Posted on 06/18/2016 10:06:17 AM PDT by Graybeard58
“In Mark 7:11-12 Christ condemns the Pharisees for rejecting the commandment of God by their tradition. What specifically were the Pharisees teaching in these two verses? What is Corban?”
In order to understand the situation under consideration, the entire context must be viewed. It reads as follows.
And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market-place, unless they bathe themselves, they do not eat; and there are many other things, which they have received and hold to, [such as] washings of cups, and pots, and brass vessels.)
And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples practice the tradition of the elders; instead, they eat their bread with defiled hands?”
And he said unto them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.’ You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.”
And he said unto them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother; and, He that speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death’: but you say, ‘If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith you might have been profited by me is Corban,’ that is to say, Given to God; you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things you do” (Mark 7:1-13).
Here are the areas upon which one needs to focus in order to understand the context cited above.
The leaders of the Jewish community were criticizing the Lord’s disciples (and indirectly Christ himself) for eating with unwashed hands. We need not think of “unwashed hands” in the hygienic sense; rather, it was the custom of the Jews to ceremonially cleanse themselves from any “defilement” they perceived they had picked up from contact with Gentiles (whom they considered religiously and socially “unclean”).
This attitude and activity was not a part of Moses’ law, but a strictly human tradition that had evolved in the Hebrew culture over the years. When, therefore, the Pharisees and scribes noted that the Savior’s disciples were not conforming to this rabbinic “tradition,” they felt they had an indictment against Christ and his men.
Knowing well, therefore, the attitude that prompted the charge, Jesus did not take the time to explain the matter to his critics. Rather, he “turned the table” on them, and focused attention on a serious violation of Moses’ law by another of their human traditions.
The law of Moses required the Hebrew people to “honor” their parents. That term “honor” did not suggest mere “lip service”; it included the idea of caring for them in their various needs.
Some of the Jews, however, had concocted a scheme to avoid parental responsibility. They would designate certain of their financial resources as “corban.” The Greek word korban is related to the term korbanas, signifying the “temple treasury.” In Jewish practice, therefore, the word “corban” had been coined as a sort of “vow” term. According to the prevailing tradition, one could designate his financial resources as “corban,” which, practically speaking, was a way of “tagging” them, suggesting, “this belongs to God,” and thus was not to be used for personal interests.
There is a passage in the writings of the Jewish historian, Josephus, that illustrates the fact that funds from the temple treasury were “corban,” hence could not be used for secular purposes, e.g., city improvements, as in the building of an aqueduct for water supply (Wars 2.9.4).
Thus, in the manner just described, the covetous, ungrateful Jews callously neglected parental responsibility by an appeal to this perverted human tradition. In so doing, they flouted the law of God.
And yet, on this occasion, they had the unconscionable nerve to accuse the Lord and his disciples of a breach of spirituality because they ignored uninspired rabbinical tradition. This was the epitome of inconsistency.
Christ thus quoted from the prophet Isaiah, charging the Pharisees with hypocrisy. While they professed a reverence for the law, by their manipulating evasions they demonstrated that they neither respected nor understood their obligations to the law of God.
Scripture References
Mark 7:11-12; Mark 7:1-13
The Greek word korban is related to the term korbanas, signifying the “temple treasury.” …Korban (or Qorban) is not a Greek word but a Hebrew word. Strong’s indicates that the derivative term korbanas insofar as meaning the treasury was a later meaning borrowed from the Babylonian (Chaldee/Aramaic) tongue.
Gives the explanation very clearly, thanks for posting.
Though Jesus, as God, would seemingly have to possess the foresight of the anti-bacterial benefits of both the ritual and practice of pre-meal hand washing.
I suspect at least the Disciples became sick every now and then by Jesus’ prescriptions of the day, if not the Son of Man himself.
Sacrifice or dedicated to the temple.
If you really want to open a can of worms, compare the ancient practice of corban to the MODERN practice of tithing.
Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his day for the practice of corban, because it got in the way of people fulfilling a more important responsibility: taking care of their family.
Pastors today (Robert Morris comes to mind) teach that tithing to your church comes before anything else, even your family’s needs like shelter, food, medicine, and clothing take a back seat.
Like corban, this is found nowhere in scripture, yet it’s being widely taught in evangelical circles today.
It’s great that you are studying this part of scripture. That is why it is given to us, to study and learn from. Now apply it. Spend some time studying about tithing and how it is taught today (which is very different than how it was practiced in the Bible) and think about how this lesson on corbon relates to it.
