Q: In Matthew 19:10-12, after Jesus denounces divorce, his disciples say that if divorce isn't allowed, then "it is good not to marry." Jesus agrees by saying that it is better to make yourself a eunuch "for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Many have castrated themselves attempting to follow Jesus' advice in this verse.
A: This is a phantom objection as far as the text is concerned; Jesus did not say that it is better to make yourself a eunuch. He describes three different kinds of eunuchs -- eunuchs who were born that way, eunuchs who were made that way by men -- something rare today, but not an uncommon fate when a king or upper-class merchant wanted his wife (or wives) and daughters to be securely guarded by men -- and eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
While some men (such as Origen in his early days) have interpreted this all literally, the usual understanding of the third group is non-literal; it simply refers to men who renounce marriage and devote themselves to celibacy in order to keep their social focus more fully centered on the spread of Gods kingdom.
Although obviously Origen survived his self-emasculation, and although I havent looked into the medical issues involved, I think that becoming a eunuch was almost always a procedure done by someone to somebody else; it was just plain dangerous to attempt to literally make oneself a eunuch, and by carefully choosing His words and by separating the third group of eunuchs from the first two, Jesus seems to have verbally guided His hearers toward a figurative understanding of this saying. None of Jesus disciples seems to have understood it in a literal sense; Paul mentions that the other apostles took their wives with them on their journeys. Only John the son of Zebedee is said (in early traditions) to have accepted the saying, in its figurative sense, by adopting a life of celibacy.
Perhaps this objection, if retained in the SAB, would be more appropriately placed under Interpretations since at no time, as far as I know, did the early church advocate a literal application of this text.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: This is a phantom objection as far as the text is concerned; Jesus did not say that it is better to make yourself a eunuch. He describes three different kinds of eunuchs -- eunuchs who were born that way, eunuchs who were made that way by men -- something rare today, but not an uncommon fate when a king or upper-class merchant wanted his wife (or wives) and daughters to be securely guarded by men -- and eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
While some men (such as Origen in his early days) have interpreted this all literally, the usual understanding of the third group is non-literal; it simply refers to men who renounce marriage and devote themselves to celibacy in order to keep their social focus more fully centered on the spread of Gods kingdom.
Although obviously Origen survived his self-emasculation, and although I havent looked into the medical issues involved, I think that becoming a eunuch was almost always a procedure done by someone to somebody else; it was just plain dangerous to attempt to literally make oneself a eunuch, and by carefully choosing His words and by separating the third group of eunuchs from the first two, Jesus seems to have verbally guided His hearers toward a figurative understanding of this saying. None of Jesus disciples seems to have understood it in a literal sense; Paul mentions that the other apostles took their wives with them on their journeys. Only John the son of Zebedee is said (in early traditions) to have accepted the saying, in its figurative sense, by adopting a life of celibacy.
Perhaps this objection, if retained in the SAB, would be more appropriately placed under Interpretations since at no time, as far as I know, did the early church advocate a literal application of this text.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
(Not that little dick finds it funny) 
