Judging and Casting
Part I (word for word and in context)
by Dahni
© 2014, all rights reserved
In examining, Matt. 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." and John 8:7b"…He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.." let us understand, judging and casting.
The above two verses, sincere or not, idiot Christians and non-believers use against Bible abiding Christians. I am not going to pull any punches with the article, but I will explain myself. Sincerity is no guarantee for truth, by the way.
Yes, I wrote the word "idiot," above in reference to "idiot Christians," and I meant that, but the same goes for anyone that would use any or all of scripture incorrectly to argue their points of criticism. Idiots biblically and from its Greek word - idios, from which the word idiot is derived, basically means, "one's own." This is singularly important in our twin issues here of Judging and Casting and particularly, in I Peter 1:20
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
I Peter 1:20 King James Version, (KJV)
Well, if this is indeed God's word, yeh, yeh, Peter wrote this, but for whom, God right? But if it is God's word, according to this verse we just read, this is the "first" thing he wants us to know.
In the Bible, the Greek word idios is translated as follows:
"due" - 3 times, "his" - 5 times, "his several" - 1 time, "one's own" - 72 times,
"one's proper" - 2 times, "their" - 2 times, "severally" - 1 time, and the verse in I Peter "private" - 1 time
I won't get into the word "interpretation" here, but you should look it up sometime! Well, why is "no prophecy of the scripture…of any private (one's own) interpretation?" Look at the very next verse in I Peter.
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (spirit)."
I Peter 1:21, KJV
Notice the word "prophecy" in both verses 20, 21 are, both in the singular as is "scripture," in verse 20. This is a figure of speech because, literally, there are many prophecies in the old and new testaments of the Bible and there are many scriptures. The use of the figure of speech show that all scriptures and all prophecies emphasize as if they are one and from one and only one source, God. Bare these thigs in mind as we look into - judging and casting.
There are perhaps no other two things that people use to try and shame and criticize a Christian more than, judging and casting. And there are probably no other two things that are so inaccurate and that so irate me than - judging and casting. A close tie would be how often so many people misquote John 8:32 and replace the words "make" with the word "set" and change the word "shall" (absolute tense) with the word "will" (implying less than absolutely) as the truth will set you free. OK, let's look at the importance of context. People never quote the verse that comes before the line that is heard as - the truth will set you free. What comes before this purported line and what does the Bible really say?
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;"
John 8:31 KJV
The words in bold are to draw your intention. It starts with the word "if" which implies a condition and/or a personal choice. If ye (you) continue (not just once in a while) in my word (God's Word), then are ye (you) my disciples (disciplined ones). So putting this verse together - if anyone continues in doing (thinking, living and practicing) God's Word, then are they God's disciples or disciplined ones, "indeed" or truly. Now read and put this verse together (exacty word for word) with the next verse.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:31 KJV
Notice that this verse begins with the word "and." The word "and" is, a conjunction which combines together, as in a list. So verse 32 is to be combined with verse 31. And ye (you) shall (absolute tense not will, but shall) know (not question, wonder or doubt, but "know") the truth. The word "truth" relates back to verse 31 and the word "indeed" or truly and the immediate context and the remote context of the "truth" is, "disciples" (disciplined ones) that "continue" in my word (God's Word). So, if one absolutely knows the "truth" (not part-truths (which are lies), fiction or doubt, but knowing the truth, the truth shall (second time the word "shall" is used = it establishes the absoluteness of this verse) "make" (not set) you free. What is the difference between being set free and being made free?
If I was in prison and you opened my cell and told me I was free, yes, you would have set me free. But I could choose to just remain in my cell. But if you made me free, you first would have prepared me to be able to live free, then opened my cell, literally taken me to freedom and stayed with me until, I could live free, on my own. Then I would be a disciplined one that had continued in the truth and then, I would be indeed (truly) a disciplined one and the truth shall absolutely make me free!
So, now we know the importance of words and context, the immediate context (in the verse) and the remote context (as it is used from one verse to the next. If there is any mistakes or errors along the way, (lack of the truth) there cannot, in the end, be FREEDOM. The opposite of freedom would be? This is why it is important to say what is meant and to mean what is said - FREEDOM, which follows continuing in the truth.
This may shock or surprise some, but I don't care what you believe. You have a right to believe whatever you want. But what really gets to me is people trying to compare what they believe to the Bible and justify their beliefs with just another religion. So if you want to believe anything other than the Bible (God's Word), fine, just stop talking about something you do not know, understand and believe. And just stop making up stuff. Stop adding, omitting and changing words because, there is no freedom without the truth!
With this same degree of integrity, in performing biblical research, we must also so do with the words we are examining - judging and casting. Otherwise, many will continue to be falsely accused and many will continue to justify their own errors and bad behaviors.
Before this series is over, you, you as a whole thinking person should no longer cower in fear or recoil in shame, if accused of judging others and stop the mouths of those trying to con you or anyone with this crap. And you will be understand that, for the most part, the accusatory - 'judge not lest you be judged' crap is not so much to stop bad behavior, but to shame others into silence, in order that their own shameful behavior is not questioned and confronted.
And before this series is over, anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear, will be able to stop the mouths of those that accuse others falsely with the - 'you that are without sin, let them cast the first stone' crap. Yes crap! The Word of God or the mere mortal words (if this is what you believe about the Bible), but even as they are written and even if they are pure fiction, are not crap, but adding/omitting/changing words, taking them out of their context (immediate and remote context) is pure fiction and unadulterated crap!
Next time - Part II (Judging rightly or Righteously)
Peace,
Dahni