So, in other words, the temple acted as an insurance company which provided long term care policies which people could buy on behalf of themselves or their parents. Not unlike today. It seems the people then were taking care and honoring their parents by providing for them in case they themselves were unable to.
In 1545 AD catholiciism declared Tradition equal in authority to The Scriptures ...
I am well aware of how tithing is “taught today” and preachers who preach tithing as a new testament commandment are either ignorant or dishonest.
Either one is sad news.
Thanks, but I will cling to my guns and my BBQ.
I fully believe that Kashrut was ordained by God to protect His people in the days before refrigeration and modern sanitation. I have a Jewish friend who understands that but believes that keeping kosher brings her household closer to God.
I had another Jewish acquaintance who was a bit of a nutjob who held that the dietary restrictions prescribed for meat & dairy products were intended to move people toward vegetarianism. Go figure.
I agree, and try to. Have only eaten poultry and fish for the last 38 years, which makes it a bit easier.
No, just the opposite.
What they were doing was while they were alive they would dedicate their assets to the temple, but they were still free to use those assets until they went to the temple (at the person’s death).
Thus, if their parents had a need (big medical expense or just everyday living expenses) the child could avoid their duty to provide for their parents by saying “gee, I’d like to help you Mom and Dad, but all my assets are corban—dedicated to the temple—so I’m not allowed to use those assets to help you.”
It was a scheme for children to avoid the expense of providing for their parents. And the religious leaders of the day were in on it.
1 Timothy 5:8
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
How does he explain this then?
“Kosher is good, but not absolute. The Lord has blessed us w subsistence, at minimus.”
That reminds me of the rabbi who oversaw our interfaith meetings (Jewish & Catholic). He called himself Reform and liberal, but...
Rabbi Marcus was for gun control, but... people have a right to armed self defense.
He said women have the right to choose abortion but... it should be only for medical necessity, not convenience.
Rabbi headed a Reform congregation (Tree of Life) but... he prayed daily with phylacteries & shawl. Brought a shofar to one of the meetings. Told us of praying at the Wall & why those who do so bow their heads so often.
He knew there were secular Jews who came to Shabbat for community reasons only, but... when one in our group said she was a proud agnostic Jew, the rabbi said, “Eleanor, if you’re not sure there’s a God, then why be Jewish?”
As for Kashrut, it was Maimonides who taught that observance of the Law should never be inimical to life.
Like corban, this is found nowhere in scripture, yet it’s being widely taught in evangelical circles today.
Wise words. Thank you.
That's how it reads for me too.
Good morning all.
I have never understood the anti-tithing (anti-giving) mindset in a Christian. It has the appearance that the love of your money comes before the love of your church.
Where do you believe the money to support your church comes from? To pay the lights, A/c, water, trash, copy machine, phone, etc?
Does not your church help those that show up in need, or the elderly in the congregation when they need? If so, where do you believe this money comes from?
Does not your church support missionaries around the world? If so, where do you believe this money comes from?
The rub here is tha it appears that the idea of tithing negates the ability to care for ones familiy, and accepting that concept, you decline to tithe.
God himself promises to supply ALL your needs. He even supplied your job and paycheck. Do you trust him? Strikingly, people confuse Wants and Needs. Those Wants tend to carry the same weight as Needs, and suddenly one can ‘Justify’ not tithing because of the magnitude of one’s Want/Needs.
In amongst your posts, it is claimed that there is no commandment to tithe, in the New Testament. So, the Old Testament is invalid? The Ten Commandments may be ignored? An amazing position to hold.
No one would suggest that one should neglect family cares. But a Christian should be Giving. Think about the widows 2 mites. God had no need of her 2 mites, but she gave. It was ALL she had, but she trusted God and gave. Would you accuse her of neglecting someone that might be in her home?
The bottom line, there is no Command to tithe, but we are told all about giving gladly. I do not read much on the virtue of stinginess. I do not read much about a commandment to keep all you have at the expense of others in need.
I would urge you to give, give in love. Peace to you and happy Father’s Day.
Korban, whkse plain Hebrew meaning is “sacrifice” (ie, the sacrifices brought on the altar of the tabernacle or temple, also shares a root with karav, meaning close. The intent is that the sacrifices brought the giver close to G-d.
You’ve all seen this root word in the phrase Krav Maga... The IDF hand to hand fighting system. “Close Contact.”
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