CONTENTION OVER THE MAN BORN BLIND
Jerusalem.
JOHN 9:1-41
Did Jesus come to judge or save?
Occasionally I'll be reading the New Testament and different passages clash in my mind. Here's an example:
"Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. John 9:39-41
x
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16-18
So which is it? Or both? In John 9, Jesus teaches that he came for judgement. In John 3, he states that God did not send Christ to condemn but to save.
In a prior exchange with the Pharisees, he states:
"You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. John 8:15-16
Again, which is it? And is Christ undecided or mixed: "Yet even if I do judge...."
I've got to believe my understanding is impeded by the translation or God's progressive revelation.
Here is more digging.
That's one of the things I love about Bible scholarship--there's a rich history of strong thinkers who confronted the same hard questions before me. This intellectual rigor and conversation helps me to bear the weight of the mysterious and unclear.
The Pulpit Commentary acknowledges the complexities of the issue rather than smoothing it over, which I appreciate.
"I judge no man. Numerous efforts have been made to find the underlying modification of this assertion." -Pulpitxd
And, it offers a potentially helpful framework when trying to understand some of the more cryptic aspects of his comments:
"The prince of this world is judged by the simple uplifting of the Son of God; and so, though he did not come to judge or condemn, yet judgments did, by the very necessity of his nature, proceed from him. Even if I judge—if by the mere contact of his purity and love and healing power with those who will not come to him for life, judgment is pronounced—my judgment is true; £ i.e. trustworthy. ." -Pulpit
"Christ's testimony concerning himself, his implicit judgments on human nature, his indirect condemnation of the whole crowd, by his gracious refusal to condemn the sinful woman to immediate doom, all issue forth with the sign manual of Almighty God, with whom and in whom he dwells as the only begotten Son." -Pulpit
This helps some too:
"And Jesus said [not addressing anyone in particular, but rather as summing up the whole incident], For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind." John 9:39 [The life course of Jesus attracted the needy and repelled the self-satisfied, and was therefore a continuous judgment. Those conscious of their deficiencies and ready to ask for light received it (verses 36-38), while those satisfied with their own opinion became daily more blinded by their bigotry. See verses 24 and 34, and Matt. 11:25.] 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him [not as disciples, but for curiosity's sake] heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth. [If you were conscious of your spiritual darkness, and sought light, you either find it or not be blamed for your failure to do so. They could see if they would, and were responsible for their blindness.]
-Fourfold Gospel
One thing I like about the comment above is that it speaks to the complexity of the issue---its not a single variable but multiple variables operating under supernatural, spiritual influences. My conclusion to this point in my faith journey is that the Lord has not chosen to reveal the mystery of precisely how and why some are able to believe and others remain blind. Salvation is clearly of God--that is taught explicitly in multiple passages. But, passages like the one above also hint that man is not a completely inert pawn being moved around by a capricious God. If anything these passages teach the importance of man checking his spirit, examining his heart, and that God will meet anyone with good intent half way. God wishes no one to be lost.
Occasionally I'll be reading the New Testament and different passages clash in my mind. Here's an example:
"Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. John 9:39-41
xSo which is it? Or both? In John 9, Jesus teaches that he came for judgement. In John 3, he states that God did not send Christ to condemn but to save.
In a prior exchange with the Pharisees, he states:
"You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. John 8:15-16
Again, which is it? And is Christ undecided or mixed: "Yet even if I do judge...."
I've got to believe my understanding is impeded by the translation or God's progressive revelation.
Here is more digging.
That's one of the things I love about Bible scholarship--there's a rich history of strong thinkers who confronted the same hard questions before me. This intellectual rigor and conversation helps me to bear the weight of the mysterious and unclear.
The Pulpit Commentary acknowledges the complexities of the issue rather than smoothing it over, which I appreciate.
"I judge no man. Numerous efforts have been made to find the underlying modification of this assertion." -Pulpitxd
And, it offers a potentially helpful framework when trying to understand some of the more cryptic aspects of his comments:
"The prince of this world is judged by the simple uplifting of the Son of God; and so, though he did not come to judge or condemn, yet judgments did, by the very necessity of his nature, proceed from him. Even if I judge—if by the mere contact of his purity and love and healing power with those who will not come to him for life, judgment is pronounced—my judgment is true; £ i.e. trustworthy. ." -Pulpit
"Christ's testimony concerning himself, his implicit judgments on human nature, his indirect condemnation of the whole crowd, by his gracious refusal to condemn the sinful woman to immediate doom, all issue forth with the sign manual of Almighty God, with whom and in whom he dwells as the only begotten Son." -Pulpit
This helps some too:
"And Jesus said [not addressing anyone in particular, but rather as summing up the whole incident], For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind." John 9:39 [The life course of Jesus attracted the needy and repelled the self-satisfied, and was therefore a continuous judgment. Those conscious of their deficiencies and ready to ask for light received it (verses 36-38), while those satisfied with their own opinion became daily more blinded by their bigotry. See verses 24 and 34, and Matt. 11:25.] 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him [not as disciples, but for curiosity's sake] heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth. [If you were conscious of your spiritual darkness, and sought light, you either find it or not be blamed for your failure to do so. They could see if they would, and were responsible for their blindness.]-Fourfold Gospel
One thing I like about the comment above is that it speaks to the complexity of the issue---its not a single variable but multiple variables operating under supernatural, spiritual influences. My conclusion to this point in my faith journey is that the Lord has not chosen to reveal the mystery of precisely how and why some are able to believe and others remain blind. Salvation is clearly of God--that is taught explicitly in multiple passages. But, passages like the one above also hint that man is not a completely inert pawn being moved around by a capricious God. If anything these passages teach the importance of man checking his spirit, examining his heart, and that God will meet anyone with good intent half way. God wishes no one to be lost.
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