Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
This is what I thought you meant. But I don't agree that the "judge not" passage in Matt 7 applies to it. That passage is talking about self-righteous judgment, not judgment that is impossible to make.
Suppose a woman is a prostitute and I have certain knowledge that she is. If I say "that dirty whore" in a self-righteous manner, then that is what the Lord is addressing in Matt 7.
But if I don't have certain knowledge of her and I say "that woman is a prostitute" that's not the judging Matt 7 is talking about. That's more like bearing false witness. Because I'm saying something is true that I don't for certain know is true. Saying WL is the MOTA falls into that category, I would think.
Like I said, I think you are interpreting Matt 7 too broadly. The Lord says in other places that we need to judge in certain cases.
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So how would you distinguish between "self righteous judgment" and someone who is "judging the heart". In the example you give I can see someone judging that someone else committed fornication, adultery, or sold their body for sex. But to then take the next step and say they are a "whore" to me is what is forbidden.
As to the MOTA, there was a range of understanding on this. You held to the strictest understanding of Apostles having the authority to write scripture, others held a more lenient view. I don't think we ever found a definitive verse on this matter. Now Paul told the Corinthians that they should have been able to judge that he was an apostle. Also, how could the Lord commend the church in Ephesus for trying those that say they are apostles and finding them false, if you can't discern if someone wasn't a true apostle. So I have no issue with someone who thinks we still have apostles or with someone who judges that a particular brother is an apostle. But MOTA implies more than that, "Minister of the Age". Even if you feel that we still have the gift of apostles, how could you judge that one particular one is the "MOTA", it seems to me to be similar to when the Lord said "to sit on my right hand or my left is not mine to give". If the Lord would say that how much more us?