Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Justice
Roger over at A-Team blog continues his look at justice, this time looking at "an eye-for-an-eye." Roger quotes Gregory Koukl
So comes the retort, "If Jesus paid the price, who are we to reassert it?" I think the answer is simple. As individuals we are required to appropriate the salvation from that justice that Christ gained for us. But we likewise can never truly know the salvation status of someone, as has been talked about quite a bit lately. As a society, we must do our best to administer justice not for the sake of the individual, but for the sake of the society.
Jesus did not abolish justice, He fulfilled it.
Related Tags: Christianity, justice, death penalty, salvation, Jesus
"In fact, Jesus never challenged the validity of the death penalty when He had perfect opportunity to do so. Even in John 8, with the woman caught in adultery, he never challenged the death penalty itself. He didn't enforce it under what seemed to be an unjust situation because all the witnesses fled. Remember, Jesus said, "Is there no one here to condemn you? Then neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." The Law required witnesses to convict someone. Jesus did not speak against the death penalty here. It was required by law."Of course the law required it! Jesus own death is testimony to the fact that justice requires a death penalty.
So comes the retort, "If Jesus paid the price, who are we to reassert it?" I think the answer is simple. As individuals we are required to appropriate the salvation from that justice that Christ gained for us. But we likewise can never truly know the salvation status of someone, as has been talked about quite a bit lately. As a society, we must do our best to administer justice not for the sake of the individual, but for the sake of the society.
Jesus did not abolish justice, He fulfilled it.
Related Tags: Christianity, justice, death penalty, salvation, Jesus
