The P’s and Q’s of Sound Judgement

, “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”

until someone comes forward and cross-examines

See also (NIV): “Jesus said to them, “‘I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.’”

In a “me-too”/ mob-mentality world fueled by internet rage, it is extremely important that Christians come to a Biblical understanding on judgement!

Two Questions:

First, what is judgement? It is analytical , and evaluational--not punitive. Christians recognize that there is one God, and that we are not Him. Furthermore, Christians should be the voice of ration in our communities, calming the mobs, not inciting them.

Second, how is judgement mitigated? Though judgement is necessarily about truth, the Christian is equally concerned with grace and mercy. See, for instance, Proverbs 16:6. Forgiveness is at the forefront of the Christian’s worldview.

The Principles of Sound Judgement

Proverbs 17:4 (NIV): A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Proverbs 17:15 (NIV): Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the Lord detests them both.

Proverbs 18:2 (NIV): Fools find no pleasure in understanding!

but delight in airing their own opinions.

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV): To answer before listening—

that is folly and shame.

Proverbs 18:15 (NIV): The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,

for the ears of the wise seek it out.

The Perrogatives of Sound Judgement?

When reading our Bibles (exegesis)

When listening to sermons (theology)

When watching the news (societ theory)

When hearing the latest scoop about so-and-so (personal life)

When deciding who to believe (investigation)

When casting a ballot (civil responsibility)

When deciding what to believe (fringe/conspiracy)

Sound judgement is more skeptical than cynical. Clearly being gullible is not a desirable character quality. However to mitigate gullibility by becoming cynical is a huge overcorrection and solves one problem by creating another equally bad problem.

Skepticism requests evidence; cynicism rejects any proffered evidence as invalid. Skepticism cautiously says not yet; cynicism arrogantly says never. Skepticism must examine the evidence and make a choice; cynicism has made a default choice before every bothering with any evidence.

Cyncism rejects ev

Therefore note that skepticism which refuses to choose must in the final analysis admit that is has been cynical the entire time.

Wisdom’s stance regarding judgement has much more in common with skepticism than it does cynicism. Howeever, note that skepticism which refuses to choose must in the final analysis admit that is has been cynical the entire time.

It is interesting that sometimes sound judgement is counter intuitive. In other words, we can not always rely on ‘common sense’ or precedent when trying to determine the truth.

From “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”

“‘Logic!’ said the Professor half to himself. ‘Why don’t they teach logic at these schools? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn’t tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth.’”

Wisdom’s Process

The Process of Sound Judgement

(1) examines the evidence,

(2) interviews the witnesses,

(3) seeks to understand the way an insider does,

(4) ignores its own bias, and

(5) rejects any unethical motivations of avarice.

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The Principles of Sound Judgement

Proverbs 17:4 (NIV): A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Proverbs 17:15 (NIV): Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the Lord detests them both.

Proverbs 18:2 (NIV): Fools find no pleasure in understanding!

but delight in airing their own opinions.

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV): To answer before listening—

that is folly and shame.

Proverbs 18:15 (NIV): The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,

for the ears of the wise seek it out.

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(from an old Facebook post of mine inspired in part by the writing of John Walton)

“Sound Biblical exegesis -understanding what Scripture really has to say - requires both heaping helpings of hard work and copious quantities of courage. Do not expect it to come easily; it doesn't. Do not expect it to come by means of divine revelation; it is divine revelation -the task of understanding and applying that revelation remains with you. Do not expect it to come with no cost; allowing Scripture to speak freely may come at a very steep cost, including (but hardly limited to) sacrificing denominational tradition, pastoral and/or familial teaching(s), and even personal reputation -as exegete John Walton notes, you may from time-to-time be accused of being a theological liberal! Writing about this very issue, Walton reprints the apropos and quite humorous poem of Sam Walter Foss:

Skepticism vs. Cynicism

‘One day, through the primeval wood,

A calf walked home, as good calves should;

But made a trail all bent askew,

A crooked trail as all calves do.

Since then two hundred years have fled

And, I infer, the calf is dead.

But still he left behind his trail,

And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day

By a lone dog that passed that way;

And then a wise bellwether sheep

Pursued the trail o'er vale and steep,

And drew the flock behind him, too,

As good bellwethers always do.

And from that day, o'er hill and glade,

Through those old woods a path was made;

And many men wound in and out,

And dodged, and turned, and bent about

And uttered words of righteous wrath

Because 'twas such a crooked path.

But still they followed—do not laugh—

The first migrations of that calf,

And through this winding wood-way stalked,

Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,

That bent, and turned, and turned again;

This crooked lane became a road,

Where many a poor horse with his load

Toiled on beneath the burning sun,

And traveled some three miles in one.

And thus a century and a half

They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet,

The road became a village street;

And this, before men were aware,

A city's crowded thoroughfare;

And soon the central street was this

Of a renowned metropolis;

And men two centuries and a half

Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout

Followed the zigzag calf about;

And o'er his crooked journey went

The traffic of a continent.

A hundred thousand men were led

By one calf near three centuries dead.

They followed still his crooked way,

And lost one hundred years a day;

For thus such reverence is lent

To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach,

Were I ordained and called to preach;

For men are prone to go it blind

Along the calfpaths of the mind,

And work away from sun to sun

To do what other men have done.

They follow in the beaten track,

And out and in, and forth and back,

And still their devious course pursue,

To keep the path that others do.

But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,

Who saw the first primeval calf!

Ah! many things this tale might teach—

But I am not ordained to preach.’"

It certainly preaches well enough to me! Don't allow the opinions of others, even good Christian preachers or teachers, parents or grandparents, husbands or wives to become cowpaths determining the content of Scripture. That is eisegesis and it is always a mistake. Do the work! Have the courage! Allow Scripture to speak on its own terms!

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Walton, John H. "Isa 7:14: what's in a name?." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 30, no. 3 (September 1987): 289-306. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed September 9, 2016).