4 thoughts on “Social Righteousness versus “Social Justice””
Mr. Sandlin,
Thank you, this was excellent. You made many good points. Few young Christians seem to grasp these things today. My friend, Chad, and I recently did a short podcast where we also talked about social justice. I think we see eye-to-eye with you on the issue: https://soundcloud.com/user-456261809/john-macarthur-social-justice.
Also, the articles you write here are simply outstanding. Is there a way to sign up to get updates? I do a little writing online myself: http://benrcrenshaw.com/
Ben: thank you so much. That was encouraging. I can get more information to you and sign you up if you can send me your email address in a private Facebook message. I will try to listen to your podcast soon.
“In the Bible, the term ‘justice’ is equivalent to the word ‘righteousness.’ In fact, it’s the same word in the Old Testament, that or its derivatives. So, we can easily speak and should speak of social righteousness.”
Hebrew Scriptures uses two distinct terms, tsedeq and mishpat, that or their derivatives; which correspond with righteousness and justice respectively. These are not obscure terms. There are hundreds of instances of each. And by my last count, both terms are deployed in the same verse, at least, 36 times (Psalm 97:2; Isaiah 9:7). Does the Scriptures engage in tautology?
When one observes, either such intellectual dishonesty or such intellectual incompetence, can anything that this person says be trusted?
To what is Isaiah referring?
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied. For ten acres of vineyard will yield but a bath of wine, and a homer of seed only an ephah of grain.”
– Isaiah 5:8–10
It this not referencing a social justice scheme, found in Leviticus 25, which seeks to maintain rough economic equality within Hebrew society? As the Hebrews, Romans, and now Americans have found, extreme economic disparities cannot be restrained from overflowing into other forms of civic inequality and judicial inequity? (“the plea of the widow never comes before them” – Isaiah 1:23)
Christian Culture 
Mr. Sandlin,
Thank you, this was excellent. You made many good points. Few young Christians seem to grasp these things today. My friend, Chad, and I recently did a short podcast where we also talked about social justice. I think we see eye-to-eye with you on the issue: https://soundcloud.com/user-456261809/john-macarthur-social-justice.
Also, the articles you write here are simply outstanding. Is there a way to sign up to get updates? I do a little writing online myself: http://benrcrenshaw.com/
Thanks!
Ben
Ben: thank you so much. That was encouraging. I can get more information to you and sign you up if you can send me your email address in a private Facebook message. I will try to listen to your podcast soon.
Perfect explanation … we live the same ideological problems in Brazil…and leftists can’t understand Christian’s point of view.
You say:
“In the Bible, the term ‘justice’ is equivalent to the word ‘righteousness.’ In fact, it’s the same word in the Old Testament, that or its derivatives. So, we can easily speak and should speak of social righteousness.”
Hebrew Scriptures uses two distinct terms, tsedeq and mishpat, that or their derivatives; which correspond with righteousness and justice respectively. These are not obscure terms. There are hundreds of instances of each. And by my last count, both terms are deployed in the same verse, at least, 36 times (Psalm 97:2; Isaiah 9:7). Does the Scriptures engage in tautology?
When one observes, either such intellectual dishonesty or such intellectual incompetence, can anything that this person says be trusted?
To what is Isaiah referring?
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied. For ten acres of vineyard will yield but a bath of wine, and a homer of seed only an ephah of grain.”
– Isaiah 5:8–10
It this not referencing a social justice scheme, found in Leviticus 25, which seeks to maintain rough economic equality within Hebrew society? As the Hebrews, Romans, and now Americans have found, extreme economic disparities cannot be restrained from overflowing into other forms of civic inequality and judicial inequity? (“the plea of the widow never comes before them” – Isaiah 1:23)