The Mantra: "Do Not Judge," Is Really Code For: "You Have Permission To Do Anything." - Some thoughts on Matthew 7:1-5

Today the mantra: "do not judge," is really code for: "You have permission to do anything."

As practiced, It is in fact, a foundational stone for antinomianism (lawlessness).

Some thoughts on the Biblical Teaching of "Judging."

If we understood the real hermeneutic behind the biblical use of "judge" or "judging," from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:1-5, most of us would probably not be so eager in our use if it.

Recall that the Sermon on the Mount was given by Jesus, 1. to affirm the Law, 2. as an ideological directive, and praxis for His disciples, 3. as a source of hope and comfort for the masses, 4. as well as a warning and corrective for Judaism's religious leadership in their use of the "Oral Law" or "Tradition of the Elders." (Matt. 15:7-9)

It is vital then to understand that Jesus' comments about "judging," predominately had to do with those Religious Leaders and their draconian use of the 1,500 year old "ORAL TRADITION" (also known 200 years later as the "Mishnah;" and along with the "Gemara"[a commentary of the Mishnah], which was contained within the 6,500 page Talmud).

Thus , the "Tradition of the Elders" or "Oral Law" was often used as the primary source of authority, over and even against, the Mosaic Law; with which to oppressively guide, judge and even condemn the people of Israel... In essence, the Religious Leaders of Jesus' day used the Oral Tradition to bludgeon (Judge) the people of Israel into compliance and submission... Indeed, Jesus had a 3 year running battle with the religious leader, in no small degree, on this very issue... (Mark 7:5-9)

Note also: in light of the contemporary made-made mantra and cultural moratorium on-any-kind-of "JUDGING," what Jesus says IMMEDIATELY following his teaching on Judging...

6"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matt7:6)

Jesus is clearly saying to the hearer, reader and believer to assess, discern or even "judge" who is the "pig" or "dog" in your life and to not give them something that is worthy...

The text with out a context is a pretext for the proof text... And that is a problem...

The absurdity of the current non-judging moratorium (if consistently applied), would mean that you can't even "judge" me, even if you think that I am "judging."

Matthew 7:1-5 isn't merely about judging, or assessing or even discerning... It's about the primary source of our authority with which we make judgments; as well as the attitude and heart that we have when we have to make them... ***

My point? While the "Do not Judge" passage in the scriptures, may now be more well known than John 3:16, it is perhaps the most misunderstood, abused and misapplied text in scripture. Ostensibly often on behalf of "grace," or uh, should I say "tolerance..." 

In essence, the second source of authority for many today, on never judging, is rooted firmly social progressivist ideology... Their use of this text, as a barrier for assessing any kind of sin, is just as Pharisaical in principle, as any of the religious leaders of Jesus' day.

If personally we want to really know what God requires of us, as well as, obediently conveying what God requires of others (in light of His holiness, and so they might serve others), then it does indeed require the believer to faithfully (in Christ) identify sin, teach about sin, warn others about sin and take responsibility for our sin...

We do this thoughtfully, with the whole Bible as our primary source of authority, it and no other...

***How Do We Assess Sin Without Being Judgmental

• Is there arrogance and pride?
• Is there denial about one’s own sin (log in eye)?
• Is there condemnation others?
• Is the criteria “extra biblical?”
• Is it devoid of love & compassion?

One final caveat:

Please understand that my position on "Sin" and "Judging" DOES NOT stem from any kind of "Fundamentalist" sympathies or predisposition on my part... Anyone who knows me, knows that I am ANYTHING but a fundamentalist... In addition, anyone who has known me most of my life, is aware that I spent significant time in ministry taking taking a position against much of what was "Fundamentalist."

For me, it's all things biblically applied in the tradition of the via media! 

"Grace" and the Man of Lawlessness

As I prepare for my sermon this mourning on the Beatitudes of Christ: 1. Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, 2. Blessed are those who mourn (a. of the fallen world, b. our depravity and c. injustice towards others), 3. Blessed are the meek... The following thought has come to mind, related to mourning," associated with our own personal depravity...

I think a primary deception associated with "the man of lawlessness," (i.e. the anti-Christ), is that he will be known and distinguished throughout the world, as a man of infinite "grace..." Especially in the beginning... what greater reason for global subjugation, on behalf of the world, then when the faithful reject his "grace?"

In essence, for the individual, if it's always "grace," only "grace" and infinite "grace," then it's really only a grand deception known otherwise as "tolerance," "lawlessness" and "destruction." (ESV)

Exclusive "grace" leaves no room, nor need for Holy Spirit inspired conviction, guilt and repentance...

No one really seems to mourn over their sinful nature or sinful acts anymore...

Note:

1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,

2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching a-l-l-e--g-e-d-l-y -from-us-whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter--asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

3 Let no one d-e-c-i-e-v-e you-in-any-way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

4 He will oppose and will-exalt-himself-over-everything-that-is-called-God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thess 2:1-4

Contemporary Misperceptions Regarding Spiritual Formation, From a [Christian?] Social Justice Ethos

Recently, I read a blog post entitled: Saying Goodbye to Spiritual Formation

by Anderson Campbell 

http://thecrookedmouth.com/saying-goodbye-spiritual-formation/

Here are some of my thought regarding it... 

