesus started to educate those who were there in the temple and heal those who came to Him who were blind or lame.
  2. The whip is not mentioned at all in the Synoptics.
  3. As previously mentioned in relation to the first temple cleansing, the Lord instructed the priests to “take these things away!
  4. Although it is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” Jesus stated after the second cleaning, “You have turned it into a “den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13;Mark 11:17;Luke 19:46).

While the content was the same, the language that Jesus chose to express His message were different from one another.

Would Jesus Really Do This Twice?

Some may question the feasibility of Jesus scrubbing the temple on two separate times, but there is no reason to doubt that He would carry out such a task. Remember that Jesus frequently confronted religious leaders and called them out on their hypocrisy. When it came to this particular instance, the money changers were found to have turned worship into a matter of convenience while also robbing from the people by demanding high fees for poor sacrifice animals. Many Jews were guilty of commercializing the Passover lamb offering procedure, rather than honoring God’s demand to present pure, spotless lambs from their own herds as instructed in Exodus 12:5.

This is not in accordance with what the Lord commanded.

Moreover, He infuriated Caiaphas, the high priest, whose family was in charge of the money changing at the temple, in the process.

1 In the same way that the Old Testament indicated that God was enthusiastic for genuine worship from His people, Jesus proved that obedience is preferable to sacrifice.

Conclusion

In this case, the answer to the allegedBiblecontradiction is rather clear. Jesus cleaned the temple on at least two occasions throughout His earthly career: once at the beginning of His ministry and again at the conclusion. This should come as no surprise, given that God has frequently said in His Word that obedience to Him is more vital than doing meaningless rituals, particularly when such rituals are performed for the sake of convenience or personal advantage. Master Books has generously allowed AiG permission to distribute excerpts from this book on the internet.

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