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I’m Sorry I Love You, Man Eating Chicken, and Let’s Eat Grandma!?

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Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a [real] Jew who is only one outwardly and publicly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical.29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [true] circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal [matter]. His praise is not from men but from God.

Punctuation, or the lack thereof, can create multiple misunderstandings. Consider the following: Let’s eat Grandma! or Let’s eat, Grandma! Another example: I’m sorry I love you versus I’m sorry; I love you. One more example: Man eating chicken or Man-eating chicken?

When the Bible was originally written there were no punctuation marks, or paragraphs. These were inserted and delineated by translators of the original texts. Case in point is the culmination of thought found in the passage listed above (Rom. 2:28-29). Paul lists several things that true Jews do and don’t do. (And may I add Paul was not advocating that Christians replaced Jews. That’s a heresy). One of the things true “Jews” don’t do is found in Romans 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. True Jews, and by implication, true followers of Christ do not judge others. Now there is a lot of confusion regarding this topic. A popular cultural saying is, “Don’t be judging,” in response to anyone who disapproves of their lifestyle, behavior or actions. What could be confusing about this issue is when one erases the chapters, verses, and paragraphs of the Romans 2:1 passage. Why is this confusing? Let’s clump Romans 1:18, 31-32 with Romans 2:1: For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.[They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.32 Though they are fully aware of God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them. Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. Back to the original question: Why is this confusing? Isn’t Paul being “judgey” in denouncing the actions of those in the world, and “judgey” of the believers? Add to that, Aren’t we supposed to look at the world practicing the aforementioned sins and abominations and determine that those who live like this and approve of these actions deserve hell? The point the Apostle Paul is making simply echoes Jesus’ teaching on the matter. We are called to be fruit inspectors. In other words, That’s good fruit, and that’s bad fruit. But what we are not called to do or be is God. The key to understanding judging others is found in this phrase: “and passing sentence on another,…” Judging others crosses the line over into God’s jurisdiction. Only He knows the thoughts and motives of another. Only He can pass sentence on their actions. In other words, inspect the fruit, but leave the sentencing and verdict up to God. In addition to all of this, fruit inspectors do not, and will not repress and hinder the truth (Jesus) or make it inoperative. In other words fruit inspectors are not amateur Providences (reference Oswald Chambers often used classification) – dulling or softening the impact of the Sword which proceeds from Jesus Mouth. Why not? There’s the kiss of resurrection life and encountering Jesus on the other end. Why would any True Follower of Jesus, or Spiritual Jew, want to prevent that?

The Intercessor John Welsh – Part 2

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In 1595, Welsh was offered and accepted a pastorate in the town of Kirkcudbright. Welsh and his wife could not find anyone in Selkirk, except one poor young man by the name of Ewart, that would lend them any assistance in moving their furniture to their new destination. Needless to say, I am sure Welsh felt relief as he knocked the dust of that city from his shoes and headed toward his new home. For all practical purposes it was not much different from Selkirk. Kirkcudbright was a hotbed of Catholicism, and its previous Reformed Scottish Church minister, Andrew Blyth, was murdered as a heretic in the town square for preaching reformation. It was his shoes that Welsh was sent to fill. Buoyed by his amazing prayer life, Welsh entered that town and pulpit wearing the full armor of God and wielding the Sword of the Spirit.

From the first day he arrived, the town was shaken by his powerful preaching. Worldliness and a religious spirit were the first strongholds he began to tear down. He next attacked the worship of idols and observation of man-made doctrines: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with the lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines of God the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9

Next he preached against the lack of true repentance for sins, saying: “There is a godly sorrow which leads a man to life; and this sorrow is wrought in a man by the Spirit of God, and in the heart of the godly; that he mourns for sin because it has displeased God, Who is so dear and so sweet a Father to him. And even if he had neither a heaven to gain, nor a hell to lose, yet he is still sad and sorrowful in heart because he has grieved God.

Converts began to trickle in and soon the harvest was plentiful. The reformed Presbyterian message of Welsh and a few others soon overflowed into a great revival throughout Southern Scotland. It wasn’t only the people, but also the ministers, who were experiencing this wonderful “refreshing from the Lord.” By 1596 a General Assembly in Edinburgh was called, and over 400 men were present for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The business of the Assembly was prayer and the confession of ministerial sin. Many were humbled to tears of conviction and repentance for the sins of their office. The hours and hours of prayer that John Welsh spent over the years now seemed to be bearing fruit. David Calderwood described the scene on a Tuesday morning: “While they were humbling themselves, for the space of quarter of an hour, there were sighs and sobs, with shedding of tears…everyone provoking another by his example…. so that the place might worthily have been called Bochim; for the like of that day was never seen in Scotland since the Reformation, as every man confessed.