What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to turn the other cheek? | GotQuestions.org 

Make up your mind; Which is it, "An eye for an eye.", or "Turn the other chick."?

I think so too. Because wickedness is also abounding and causing my love to sometimes grow cold towards the lost. It is definitely getting harder! Even heresy and apostasy are obviously rampant.

@@TallGlass-fh8qf Yes. I agree. I would even go so far as to say that alot of prophecy has BEEN fulfilled all the while the sleeping folks are still waiting for things to happen. It's already happening!!!

I agree with you@@victorythroughyahshua6031 this is why scripture says Jesus will be like a thief in the night, they will have no idea what hit them…despite all the birthing pains being right there collecting dust in their attic.

Aleister Crowley coined the phrase, 'do as thou wilt, is the whole of the law'. Crowley was a satanist, but many people now live by this law as we often see day to day. Whilst they may not believe the same thing, this is why God will cast them into hell because it was their own choice.

Guys, Here is The True Savior YaH The Heavenly Father (Genesis 1), YaH, Who, with His HAND, formed “man (Adam)”, from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7) and it was YaH’s HAND was NAILED to the Almond Tree, to symbolize forgiveness of the “Tree of Life” sin OF “man” and thus “The Fall OF man” (Genesis 3) and YaH The Father arrived to be Crucified via the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 33, Isa Scroll)

Isn't that what they did to Jesus and he nor his followers stopped them?

​@@williamforsythe5850that was Jesus' mission, without that happening we could never be saved. Jesus had to fulfill prophecy. May GOD bless you! 🙏🕊✝️

Yes he did.

@@SoyebAkhtar1918 Jesus is God in the flesh. He's called God in Mt 1:23; Mk 2:7; Lk 5:21; Jn 1:1,18, 10:33, 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 9:5; Phil 2:6; Col 1:19, 2:9; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:8,9; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 Jn 5:20. He's Worshiped: Mt 2:2,11, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:9,25, 20:20, 28:9,17; Mk 5:6, 7:7, 15:19; Lk 24:52; Jn 5:23, 9:38, 20:28; Acts 17:23; Phil 2:10-11; Heb 1:6; Rev 1:17, 4:10, 5:13,14, 7:11, 11:16, 14:7, 15:4, 19:4, 22:9. He has Old Testament passages about Yahweh attributed to Him in the New Testament: Mt 1:21=Ps 130:8; Mt 3:3, Mk 1:3, Lk 3:4, Jn 1:23=Isa 40:3; Mt 7:24=Ps 18:2; Mt 9:13=Hos 6:6; Mt 11:10, Mk 1:2, Lk 7:27=Mal 3:1; Mt 11:28=Ex 33:14; Mt 13:3-9=Jer 31:27; Mt 24:35=Isa 40:8; Mt 25:1-13, Mk 2:19, Rev 21:2=Isa 62:5, Hos 2:16; Mt 21:15-16=Ps 8:1-2; Mt 25:31-46=Gen 18:25; Mk 6:48=Job 9:8; Mk 11:7,9=Zech 9:9/14:9; Mk 13:31=Ps 119:89; Mk 14:62=Ps 110:1, Dan 7:13-14; Lk 1:69=2 Sam 22:3, Ps 18:2; Lk 19:45,46=Jer 7:11; Jn 1:2-3, Col 1:16=Jer 10:16; Jn 1:3=Isa 44:24; Jn 1:4,9=Ps 36:9; Jn 5:21=1 Sam 2:6; Jn 5:27=Joel 3:12; Jn 7:37-38=Jer 2:13; Jn 8:12, 9:5=Isa 60:1; Jn 8:24=Isa 43:10; Jn 10:11, 1 Pet 2:25, 5:4=Ezek 34:15, Ps 23:1; Jn 10:27-28=Ps 95:7-8; Jn 12:41=Isa 6:1; Jn 12:46=Ps 27:1; Jn 14:6=Ps 31:5; Jn 14:13-14=Ps 65:2; Jn 17:5=Isa 42:8, 48:11; Acts 1:8=Isa 43:10; Acts 2:21,38=Joel 2:32; Acts 7:59=Ps 31:5; Rom 10:13=Joel 2:32; 1 Cor 1:2=Ps 99:5-7; 1 Cor 1:24=Jer 10:12; 1 Cor 1:31=Jer 9:24; 1 Cor 2:16=Isa 40:13 LXX; 1 Cor 8:16=Deut 6:4; 1 Cor 10:9=Num 21:5-8; Eph 4:7-10=Ps 68:18, Jer 23:24; Phil 2:9-11=Isa 45:23; Col 1:15-17=Isa 44:24; Col 3:3-4=Deut 30:20; 1 Thess 3:13=Zech 14:1-5; 2 Thess 2:8=Isa 11:4; 2 Tim 1:12=Jer 17:5; Titus 2:11-14=Ezek 37:23; Heb 1:8-10=Ps 102:24-27; Heb 5:9=Ps 62:1, Isa 43:3; Heb 13:8=Mal 3:6; Jas 2:1=Ps 24:7-10; 1 Pet 1:10-12=2 Sam 23:2, Neh 9:20,30; 1 Pet 2:3-6=Ps 34:8; 1 Pet 3:15=Isa 8:13-15; Jude 1:5=Ex 12:51; Rev 1:5-6=Ex 34:14; Rev 1:7=Zech 12:10; Rev 1:15=Ezek 43:2; Rev 1:17-18=Isa 44:6; Rev 2:23=1 Kings 8:39, Jer 17:10; Rev 5:13-14=Ps 86:9-10; Rev 6:15-17=Isa 2:19; Rev 17:14=Deut 10:17; Rev 22:12,20=Isa 40:10, 62:11

