"Judge" (Matt. 7:1) Meant to Serve as Judge over Disputes
| Posted On: 08/11/06 01:42:21 PM |
Age 34, IN |
Jesus' prohibition in Matt. 7:1 does not forbid Christians from judging conceived as holding strong opinions or using good judgement, bur, rather, from serving as judges (in Hebrew, shophetim) between disputing parties. This sense of judging is severely dishonourable in Hebrew, and the name Shaphat ("an act of judgement" or "he hath judged") shares this shame.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ does not wish us to serve as judges, lest we incur the typical punishments of First Century Judaea for meting out wrongful judgements. His original audience to hear His Sermon on the Mount was Jewish and full of graceful persons with many friends and subjection to influence because it is quite shameful in Hebrew to be seen asking around repeatedly and not getting one's way. Venal characters are not suited to the responsibilities of the judgement seat. Oh my, how the translation of Matthew 7 into English gets twisted into a seeming absolute prohibition on all senses of judging in English!
Yours in Christ,
+++Kevin D. Rosenberg
(Miriam ken `avut.-`arutzim b'sheqer-'av)
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/26/06 11:21:14 AM |
Age 36, GA |
I hate that this will probably be perceived by some as nitpicking, so let me say that I agree with the premise of the article that "judge not lest ye be judged" is almost always misused. And let me say that I also agree with the conclusion that Jesus is reminding us to not be judgemental or hypocritical.
That said, I see in Mat. 7:1-2, the basis for Paul's assertion in Rom. 2:1.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
(Mat 7:1-2)
Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Paul's point in Romans, of course, being that we know the law inherently because we know when others are 'wrong', therefore we will be inexcusable before God when he uses our own moral code against us. (woe to those without Jesus!)
Mat. 7:3-5 are, I submit, a secondary point. Note that that thought even begins with 'And'
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
(Mat 7:3-5)
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/18/06 03:26:21 PM |
Age 53, AZ |
American soldiers did have a policy of specifically targeting civilians-the firebombing of Japanese cities at times of the day and in ways that would cause the maximum civilian deaths. Also, the military value of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were negligible at the time they were bombed with nuclear weapons.
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 08/20/05 09:00:18 PM |
Age 44, KS |
I agreed 100% with your artical, that is a quote that I hear quite often.
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/26/05 03:13:05 PM |
Age 50, VA |
Thank you. Your article is very well focused and America had best respond.
This reading calls to mind a message posted out front on the marque board of a local Baptist church earlier this spring:
"A man should not mistake God's patience as tolerance."
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/26/05 01:47:10 PM |
Age 50, VA |
Thank you. Your article is very well focused and America had best respond.
This reading calls to mind a message posted out front on the marque board of a local Baptist church earlier this spring:
"A man should not mistake God's patience as tolerance."
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/26/05 12:48:55 PM |
Age 49, GA |
May she come back to the truth soon. If Christians went along with Christ's teaching on divorce, where the divorced woman is off limits for remarriage, they might not be so quick to leave without trying work it out. Of course, if she hooks up with a man that's not living in the truth, then you have to pray for both of them. Keep the faith brother, stay in the Word. He is the Word!
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Re: Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/26/05 12:31:01 PM |
Age 64, IA |
What would Jesus do in response to a terror attack?
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/26/05 12:23:11 PM |
Age 64, IA |
Yes. It seems 99% of the readers agree..and then we go on to develop our "arguements". The Scriptures also tell us to "discern" between good and evil and to "hate" evil. But in the case of 911, I wonder if the those who can not agree that the terrorism was evil just might have thoughts such as: We deserved it. It was a message. We are not practicing what we preach. Forgive us Lord for wandering too far from You, for trusting Madison Avenue instead. In the Scriptures there are 2 maybe 3 references to the towers falling. And there is one 'accident' where the disciples question Jesus on the horror there and He replies...just be glad you were not there.
Did we as a 'Christian' people/nation respond as Jesus would have? Or did we just lock-step in to the program of those who speak the loudest because we really do not have the foggiest idea of how a Christian nation should respond.
