From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Tue Jan 27 1998 - 23:23:19 EST
On Thu 22 Jan 98 (15:44:09), jwest@highland.net wrote:
> Is anyone aware of any biblical evidence which suggests that Jesus
> ascended numerous times, culminating in the "grand finale" of Acts 1?
Dear Jim,
I think this springs from consideration of John 20:17 "Jesus saith to her,
Touch me not; for I have not yet ascended to my Father...". Jesus would not
allow mary Nagdalene to touch him, because he had not yet ascended to his
Father. Then in verse 27, "then saith [Jesus] to Thomas, reach here thy
finger, and behold my hands; and reach here thy hand, and thrust it into my
side...". Something has happened in the meantime, to enable Jesus now to be
touched and handled. Was it a 'journey to the sky' to see his Father?
Even before this invitation to Thomas, Jesus had said to the other disciples
in the upper room "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: *handle
me, and see*; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have"
(Luke 24:39).
IMHO the translation of MH MOU hAPTOU is better "Do not keep clinging to me"
(suggested by William Hendriksen, /John/, Banner of Truth Trust, 1959,
ad loc). Hendriksen writes "What Jesus probably means is this: 'Do not
think, Mary, that by grasping hold of me so firmly (cf Matt 28:9), you
can keep me always with you. That uninterruptible fellowship for which you
yearn must wait until I have ascended to be forever with the Father.' Jesus
did not object to being /touched/. Otherwise, how can we explain his word to
Thomas?" (op cit, p 455). How indeed.
BF Westcott has an extended note on this verse in his /John/ (from the
Speaker's Commentary), Cambridge, 1882, 17th impn, pages 292f; no doubt in
his commentary on the Gk text also; but I don't have a copy to hand.
-- Revd Ben Crick, BA CF <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk> 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK) http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
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