@@Strongtower 👏 👏

I'm certain that even defending oneself is against the calling of God upon us. If what he meant was, even when someone does you wrong, fo them no wrong in return, then he would have said that. But he points out the common phrase, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. People STILL use this today to justify, as Christians, no less, the right to defend themselves if someone hits them or attacks them. Jesus attacks the hypocrisy at the source. The law, that is the laws that are prosecuted by man, and vengeance are not ours. They belong to the higher powers.

self defense is not vengeance. It is not a sin to protect yourself or your family. @@xavierthomas5835

@@xavierthomas5835 , Regarding mitigation of an immediate threat , that would not be considered vengeance . If someone is an obvious and grave threat to a Child or is physically/mentally abusive towards their wife or children , someone stopping these threats ,even by force is not wrong. What IS wrong is after the fact,seeking vengeance ,not responding at the moment to mitigate a grave threat.

Amen, turning other cheek is for personal business. When our family gets attacked its time for protecting.

This Jesus has personality problems.

​@@Chuck-se5hhMaybe your the one who has them bud. This video literally shows the context of the verse, simply ignoring it shows that you are willfully ignorant.

Ignorance is bliss and many choose that bliss over the hard work of understanding. 💌

EXACTLY, I THINK THE SAME WAY. JUST STANDING THERE DOING NOTHING ACTUALLY GETS ON MY NERVES.

That's true but how about self defense ? Can you defend yourself and your family against a murderer or do you turn the other cheek ?

@@fubukishirou5023What is your answer to that?

@@fubukishirou5023 Yes. Because Jesus also told his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword.

@@hawk7466 Personally I don't know but if it came to that situation I definitely wouldn't turn the other cheek.

@@user-yd3uh4pz5e I think all Christian scholars also generally agree that saying by Jesus was just to fulfill the prophecy

Turn the cheek and reply with a roundhouse kick?. 😅🤷

Bro, you're magnificent!! Super!!

@rgold9329 Perhaps he could use scripture to rebuke the person who slaps, that's if the priest knew any. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

@@wjf0ne Yeah quote scripture while someone’s trying to punch you probably isn’t going to work. I always read it as if someone is insulting you or some sort of social situation where yo I were verbally attacked. Jesus also told some of his followers to carry a sword.

