Topical Bible: Salt: Lost Its Savour when Exposed to the Air

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Salt, a vital mineral in ancient and modern times, holds significant symbolic and practical importance in the Bible. In the Scriptures, salt is often associated with preservation, purification, and covenantal relationships. However, the concept of salt losing its savor is a metaphorical teaching found in the New Testament, particularly in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Biblical References:

1. Matthew 5:13 : "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

2. Mark 9:50 : "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

3. Luke 14:34-35 : "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, salt was a precious commodity used for preserving food, enhancing flavor, and even in religious rituals. The Dead Sea, known for its high salinity, was a significant source of salt in the region. However, the salt harvested from the Dead Sea often contained impurities, which could cause it to lose its effectiveness when exposed to moisture or air.

The metaphor of salt losing its savor would have been a familiar concept to Jesus' audience. In a time without modern refrigeration, salt was essential for preserving food. If salt became contaminated or lost its potency, it was rendered useless and discarded. This imagery underscores the importance of maintaining one's spiritual integrity and effectiveness in the world.

Theological Significance:

The metaphor of salt losing its savor is a powerful illustration of the Christian's role in the world. Believers are called to be the "salt of the earth," preserving and influencing the world with the truth and love of the Gospel. Just as salt must retain its purity and potency to be effective, Christians are exhorted to maintain their distinctiveness and commitment to Christ.

The loss of savor symbolizes a failure to live out one's faith authentically. When believers compromise their values or become indistinguishable from the world, they lose their ability to impact it positively. This teaching serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and a call to remain steadfast in faith and practice.

Practical Application:

The concept of salt losing its savor challenges Christians to examine their lives and witness. It encourages believers to remain vigilant in their spiritual walk, ensuring that their actions and attitudes reflect the transformative power of the Gospel. By maintaining their distinctiveness and commitment to Christ, Christians can effectively fulfill their role as preservers and influencers in a world in need of redemption.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his flavor, with which shall it be salted? it is thereafter good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 9:50
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, with which will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Chapter vi.
... But [53] if the salt have lost [54] its savour, wherewith shall ... 43), "It is a
well-known fact that the salt in this country (gathered from the marshes in dry ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter vi.htm

Psalm CVII.
... may strike, to what wave the side may be exposed, whither the ... be princes, therefore
they were despised, and became salt that had lost its savour, cast out ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cvii.htm

The Dialogue against the Luciferians.
... let him be the salt that has lost its savour, let him ... such as the use of lights and
salt, the unction ... A discussion of both it and its companion term hypostasis ...
/.../the principal works of st jerome/the dialogue against the luciferians.htm

Notes
... our toils and to season them with praise as with salt? ... Nor may we grieve for those
as lost whom we ... of Origen had vanished from Christendom: and in its place we ...
//christianbookshelf.org/prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/notes.htm

In Him: Like Him
... danger; in a most emphatic sense they are lost already, for ... than the stuff which
is now called salt seems to ... action had a world of meaning within its own self ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 29 1883/in him like him.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... when it sprouted the Daevas lost courage, when ... also strict devotees, following their
example, exposed the corpse ... it experienced, according to its condition of ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... It may be the child looks like its father; so those that are born again ... Slough of
Despond: for still, as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... but a young man, and my nature in its prime; and ... One night he lost fifteen pounds
at play, and, becoming ... that his trials were over, and that the savour of it ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

part ii
... others; to be himself the spiritual salt, in order ... who was spitting blood, and who
had lost all strength ... own free will, crucify the flesh with its passions and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... routed the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, one of ... He had lost nearly 73,000 men,
killed or taken prisoners ... his bed and portable throne, with its cushions and ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm