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Does "be kind to each other" include attacking them with a whip?
Yes. He was justified in exposing their corruption and hypocrisy in a way they would understand. His house of worship was turned into a "den of thieves" where merchants were taking advantage of poor widows etc
where merchants were taking advantage of poor widows etc
Where are you getting that from? The bible says nothing of the sort. It says "And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds" Both selling and buying. Jesus cast out the poor old widows who just wanted to worship the way God told them to. The vendors were selling offerings that people could burn as part of their worship and animals to be sacrificed. They were providing goods that were necessary for worship at the temple. It is not at all clear what Jesus was complaining about.
If we take it literally, I see two options:
- He did not like that there were burnt offerings and animal sacrifices, but Jesus alludes to the temple being a house of prayer, which is a reference to Isaiah 56:7 "their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." The burnt offerings and animal sacrifices were intended by God.
- He just didn't like commerce within the temple. He complains about the temple being turned into a den of thieves, not about there being thieves at all. Which means as long as the den of thieves was outside the temple Jesus would have been fine with it.
As far as I see, neither of these justify assault.
Where are you getting that from?
Luke 20:45-47 Beware of the Scribes 45 Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
If we take it literally, I see two options:
Poor exegesis incoming... I recommend getting an Orthodox Study Bible and reading the footnotes that follow along with each verse. The interpretation from the Church isn't isolated to scripture but includes church tradition and the analysis of the Church Fathers.
The short version, however, is that the "money changing" was an exploitative racket the Pharisees used to enrich themselves.
who devour widows’ houses
OK, I'll give you that. It's a full chapter after he drove out the buyers and sellers, with only irrelevant preaching in between, but it's in there.
Poor exegesis incoming
Of course it is poor exegesis, I started with "If we take it literally".
Orthodox Study Bible
What? Because orthodox is the one true version of Christianity. You say it yourself it is an interpretation, and no interpretation is more authoritative than any other.
“money changing” was an exploitative racket
You could make the argument that any business is exploitative, inside the temple and outside the temple, but he just kicked them out of the temple, he didn't outright ban commerce. This is leaning toward option 2. Now, how does that justify assault?
What? Because orthodox is the one true version of Christianity.
Yes exactly. It is the one true church of apostolic origin and is over 2000 years old. It is the supreme authority on the interpretation of text. When you read about the Pentecost Christ ascends into heaven and leaves the apostles in charge of his body (e.g. the church). The patriarchs of the Orthodox church can trace their episcopate origins back to those very same apostles. You can look it up.
Of course it is poor exegesis, I started with “If we take it literally”.
You don't have the historical, theological, philosophical, anthropological or linguistic expertise to begin to properly exegete the text. You and many others are simply taking a modern perspective and forcing it onto a document that was a contemporary of Nero. Since the days of Christ Church Fathers have spent their lives reading, translating and exegeting texts. Misinterpretation isn't just a problem with those outside the faith but also heterodox Protestants and to a lesser extent Catholics. Mormons think they have the right interpretation for example. People don't realize that there is and always has been a final authority on the scriptures and it's the Orthodox church and it's traditions. You can read the canons from early synods and ecumenical councils if you want to see what I mean.
They didn't say weather he was whipping when he said it, so maybe?
Much the same as punching a nazi.
Morally justified, for those wondering.
wtf It's really not the same.