About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman

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Roaming The Roman Roads

 

The lives of people throughout the first-century Greco-Roman world were significantly enhanced because of the network of roads intertwined throughout the empire.  These roads formed a communication network that made it possible for further growth of the empire's social, economic, and political environment.  Like all cultural advancements, these roads were travelled by both the evil and the good.  Despite this presence of evil, these roads provided the means by which the gospel of Jesus could be preached far and wide.        

 

Like the Roman roads, the internet has provided us with a communication network that has significantly enhanced our lives.  The ease of communication has given rise to further advancements in our social, economic, and political environment.  It has made the spread of the gospel of Christ easier and faster than ever, and that despite wickedness winding its way through the World Wide Web.  Hidden within this confusing mess of ungodliness is a pandemic of false doctrine and false prophecies claiming to be Biblical.  This makes Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 14:29 more important today than it was in his day.   

 

"Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said."

 

The Greek word "diakrino" is translated as "weigh carefully" in the NIV that I have just quoted.  The KJV translates diakrino as judge, while other versions of the Bible translate it as evaluate in this verse.  Diakrino suggests the process whereby we separate and dissect something in order to draw an informative, credible, conclusive judgment. 

 

Paul taught that we must judge, and judge is an appropriate word, whatever is espoused in the name of the Lord.  We are to critically dissect and analyze what is espoused, and with diligent and thoughtful investigative study of the Biblical facts, we make a credible, Biblical judgment.  In our day when the word "judging" is a negative and nasty word, Jesus told us both to judge and how to judge, as seen in John 7:24.

 

"Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment."

 

The process of righteous judging is a necessity in today's online marketplace of infectious heresies posing as Biblical truth.  These heretical viral infections must not sicken our minds and souls, so we judge.  Our judgment is not based on feelings, emotions, presuppositions, or traditions. Our judgment is not based on feelings, emotions, presuppositions, or traditions, but rather on righteous judgment that is a product of a well thought out investigative dissecting of what is espoused in comparison to the Biblical facts.  From this process we formulate a credible Biblical judgment by which we live.      

 

For further details on how I understand the Bible's concept of righteous judging, you can read my book entitled, Clarifying Biblical Judging, subtitled, does do not judge mean do not judge?  It can be purchased on all Amazon sites.         

 

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