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Corey
Five with a Four-wing

Date Joined Feb 2003
Total Posts : 1893

Posted 3/9/2006 10:32 AM (GMT -6)

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." -- Matt 7:6

How have you understood this? What's the point? How should it be applied? What does this have to do with its textual context?

We do a Bible study at my office once a week and we're going through the book of Matthew. Today we contemplated this passage. There were various notions thrown out there, most were variations on the theme that "we shouldn't share the gospel with someone we know is just going turn on us anyway."

But this doesn't sit right with me at all. Most glaringly, it requires us to judge that someone is not worthy to receive the gospel (especially just after saying "Do not judge" just a couple verses earlier.) Secondly, it assumes that "the gospel" is what Jesus had in mind when he spoke of pearls here. Thirdly, if this is the case, then Jesus didn't seem to follow his own advice.

Instead, it occurred to me that perhaps the "pearl" here is one's own spiritual life or soul. So here's a (very) loose rephrasing of Matthew 7 from this viewpoint:

Each soul is a pearl. You have no clue how valuable it is to God! Accept and agree with God's appraisal of it, for yourself and for others.

Be careful what you do with your pearl. You have a Father who is ready and willing care for you, even better than you would care for your own kids. You can entrust your pearl to him. All you need is ask him; just knock on the door.

Be on guard. It's easy to be swindled, and sadly most people are. It may feel all safe and secure, but that's how the con men like it. If you follow their advice, you'll be left with nothing.

"You are too skilled in the art of talking in generalities about everything without letting yourself be personally involved." SK in Either/Or.

Post Edited (Corey) : 3/9/2006 9:36:35 AM (GMT-6)

Tom
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353

Posted 3/9/2006 12:13 PM (GMT -6)

To begin with, the form is a common one. You've got ABB'A':

A Don't give dogs what is sacred
B Don't give your pearls to pigs
B' They will trample them under their feet
A' and turn and tear you to pieces

The A's match and the B's match. In English this ought to be translated as:

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; the will only turn and tear you to pieces. And don't throw your pears to pigs; they'll only trample them under their feet."

Both phrases say the SAME thing. Both make ONE point.

Gotta run.

Tom

Tom
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353

Posted 3/9/2006 12:35 PM (GMT -6)

It might not have anything to do with vv. 3-5 or with 7ff. Looks like you've got a loose collection of 'sayings', the sorts of things Jesus taught on many occasions. So v. 7 may saying nothing more than "Be careful how much time you spend trying to convince someone of the truth. Some people will end up turning on you. Others will end up ignoring what you say"--a kind of general warning about how invested with let ourselve become with different people. Generally speaking, where there's a willingness to engage the truth and follow the argument where it leads, then keep working with people. But if they're "dogs" (hostile to the truth) or "pigs" (indifferent to the truth), don't waste your time.

BUT...

If v. 7 is in the writer's mind linked with vv. 3-5 (about not attempting to fix what's wrong with others until you've fixed what's wrong with you), then the same point can be made, just within the context of attempting to 'correct' other people. So (1) don't try to fix what's wrong with others unless you've fixed what's wrong with you; that's hypocrisy. And (2) when you've fixed what's wrong with you, don't waste your time with people who are either hostile or indifferent to the being helped. There are people out there who ARE interested in finding the truth, invest in them.

Tom

Corey
Five with a Four-wing

Date Joined Feb 2003
Total Posts : 1893

Posted 3/9/2006 3:03 PM (GMT -6)

Good thoughts. I especially like the distinction you suggest about dogs and pigs. Yeah, I may be imposing structure where there really wasn't any intended, kind of like looking at the night sky and seeing constellations. They're just stars. This may just be a collection of unrelated sayings. A few commentaries I've read have suggested that this whole thing may be a compilation of things he said at various times in various places, edited together by the author.

But still, it seems that the general theme of Jesus' gospel is that "the kingdom of God is at hand." (As N.T. Wright has pointed out.) Get prepared. Choose which side you're on. Get aligned with the Kingdom. Beware the kingdom of darkness, etc. The view I've described seems pretty well aligned with that: You have a bivalent choice to make about your allegience. One way brings life, the other tramples you to death.

It may be that Jesus was giving advice about who to not waste your time on, but it seems further from the central theme of his ministry than the view I'm considering here.

"You are too skilled in the art of talking in generalities about everything without letting yourself be personally involved." SK in Either/Or.

Post Edited (Corey) : 3/9/2006 3:41:22 PM (GMT-6)

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