Yeah, sorry Rambo, but those don't really work. The Greek word for "camel" is Kamelos, whereas the word
for "rope" is Schoinion. Needless to say, it would be rather difficult to make such a mistake. In regard to
the arch, this seems unlikely, as, unless I am mistaken as to what you are referring to, those arches came from Islamic influence, which was considerably after
the time of Christ and the gospel writers. The plain sense rendering of the English translations makes the most sense textually and topically. However,
Waterrock's statement has yet to be adequately answered. Jesus likely was using hyperbolic language to emphasize His point. The question of if a camel
could pass through an eye of a needle is absurd, which is exactly Jesus' point. It is utterly impossible for a camel to pass through an eye of a needle
while the laws of physics remain remotely intact, and likewise it is impossible for any man to enter the kingdom of heaven under normal circumstances.
Now, to address the initial question posed; "Is it okay to be rich, or not?" The issue being addressed by Christ in this text is not if being rich is okay, but rather He used an opportunity of a rich young man asking what he had to do to get into the kingdom of heaven to give a much more profound point; that no one can get into the kingdom of heaven on their own merits. Second temple Judaism (and some popular "Christian" "teachers" on television) considered material blessings to be a sign of God's favor. Jesus was saying that no one, not even the ones your culture considers blessed, are getting in, if the natural order of things continues. This, contra Morgan, is why the disciples were shocked. For clarification, I would agree with Morgan's paraphrase of the disciples response, but for different reasons. I do not think the disciples were shocked because they considered themselves in the category of "rich", but instead that they considered themselves to be beneath that category, and as such, "if the rich can't make it, I have no chance" would be their line of logic. This interpretation is confirmed by verse 30, which serves as a summary of the point before illustrating it with a parable, "But many who are first will be last, and the last, first" (NASB). In brief, this is not a teaching regarding sanctification, but rather justification.
Finally, it is important to realize that, when examining a text like this, focusing on the illustration is a fantastic adventure in missing the point, whereas that which is being illustrated is the entirety of the point.
Now, to address the initial question posed; "Is it okay to be rich, or not?" The issue being addressed by Christ in this text is not if being rich is okay, but rather He used an opportunity of a rich young man asking what he had to do to get into the kingdom of heaven to give a much more profound point; that no one can get into the kingdom of heaven on their own merits. Second temple Judaism (and some popular "Christian" "teachers" on television) considered material blessings to be a sign of God's favor. Jesus was saying that no one, not even the ones your culture considers blessed, are getting in, if the natural order of things continues. This, contra Morgan, is why the disciples were shocked. For clarification, I would agree with Morgan's paraphrase of the disciples response, but for different reasons. I do not think the disciples were shocked because they considered themselves in the category of "rich", but instead that they considered themselves to be beneath that category, and as such, "if the rich can't make it, I have no chance" would be their line of logic. This interpretation is confirmed by verse 30, which serves as a summary of the point before illustrating it with a parable, "But many who are first will be last, and the last, first" (NASB). In brief, this is not a teaching regarding sanctification, but rather justification.
Finally, it is important to realize that, when examining a text like this, focusing on the illustration is a fantastic adventure in missing the point, whereas that which is being illustrated is the entirety of the point.