@mdsoyabaktar Hi, Thank you so much for commenting. I would like you to consider three things as you continue to pursue truth: #1: this verse. ⬇️ 📕 Galatians 1:8 "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" #2: Jesus' favorite term for Himself was "the Son of Man." The religious leaders of His day went livid at this label because they knew where He had gotten it from: 📕 Daniel 7:13-15 "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me." #3: Consider how Jesus used I AM statements to validate who He was, referencing Exodus 3:14 ("I am"). One example is here: 📕 John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.'" If you sit with Genesis 3, Isaiah 53, and other texts detailing God's plan of redemption, it will be difficult to sleep due to the awesome glory and majesty of the God who saves sinners. Shalom to you. ❤️ Praying for you.

@mdsoyabaktar Hi, I like that you brought up the example in Ezekiel. The term "son of God" also refers to good angels in the Bible, like in Job 1:6. So I like talking about this. We have to note the definite article "the," of course. There are many "a" son of God in the Bible, but THE son of God refers to only one person: Jesus. Since you're quoting the Bible, I would just like to point out that places like John 1:1-14, Phillippians 2:6, and Heb. 1:8 clearly indicate Jesus' deity. I think even Muslims would agree on this, which is why many of them don't quote the Bible. But I commend you for investigating the Bible! When we bring preconceived biases into a text, it is called eisegesis. I used to do it, too. I would simply like to bring your attention to this fact, since you seem to be picking and choosing parts from a text instead of taking it as a whole. Muslim theology is very different from the biblical one. I dont think you need to keep quoting its admonitions at me since I know them too. (: Please feel free to know how I can better serve you in my comments as well, anything that bothers you, etc. If we let the Bible speak for itself, it is a treasure like no other. I have to go to bed now. I will try to comment again when I can.

​@@SoyebAkhtar1918Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Jesus was not just a prophet he was God Almighty in the flesh I and the Father are one.” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. I pray the TRUE living God opens your eyes and heart 🙏

@@SoyebAkhtar1918 Allah is NOT the God of the bible and he's definitely NOT my God like I said there's only one God that's still living and that's Yahweh 🙏

@@SoyebAkhtar1918 sorry the Bible came 600yrs before your quran have great day goodbye and Godbless 🙏

Your comment makes me think of proverbs 20:3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.

​@@MEAToftheWORDsermons4theMATURE😅😅😊

That is tough. One thing that makes it difficult is you see them more often and are supposed to be a close knit family. Similar to your siblings. Whenever they do something that hurts, it hurts that much more. Keep our eyes on Jesus and ask for grace to endure. :)

wrong. Jesus does not forgive the unrepentant.

John Chapter 16 is about the coming of the Holy Ghost once Jesus ascended to the Father. Jesus loves you, sincerely an ex muslim sheep of Jesus @@SoyebAkhtar1918

is muhammad known as a compforter and was muhammad directly there after Jesus went to heaven? muhammad came 600 years later and according to Paul, Jesus, the apostels, John, and Moses there is a curse on him @@SoyebAkhtar1918

@@annonemus21 Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for the unrepentant so that they would have their eyes opened and become saved. Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And on the Cross, regarding the very people who drove the nails into His hands and feet, whipped Him, and put a crown of thorns on His head, spat on Him and insulted Him, Jesus looked to the Father and prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

@@statesman6379 When Jesus prayed that on the cross, He meant this: they have done the ultimate sin of nailing me to the cross but IF they repent and believe in Me, forgive them. if Jesus forgave them without any need for repentance, then ALL unrepentant sinners will go to heaven because no one would be more evil than them! how ridiculous. please learn how to interpret the bible.

This Jesus has personality problems.

@@SoyebAkhtar1918​​⁠​⁠Muhammad is a false prophet. Jesus Christ is God. Repent.

I was taught this too. Also, the first backhanded strike was to show their “superiority” over you. The second strike would be open handed, used for an equal. So by enduring the unjust provocation, they Prut themselves down, and show your strength of faith.

​@@SoyebAkhtar1918No, islam is a lie. Jesus is More than a prophet, He is the Son of God.

This Jesus has personality problems.

It literally says, "If someone strikes you on the cheek..." This is not merely just about an insult, it is primarily about an assault but can be extrapolated to be referring to an insult.

​@@statesman6379 you must understand / study the culture in order to understand the text.

