Huh?
This should not be about "winning", but about getting at the truth.
And my Bible - and yours too - clearly state that the order to get the swords was given to fulfill a prophecy that Jesus
be seen as a transgressor.
You cannot deny this - it is as plain as the nose on our faces!
Please explain to us
why you do not take Jesus at His word?
Why do you take this:
But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.
37“For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has
its fulfillment.”
and effectively do this to the text:
But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.
37“For
I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”
you need to defend yourselves.
Well?
Remember, Jesus did all sorts of other things that one could see as "sinful". I don't know about you, but if someone comes into a public building and starts flipping over tables and acting in a threatening manner, that would clearly be seen as sinful. And yet, we have this:
And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
You need to face facts: Jesus tells us that the swords are to be acquired for a very specific reason: to make Jesus appear to be a transgressor.
I can deny that.
Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors because he broke jewish law, healed on the sabbath, and declared Himself God in the flesh, commanding his disciples to buy a mere few swords would not be enough of a sin to fulfill Isaiah 53:12 the "He was numbered with the transgressors".
Jesus himself did not need a sword, only his followers after he left would need them for self defense. If Jesus himself did not need the swords, why would he be numbered with a transgressors?
12 rTherefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
sAnd He shall divide the 1spoil with the strong,
Because He tpoured out His soul unto death,
And He was unumbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And vmade intercession for the transgressors.
The New King James Version. (1982). (Is 53:12). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Jesus is indicating a future fulfillment of a future prophecy, not an immediate fulfillment. For he will be crucified between two thieves.
in fact I have scholars that back me in this interpretation.
"(v. 37): “Now that which is written must be fulfilled in me, and this among the rest, He was numbered among the transgressors—he must suffer and die as a malefactor, and in company with some of the vilest of malefactors. This is that which is
yet to be accomplished, after all the rest, and then the things concerning me, the things written concerning me, will have an end; then I shall say, It is finished.”
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1903). Peabody: Hendrickson.
"22:37 And he was counted with the criminals Jesus quotes Isa 53:12
as a reference to His imminent crucifixion alongside two criminals (Luke 23:32)."
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Lk 22:37). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Luke 22:36:
"Buy a sword (ἀγορασατω μαχαιραν [agorasatō machairan]). This is for defence clearly. The reference is to the special mission in Galilee (Luke 9:1–6=Mark 6:6–13=Matt. 9:35–11:1). They are to expect persecution and bitter hostility (John 15:18–21). Jesus does not mean that his disciples are to repel force by force,
but that they are to be ready to defend his cause against attack. Changed conditions bring changed needs. This language can be misunderstood as it was then.
Luke 22:38:
Lord, behold, here are two swords (κυριε ἰδου μαχαιραι ὡδε δυο [kurie idou machairai hōde duo]). They took his words literally. And before this very night is over Peter will use one of these very swords to try to cut off the head of Malchus only to be sternly rebuked by Jesus (Mark 14:47=Matt. 26:51f.=Luke 22:50f.=John 18:10f.). Then Jesus will say: “For all that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matt. 26:52). Clearly
Jesus did not mean his language even about the sword to be pressed too literally. So he said: “It is enough” (ἱκανον ἐστιν [Hikanon estin]). It is with sad irony and sorrow that Jesus thus dismisses the subject. They were in no humour now to understand the various sides of this complicated problem. Every preacher and teacher understands this mood, not of impatience, but of closing the subject for the present."
Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 22:36–38). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.