Title: What to Do About Sin?
2005. 9.4.
What is sin?
There is a lot of controversy these days over the issue of the death penalty in the Korean church. The reason for the dispute was first provided by the Korean Christian Federation (KCCH). They argued that the death penalty was based on the Bible. In response, the Korean Christian Council (KNCC) argued that the death penalty was against the spirit of Christianity. If you listen to each of these arguments, you'll probably think they all make sense. There is truth to the claim that child abductors and murderers should be completely isolated from society, and even so, there is truth to the claim that the end of a human life is violence in itself. I personally oppose the death penalty, but I don't want to completely condemn those who support it. The reason is that genuine dialogue between people who think about society and history from completely different dimensions is not possible. Rather than blushing and fighting against each other, it would be much more effective to draw natural results through the process of presenting rational grounds for each argument.
in front of sin or sinners
Today's text presents a countermeasure in four steps. The first is to give personal advice, the second is to take one or two people as witnesses and give advice (Deuteronomy 19:15), and if the solution is still not resolved, notify the church, and if you reject even the official advice of the church, finally, you can make him a Gentile or a publican. Like I said here. This method is partially linked to the Old Testament, but fundamentally goes beyond it. It agrees with the Old Testament in the intermediate stage of bringing up some witnesses, but the results are completely different. The Old Testament basically deals with the problem of sin in this way. “Do not take pity on such a person. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deuteronomy 19:21). But today's text teaches us to treat ourselves like Gentiles and tax collectors (verse 17).
It is not easy to interpret this saying to treat yourself like a Gentile and a publican. If you look at the flow of today's text alone, it seems like a kind of punishment to treat you like a foreigner and a publican. However, in the Gospels, Gentiles and tax collectors do not appear in such a bad way. The people Jesus came close to were tax collectors and sinners. This does not mean, however, that the Gentiles and tax collectors referred to in this text are examples of benevolent people.
If the text alone is not sufficient to interpret it, you should look at the context before and after it. Look at verses 21 and 22 that follow today's text. Jesus said that we must forgive not only seven times, but seventy-seven times. The conclusion of the parable of the merciless servant (23-35) is also forgiveness for the brother. “My Father in heaven will do the same to you, unless you sincerely forgive one another” (verse 35).
Given this context, the teaching to treat like a Gentile and a tax collector can eventually be engraved as a meaning to forgive, whether or not they realize their mistake and admit it. We need to understand this situation a little more closely. When a brother who has done something wrong to me realizes his mistake, he becomes my brother, and if he does not realize it, he becomes like a stranger and a publican. But what is important here is my consistent attitude toward the sinful brother, whatever his attitude, whatever the consequences. I can only forgive him.
It would be okay to mention the death penalty one more time. The CCK's claim that the death penalty is based on the Bible follows the teachings of the Old Testament. The Old Testament teaching is the logic that we have sinned to death and that we must die. Because only by killing such a person can society work safely. So, Israel in the Old Testament condemned the Canaanites as evil and did not hesitate to fight a bloody war. But the gospel of Jesus does not deal with sin so violently. Forgiveness was Jesus' response to evil.
earth and sky
What do you think of Jesus' prescription? Will violence be ended in this way and true peace will be realized in this world? Isn't this act of forgiveness in Christianity, ultimately, this act of loving the enemy, failing to face the reality? Couldn’t evil be moving around in this world because of this ‘naive’ way?
Jesus did not tell us to unconditionally forgive our brother who sinned because he was naive. Jesus viewed human sin as a force rooted in a much deeper world. It is saying that human sin and evil can never be overcome unless we approach it from the depths. In verse 18, Jesus said: “I say clearly. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In other words, it means that the problems of the earth are directly related to the sky.
Then look at verses 19 and 20. “I say it again. If two of you agree to ask in this world, my Father in heaven will grant you anything. For where even two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” Here, ‘what’ means the litigation problem that occurs within the church community (1 Corinthians 6:1). What does it mean that if we pray, these lawsuits will be resolved? This can be understood as meaning that the judgment of right and wrong is judged by God. This is specifically the presence of Jesus Christ.
A slightly complicated story followed. To summarize this statement: Problems intertwined between people must be resolved not in the application of certain legal regulations, but in the relationship with God, specifically, the relationship with Jesus Christ. Because, as mentioned earlier, the root of everything that happens on this earth is in heaven, that is, God.
Perhaps I should explain a little more that the root of sin is in heaven. I pointed out earlier that Jesus didn't just say that we should forgive people's mistakes just because they have a good heart. Remember it again and listen to the explanation. The most fundamental reason we need to forgive people's sins is that we have to forgive even seventy times seven times because human beings are destined to make such mistakes all the time. Sin is our existence.
This is also the reason why Christianity teaches that humans are stained with original sin. This concept of original sin, that Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, brought death into this world, and that their sins are passed on to their descendants, is the result of reflecting on the depth of sin inherent in human existence. I'm not going to go into detail here about how wicked humans are and how easily exposed to sinful tendencies. I will not comment on conspiracy tactics, human selfishness, and unscrupulous behavior in society. We need to be able to see not only the outward behavior, but also the root of it. It is actually such an evil force that still works not only on those who live unscrupulously, but also on those of us who are relatively educated. I am still very egocentric, and I often cleverly rationalize myself in order to achieve myself.
This does not mean that I believe sin fatalism is right. I am not trying to say that because human beings are fundamentally corrupt, they cannot help but commit sins no matter how hard they try, so that they must eventually live in a state of insecurity in guilt. Also, I'm not saying that everyone has a root of sin, so we shouldn't be silent about the faults of others. We need to shape new horizons of personal and social ethics as much as possible. That said, we must find concrete alternatives as it is, but we must not undermine the root of this problem.
prayer on the ground
The source that we should not damage no matter what lies in our relationship with God. For those who commit sin, the relationship with God is the key, and for those who have to deal with it, the relationship with God is also the key. To sin is specifically directed toward your neighbor, but fundamentally towards God. In this respect, even if it does not violate our positive law, fundamentally, the act of destroying God's life is a sin. We, who are victims of these mistakes, can be held accountable specifically for them, but that does not fundamentally solve the problem. Only God can hold us accountable for our sins. How can a human judge the inside of a person? How will humans judge the extent of the aftermath of that sin? In this sense, the judgment and punishment of sin is God's responsibility.
So it seems that Paul also said that it is right to leave the work of revenge in God's hands (Romans 12:19). We can give advice to the extent we can think of it, and we must forgive whether it is accepted or not. But don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should just pretend we don't know and bury all personal and social evils. Even if you follow today's text, you must reveal what you want to reveal in front of people. And forgive me. That is the most important problem we have to solve on the ground. And treat him like a stranger, like a publican. That is the way to forgive. If that kind of forgiveness doesn't work, pray. When two or three people pray together, God will grant us a heart to forgive. *