Mike’s post here is a good message. It got me thinking about a lot of things.
I would add that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus closed what we call the Beatitudes or Blessings with these words:
Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Certainly we see an early examples through out the Book of Acts, just in that book alone we read about Peter, John, Stephen, and James. And if you read J. A. Wylie’s long History of the Protestant Church or Fox’s Book of Martyrs you will see numerous continuing examples. The news has many example even today.
Today’s visible church avoids some of this by focusing on cultural issues, acts of community service leaving out or redefining Sin or failing to teach Repentance, or the full Bible and true Gospel.
A few years ago when I switched to using the old KJV Bible for my own study, I noticed that our modern version had changed the word Judgment to Justice.
The first mention of Judgment is here where the KJV translators actual used both words.
Genesis 18:17-19 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Old John Gill wrote: “to do justice and judgment; to attend to all the laws, statutes, and judgments of God; to do that which is just and right between man and man; not as a justifying righteousness, by which Abraham himself was not justified before God; but to show their regard to the will of God, in gratitude for favours received from him, and to glorify him, as well as for the good of their fellow creatures:”
They are two separate words in the Hebrew.
justice H6666 and judgment H4941
The 2nd word מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ
Is used in Total KJV occurrences: 421 of which it’s translated judgment(s) 297 times, but only once justice.
Judgment or Judgments occur in 329 verses in the O.T. And another 79 in the N.T. If you look at one of the better modern translations the ESV, they are used in only 122 verses in the O.T. But surprisingly still 75 in the N.T. A lot of those O.T. Verses now read justice (120) in the ESV, while that word is used only 28 times in the KJV.
This is only an observation study, and obviously the Bible speaks about both Judgment and Justice, but it is interesting that the overwhelming use of the word Judgment, was taken out of the text over 200 times almost two thirds of the time.
It probably fits our times. God’s judgment is rarely preached today.
The word Justice, Aka Social Justice is commonly heard, it’s probably true, Everybody wants Justice but nobody wants Judgment.
We often hear:
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
But if you look into the context even that verse points to the need to carefully examine oneself before judging. We are to judge righteously and broadly and particularly in the church itself. But ultimately in the context of God’s sovereign judgment.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Rainbow Trout 