Hi C2,
How do you reconcile the verse you gave me (Lev 19:18)...with this one:
23But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Exodus 21:23-25
One verse says don't avenge and the other says it is OK as long as you don't avenge with something worse. Contradictory?
I don't think it's contradictory. Jesus confirmed the perfect teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. God's desire is that we love our neighbour (rea`, ray'-ah; or reya`, ray'-ah; from Hebrew 7462 (ra`ah); an associate, brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour) like ourselves, and dedicated 6 of the 10 commandments to that effect, and those were later confirmed by Jesus. The verse in Leviticus shows that perfect desire of God that His children live in harmony with each other, as part of His moral law. The verse in Exodus comes from the civil and ceremonial law dictated by God to Israel, where there was a need for civil obedience when they established their new nation, after being freed from Egypt. It is an indication that in civil law, the punishment should fit the crime, administered by a governmental structure. The one verse (Lev) relates to our personal relationships with fellow Christians, where we are instructed not to take avenge etc, as you point out from Jesus teachings, and Jesus also extends this to our personal enemies, to clear up the false teachings. The second verse (Ex) relates specifically to the civil law and governmental structure of ancient Israel, and you can reference that back to Deut 5 and the early part of Deut 6, where the distinction is clearly made between the moral law (10 commandments) and the civil and ceremonial law that followed and was applicable to Israel at that time.
And then Jesus comes along as says this:
38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Why the drastic change, do you think?
I don't think it was a drastic change. With Jesus's coming, the civil and ceremonial laws were abrogated, and Jesus confirmed what was written in the moral law, that as Christians we should not personally seek vengeance against those that wrong us. Sorry for going off on a bit of a tangent here, but this is very important, we cannot be fully filled with the Holy Spirit if we carry thoughts of vengeance and retribution against those that have wronged us. Just as God forgives us fully for our sins, He expects that we fully forgive those who have wronged us, and that necessarily excludes seeking vengeance. (See the Lord's prayer, His forgiving our sins is tied to us forgiving those who we would as unbelievers have seeked vengeance against).
It is important to note though, that we are still subject to the governments that God appoints over us, and the civil laws that they espouse. This should not be seen as personal retribution, but the administration of an orderly and law-abiding society.
Hope it helps.
