ArchivedOne sin greater than another?Alpha wrote:I have to disagree, strongly disagree with you on this post.
Which part? About there being a greater sin than another in general, or specifically about the sins of adultery?
Kobe would have been better off to think of his wife and not adultery since thinking about his wife is what a husband should do
Agreed.
while thinking about and committing adultery are equally sinful.
They both are sinful, but I don't know about equally. In the Old Testament, would Isreal stone a person to death for committing adultery physically or committing adultery in the heart? Also, in John 19:11 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says to Pilate, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." Jesus clearly points out that the ones who delivered Him to Pilate has done the worse sin. Yes Pilate sinned himself by giving Jesus the thumbs down, but Pilate would not be in that situation if it weren't for the "deliverers."
Here is a short list of death penalty offenses in the Old Testament.
- Leviticus 20:27
'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.' "
NAS
- Exodus 21:16
16 "And he who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death. NAS
- Exodus 21:17
17 And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
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- Exodus 21:29
29 If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. NAS
- Exodus 22:19
19 "Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.
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- Exodus 31:14
14 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. NAS
- Leviticus 20:13
13 'If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. NAS
- Leviticus 24:16
16 'Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
NAS Would the Hebrews have stoned a lustful man? No, but does our society stone those who committ adultery or violate the sabbath? How do you justify appealing to OT society in assigning degrees of sin and then violate the Law?
As to John 19:11, lets take a closer look at a portion of that passage:
[Therefore] On this account. "You are a magistrate. Your power, as such, is given you by God. You are not, indeed, guilty for accusing me, or malignantly arraigning me; but you have power intrusted to you over my life; and the Jews, who knew this, and who knew that the power of a magistrate was given to him by God, have the greater sin for seeking my condemnation before a tribunal appointed by God, and for endeavoring to obtain so solemn a sanction to their own malignant and wicked purposes. They have endeavored to avail themselves of the civil power, the sacred appointment of God, and on this account their sin is greater." This does not mean that their sin was greater than that of Pilate, though that was true; but their sin was greater on account of the fact that they perseveringly and malignantly endeavored to obtain the sanction of the magistrate to their wicked proceedings. Nor does it mean, because God had purposed his death (Acts 2:23), and given power to Pilate, that therefore their sin was greater, for God's purpose in the case made it neither more nor less. It did not change the nature of their free acts. This passage teaches no such doctrine, but that their sin was aggravated by malignantly endeavoring to obtain the sanction of a magistrate who was invested with authority by God, and who wielded the power that God gave him. By this Pilate ought to have been convinced, and was convinced, of their wickedness, and hence he sought more and more to release him.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
The motivation behind the Sanhedrin’s desire added to the burden of their act, however, the end result and consequences for this act is equal.
Now, in case you come back and say Jesus fulfilled the law, lets take a closer look at this section of Scripture. Matt 5:17-20
17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. 19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. NAS
In the verses that follow this Jesus equates thoughts, motivation, and acts. So "fulfill" does not mean "set aside" it means "expand".
Now bear in mind that the Law did not apply to gentiles unless they lived under the secular authority of a Jewish nation. As gentile believers we are not under the authority of the law because of Acts 15:6-21. To be more specific: Acts 15:19-20
19 "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. NAS
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