04 Sep 19
@chaney3 saidBut he acted on his faith by coming to Jesus.
In Matthew 8:5-13, a Centurion came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his very sick servant. Jesus was going to go to the Centurion's home, but the Centurion said that he wasn't worthy of that, and that he knew if Jesus just said the word, his servant would be healed.
Jesus was "impressed" by this man's "great faith", and told him to go home, for the servant is healed.
...[text shortened]... reat faith, and Jesus was impressed. NO works, just "faith".
Jesus wants us to have faith in Him.
04 Sep 19
@chaney3 saidSeveral things are noteworthy about the passage. We may assume that the centurion was a pagan, not himself a follower of Jesus, but a Roman soldier, part of the occupation force in Judea which was widely resented by the local population. Yet jesus hears his request.
In Matthew 8:5-13, a Centurion came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his very sick servant. Jesus was going to go to the Centurion's home, but the Centurion said that he wasn't worthy of that, and that he knew if Jesus just said the word, his servant would be healed.
Jesus was "impressed" by this man's "great faith", and told him to go home, for the servant is healed.
...[text shortened]... reat faith, and Jesus was impressed. NO works, just "faith".
Jesus wants us to have faith in Him.
The centurion exhibits several virtues characteristic of Jesus. He (the centurion) is a man of rank, yet he humbles himself before Jesus. He asks no favor for himself, but for someone who is ill and suffering. He asks a favor for someone of lower social rank than himself. And finally, in no translation that I am familiar with does Jesus say that he, Jesus, has healed the servant by divine power. In all translations, the emphasis is entirely on the centurion's faith, and in some translations Jesus even explicits says to him "your faith has healed the servant."
Take-home message: one need not be a Christian to make a favorable impression on Jesus. Exhibiting the virtues typically associated with Jesus - - humility, care for the suffering and the sick, care for those of lower social rank - - are what matter. Plus faith (whatever that means); it cannot have been faith in the resurrection, since that hadn't happened yet.
04 Sep 19
@moonbus saidIf the Centurion's servant was in fact healed, then Divine power healed him.
Several things are noteworthy about the passage. We may assume that the centurion was a pagan, not himself a follower of Jesus, but a Roman soldier, part of the occupation force in Judea which was widely resented by the local population. Yet jesus hears his request.
The centurion exhibits several virtues characteristic of Jesus. He (the centurion) is a man of rank, yet he ...[text shortened]... whatever that means); it cannot have been faith in the resurrection, since that hadn't happened yet.
Good point about the "faith". What did he have faith in?
04 Sep 19
@moonbus saidNice post .. quite a few good points in there which Christians in general will not agree with.
Several things are noteworthy about the passage. We may assume that the centurion was a pagan, not himself a follower of Jesus, but a Roman soldier, part of the occupation force in Judea which was widely resented by the local population. Yet jesus hears his request.
The centurion exhibits several virtues characteristic of Jesus. He (the centurion) is a man of rank, yet he ...[text shortened]... whatever that means); it cannot have been faith in the resurrection, since that hadn't happened yet.
05 Sep 19
At the time of the Centurion, it's probable that nobody believed Jesus to be God. There was no Trinity or Godhead concept formulated yet, that would happen hundreds of years later. Jesus claimed to be the "Son" of God, and gave all credit to God.
So when the Centurion approched Jesus, it's likely that he believed 'enough', or had 'faith' enough, to ask Jesus to heal his servant......assuming that it would be God healing the servant, through Jesus.
So the pagan Centurion seems to have had some belief in what God could do, and was likely a believer after this incident.
I remember back in the 70s there was a young boy who was thought by many to have powers of healing on account of him being the seventh child of the seventh child.
People went to visit his family in the hope of having the boy "heal" them or their children. Many people believed this would work.
As with the Centurion, there is no evidence or reports that the young boy's professed healing powers had any effect.
If, 30 or 40 years after the death of that seventh child of the seventh child, some people sought to deify him, no doubt they would declare in their putative scriptures that he really did "heal" people ~ and then cite their own claims as evidence supporting the claim that he was a deity.
05 Sep 19
@fmf saidWell, according to the Biblical account, Jesus told the Centurion that the servant was healed.
I remember back in the 70s there was a young boy who was thought by many to have powers of healing on account of him being the seventh child of the seventh child.
People went to visit his family in the hope of having the boy "heal" them or their children. Many people believed this would work.
As with the Centurion, there is no evidence or reports that the young boy's prof ...[text shortened]... "heal" people ~ and then cite their own claims as evidence supporting the claim that he was a deity.
Either that is true, or Jesus lied.
(According to the Bible)
05 Sep 19
@chaney3 saidWe do not know what ailed the servant, therefore we do not know that divine power healed him. Some ailments which are very distressing clear up all by themselves. Ever pass a kidney stone? Very painful, but no need of divine power to recover; just piss it out and relief is immediate.
If the Centurion's servant was in fact healed, then Divine power healed him.
Good point about the "faith". What did he have faith in?
05 Sep 19
@fmf saidIf, 30 or 40 years after the death of that seventh child of the seventh child, some people sought to deify him, no doubt they would declare in their putative scriptures that he really did "heal" people ~ and then cite their own claims as evidence supporting the claim that he was a deity, how much credibility would such an account have?
I remember back in the 70s there was a young boy who was thought by many to have powers of healing on account of him being the seventh child of the seventh child.
People went to visit his family in the hope of having the boy "heal" them or their children. Many people believed this would work.
As with the Centurion, there is no evidence or reports that the young boy's prof ...[text shortened]... "heal" people ~ and then cite their own claims as evidence supporting the claim that he was a deity.
Just realized I hadn't finished typing this comment when I posted it.
05 Sep 19
@chaney3 saidBeing a Roman pagan, the centurion would have believed in the pagan gods, not the Jewish One-God. So the centurion would not have assumed that that God's divine power was channelled through Jesus.
At the time of the Centurion, it's probable that nobody believed Jesus to be God. There was no Trinity or Godhead concept formulated yet, that would happen hundreds of years later. Jesus claimed to be the "Son" of God, and gave all credit to God.
So when the Centurion approched Jesus, it's likely that he believed 'enough', or had 'faith' enough, to ask Jesus to heal his s ...[text shortened]... n seems to have had some belief in what God could do, and was likely a believer after this incident.