Subject: [ETI Informal All 1AD.04.11.06] Judging
From: "James R @ ETIMin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Lists @ ETI Min" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 11:54:03 +0200

Greetings

I have recently received various articles regarding the subject of judging and have posted one of these to the list.

It seems to me that there are some vital points to keep in mind:

There seem to me to be two distinct categories:

1) Interpretation of teaching / doctrine / writings.

2) Manifest sin that clearly violates commandments.

Following are a few thoughts on each of these:

1) Interpretation of teaching / doctrine / writings.

Currently in many, maybe most, areas of doctrine / teaching / writing there are enormous differences of opinion.  Lost truths are being restored and there is a tendency for very heated debate to take place.

I would like to suggest the following:

1.1) We should each prayerfully evaluate / test / discern / judge any teaching or article to determine if it contains truth that we lack and then adopt whatever of value it contains, even if we sift through much error to find truth.

1.2) If we perceive an article to contain error and we do not have a clear calling from the Almighty to teach truth in response to that specific error it seems to me that we should simply put the matter aside with a prayer that the will of the Father is done in the life of the originator of the message.

1.3) If we perceive an article or person to be in error AND have a clear mandate from the Father to speak to correct that particular error we should do so in love out of compassion for the outcome on the Day of Judgment.

1.4) In my own experience it can take months or years from the time one first hears a new truth to the time one accepts it as truth.  This is a manifestation of the human condition, the difficulty that human beings, particularly mature human beings, have in accepting change of any nature whatsoever.

Arguing, fighting, name calling, exchange of insults, etc simply hardens people's hearts and does not assist with a process of change.

It seems to me that if one has what one perceives to be truth one should sow the seed and then leave it for the Almighty to water.

If one is publishing a regular email list or web site then one may repeatedly visit the same truth in different ways as one's own understanding progresses.  In such cases it is even more important not to ram truth down other peoples throats -- most people do not learn that way.

This represents a challenge for most of us, myself included.

1.5) If one is confronted by an article or person who adamantly holds to a view different to one's own it is easy to reject it, however, unless it relates to something that has been comprehensively prayed about and about which you have absolutely unshakeable confidence it is preferable to take it to the Almighty in prayer and take time over it rather than blocking it off.

In my own experience i have found that there have been things that i have thought i was absolutely certain of that it turned out i needed to change.

Again it seems to me important that we avoid divisive and insulting communication.

Unshakeable conviction based on pride or other sin is not a sound basis to reject another's doctrine -- deep prayer in humility is the way to go.

1.6) This does not prevent people from expressing clear views about such issues of doctrine, however it does seem important to me not to use judgmental language or to put labels on people like calling them "fools", etc.  Yahooshua was very clear on the judgment for doing this.

Matthew 5:22 "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (KJV) ("Raca" effectively means "fool" -- Strong 4469  rhaka (rhak-ah'); of Aramaic origin [compare 7386]; O empty one, i.e. thou worthless (as a term of utter vilification): KJV-- Raca.)

2) Manifest sin that clearly violates the commandments.
Another area of judgement which can get intermixed with the previous point relates to sin that violates the commandments.

There are clearly verses that indicate that suitably qualified elders, led by the Spirit, can and should judge members of their assemblies who fall into clearly defined sin, particularly things like homosexuality, incest, etc.

The objective of such judgment is a call to repentance and it can include some form of excommunication for a season.

In certain cases where a person sins against another there is a process in Matthew 18:15 to 17 whereby a complaint can be escalated to public trial before the local body of believers.

However this process is intended to bring about repentance and should therefore be conducted in an appropriate manner.

In this case judgment is appropriate ONLY if due process is followed by people who are qualified to judge and the sentence is carried out in the immediate community of the individual.

The above does NOT provide for single individuals or groups of individuals to judge other people on the basis of an article or writing and then start sending insulting emails to the other person or distributing judgmental emails about that third party over the internet or even publishing web pages about that person.

I have repeatedly seen judgmental emails and web pages about diverse people where my own knowledge and experience of the person indicates a different conclusion or where the judgement inherently contains a doctrinal position that is not consistent and reliable with my own understanding of the matter and therefore a matter of doctrinal dispute is taken out of context.

THE FALLEN STATE OF MAN
As i see things today, mankind has fallen to such an extreme state of error that we are not truly in a position to judge our fellow man in most things unless we are clear that the Almighty has authorized us to judge on His behalf and then i suggest that we should be VERY certain before we judge.

It seems to me that it is better to remain silent than to be judged as an unrighteous judge or stumbling block on the Day of Judgment.

ERROR IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Another aspect of why judgment of individuals should be considered so carefully.

Words last for eternity, this is why we will be judged for all idle words.

Words on email or web sites can be distributed much wider and for far longer than most people realize.

Once an email has been sent others can forward it and it can be presented today as fresh news to someone when it may be several years old.

Once a web page has been posted it tends to remain indefinitely because few people take the time to remove content from their web sites.  Furthermore, even if one does remove content the content is stored in dozens and possibly hundreds of search engine cache's around the world and can be cached and stored locally on the computers of people who have visited the site.

In the interim it is quite possible for the Almighty to have brought the person concerned to repentance.

Accordingly, what may have been a valid judgment at some time and may even have contributed to repentance, now stands to unjustly condemn the person concerned months or years after they are repented and this now becomes sin on the part of the person who posted the email or web page.

Accordingly, it seems to me that we should exercise extreme caution in what we post on the internet that in any way constitutes a judgment of another person mentioned by name.

Warm regards and blessings

James Robertson