Justice in the New Testament

Through the years, some have claimed that the two testaments of the Bible portray two very different Gods: an Old Testament God of intense wrath and judgment in contrast with a New Testament God of love, grace, and compassion—demonstrated through the life and ministry of Jesus.

Such a view is totally disproven by an examination of each testament. The words love and mercy are not missing from the Old Testament, as a Bible concordance readily demonstrates. At the same time, God’s judgment and justice permeate the New Testament; and justice is the theme of this quarter. God’s righteous judgment will one day be visited on all people everywhere, and he requires justice from his people in their dealings with others.

Teachings of Jesus

The lessons of units 1 and 2 emphasize Jesus’ desire that people be treated with the mercy that was often denied them. That denial came about because of social standing or because of the twisted priorities of those who claimed to be godly. The wide chasm between the viewpoints of the religious leaders and Jesus is illustrated by the confrontations recorded in lessons 1 and 3. It will also be clear from the Scripture text of lesson 6, taken from Jesus’ denunciation of the teachers of the law and Pharisees in Matthew 23.

Jesus clearly taught that a Day of Judgment is included in God’s timetable. This is seen in his parable of the weeds, covered in lesson 2, and then dramatically conveyed in the account of Lazarus and the rich man, presented in lesson 4. Jesus’ parable of the widow and the unjust judge, lesson 7, teaches us that patience is required of those who may at times be troubled by God’s apparent slowness to act. He will indeed “bring about justice for his chosen ones” (Luke 18:7) at his appointed time. In the meantime, we should never lose sight of how much mercy God has shown to us. The parable of the unforgiving servant, lesson 5, is a cautionary tale of a man unwilling to extend to a fellow servant the same mercy that he himself had been granted.

Within these lessons, attitudes of pride and self-righteousness are exposed for the dangers they pose. In lesson 8, a smug complacency is seen in those who assume they already “have their ticket punched” to the kingdom of God. They will be very surprised, says Jesus, to find themselves on the outside looking in. A similar attitude is condemned in the parable of the great dinner, lesson 9. Those who treat spiritual matters with a “take it or leave it” attitude will find their names omitted from the guest list.

Paul’s Teaching

The same combination of concern for living justly now while being aware of God’s future judgment is seen in the third unit of studies, drawn from Paul’s letters. Paul warns Christians that they should not presume to don their judicial robes, especially when they are guilty of the same sins for which they are condemning others. God will judge all people and will “not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11, lesson 10).

The remaining three lessons challenge Christians to faithful giving and living. In today’s world, so marked by intense strife and division, Paul’s exhortations provide timeless and practical guidelines that should be the trademarks of followers of Jesus. The final verse of the final lesson, Colossians 3:17, provides a fitting finish: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

by Douglas Redford

Unit 1: God Is Just and Merciful

Date	Title	Bible Text
June  3	Justice and sabbath laws	Matthew 12:1-14
June 10	Parables of God’s just kingdom	Matthew 13:24-33
June 17	Jesus teaches about justice	Matthew 15:1-9
June 24	Reaping God’s justice	Luke 16:19-31

Unit 2: Jesus Calls for Justice and Mercy

Date	Title	Bible Text
July 1	Parable of the unforgiving servant	Matthew 18:21-35
July 8	Jesus criticizes unjust leaders	Matthew 23:1-4, 23-26
July 15	The widow and the unjust judge	Luke 18:1-8
July 22	Entering God’s kingdom	Luke 13:22-30
July 29	Parable of the great dinner	Luke 14:15-24

Unit 3: Paul Teaches About New Life in Christ

Date	Title	Bible Text
August 5	God’s justice	Romans 2:1-12
August 12	Giving justly	2 Corinthians 8:7-15
August 19	Loving and just behavior	Romans 12:9:21
August 26	Practicing justice	Colossians 3:5-17