https://doi.org/10.1177/0014524619848653 The Expository Times 2019, Vol. 131(1) 9–19 © The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0014524619848653 journals.sagepub.com/home/ext 1 I am deeply indebted to Dr. Jim Prothro of Ave Maria University, for his willingness to discuss the text and sug- gest edits to the original draft of this manuscript. 2 Matthew W. Mitchell, ‘The Yoke Is Easy but What of Its Meaning? A Methodological Reflection Masquerading as a Philological Discussion of Matthew 11:30’, JBL 135.2 (2016): 321–40. In all English translations of the New Testament, the use of χρηστός at Matthew 11:30 is translated as ‘easy’ (i.e. my yoke is easy and my burden light). 1 While it has been argued that the con- tention with the passage is one of method over linguistics, it cannot be avoided that this par- ticular translation is problematic on philological grounds. 2 The primary difficulty addressed here concerns Matthew 11:30 being the only instance in surrounding Greek literature, including the The Paradox of the Easy Yoke: A Survey of χρηστός in Greek Literature and the Interpretational Implications for Matthew 11:30 Clark Bates University of Birmingham, UK Abstract Matthew 11:30 could easily be considered one of the most recognizable passages of the New Testament. Many find comfort and fortitude in the words of Jesus, and warm to the idea that his ‘yoke’; is ‘easy’ and ‘burden’, ‘light’. However recognized and familiar this passage may be, it has not gone unnoticed throughout scholarship as a persistent word study in need of incessant explanation. While copious amounts of ink have been spilt discussing the nature of the ‘yoke’ in Matthew 11:30, it is the position of this article that the author of Matthew, had no intention of creating such a mystery. Rather, that the emphasis is to be found in the nature of the yoke itself and the attributive use of χρηστός in Greco- Roman literature, including that of the Greek Old Testament, and the writings of the first-century Christians. This article seeks to demonstrate that the use of χρηστός in the Matthean Gospel does not mean ‘easy’ by English standards, nor was this what the audience of this Gospel would have taken it to mean, given the common use of the term. This is accomplished through an engagement of the text and message of Matthew, followed by an examination of the word’s use in Classical Greek compositions and the Apostolic Fathers, as well as its use in the LXX and the New Testament. Keywords easy, yoke, χρηστός, Matthew, translation, kind, good Corresponding author: Clark Bates Email: clarkbates97@gmail.com 848653EXT 0 0 10.1177/0014524619848653The Expository TimesBates research-article 2019 Article