24 After they arrived in Capernaum [hamlet of the comforter - the s]
the men [s] collecting the 2 drachmas [temple poll tax] [s put you into a water baptism test and in some cases also into a spirit baptism test. These are the fees/taxes you pay in a true church] approached Peter [unsealed saints] and said: Does your teacher [sealed saints] not pay the 2 drachmas? [literally yes, word symbolically no, because sealed saints have already taken their spirit baptism test. Also those who have been in the first true church of a presence are sealed in the flesh upon entry into the second. So sealed ex saints pay nothing in the s]
25 He said: Yes. However, when he entered the house Jesus [Jesus] got ahead of him [Sealed saints arrive before unsealed saints into the s. The fields of John 4 are white with sealed saints for harvesting into ] before by saying: What do you think, Simon? [one hearing] ?[] From whom do the kings of the earth [ Kings] receive duties [obey the laws of the church - this being the water baptism test] or head tax [take the sealing test in the church]? From their sons or from the foreign [ones]? []
26 When he said: From the foreign [ones], Jesus said to him: Really, then, the sons are free [Sons of the , sealed saints, do not pay head tax, being sealed already. But do pay duties].
27 But that we do not cause them [the tax collectors] to stumble [waiting so long for s to wake up and come in], you go to the sea, cast a fishhook [start evangelising], and take the first fish coming up and, when you open its mouth [Fishes mouth means Christian witness, true church], you will find a stater coin [Stater is 'Standing up'. 1 Stater = 4 Drachmas. So 4 temple taxes stand up in the mouth of the fish]. Take that and give it to them for me and you [4 temples for you and I, or two taxes each - ambiguous. Shows that there are 4 true Christian churches in which baptism tests can be taken] (Matthew 17).
Literal (5,3,1,3,2) = 14 ( 2 Threads)
Literal : Capernaum, 2-Drachmas (2), Peter, Teacher, House, Jesus (2), Simon, Sea,
Hook, Fish,
Mouth, Stater-coin =12
A drachma was a day's wage. So to get 4 days wages from one fish was good. In this way possibly neither Peter nor Jesus nor any human paid temple tax out of their own money, which might have avoided a problem with a temple tax not mentioned in the Law of Moses.
'Receive duties or head tax' are Successive Alternatives, covered by the Successive Alternatives Principle. This literal account has one word symbolic meaning. So both alternatives occur in that meaning. The trouble with this account is that Fish and Sea and Hook only recited once and so are either literal or Jesus was speaking symbolically to Peter when he suggested his innovative tax solution. If Jesus was speaking literally, then why would Peter not just have just paid 4 Drachma himself, it was only around 3½ denarii, which is basically 3½ days work, or just one good catch for an experienced fisherman? If on the other hand Jesus was speaking symbolically, then Peter was to go to someone not in the congregation and to hook him with the truth and then when that person opened his mouth and started praising the Lord, the holy spirit would move him to contribute 4 drachmas, which Peter would then pay to the temple tax collectors. This would have the advantage that neither Peter nor Jesus themselves would pay the temple tax. The newly interested person would presumably pay the tax before he was baptised.
| Men collecting 2 Drachmas | Christians who evangelise both temples of a presence |
| 2 Drachmas (2x) | 2 Temple Fees (works required by priesthood to enter the temple and to stay in the congregation - dos and don'ts). |
| Peter (1x) | Peter on the earth |
| Your Teacher (1) | Paul (he must have been teaching Peter at the time of ) |
| The House | The house of |
| Jesus (2x) | Jesus' body, the and saints in the 2nd presence. |
| Simon | Peter in heaven |
| Jesus got ahead of him | The saints enter the temple of before Peter in heaven gets authority over those in at the fall of to direct them to |
| The Kings of the earth | saints |
| Duties or head tax | Duties are the works required by the priesthood of to stay in the congregation and the poll tax is the baptism requirements for entry to (i.e. repent and read the joining and leaving page). |
| Sons (2x) | Sons of |
| Strangers (2x) | Sons of |
| Free | Free from sin |
| The Sea | The mass of mankind |
| Fishhook | The bible code |
| First fish | The congregation of the first presidency of |
| Fishes mouth | Understandings of the first congregation of |
| Stater Coin | 4 Drachmas, the understanding that there are 4 temples each with a water baptism and a set of laws. |
| Give it to them for me and you | Peter joined and and Jesus (through his wives) joined and |
There are two binary questions:
Does your teacher not pay the 2 Drachmas?
From whom do the kings of the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or from the strangers?
The literal answers are: Yes he pays and Strangers, the word symbolic answers are: No he doesn't pay and Sons. Paul did not pay the temple tax for , he was baptised from heaven as Elijah 2. Peter must have joined and paid his tax. Total tax of 4 Drachmas is for 4 temples. The sons of by water baptism pay the duties and the poll tax. If they pay these taxes then they are free from sin.
Jesus' last words to Peter that John recorded were:
18 Most truly I say to you, When you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk about where you wanted. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and another [man] will gird you and bear you where you do not wish.
19 This he said to signify by what sort of death he would glorify God. So, when he had said this, he said to him:
Continue following me (John 21).
Peter is mislead for 10 times by before he joins and then dies. Jesus warns him to follow the Master (me) and not the slave (another).
22 Jesus said to him: If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you? You continue following me (John 21:22).
The concern to Peter was that he had to change religions when Jesus came.