Abuse of Freedom or freedom with Justice

In the West freedom has far too often been divorced from justice; without justice, freedom quickly degenerates into individualism and materialism.

Due to flawed English translations of the Bible and to flawed English theology, justice has been shallowly understood and practiced.  Nicholas Wolterstorff and C. D. Marshall can help us better understand justice.  First, some nuggets of wisdom from Wolterstorff (Justice in Love):

"In the Latin text of his commentary on Romans, Calvin speaks regularly of justice---naturally since the Latin text with which he was working translated dikaiosune as justice."  All Romance languages such as Latin, French and Spanish translate the Greek word dikaiosune as justice; in English we rarely do so.

Wolterstorff insists that justice and love be closely tied together:  "Doing justice is an example of love."  "Treating the neighbor justly is an example of loving the neighbor."

C. D. Marshall (Beyond Retribution) writes:

"Modern readers seldom realize how often justice language features in the New Testament.  This is mainly because English translations render the key terms---those employing the dik-stem---with a double set of equivalents deriving from two different linguistic stocks (Anglo-Saxon and Latin).  Sometimes the terms are translated [Anglo-Saxon] with "right-" terms ("right," "righteous," "righteousness"), at other times [Latin] with "just-" (just," "justify," "justification").  Because of this linguistic peculiarity, English-speaking readers sense little obvious connection between the "right" language of the New Testament and the concept of justice."

"Mishpat denotes applied justice, fair judgments in a court, for example.  "Sedeqah refers to justice in a normative sense."  In other words, a standard.  Justice and righteousness in the biblical sense are more relational than legal.

"The most common image for justice in the West is a set of scales, symbolizing the balancing of rights and obligations. . . .  The prophetic symbol of justice is a mighty, surging river (Amos 5:24). . . . Abraham J. Heschel, "a power that will strike and change, heal and restore, like a mighty stream bringing life to the parched land. . . .  Justice is more than an idea or a norm: justice is charged with the omnipotence of God."

 The Spirit-filled church must be busy doing justice, releasing the oppressed, making things right.  We are to seek with vigor, seek unceasingly, kingdom of God justice.