Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
Bible Language and Judgment

Bible Language and Judgment

I would be very interested to hear a discussion at some point which starts with your observations in Lesson 8 (?) about the purpose of “judgment” when someone is accused of murder and when they are accused of unhealthful living.

  That was a great way of approaching the topic but I would like to hear  a more in depth discussions which starts with that and addresses the issue of why that language is so explicitly and repeatedly used in the Bible.  Although I do feel that this way of reading the scriptures makes sense it does seem to call for the wholesale “disregard” for the Biblical language.  One clearly cannot simply read every word of the Bible literally but on the other hand I don’t want to base my theology on an argument about where to draw the line between prophetic/symbolic language and literal language.  I have found that if that is the only “proof” I can offer then the people I talk with do not take it seriously.  I also would like to read these passages as a child might and not feel compelled to make adult-like arguments.

Perhaps it isn’t so much that no judgment of any kind is ever passed but that the judgment that is passed is less of a legal assignment of arbitrary guilt and more of a “finding of fact” such as when an astronaut is judged fit for duty.

Regardless of the way these passages are read I continue to find very strong resistance to any attempt to change the wording or the “meaning” of any of these texts because they are so “clear” and so “unambiguous”.

If I had to work this hard to explain to my parents why I loved my girlfriend and wanted to marry her, all the while repudiating similarly clear and unambiguous things written in her letters I would definitely expect to criticized because I would be accused of rationalizing and intentionally ignoring all the signs.

JN


Wonderful questions and insights, thanks.

If we read a letter from our great-grandfathers who were both in WWI stationed in Europe, and they wrote back that during leave they were having a “gay” time, what conclusion should we draw? Should we conclude they are homosexual? Should we disregard the clear meaning of the text? Or does meaning to words change? Is it important to understand what was meant to the parties involved at the time the letter was written?

If we were on our way home and heard a parent shouting at their child, “Get back here right now or I am going to beat your bottom raw,” might we conclude this is a cruel parent? What if the child was three and playing out near the edge of a three story roof, and the parent had already tried talking softly before we walked by? Do we need to understand the circumstances and context of what is transpiring when one in authority uses strong language?

If you were involved in some addiction and your girlfriend does love you but her letters are filled with strong language, refusal to visit until you are sober, unwillingness to go with you to a bar, threatening to end the relationship if you don’t get into treatment, would such strong language indicate she does or does not love you? If, like most addicts, you responded to her attempts to counsel you with, “I can handle it. I don’t have a problem,” might a loving girlfriend then say something like, “If you don’t get in treatment this relationship is over?” Might other threatening language be used? Why? Would it be because you don’t hear any other gentler language?

Does God act in similar fashion? Does this give insight into the Old Testament language?

I have discovered several recurrent mistakes people (including theologians) make when studying the Scripture. One is that they use the Old Testament Scriptures to understand Jesus and His ministry, rather than allowing Jesus, God in human flesh, to be the lens through which all Scripture is understood. Secondly, too many make the mistake of basing their theology on the declarative passages of Scripture without harmonizing the evidenciary passages of Scripture.

As an example, a declarative passage is 1John 4:8 “God is love.” This passage alone, severed from the rest of Scripture, is meaningless, because in isolation we don’t know who God is or what love is. What gives this passage ultimate meaning and power is the evidence of God’s actions culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The recorded history of Jesus is not a claim, it is evidence in action. Like the difference between what someone says and does, what a person does has more power than what one says. Likewise, with Scripture, we must bring harmony between what is done and what is said. God’s actions give us the ability to understand correctly His words. Gross distortions about God are drawn when people use the declarative passages and fail to harmonize them with the evidence of action passages.

I have demonstrated this on numerous previous blogs such as:

The Question of Punishment I, II, and III

The Sword of God

Questions About Christ’s Death 1 and 2

God uses judgment language much like a parent with a child. Why does a parent threaten a child for failure to obey? Is it because the parent intends on executing the disobedient child? What ultimately happens to disobedient children? Their characters become so warped they destroy themselves. They are not destroyed by their parents. Thus the Bible teaches,

“Those who sow to the carnal nature from that nature will reap destruction.” Galatians 6:8.

God doesn’t want any lost, so He will speak with strong language, even threaten, in order to get us to stop our destructive course. But when we allow Jesus to be the lens through which we see God’s ultimate purpose we learn,

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:17

“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” John 5:22

“You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.” John 8:15

“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”  John 12:47,48

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Mathew 12:33-37.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One, One in love, goodness, mercy, and truth. They are united in their plan to heal and save humanity. Mankind is sick, dying, and terminal.

We are born “dead in transgressions and sinfulness” Ephesians 2:1. Jesus came to heal our condition. All those who accept the remedy He supplies will be healed.  Those who refuse it won’t be. Thus God doesn’t have to “judge” in order to determine who is saved or lost. It is self evident. Those who have partaken of Jesus are transformed to be like Him and their lives reveal it. But those who have refused to partake of Jesus and refuse His remedy, their lives are not transformed, their hearts remain selfish, and their very condition will reveal itself in the end and be the cause of their destruction.

Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 25

I just want to say thank you so much for your conversations via YouTube. I regularly tune in to your lectures, “Let’s Talk” sessions, and many others. Through these I’ve found greater depth and meaning to God’s word. Thanks for all that you do and please continue. I’m currently working in the middle of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. I feel like God really has me in the right place right now and I’m sensing that your teachings might be part of it.

B. F., Silicon Valley, CA, USA

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 47

I can’t even begin to thank you and your ministry enough for introducing me to the Truth about a loving and merciful God! I have my daughter and her in-laws to thank for sharing with me “The God-Shaped Brain” as well as your website. I listen to the Bible study class lessons on my daily walk. May God continue to bless your thirst-quenching ministry!

Liz H., Port Angeles, WA, USA

 

 

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA

 

Testimony 19

I truly believe that to know who God really is the first step to understand ourselves in a balanced and kind way, so the healing can take place. Your approach really makes sense – Thank you for your ministry!

A.M., Pittsburg, PA, USA

Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

Brendon S.

 

Testimony 14

We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia

 

Testimony 63

I’ve been very blessed by “The God Shaped Brain” and this ministry, through video and podcast, over the last few years. It’s truly opened up my eyes more to the truth about God and the importance of that truth in the present world. The message is so inviting, freeing and enlightening and MORE people need to know about it. I believe it is the last message that can truly, not only prepare a people for salvation and translation, but vindicate the character of God.

Michael V., Yonkers, NY, USA

 

Testimony 33

I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA