- This email includes the exchange I had with Keith Campbell
regarding the exegesis of the coin in the fish's mouth in Matthew 17. I
am interested in including it as an addition or revision of my discussion
of this pericope in the essay JESUS OF NAZARETH, ILLEGAL TAX PROTESTER,
which is published on the web and available without charge at www.jesus-on-taxes.com.
I recently (late yesterday) uploaded a new revision of that document to
the site. My discussion of the Matthew 17 incident can be found at pages
48-51. As you can see from my exchange with Mr. Campbell, I found his description
of your exegesis compelling and would like to include it in the next revision
of the essay I publish. (As the website explains, the essay is a work in
progress.) I would also like to include an appropriate attribution as you
may direct. I would definitely appreciate any quotes or anything else you
can offer to support or elaborate your clarification of the incident. Furth!
ermore, if you have anything else whatsoever that would improve my essay,
I would certainly like to consider such for inclusion. Before publishing
a revision that is changed to reflect what you tell me I will send along
the revised text for your stamp of approval. You should know that each
revision I publish is, upon publication, released or entered into the public
domain with no strings attached, so that it may be copies by anyone with
or without attribution
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- The pertinent website is http://www.jesus-on-taxes.com.
It currently comes up first on most search engines for the key words: Jesus,
taxes.
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- Thank you for your consideration of my interest in this.
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- May G-d bless you and all of your efforts on behalf of
Truth.
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- Sincerely,
- Ned Netterville
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- Jesus On Taxes
- By Dr. Leonard G. Horowitz
- Tetrahedron.org
- 11-6-7
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- From my study of the New Testament, I must conclude the
Messiah was a staunch tax protestor. The political motive for his crucifixion
was his equating taxation with sin akin to usury, slavery, hypocrisy, and
prostitution.
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- Re-reading Matthew, for instance, is edifying concerning
taxation and Jesus' prohibition of this enslaving practice. Temple tax
collectors and sinful Rabbis were repeatedly rebuked by the Prince of Peace,
Hebrew name YahShuah, who pointed out the obvious: All children of the
King of the Universe are exempt from paying taxes, and the coins used to
pay taxes, bearing graven images of political deities, (such as Caesar's
face on the denarious) should be returned forthwith (to Caesar), lest you
violate the second law in the Ten Commandments.
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- YahShuah demonstrated by his actions, and prescribed
his apostles likewise, walking bravely in faith and trust in the Creator
while rebuking political and religious hypocrisy. His Way was, and still
is, liberating to people enslaved economically by their governors, and
spiritually suppressed by religious hypocrites and dogmatists.
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- Contrary to Christian misinterpretation and misleading
doctrine on this subject, the Messiah's sarcastic Jewish humor is obvious
in Matthew 17:27. (Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou
to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up;
and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money:
that take, and give unto them for me and thee.)
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- YahShuah never miraculously manifested a coin in a fish's
mouth so his apostles could appease hypocrites and prostitutes against
whom he expressed stern righteous indignation and condemnation. This would
have been hypocrisy given the fact he had already asserted to one Sanhedrin
official that children of the King do not need to pay tax, and another
to give Caesar back his graven image while giving our Creator unlimited
respect for His value.
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- The Messiah's metaphor of the hook and money in the mouth
of a fish is brilliant. How can you be effective fishers of men, when the
men are hooked by money and being reeled in by fear of a lesser god?
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- Apostle Paul prescribed paying our debts, including taxes
if we owe them. But who really owes taxes today? Watch the late Aaron Russo's
film, America: From Freedom to Fascism, to learn that corporations, government
employees, and DC residents, are exclusively compelled by their contracts
to pay income taxes; for the rest it is voluntary. Sadly, most churches,
mosques, and synagogues operate under 501c incorporations making them slaves
to the state requiring the payment of taxes IF owed.
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- http://www.healthyworldstore.com
- http://www.tetrahedron.org
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