Obama's Secret Struggle to Retaliate against Putin

[*michaelsean*]

(06-26-2017, 05:27 PM)Dill Wrote: Michael, he asks whose image is on the Denarius. Turns out to be Caesar's. Not Jesus' or God's.

Then he says "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." You don't think he was talking about salad do you? Virtually all Christian interpretation from the apostles to now assume he is saying the coin is Caesar's, so give it back to him.

I agree he is forcing people to think of a distinction between material and spiritual world. But on every Christian interpretation and denomination I am familiar with, Jesus' mission was not to "leave it up to them" whenever it came to understanding what God wanted.

https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2011/04/tax-day-giving-back-to-caesar/

I am not a Christian, but I think Jesus answer is very good, far better than a yes or no. Remember the question is a trap, designed to create a dilemma. Jesus is damned if he says no, because that is sedition and he could be reported to the Romans, and damned if he says yes, because then the Pharisees can say--look he cannot be a prophet if he says submit to Rome.

What is the inscription on the coin?  It claims Tiberius divine.  There is also his image with the inscription.  Blasphemous to a Jew.  He's sidestepping the trap with a non-answer.  Jesus would never advocate the moral necessity of paying money to a brutal dictator. In no way would Jesus ever say that is what God wanted which is what is implied when you say He was declaring that they should pay the taxes to the Romans. He isn't speaking taxes in general, they pay taxes already, but rather specific taxes to Romans.  

In short I am saying this was not a declaration about paying taxes or not paying taxes.  It was an evasion to a question that turned the pharisees into idolators and blasphemers.  They had the coin, which would have been considered blasphemous.  Jesus did not. That's why he asked them the questions.