Snakelike Talk
What is a snakelike talk?
Example (from the Garden of Eden):
The Serpent said,
“you will not surely die” (non-literal; idiomatic)
What’s non-snakelike talk?
Example (from the Garden of Eden too):
God said,
“You will die” (literal; non-idiomatic)
God doesn’t change (from Good – He doesn’t do evil).
In the New Testament, Christ spoke also in parables. Parabolic talk is “not” the same as idiomatic nor non-literal talk.
Parabolic talk is “literal” but often times hides a “riddle” or even a second meaning (a literal analogy needs to be drawn to identify what subject or object is meant here).
In short, the parabolic talk of Christ can be likened to “literal riddles” which sometimes hide the subject/object talked about with an analogy (to disguise it – hide its meaning).
Why God chose to hide those meanings in such a way?
So that “pearls don’t get cast to swine” plus “lest they understand & be healed” (use it to trick God – easy manipulation of God’s Love) and even so that “none of the rulers of the age knew” (since those evil principalities in the heavenly places couldn’t figure out God’s Truth out of the mouth of Christ, they failed to foil His plan to Save the World through His Cross & Resurrection – remember, it’s written that “if not, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of Glory”).
Analyze: Snakelike talk
A secular example:
“To be fair you don’t need to practice equality”
God’s truth:
“There is no partiality with God and He is no respecter of persons”
Explanation:
“Be fair to all means being equal to all”
Disobedience:
“You’ll reap your own injustice sown with fire in hell”
A verse (note: “eat your flesh like fire”):
“Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” (James 5:3)
But why? It’s my money which I earned hard what! Here’s the reason (unfair wages – “fair” but not equal to your workers whom you exploited):
“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” (James 5:4)
What did you do with the “extra money” obtained from the “inequality” practiced (wages which was withheld)? – note also that God won’t destroy you here but rather you “prosper” with “money” (mammon) to be “fattened” for the “day of slaughter”:
“You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” (James 5:5)
Knowingly or unknowingly, your actions have also resulted in this (another ‘reason’):
“You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.” (James 5:6)
P/S:
1. If you didn’t do any such behavior of “being fair but not equal”, then you need not fear because it’s not talking about you.
2. True Christians “do not resist the evil person” (as Christ instructed in the Gospels) and in James 5:6 above, we note it again as “who was not opposing you”.
