Murray J. Harris
A young child is trying valiantly to climb a tree on her own. Her father says, “without me you won’t be able to do that.” Instinctively, the child understands “without me” to mean “without my help”—not “without my physical presence here watching you” or “without the fact of my existence.” All languages have examples of this type of gap (or “ellipsis”) in meaning. The immediate context fills in the gap. So in John 15:5 when Jesus affirms, “Apart from me you can do nothing at all,” his disciples will understand him to be saying, “Unless you remain in me as the vine, you will be unproductive as branches.”
This helps us to understand Jesus’ statement in Matthew 10:29. Three times in Matthew 10:26–31 Jesus admonishes the Twelve to refrain from fear, although their persecution is certain (verses 16–25): “Do not be afraid” (vv. 26, 28, 31); “Rather, hold in awe the One who has power to destroy soul and body in hell” (v. 28). Then, to illustrate further the Father’s limitless power throughout creation, Jesus asks, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” and affirms, “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father” (v. 29).
How are we to fill in the elliptical “without your Father” (English Revised Version) or “apart from your Father” (English Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version)? From what we know of God’s character, it would not be appropriate in this context to complete the ellipsis with “without your Father’s help” or “without your Father’s command.” Instead, there are three possibilities:
- “Without your Father’s knowledge” (Revised English Bible) or “without your Father knowing it” (New Living Translation). The next verse (Matt 10:30) speaks of God’s complete knowledge, and the parallel passage in Luke 12:6 reads, “Yet not one of these sparrows has escaped God’s notice.”
- “Without your Father’s consent” (Good News Translation, Christian Standard Bible).
- “Without the knowledge and consent (of your Father)” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature 78a). Interestingly, two papyri (early Greek writings from outside the New Testament), using the same word for “without” (aneu), support this double completion of the ellipsis. In one, “the associates (do) nothing without the knowledge and wish of the secretaries.” In the other papyrus, “nothing happens without the cognizance and permission of the gods.”
Option three, the combination of the first two, fits best. The train of thought in Matthew 10:29–31 is this: if God as Creator knows about and consents to the death of one of his apparently insignificant creatures (the sparrow), how much more is God as an all-knowing Father concerned about his infinitely more valuable children, especially when they face death by martyrdom (see v. 28)? The assumption is that if God knows and consents, he also protects from ultimate harm. Every aspect of the lives of God’s children, including the trauma of persecution, is known to him and is included within his providential consent and sovereign care.
***
This article was originally published in the May/June 2021 issue of Bible Study Magazine. Slight adjustments, such as title and subheadings, may be the addition of an editor.
Related articles
- What Does Jesus’ Exception Clause Mean in Matthew 5:32?
- Did Jesus Pray the Lord’s Prayer for Himself or for Us?
- Is the Bible True? Explaining That the Bible Is God’s Word
Related resources
Navigating Tough Texts: A Guide to Problem Passages in the New Testament
Regular price: $16.99
Mobile Ed: NT317 Book Study: The Gospel of Matthew (11 hour course – audio)
Regular price: $109.99
Peter Krol
James-Michael Smith
Michael F. Bird
Daniel Yoon