@@-JesusisGod- This passage doesn’t need an analysis of ancient Jewish culture, and today’s culture is completely irrelevant to it. As I said, the text literally says that Jesus is referring to an assault because He says if someone strikes you on the cheek. That’s beyond an insult. Furthermore, the disciples exampled Jesus’ words because they were assaulted for the name of Christ and turned the other cheek. Acts 5:40-41 says, "…They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." Jesus said that whoever rejects you (His people) rejects Him (Luke 10:16). This tells us that we are not to take any attack on us personally. God said, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay” (Romans 12:19). Obviously, God wants us to turn violence perpetrated against us over to Him. This verse also teaches us to turn the other cheek. In Acts 14:19-20, they tried to kill Paul. They stoned him and he responded nonviolently. We need to study the Bible to understand the Bible.

​@@statesman6379 i guess you have it all figured out then.

Honestly I wouldn't know what to do maybe sacrifice myself if I have to. Everyone has their own opinion on this verse yet, God will do the vengeance.

@@JESUSGreatrThanPio-0LsThnJESUS - I think it's great to aspire to, but near impossible to implement. Look at what's going on in the world. Are we, as Christians, to turn the other cheek when it comes to foreign policy? Should we tell Israel and Ukraine we won't send them any money or weapons because we need to turn the other cheek? If we didn't push back, Christians would have died out 1950 years ago.

@@TodaysDante Well actually it's God who keeps us Christians and saves the elect. I don't really see the saints fighting in the new testament and I'm not sure if we should defend ourselves but I know God will avenge us. The Holy Spirit is always with us and praying for us and we should also pray about if we can defend ourselves and try to live Holy to figure this out. Always confess Jesus wherever you go! Remember God will never leave us nor forsake us!

It literally says, "if someone strikes you on the cheek..." That is not merely an insult. Dr. Martin Luther King demonstrated this. He was preaching this very passage and it was also about loving your enemy. Someone from the church pew walked up to him while he was preaching and punched him in the face. Dr. King did not retaliate. His entourage subdued the guy. Dr. King told them to let him go and never pressed charges. He continued his sermon.

@@statesman6379 I think we all agree that M.L.King did the right thing. His message surely was much stronger that way. Hitting someone to cheek, is not much. The Bible speaks many times about different, severe violent attacks. Surely Jesus knew how many carried a sword and knife. Staffs were also in use. Weapons carried to defend from thiefs, bad guys and wild animals. Then he said "is someone hits you to your cheek...". Jesus also used alot of metaphors etc. I think most likely interpretation is that this was, atleast partly, about insults. Jesus was telling his disciples to buy a swords. So, surely there were times when self defence was right thing to do.

@@mikemental8285 Jesus didn't reveal His reason for telling them to bring swords until later on. At no point did Jesus ever say, "Defend yourselves with the sword." You only infer that is what He meant. Jesus later used Peter’s drawing of the sword incident as an illustration to teach, “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.” Have you ever considered that the reason Jesus told them to bring swords was to teach them this very principle? Jesus knows the future. Had Peter not had a sword to draw, then Jesus would have not had the illustration to teach us this principle. Furthermore, the Bible explicitly says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (1 Cor. 10:4). This was Jesus' point of telling them to bring swords. Jesus wanted to show His disciples that Christians are not to fight the way that the world fights. If the prop wasn't there then Jesus wouldn't have had the illustration to teach this. God said, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay.” Obviously, God wants us to turn violence perpetrated against us over to Him. Consider the Apostles’ response to violence perpetrated against them. Acts 5:40-41 says, " His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." In Acts 14:19-20, they tried to kill Paul. They stoned him and he responded nonviolently. And also, read Acts 16:16-24. Christians are not to fight like the world fights. Jesus commanded Peter to sheath his sword. The Bible tells us to not fight with weapons of the world.

@@mikemental8285 the cia killed mlk

​@@mikemental8285 Yeah, we all saw where MLK ended up being peaceful.

Such simple words I hadn't considered before.

No, the Bible said that we are to be as harmless as doves. You can interfere but be HARMLESS

This Jesus has serious personality problems.

@@RichMizenko 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 English Standard Version Do All to the Glory of God 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience- 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Acts 5:40-41 says, " His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." And also, read Acts 16:16-24.