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Luke 12

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?

But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

What does Luke 12:9 mean?

Explanation

Luke 12:9 is a statement attributed to Jesus Christ and is part of a larger discourse in which Christ is teaching His disciples about the importance of acknowledging Him before others.

The verse is a stark warning: those who deny Jesus in front of others, essentially rejecting their association with Him or His teachings, will in turn be denied or disowned by Him in the presence of God’s heavenly messengers, the angels.

This denial by Jesus is understood to take place during the final judgment.

The verse suggests a reciprocal relationship between one's public confession of faith and Jesus' acknowledgment of the individual in the heavenly realm.

The denial is not referring to a singular moment of weakness or fear but consistent and willful rejection. The deeper meaning revolves around commitment, loyalty to faith, and the consequences of one's public stance regarding their beliefs in Jesus Christ.

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Historical Context

Luke 12:9 is set within the context of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, which is believed to have been written around 80-110 AD.

This Gospel was written during a time of heightened persecution of Christians within the Roman Empire and reflects an emphasis on the cost of discipleship.

Luke, traditionally thought to be a companion of the Apostle Paul, is addressing a primarily Gentile audience and is often concerned with portraying Jesus as the Savior of all people.

The verse in question is part of a passage where Jesus is instructing His disciples not to fear those who can kill the body, but rather, to fear Him who has authority over one's eternal destiny.

During this period, acknowledging Jesus publically could result in ostracism, persecution, or even death, hence the gravity of Jesus' admonition.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, this verse deals with the confession of faith and the seriousness of apostasy.

In Christian theology, the public declaration of faith is significant.

It reflects a witness to others and is an external manifestation of internal belief.

Denying Christ, therefore, has grave spiritual implications.

Different theological perspectives have interpreted this verse in varying ways.

For instance, the Catholic Church sees this confession as tied to the virtue of fortitude, wherein a believer is called to witness to the truth courageously.

For evangelical Christians, the verse often underscores the personal relationship with Jesus and the importance of standing with him regardless of societal pressures.

Practical Applications

The teachings of this verse can be applied in several practical ways.

For believers, it serves as an encouragement to uphold and profess their faith publicly, even in environments that may be hostile or indifferent to religious beliefs.

It also serves as a reminder to live a life that is consistent with the teachings of Jesus, thereby providing a genuine witness to others.

Furthermore, the verse promotes introspection and personal accountability, urging individuals to examine their own willingness to acknowledge their faith and to uphold truth and integrity, especially in challenging circumstances.

Cross-References

Other verses that relate to this theme include:

Matthew 10:33: "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Mark 8:38: "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
2 Timothy 2:12: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:"

Language Study

In the original Greek text of the New Testament, the key words in Luke 12:9 are "deny" (ἀρνέομαι, arneomai), "before" (ἐμπροσθεν, emprosthen), and "angels" (ἄγγελοι, angeloi).

ἀρνέομαι (arneomai) means to deny or disown, often with the connotation of rejecting a person or disassociating oneself from a relationship.
ἐμπροσθεν (emprosthen) indicates position--literally "in front of" or "before," suggesting the setting of judgment or public acknowledgment.
ἄγγελοι (angeloi) refers to angels, understood in Christian tradition to be messengers or servants of God who also have roles during divine judgment.

This language underscores the relational breach between the person denying Christ and Christ Himself, as well as the public nature of this denial.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparing this verse to other ancient myths and religious interpretations, the concept of denial and subsequent consequences has parallels in various traditions. For example, in Roman mythology, denying allegiance to the gods could result in divine retribution.

In other religious traditions, such as Islam, denying one’s faith or apostasy is also a grave matter with serious consequences.

However, the focus on angels as witnesses in the judgment process is more distinctive to the Christian faith.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientifically, this verse does not intersect directly with empirical studies or measurable phenomena, as it pertains to spiritual beliefs, eternal consequences, and non-corporeal beings like angels, which are beyond the scope of scientific inquiry.

However, one could explore the human behavior of publicly professing beliefs and the psychological impact of ostracism or denial due to one's religious stance.

There are various studies on social pressure, conformity, and the psychological consequences of public stances which can give insight into why a person might deny their beliefs.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians offer different interpretations of this verse.

Many agree on the fundamental principle that the verse warns about the gravity of apostasy.

Matthew Henry's Commentary emphasizes the necessity of Christian fortitude and constancy.

The Pulpit Commentary draws attention to the intimate relationship between steadfast faith and Jesus' recognition of believers in heaven.

More contemporary scholars like NT Wright point to the historical context of the verse, suggesting that it primarily addressed early Christians who faced actual life-and-death decisions regarding their public acknowledgment of Jesus.

Other experts might focus on the eschatological implications of the verse, interpreting it through the lens of end-times judgment.

Luke 12

Luke 12

What does Luke 12:9 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 12:9 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?