Right Texts, Wrong Meanings

Busting Myths from Popular New Testament Texts

Tsang

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781621896524
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Right Texts, Wrong Meanings takes some popular New Testament texts and meanings to illustrate how many Christians have misunderstood the Bible. Along the explorative journey, readers will learn that meanings are not as obvious as they seem. At the same time, they will also learn that with the right method, the possible meanings are within their grasp.

PART ONE

Popularly Misused Texts in Narrative

1

Matthew 7:1–12—To Judge or Not?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

The Popular Meaning

I saw a Facebook update that said, “Thou shall not judge others by their Facebook updates.” Without a doubt, Matthew 7:1 is popular.

There are three common meanings given for 7:1–12. Let me list them as simply as possible. We shall see later that these three popular meanings mislead rather than enlighten.

First, 7:1 is often quoted like some kind of proverb, even for Facebook updates. Basically the popular interpretation goes something like this: If you judge others, you will also be judged by God. So, absolutely do not judge under any circumstances.

Second, 7:6 is often applied in terms of evangelism strategy. The interpretation goes something like this: If we give a message to a potential convert, and they refuse to believe, then we treat them like dogs and pigs.

Third, 7:7–12 is a passage that is frequently misunderstood because it seems to contain teaching on prayer. The common interpretation goes something like this: Jesus wants us to pray so much that we pray without ceasing, like asking, seeking, and knocking. Eventually, we can change God’s mind through our persistence.Where Does the Passage Begin?

Before we find the true meaning of this passage, we must first find out where it begins. It is easy to assume the passage begins at 7:1. However, I like to see it as part of a bigger picture of worldview discussion. (My readers will have to indulge me a bit for this detailed discussion. The paradigm I create from this discussion will determine how we view the verses in question.) If we see no logical coherence, but just view these as separate topics or just see them as a collection of Jesus’ teachings compiled by Matthew for no particular reason, we probably have not tried hard enough. Logical coherence is the key.

It is important to recognize the connecting points in any sermon, the places where sections change. In this passage, the best place to see a blatant change is 6:25, where Jesus said, “therefore,” drawing to a close the discussion on doing acts of righteousness in front of others (found in 6:1–18) and storing up the right treasures (6:19–24). If the section 6:19–24 draws the discussion to a close, then it not only points directly towards the discussion about acts of righteousness, but is an indispensible part of it.

The discussion that follows the “therefore” in 6:25 has a series of prohibitions that start with “do not . . .” Matthew 7:1 continues this series of prohibitions. It is as if Jesus was saying that the reason people did acts of righteousness in front of others was because they sought worldly value rather than kingdom value. Such false acts of self-righteousness may lead to a judgmental attitude towards others. We must however look at how the entire chapter 6 coheres together, in order to understand how chapter 7 follows.

The worldly value the people sought went directly against the three acts of righteousness. They sought worldly value because they did not believe God would reward them for their secret, but generous, giving (cf. 6:4), for their secret, but faith-based, prayer (cf. 6:6, 8), and for their secret, but truthful, fasting (cf. 6:18). This will be important in understanding the subsequent discussion of 7:1–12. The repeated theme of God being a rewarding God goes completely against the worldview of those who sought worldly reward, whether in material gain or human approval. The acts of righteousness from 6:1–24 indicate the kind of belief people had in God. The logic looks something like this outline:

6:1	acts of righteousness
6:2–4	correct judgment about God and others in giving results in two kinds of reward
6:5–15	correct judgment about God and others in prayer results in two kinds of reward
6:16–18	correct judgment about God and others in fasting results in two kinds of reward

Part of 7:1–12 complements 6:1–24 because of the logical progression of the former into the latter:

6:1–24	acts of righteousness
7:1–12	self-righteousness

From the above diagram, the logic shows that acts of righteousness, if not done with the correct attitude, can lead to self-righteousness.

In other words, 6:1–24 has to do with how others and God judge the kingdom citizen, while 7:1–12 is about how the citizen judges others. Thus, the self-righteousness of 7:1 is rooted in the self-glorification of 6:1–18. Such self-glorification is rooted in a lack of understanding of the God of this kingdom, stated in 6:19–34. We cannot understand what goes on after 7:1 without looking back at 6:1–18 and the transitional connection of 6:19–34.

The Meaning of the Passage

Having looked briefly at the sectional division, I think we’re ready to dive in and find the meaning for 7:1–12. Right at 7:1, Jesus addressed the audience in second person plural “you,” which shows his intention to set them apart from others. From whom would they be set apart? There is a hint that Jesus was talking to a person with the attitude of the self-righteous Pharisee because Jesus used his favorite polemical description, “hypocrites,” in 7:5 (cf. 6:2, 5, 16). Additionally, “hypocrites” was a favorite description by Jesus of the Pharisees in Matthew (e.g., 15:7; 22:18; 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27; etc.). The word “hypocrites” takes on a very negative connotation, but it actually means something like “play actors.” It only (rightly) takes on a negative connotation because the person acting out righteousness is not, in reality, very righteous at all.

Now that we have seen the wider context of the hypocrites, let’s look at the two analogies Jesus used in order to illustrate 7:1–2. First, Jesus used the plank and sawdust analogy, but he also individualized the application by switching from the plural “you” in 7:1 to singular “you” in 7:3 to show personal responsibility playing a part in kingdom value. The singular “you” continues all the way to Matthew 7:3–5. As an example, the verses in Matthew 7:1–3 look something like this:

7:1 Do not judge, or you (plural) too will be judged.

