May 25, 2015
Snatched
In the Parable of the Sower some seed fell along the path where the birds came and ate it up. Jesus
explained the parable, “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and
does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in
his heart. This is the seed sown along the path” (Matt 13:19 NIV). I’d not
contemplated how the evil one
snatches away the message about the kingdom until recently. After listening to
a spiritually thought provoking presentation, the MC of the event took over to close
out the session and in a matter of a couple of minutes she completely
redirected my thoughts. Just as quickly as a bird snatches seed from a path, she
turned what had the potential to be a heart convicting moment into a worldly
evaluation exercise.
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----It couldn’t have been illustrated more clearly.
-----It is also interesting to notice the Greek word behind this translation is the one used in I Thessalonians 4:17, “…then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…” This word, “harpadzo“, is used thirteen times in the New Testament. In six instances it clearly connotes taking something against the will (Mat 11:12; Jn 6:15; 10:12,28,29; Acts 23:10.) One time, in Jude 1:23, whether or not the snatching is against the will of the snatched is completely unclear, “…save some, by snatching them out of the fire.” The will of the snatched would most likely agree with the snatching in the other five uses of the word (Acts 8:39; II Cor 12:2,4; I Thes 4:17; Rev 12:5,) where Phillip is snatched away from the eunuch, Paul is snatched up into the third heaven, we who are left will be caught up into the clouds, and the child of the woman was snatched into heaven from the attacking dragon. But in all thirteen uses of the word, whether or not the snatched is willing, the initiative of the snatching is definitely not that of the snatched; the initiative is of the snatcher.
-----Those who trumpet around the notion that the word “rapture” does not appear in the New Testament snatch the truth that it does away from the meaning of harpadzo. A taking without the initiative of the taken is the basic meaning of harpadzo: seize. Its translation into the Latin Vulgate was “raptus“, the gerund form of “rapio“: to seize or carry off, is exactly the same meaning as “harpadzo“. The English “rapture” is usually the state of being carried away into emotional or spiritual ecstasy. Though its etymology is from “raptus”, its meaning is narrowed and applied to the specific of emotion or spirituality except in rare usages referring to the seizing and carrying away of a person. Rarity is not non-existence. It is just non-abundant. The use of “rapture” to mean the seizing of people or the catching of people into heaven is etymologically more “harpadzo” than “rapture” is a mere emotional ecstasy, if you don’t mind me harpadzoing the word back to its basic meaning. The Christianized use of “rapture” for “harpadzo” at I Thes 4:17 fits like a tailor made-glove.
-----For an interesting aside, while I’m in the mood of harping on other folk’s thoughts, some advocacy for a rapture is drawn from John’s being called into heaven where he receives the revelation of the end of our wicked age. The attempt is well intended, but the nature of the event just does not metaphorically fit. Although John probably had little more to do with going into heaven for that vision than you or I can have by our own will or initiative, both his will and his initiative were called forth before he found himself at once being in the Spirit. Though he was taken there by God, he wasn’t snatched or seized.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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