"Saying Goodbye to [Christian?] Spiritual Formation.. I Am Over It AND You Should Too!" (Perfect Imperative)

Wow! Ironically enough, this post displays an astounding amount of prejudicial intolerance and a bit of an incendiary stereotype. Given what I assume are his core values regarding people, I find this to be a bit of a surprise... well but maybe not really... since blog posts like this often (often arrogantly) communicate sentiment, that: "at long last, after 2,000 years, this generation of believers have finally gotten church and Christian faith right!" Why? Because they have finally figured out what it means to imitate Jesus... or so they think... But you wouldn't know that in this post, because of the way Campbell disparages and entire tradition of the faith, that has made enormous contributions to the Christian faith over two millennia. Contributions, I suspect have shaped much of who he is and what he says he values...

I understand what Campbell is TRYING to say, but perhaps it would have been better and more accurate if he had said: "for those who practice their (Christian) Spiritual Formation in this manner..." Every faith tradition in history, has it's (supposedly!) undeniable strengths, as well as its weakness... If we want to critique a tradition's weaknesses, that's fine, but be sure not to include everyone... I don't think Jesus would do that...

While I am not one to typically wear my pedigree on my sleeve, I feel compelled to say that I do have a Doctoral Degree in Spiritual a Formation. I can tell you that from my years of study as well as rather extensive experience in my own personal life, as well as the lives of those who I have engaged, that what Campbell has described in his post is nothing less than a caricature, and representative of a relative minority... Are their people in the Christian Spiritual Formation like the one's that Campbell describes above? Sure!? Are they always typical? Absolutely not... Are there examples of it through history? Sure? Does that mean the entire movement itself has not been (in)valuable... I dunno, ask the average Christian Church Historian and you might get a different perspective?

Framing the Christian Spiritual Formation tradition as largely individualistic and retreatest, demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of the discipline itself... For example: Just using Foster's historical distillation and typology, Christian Spiritual Formation includes the following disciplines:

Inward Disciplines:

1. Meditation - Great for sermon prep!

2. Prayer - I don't think this needs any defense

3. Fasting - Who needs to know?

4. Study - Sometimes I just need a quiet place to concentrate

The Outward Disciplines:

1. Simplicity - a.k.a. Non-materialistic

2. Solitude - I think this a bad word here (although you might want to consult Moses, Elijah, David, Paul and Jesus on this practice)

3. Submission - How is this possible unless there are other people

4. Service - Ah Hah! I bet this came as a surprise... Given the discussion this appears to be counter intuitive!

The Corporate Disciplines:

1. Confession - I think this involves others as well

2. Worship - Okay, you can do this by yourself, but having others makes it fulfilling in a different and more full manner.

3. Guidance - It implies homo sapiens, not just the Holy Spirit

4. Celebration - See the above...

In the Four Stages of Faith Theory - (first initiated by John of the Cross), I might note that while there is a macro OVERALL progression as listed above, it certainly is not exclusively that... there can be many micro forays, by the believer into all of the areas below per the Holy Spirit's discretion... The mistake that many conclude from reading the list below is that it is all done within a vacuum... This however, is not the case, the growth outlined below takes place largely while living in the world, in part because the world functions as a protagonist on one hand, and providentially is an ethos within which to live out and practice our relationship with and like Christ on the other hand... The general list is:

1. Awakening (To Faith in Christ)

- Encounter with God

- Encounter with Self

- Comfort from God

- Threat - Needing to change life

2. Purgation of Sins - (This section is kinda out of style right now, since there has been a monumental shift from the Centrality of the Cross to the Sermon on the Mount (Primarily Beatitudes especially as expressed by Luke), as the primary understanding of the Christian faith. Younger believers are living almost exclusively in the Gospels (Perceptions of Grace) and not so much in the Epistles (Concerns about "Truth" statements! Tssssss!!!) It is in essence a new kind of emerging "Fundamentalism" that is almost the polar opposite of the 20th Century form of Fundamentalism.

" But here they are anyway!

- Renunciation of Blatant Sins

- Renunciation of Willful Disobedience

- Unconscious Sins and Omissions (Solitude and Silence are great for this!)

- Deep-Seated Structures of Behavior

- Coming to Trust

3. Illumination - In this list

- Total Concentration to God's Love

- God Experienced Within

- Integration of Being

- Unceasing Prayer

- INCREASING SOCIAL CONCERN - Often very powerful

4. Union With God:

- Abandonment to Grace

- Prayer of Quietness

- Dark Night of the Senses

- Full and Ecstatic Union

- Dark Night of the Senses

Having said what I did thus far, I should be clear and say that seasonal retreat isn't a bad thing if it helps you to have more intimate conversation with the Father and hear the Holy Spirit better, but abandonment of and to the world is... ALL (wholistic) Christian Spiritual Formation is designed and purposed to incarnationally become like Jesus, so that we can do the things that Jesus would do, if He were us in the here and now... The more one becomes like Jesus, the more they ontologically can't help do, what Jesus would do... To do otherwise, isnt' really engaging in "Spiritual Formation."

In conclusion, let me say, that I rarely respond to posts like this, with this kind of assertiveness... I am actually pretty laid back... but I responded as I did because it is a gross injustice to conflate "Spiritual Formation" with a kind of hyper-pious, retreatest form of Christian individualism. I am afraid that his blog post will do far more to egregiously mislead, offend and divide the Body, for those who read it, rather than to inspire and challenge...

Ironically enough, I feel compelled on behalf of those who have participated in the tradition of Christian Spiritual Formation, and those who are practicing it now, to include these verses... because for some believers they may feel that it might just apply... Note: these verses conclude the Beatitudes themselves...

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Mat 5:9-12