7:2 For in the same way you (plural) judge others, you (plural) will be judged, and with the measure you (plural) use, it will be measured to you (plural).

7:3 Why do you (singular) look at the speck of sawdust in your (singular) brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your (singular) own eye?

By switching from general corporate command to individual responsibility, Jesus was saying that every kingdom citizen can become a hypocrite. The key to taking responsibility has to do with vision. In Matthew 7:4, when Jesus discussed the singular “eye,” he was not talking about a person having only one eye, but he was talking about impaired vision because of the plank. In today’s example, it is like getting a two-by-four in the eye socket. With the plank in one eye, only one eye could see. Furthermore, if a plank was through an eye socket, the impaired vision could be potentially deadly. A plank through the eye socket is fatal!

By comparing the plank with the sawdust, Jesus not only demonstrated existence of two similar problems, but also different degrees of the problem. To judge others for the same fault we commit is the very definition of hypocrisy. To judge others for the same fault, while having a similar flaw to a greater degree, is completely foolhardy. The very fact a plank is in one’s eye shows how readily obvious and painful our own fault is. Jesus was saying that if his listeners still did not notice such an obviously painful reality in their own eyes, then they were even in worse shape than originally thought. The willingness to execute critical self-judgment is highly important. Moreover, Jesus did not say that the judgment was merely self-judgment, but may also come in the form of correction by others. He said that when people did not pay attention to the plank, it opened the possibility for others to notice the plank. In other words, others could comment and say, “Hey, you have a plank there.” The impaired vision caused misjudgment about the seriousness of one’s own problem. The plank could cause one to lose his life altogether. Contrary to common misconception, Jesus was not saying that we should never judge. Rather, he was saying that no judgment should be executed without prior self-judgment. Judgment can be proper only when the moral standing and vision are grounded in true righteousness.

In suggesting that we correctly remove the sawdust from the brother’s eye, Jesus implied that the brother is willing for the sawdust to be removed. The person is open for correction and self-betterment. However, what if a person is unwilling to change, even if correct judgment is cast upon him? The answer leads us to Jesus’ second analogy in 7:6. Jesus’ answer was to not cast or give what is precious to dogs and pigs, both of which were unclean in first-century Jewish culture. Many commentators do not know how to deal with 7:6. The answers must lie in the context, along with the switch from second person singular of previous verses to plural in 7:6. Therefore, the community and not merely the individual should decide whether a person is a dog or a pig. “What is sacred” denotes whatever is set apart by the sacred community of Jesus, especially regarding truth and judgment. This ceremonial language describes not so much sacrificial meat, but that which is given in form of truth, especially correcting a “brother” (7:3–5). Within the context, this is not talking about evangelism strategy, as it has been so commonly presupposed, but about dealing with an erring brother.

It is best to summarize what we have found so far. The first analogy of the plank and sawdust deals with the person making judgment. The second analogy of dogs and pigs deals with...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part One: Popularly Misused Texts in Narrative
• Chapter 1: Matthew 7:1–12—To Judge or Not?
• Chatper 2: Matthew 11:28–30—Finding “Rest” in Jesus?
• Chapter 3: Matthew 18—Church Discipline? Prayer Meetings?
• Chapter 4: Mark 6:14–29—A Gruesome Murder Only?
• Chapter 5: Mark 11:22–25—Prayers that Move Mountains?
• Chapter 6: Luke 2:1–20—The “Humble” Baby Jesus?
• Chatper 7: Luke 6:17–26—Poverty as the Ultimate Good?
• Chapter 8: Luke 10:38–42—Submissive Mary Against Fussy Martha?
• Chapter 9: Luke 11:1–13—The Lord’s Prayer Only?
• Chapter 10: Luke 15—Which Lost Son?
• Chapter 11: Luke 16:1–15—Dishonesty and Divorce?
• Chapter 12: Luke 21:1–4—A Lesson on Sacrificial Giving?
• Chapter 13: John 10:1–21—A Lesson about Shepherding?
• Part Two: Popularly Misused Texts in Letters
• Chapter 14: Romans 8:28—All Things Work Out?
• Chapter 15: Romans 13—Absolute Obedience to an Unjust Government?
• Chapter 16: 1 Corinthians 6:12–20—My Body, God’s Temple?
• Chapter 17: 1 Corinthians 11:1—Imitate Paul, Imitate Christ?
• Chapter 18: 2 Corinthians 6:14—Unequally Yoked, Unequally Married?
• Chapter 19: Ephesians 2:14—Which Wall?
• Chapter 20: Ephesians 2:20—Prophets Today?
• Chapter 21: Ephesians 6:10–18—Putting on the Full Armor of God?
• Chapter 22: Philippians 2:5—Same Attitude as Christ’s?
• Chapter 23: 1 Timothy 4:8—An Excuse Not to Keep Fit?
• Chapter 24: 2 Timothy 3:16—“All” Scripture Is “God-Breathed?”
• Chapter 25: James 3:1–2—Watching Your Tongue?
• Part Three: Popularly Misused Texts in Apocalyptic Literature
• Chapter 26: Revelation 3:16, 20—Lukewarm? An Invitation to Unbelievers?
• Chapter 27: Revelation 7:1–17; 14:1–5—Israel and the Rapture Church?
• Chapter 28: Revelation 22:18–19—Subtracting from the Canon?
• Conclusion