The Key in Psalms
“But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39 ESV
Resist – What a mess we have made of this verse! Because of this translation, believers often think that they should be complete pacifists when it comes to encountering evil men and evil acts. They go to the stake rather than fight. They step in front of tanks rather than take action to stop them. They refuse to engage in battle because “Jesus said not to resist.” But what if this Greek word, anthistemi, doesn’t mean “do not resist”? What if our translation has unintentionally put us in harm’s way imagining that we are doing God’s will?
Brad Young points out that the Greek anthistemi “is better translated ‘do not compete.’ It is similar in thought and wording to Ps. 37:1, which is usually translated ‘Fret not yourself because of the evil doers’ (compare verses 7 and 8). In Hebrew, the text reads al titchar bamerain and would be better translated, ‘Do not compete with evil doers.’”[1] While the Greek literally means “to stand against,” we can see that the use of this Greek word in the LXX (in Psalm 37) shows us that Yeshua would have used the Hebrew negative al titchar, and titchar is a verb that means “do not bring yourself to burn, to anger.” In other words, it is not about active resistance but rather about adopting a calm attitude of trust in God. When Yeshua uses this verb to describe the actions of Kingdom citizens, he is not suggesting that they remain passive victims. He is saying that they must adopt an attitude of serenity even if they combat the evil. They are not to be brought to a boil. They are not to burn with anger for God is still in control. They may oppose evil, and well they should since God Himself opposes evil, but they are to do so with composed and relaxed assurance. Peace is their posture even in the midst of battle.
How we need Young’s correction! How often have we been told that it isn’t like Christ to stand up against the sinful actions of the world. We have missed the point – and missed the opportunity to demonstrate the character of the God of holiness all because we didn’t pay attention to Yeshua speaking in His native tongue.
Resist when you must. Stand up for justice, for truth and for the One True God. Put on the armor (something very difficult to do if you are not to resist) and enter the battle. But remember that you do not fight with anger as your comrade. We are soldiers, no doubt, but we are soldiers of peaceful countenance and confident expectation in YHWH, the God of shalom.
Topical Index: Matthew 5:39, Psalm 37:7, anthistemi, titchar, resist, compete
Thank you for a much needed correction in the translation process. So much guilt has been produced in people because of not being able to be as passive as they had been taught to be. Such a relief, knowing that the way I have reacted to evil has not been so far off. Now to work at developing the composure, a calm attitude when fighting the evil, rather than the anger that I tend to manifest. Thanks, Skip.
“Calm attitude when fighting the evil”
Hi Roy,
I agree that a calm attitude in a dangerous situation is a very attractive quality to watch at work
It makes me think of the scene in the Unforgiven, when Clint Eastwood walks in to the saloon
He is outnumbered 30 to 1, but he is calm and all the bad guys are “frightened to death”
And kind of like Yahweh God, Clint Eastwood lays the bad guys to waste
But in my view Clint Eastwood is clearly not modelling the Son of Man, Yeshua
Whose spirit, in my view, is so eloquently captured in the following format:
“Go like lambs to a wolf-pack
No staff in your hand
No sandals on your feet
No knapsack on your back
No chatter on the journey
And the same clothes for day and night, summer and winter”
Daniel is a fascinating study of this issue. For just 30 days he was required to pray to none other than king Darius. But not only did he continue to pray to YHVH, he made a point of doing it publicly, in open defiance. He was, in effect, saying Darius had no legitimate jurisdiction to make such a law, and he was correct. Though he was convicted in the courts of man for breaking the law of the land, Daniel was vindicated in the court of God and given Divine protection at a most difficult time. He was not one to obey the law of Darius on this point, for Daniel knew that to do so would be to break the commandment of his God, thereby giving evidence that he was not a true disciple of the Living God.
“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” declares YHVH. And some people have too many gods that are more important than God.
How do you apply this to war?
1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer,
or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed;
but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls
to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
We need to stand up in crisis but should we die on every little hill? The key to this entire theme of suffering is discernment. There is a time and a season for everything.
Good word Skip! I was just watching a clip of “Les Miserables” very interesting how the Priest”s actions describe what you put in word
” Resist when you must. Stand up for justice, for truth and for the One True God. Put on the armor (something very difficult to do if you are not to resist) and enter the battle. But remember that you do not fight with anger as your comrade. We are soldiers, no doubt, but we are soldiers of peaceful countenance and confident expectation in YHWH, the God of shalom.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF3FX43F-7Y
“just watching a clip of “Les Miserables”
Hi Robin,
I remember that scene, and it is a very powerful one, thanks for sharing!
During that time frame I also liked Liam Neeson in “Rob Roy,” especially the duel with Tim Roth
More recently old Liam showed he still has a lot of energy left in him in a movie called Taken
In which his daughter is kidnapped in Paris by some very nasty traders in the sex slave market
Unfortunately for the sex slave traders, Liam is a CIA agent
Many great scenes in that movie, but my favorite might be the first one
When Liam Receives a phone call from her kidnapper; he calmly replies:
I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want.
If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money.
But what I do have is a very particular set of skills
Skills I have acquired over a very long career.
Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.
If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it.
I will not look for you, and I will not pursue you.
But if you don’t, I will look for you.
I will find you
And I will kill you.
So I’m missing something. If “do not resist” actually means it is ok to resist with trust and without anger, how does that fit with the physical examples of non-resistance in this verse and those that follow?
David . . . see if this link helps to answer your question at all. http://www.cpt.org/files/BN%20-%20Jesus'%20Third%20Way.pdf
Mohandas Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, and Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky
Brett,
Most interesting link!
I would say that the way I see the world was in large part formed by the trinity above
As an undergraduate at UCSD
@Brett, thanks for the link. Very enlightening. Context is so important.
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Hi David, just wanted to share some thoughts on this with you, maybe it’ll help clear up some things.
When we go back to Exodus, where this is written, we find that “in context” it speaks of justice, as opposed to “retribution”. It would seem that not only is Yeshua teaching, but as is often the case “correcting” what has been misinterpreted, hence the phrase, “you have heard it said ”Rather than, “it is written”. There’s a lot in this passage that we should take heed towards and perhaps rethink, however it is “broad brushed” at the beginning of the teaching as portraying the attributes of those who “walk” in the Kingdom of the heavens(s).
So, here’s a picture for you, if God is fundamentally “just”, i.e., “unjust weights are an abomination”…. than if someone pokes out your eye and you, in return, poke out their eye, has the evil deed been justified or has more evil been propagated therefore tipping the scales even further on the side of evil. This is the crux of the statement. We as citizens of the Kingdom have no business conducting ourselves “in the business” of the kingdom of darkness, and if we do, we haven’t “opposed it” but rather propagated it.
This seems to be one of the burdens today of those whose desire to walk in the presence of God, much like it was when Yeshua walked with us. While those in Yeshuas’ time misinterpreted it one way, we have gone the other. Both are contrary to God and therefore His kingdom. When we as “Christians” chose to remove ourselves from the clear directives, as stated in the law of the One who redeemed us, not only do we sow destruction to ourselves and those around us, as our ancient father and mother did, we also misrepresent the nature and character of the God who has given Himself for us. Let it not be so, rather that we repent, and learn to repent, that God’s mercy will be displayed.
YHWH bless you……..
Amein v’amein, Skip! My witness to your article here!
What would the full armour be for, if not for battle?
Why go into battle if not to defend for what we stand for, what we believe is injustice, evil and deception?
Great word, thank you, Skip! Blessings in YHWH.
Just got this, so appropriate, and timely!!! Watch it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbdnu_R9G40