"Judgment" is a bit ambiguous. What's its purpose? Condemnation, or "Houston, we've had a problem"? It's a lot easier to notice a problem and take warning than to evaluate all the details. I have to apply some judgment, enough for my needs and responsibilities (Is that guy likely to prove a threat? Would she be a good teacher?), but more than that may be encroaching on God's turf.
Romans 2:7 and 2:8 both describe people who persevere--clear cut "trying to be good" and "trying to be bad". Judging the lazy is a bit messier. Though there's always Laodicea.
We don't go in a lot for gnostic "special knowledge needed for true salvation" explicitly, but we seem to emphasize classes more than practice. Of course it's easier to get people to show up for most sessions of a class than to scrape together a snow-shoveling crew of the able-bodied (who have to get to work or school too). But "render to each person according to his deeds" suggests that maybe taking class notes isn't quite all that's required.
Judgment for all, for the Jew first and then the Greek. The order seems to reflect who got the explicit revelations from God, and from whom more is expected. If so, Christians, following the revelation of the living Word, seem likely to be first in line now.
No comments:
Post a Comment