As I worked on this essay I read an article by Jeffrey Fleishman, How an angry national mood is reflected in pop culture. Two sentences really resonated: 1) “Our screens and phones fume with righteousness;” and 2) “Our shared humanity has been demarcated on smaller and smaller screens that often brim more with quicksilver judgment than open-mindedness.” It struck me as a sort of default position that I quote here as contrast to the righteousness of love Paul described.
One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike,[1] Paul continued his discussion of love. No form of ἅγιος occurs in the text. The concept holier is derived from κρίνει (a form of κρίνω), “to distinguish, to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose,” translated regards. I don’t think there is any problem with that translation except that the second regards is also κρίνει, so another regards all days equally holy would be a more balanced translation of the second clause. A note (3) in the NET acknowledged the literal text: “For one judges day from day, and one judges all days.”
Each must be fully convinced (πληροφορείσθω, a form of πληροφορέω) in his own mind,[2] Paul continued. He was fully convinced (πληροφορηθεὶς, another form of πληροφορέω) that what God promised he was also able to do, Paul wrote of Abraham. So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness.[3] But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed (πληροφορηθῇ, another form of πληροφορέω) for all the Gentiles to hear,[4] he wrote Timothy. And, You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill (πληροφόρησον, another form of πληροφορέω) your ministry. For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart is at hand.[5] Epaphras, who is one of you, Paul wrote believers in Colossae, and a slave of Christ, greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured (πεπληροφορημένοι, another form of πληροφορέω) in all the will of God.[6]
This gives me a good picture of the caliber of conviction Paul addressed. A Catholic believer may be fully convinced that Sunday, the day Jesus arose from death, is the most holy day of the week. A Seventh Day Adventist may be fully convinced that Saturday (28 Fundamental Beliefs, The Sabbath 20), the original Sabbath yehôvâh consecrated in the law, is more holy. And I may be fully convinced that since I began to be led by the Holy Spirit every day is most holy: Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.[7]
As I rest from my own works of sin and my own righteousness (likened to used tampons) to rely instead on the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness,[8] the fruit of the Spirit, I see every day as the Sabbath. And I understand why Jesus healed so stubbornly on the Sabbath: to demonstrate beyond the shadow of any doubt that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath,[9] including by the way serving my employer as a slave of Christ.[10] But love neither despises nor judges us—the Catholic, the Seventh Day Adventist or me—for our differing convictions concerning holy days.
The one who observes (φρονῶν, a form of φρονέω) the day does (φρονεῖ, another form of φρονέω) it for the Lord, Paul continued. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.[11] Then Paul added a somewhat curious aside about Jesus’ rule (κυριεύσῃ, a form of κυριεύω). For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord (κυριεύσῃ) of both the dead and the living.[12]
My religion has taught me to add “if I allow it” to an assertion such as this. I’ve learned to assert my will over the lordship of Jesus. But I notice now that isn’t in the text. And certainly the assertion of my authority over his was never my elders’ intent but an unintended consequence of what I now see as a defensive posture: If I refuse or fail to believe sufficiently in Jesus in this lifetime and spend eternity in hell it was not that Christ’s death and life failed to make Him Lord of both the dead and the living, but that I didn’t allow his Lordship to be efficacious in my earthly lifetime. It is a brilliant maneuver. I’m not convinced it’s true, so I’ll let Paul speak for himself once again: For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
But you who eat vegetables only, Paul continued, why do you judge (κρίνεις, another form of κρίνω) your brother or sister? And you who eat everything – why do you despise (ἐξουθενεῖς, a form of ἐξουθενέω) your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat (βήματι, a form of βῆμα) of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”[13] I’m not sure about translating ἐξομολογήσεται (a form of ἐξομολογέω) will give praise here, no matter how hopeful it sounds.
Judas agreed (ἐξωμολόγησεν, another form of ἐξομολογέω) and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.[14] Paul wrote the Philippians, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue confess (ἐξομολογήσηται, another form of ἐξομολογέω) that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.[15] As it is written, Paul quoted Psalm 18:49, “Because of this I will confess (ἐξομολογήσομαι, another form of ἐξομολογέω) you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises (ψαλῶ, a form of ψάλλω) to your name.”[16] So confess (ἐξομολογεῖσθε, another form of ἐξομολογέω) your sins to one another,[17] James wrote. People from Jerusalem…confessed (ἐξομολογούμενοι, another form of ἐξομολογέω) their sins[18] as they were baptized. And in Ephesus, Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing (ἐξομολογούμενοι, another form of ἐξομολογέω) and making their deeds known.[19]
Paul’s point here was, Therefore, each of us will give an account (λόγον, a form of λόγος) of himself to God.[20] Of course, if every tongue confesses, what will the outcome be? To be fair and complete, Jesus said, I praise (ἐξομολογοῦμαι, another form of ἐξομολογέω) you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.[21] On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise (ἐξομολογοῦμαι, another form of ἐξομολογέω) you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.”[22] Perhaps this ἐξομολογέω, agreement with God, confession to God, is a form of praise after all.
Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another,[23] Paul concluded, Μηκέτι οὖν ἀλλήλους κρίνωμεν (literally, “no longer therefore one another judge” or “therefore we no longer judge one another”). I don’t understand why the NET translators turned this simple declarative statement into a rule, beyond the social construction of our shared religious reality. Most translations adopted some form of let us stop here. Though I remain the locus of control in both translations, one might argue that in let us stop I have repented and am heading in the right direction, not-doing as opposed to doing. But neither translation conveys being the love with which Christ’s Spirit fills us.
Before I was focused on the fruit of the Spirit I was like a fat ugly woman–or an old poor powerless man for that matter–priding myself in my celibacy. But seeing righteousness as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control has put me in direct conflict with how sinful the sin in my flesh actually is. It is utterly opposed to love or joy or peace or patience or kindness or goodness or faithfulness or gentleness or any and every form of control. This conflict, mostly losing it, has taught me to stop trusting in myself but in God who raises the dead.
We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer (μηκέτι) be enslaved to sin.[24] This is the same word as Μηκέτι in “therefore we no longer judge one another” above. And [Jesus] died for all so that those who live should no longer (μηκέτι) live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.[25] So we are no longer (μηκέτι) to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love. So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer (μηκέτι) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.[26]
In other words, this κρίνωμεν (another form of κρίνω; translated pass judgment) is from the old human. We judge no longer if we are no longer the old human, if we are led by Spirit, but rather determine (κρίνατε, another form of κρίνω) never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister, Paul continued. I know (οἶδα, a form of εἴδω) and am convinced (πέπεισμαι, a form of πείθω) in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean (κοινὸν, a form of κοινός) in itself,[27] the former Pharisee agreed and confessed with (and so praised?) Jesus (Mark 7:1-8 NET).
Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered around him. And they saw that some of Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with unclean (κοιναῖς, another form of κοινός) hands, that is, unwashed (ἀνίπτοις, a form of ἄνιπτος). (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches.) The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed (κοιναῖς, another form of κοινός) hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’ Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.”
Born the son of a scrubby dutch mother with an obsessive personality of my own, I have a serious hand-washing fetish. It has become apparent that applying the sterile conditions of the operating room to all of life is detrimental to human health. At the Institute for Functional Medicine conferences I record I’m learning that our overly cleanly habits may be part of the cause of our maladaptive immune systems. Children need dirt as much as mother’s milk to jump-start their immune and digestive systems. Jesus said (Mark 7:14, 15 NET):
Listen to me, everyone, and understand. There is nothing outside of a person that can defile (κοινῶσαι, a form of κοινόω) him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles (κοινοῦντα, another form of κοινόω) him.
Jesus’ disciples were as surprised by this as we may be, so he explained (Mark 7:18-23 NET):
“Are you so foolish? Don’t you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile (κοινῶσαι, another form of κοινόω) him? For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer.” (This means all foods are clean.) He said, “What comes out of a person defiles (κοινοῖ, another form of κοινόω) him. For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, evil (πονηρίαι, a form of πονηρία), deceit, debauchery, envy (ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός), slander, pride, and folly. All these evils come from within and defile (κοινοῖ, another form of κοινόω) a person.”
By the way, another tidbit I’ve gleaned from IFM conferences is that inflammation caused by stress impairs the healthy functioning of all our biological systems. I imagine the stress of all these evils (πονηρὰ, a form of πονηρός, “hurtful, full of labours, annoyances, hardships”) and know firsthand the stress of attempting to overcome them in my own strength rather than receiving the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness, the fruit of his Spirit. I’ll pick this up again later.
Below is a comparison of Paul’s Old Testament quotations with the Septuagint, the NET and the KJV.
|
NET |
Parallel Greek | |
| every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.
Romans 14:11b |
ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ
Romans 14:11b |
ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ
Isaiah 45:23b |
|
NET |
NET |
KJV |
| every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.
Romans 14:11b |
Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm
Isaiah 45:23b |
That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear
Isaiah 45:23b |
| NET | Parallel Greek | |
| Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.
Romans 15:9b |
διὰ τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαι σοι ἐν ἔθνεσιν καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι σου ψαλῶ
Romans 15:9b |
διὰ τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν ἔθνεσιν κύριε καὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου ψαλῶ
Psalm 18:49 |
|
NET |
NET |
KJV |
| Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.
Romans 15:9b |
So I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord! I will sing praises to you!
Psalm 18:49 |
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Psalm 18:49 |
[10] Ephesians 6:5-8 (NET) I certainly relate to having difficulty with this passage. If you find it impossible to serve your employer as a slave of Christ, perhaps you are not being led by the Holy Spirit or perhaps you need to seek a new job, assuming you are free to do so.
[15] Philippians 2:10, 11 (NET)
[18] Matthew 3:5, 6 (NET); Mark 1:5 (NET)
[20] Romans 14:12 (NET) Table
[26] Ephesians 4:14-17 (NET) Table