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/24/05 01:19:11 PM |
Age 39, AZ |
I believe that this article is right on. God wants us to walk in love forgiving others as we are forgiven but that does not mean that we are to tolerate evil or evil works. We need to take a stand as Christain Americans and walk in complete truth in everything we do. Sin is sin and God hates it. We are to love our neighbor as ourself. But we should also be salt to the earth and speak truth according to Gods word. iron sharpens iron remember that one ?
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/23/05 03:40:30 PM |
Age 75, MN |
My exwife used the mantra that my belief in Christ as Savior and my being active in spiritual things was okay for me, but not for her. However, this didn't translate to tolerance on her part for my beliefs or activities, so she divorced me on the grounds of incompatability. Her action again just proves the lie of her belief system.
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Re: Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/23/05 10:52:36 AM |
Age 47, UK |
Yes. This reflects the proper perspective and worldview of the true Christian. No hostility. No arrogance. No pious conceit. Refreshing.
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/23/05 06:44:06 AM |
Age 39, VA |
A co-worker once told me that we are to judge ones character,(not-are we better than them or not), but we are not to judge ones salvation. For example, wouldn't you make a judgement call upon a person when you are seeking a nanny or babysitter? But, only God knows a persons heart and whether or not they have accepted Jesus. Do you think that this is correct and that it adheres to the "judgement verse?"
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/22/05 05:31:20 PM |
Age 38, OH |
Too many American Christians are ignorant of how God says we should judge by His standards between good and evil. Don't rely only on someone else to teach you Christian living, get your information from the source. Read your Bible!( a version you can understand)I've met so many who don't read their Bible very often and so have very little understanding of what God has revealed about Himself or how we should live. As many others have posted "...scripture is good for teaching..." We have the freedom to own a copy God's words. If we don't excersize that freedom, use it and take care of it; then it can be taken away from us. Freedom isn't free! You must treasure it yourself!
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Re: Re: Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/22/05 01:29:17 PM |
Age 24, TN |
The Bible also says God commanded "God's people" to slaughter all the women and children in enemy tribes. Does this mean we should kill everyone in the Middle East? Also, maybe God's goal isn't to maintain "our nation and our way of life". Even the Israelites way of life was destroyed several times by God's will, and America is not God's chosen nation.
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Re: Other Misquoteds are gaining also
| Posted On: 07/22/05 11:15:48 AM |
Age 47, UK |
In our democratic society the individual matters; thus, his or her health and well-being matter. This includes both the emotional and physical aspects of individuals as well as their pursuit of happiness. Are you perhaps advocating socialism?
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/22/05 10:46:32 AM |
Age 49, GA |
Sadly, this person doesn't know that without light or the absence of luminance, he has no perception of any spectrum. Studying physics to comprehend the mind of God may indeed be a noble pursuit, but in the end beyond our intellect. "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." John 1:5
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/22/05 10:28:42 AM |
Age 49, GA |
Study your copy, and you can easily overcome the judge not lest you be judged crowd. Here's my first response - "All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" I would certainly like to be able to respond to the TV ads admonishing us not to be judgmental, by the actor that plays the homosexual on Will & Grace program. That poor guy's lost in the Hollywood delusion.
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/22/05 07:54:18 AM |
Age 52, OH |
Defining our words helps. Proverbs tells us to be informed (knowledge) and to have wisdom and discernment. This is different, in my opinion, than judging. Judging (as Jesus was explaining it) is taking the seat of the Judge and making declarations when we don't know all the facts--and can never really know them as God Himself does. Discernment, on the other hand, is what helps us decide someone's intentions and actions (are they righteous/sinful, helpful/hurtful, building up/destructive, et al). Oh that we all would seek God for wisdom and discernment and leave the judging to Him!
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Re: How the Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible Is Destroying America
| Posted On: 07/21/05 09:26:36 PM |
Age 56, CA |
But black and white are exactly the same COLOR, they differ in luminance.
Red and blue, on the other hand, are different colors.
Didn't you take physics?
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