Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
“Ready for Either”

“Ready for Either”

Last updated on: August 21, 2024 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

“Ready for Either” 2024-08-15T22:56:52-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Yesterday we looked at a wonderful illustration that illuminates the two different fates of the Apostles James and John (Matthew 20) and a profound truth about vocation.

To review, Fr. Robert McTeigue describes a Roman coin that “depicts an ox facing both an altar and a plow. The inscription on the coin reads: ‘Ready for Either.’ In other words, the ox is ready for the ‘red martyrdom’ of being sacrificed at the altar, or for the ‘white martyrdom’ of a life of unglamorous service, hitched to the plow until death.”

In trying to find an illustration for my post on the subject, I tried to find that ancient Roman coin. But I couldn’t! There were ancient Roman coins that depicted oxen, including oxen being sacrificed. Like this one (from Cointalk):

Try as I might, I couldn’t find an ancient Roman coin showing an ox with those two alternatives. I did, however, have better luck with the purported inscription. “Ready for either” in Latin is Ad utrumque paratus. I learned that this is an actual Latin saying. It is a quotation from Virgil. David Armstrong, Emeritus Professor from the University of Texas, identifies the source:

It’s first used in Virgil, Aeneid 2.61, where the slimy Greek spy Sinon deceives the Trojans into thinking they should haul the Trojan Horse into the town: he was

fidens animi atque in utrumque paratus,
seu versare dolos seu certae occumbere morti.

[Translated as] “optimistic in spirit and ready for either (fate ), to put over his lies or die a certain death.”

Ad utrumque paratus is the motto of the University of Lund in Sweden, the Spanish royal family, and a number of military units, who sometimes render the phrase as “ready for anything.”

The Latin inscription appears on an 18th century Swiss medal, showing not an ox but a sword and a wreath, as in ready for either war or peace. But that inscription is not listed on an online catalogue of inscriptions on Roman coins.

I went to the source that Fr. McTeigue referred to, William Barclay (1907-1978) author of the popular Bible commentaries. He it was who used the figure of the ox facing the altar and the plow to unpack the different “cups” that awaited St. James and St. John. From Barclay’s commentary on Matthew 20:20-28:

It is quite wrong to think that for the Christian the cup must always mean the short, sharp, bitter, agonizing struggle of martyrdom; the cup may well be the long routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifice, its daily struggle, and its heart-breaks and its disappointments and its tears. A Roman coin was once found with the picture of an ox on it; the ox was facing two things–an altar and a plough; and the inscription read: “Ready for either.” The ox had to be ready either for the supreme moment of sacrifice on the altar or the long labour of the plough on the farm. There is no one cup for the Christian to drink. His cup may be drunk in one great moment; his cup may be drunk throughout a lifetime of Christian living. To drink the cup simply means to follow Christ wherever he may lead, and to be like him in any situation life may bring.

Notice that Barclay is referring not to a specific artifact but to “a Roman coin” that was “once found.” That supports the possibility that the “ancient Roman coin” is apocryphal. That doesn’t take away from the illustration being a good story. But if not a Roman coin, what is the source?

I kept digging. I found this from a devotion written by the great English preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892): “Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, ‘Ready for either.'” (Philippians Devotionals, Phil. 1:21.) This appeared in his book of devotions Morning and Evening published in 1865.

This is the exact scenario, but Spurgeon gives it no context whatsoever. But he says nothing about a Roman coin.

I kept digging. I found another early preacher, J.R. Miller (1840-1912):

It is always a solemn hour when anyone stands before God and men, to make a public profession of Christ. The act is nothing less than the consecration of a human soul to Christ’s service, for life or for death.On the seal of an old missionary society, an ox stands between an altar and a plough, and written below is the motto, “READY FOR EITHER!” That is, ready for sacrifice or for service.

This should be the heart-motto in every public profession; it should be . . .
a solemn devotement to Christ,
an entire surrender to Him for obedience, duty and sacrifice;
a consecration of the whole life to Christ and His service.
Such consecration all have made, who have publicly given themselves to Christ.

The seal of an old missionary society! Now I had something to go on. Eventually, I found this, on the website of a modern missionary organization, International Ministries:

IM has reintroduced the historical seal that was adopted by the organization shortly after its formation in 1814 as the first Baptist foreign mission agency. The seal uses IM’s earlier name, “American Baptist Foreign Mission Society” (ABFMS), and features an ox standing with an altar and a plow under a banner reading “ready for either.” This poignant image symbolizes a global servant’s unconditional response to God’s call: an attitude of readiness for service or sacrifice. Not only does the ABMFS seal reflect IM’s rich heritage, it also represents the commitment to God’s work that IM global servants continue to make every day.

That’s it! Spurgeon was a Baptist, and he and his audience would doubtless be familiar with the 1814 seal and slogan of the first Baptist missionary society. No doubt it stuck in Barclay’s mind too. The seal looks kind of like a coin.

Eureka.

Illustration: Seal of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (1814) via International Ministries

origin of the ox illustration

Roman coins

William Barclay

Previous Post

August 20, 2024

The Altar or the Plough

Next Post

August 22, 2024 Why Price Controls Cannot Work

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I know wired earbuds are making a comeback (I never stopped using them as I ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"VCRs, tape decks, and cassette players are all having a revival among a segment of ..."

Tom Hering

Luther on Tools

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"I am not sure the items you mentioned, though disused, discontinued, discarded, could be considered ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Mary's cousin?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rachel Sarah Leah Elizabeth

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »