New wine in dilapidated bellows

The parable used images from everyday life. New wineskins are stretched together with the young wine poured into them, and then harden. If young wine is poured into old, hardened bellows, the bellows may burst due to ongoing fermentation. Also, the new fabric sits over time, so old, already sat down clothes should not be patched with new fabric.

Different interpretations of the metaphor:

• With decrepit furs, Christ figuratively designated the Jewish religion. The parable of the new wine in dilapidated furs, as well as the similar parable of the new and decrepit fabric ( Mark 2:21 ) is often understood in the sense that the new teaching of Christ cannot fit within the Jewish religion, or within any religious representations (see also Supersessionism ). In particular, we are talking about all the Jewish posts established by the Old Testament. Christ gives a new teaching on fasting. The new teaching does not flow into the decrepit Jews. (“The new teaching on fasting is new clothes and new wine. To require students to keep fasting is to pour new wine into old wineskins, or sew a new patch on old clothes.” ^[1] “You (that is, the Pharisees) demand that my students were covered in shabby clothes of your rites and traditions of the elders, but I demand that they put on new clothes of forgiving love. Understand that you can’t put on new clothes without first dropping the old ones. You can’t even repair these old clothes by cutting pieces from new ones. You won’t support the old one. She’s still it’s more likely to break up from these patches. Yes, you’ll hurt the new one, because you also know that young wine is not poured into old wineskins, because if they cannot fit it in themselves, then give My disciples the freedom to become new wineskins to accept My teaching and put on new clothes, throwing off a dilapidated self. If they have not yet completely imbued the spirit of My teachings, then they will have known His advantages over your teachings. And as you, having tasted good wine, will not drink bad, so they, following after Me they will not go to you ” ^[2] )
• Many Christian interpreters explained that Jesus shows that he establishes a new religion, different from Judaism and different than the teachings of John the Baptist (for example, as Ignatius of Antioch taught in the letter to the Magnesians X , see also List of events in the first centuries of Christianity ) Some Christians used this phrase when they proposed new forms of Christianity. At the beginning of the second century, Marcion used this phrase to justify Marcionism . Others believe that such an interpretation conflicts with the phrase in Luke Luke. 5:39 ): And no one, drinking old wine, will immediately want a young one, for he says: the old is better . The Gospel of Luke speaks not so much of the failure of the old religion as of the nature of the doctrine and of the disciples. No one offers an experienced student a lesson intended for an inexperienced student. For the experienced, this will be useless, and the lesson intended for the experienced student will not be perceived by the inexperienced ^[3] .
• With words about the new and old wine, Christ answers the question about the fasts of the Pharisees ( why do John’s disciples fast and often pray, do the Pharisees also eat and drink? Lk 5:39): The Pharisees are young, unfermented wine, they give the people have a “heady” effect, and the people respect the Pharisees; but for the "dilapidated furs" - the Jewish people - the Pharisee posts are unsuitable, overwhelming. Do not observe the posts invented by people, the Pharisees; The posts established by the Law are established by God. ^[four]
• The old bellows, like the Old Testament, kept in themselves a seasoned quality wine, that is, the commandments of Moses and the words of the sages and prophets. Just as young wine cannot be poured into dilapidated wineskins, just as it is impossible to combine the Pharisee additional posts with the teachings of the Old Testament, tested and preserved for centuries. Just as immature young wine can harm old furs, so immature Pharisee teaching on additional fasting can harm the Old Testament. Furs were made from dressed animal skins, for example from whole lamb skin. Therefore, such bellows filled with wine preserved the outline of the body of a lamb. In turn, the Messiah was portrayed as the Lamb led to the slaughter of Is. 53: 7 ). Therefore, by new furs one can understand the Messiah, and by young wine those innovations that the Messiah will bring with him. ^[four]
• The new doctrine given by Christ must be formed and insisted; like young wine, the new doctrine needs new bellows, that is, a new religious system.
• “New wine - fasting, dilapidated bellows - the weakness of students, which should not burden” ^[5] ; “A new patch and a new wine is a strict fast, strict requirements in general. And old clothes and old bellows are weakness, weakness of students who are not yet prepared for carrying out great feats ”(interpretation of John Chrysostom, according to the Four Gospels of Archbishop Averky)
• Parables are intended to illustrate the idea of ​​"everything has its time and place." While Jesus was with the disciples they did not need to fast, but when he leaves them they will also have Lk posts . 5:35 “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast in those days.”) Jesus is asked about the reason for the lack of fasting, and he replies that his disciples will not fast now, but will fast when he is gone.

There is a similar saying in the Gospel of Thomas . In the Gospel of Thomas, the saying is out of the narrative.

Not a single person who drinks old wine immediately seeks to drink young wine. And they do not pour new wine into old bellows so that they do not burst, and do not pour old wine into new bellows so that they do not spoil it. ( 52 )

In terms used by the Gnostics, Jesus is the bridegroom, and his disciples are guests at the wedding; guests cannot fast until the groom is with them until he is taken away from them. It goes on to say that no one uses the old thing to fix a new one because the new one will break, and the thought is emphasized by the image of old and young wine, new and old furs.

• New Testament in Theology
• New commandment
• Bible Law in Christianity

• First Fruits of Zion article: Yeshua's New Wine
• Hebrew Roots