Saturday, September 18, 2021

Christ opposed to lawyers? Briefly: Part 1

Photo: LinkedIn, Civil Engineering Discoveries London, England September 14 2021

Preface

Something different...

I came across these two videos on You Tube, Part 1 below. Mr. Pat Burns (1921-1996) was a controversial, political and somewhat philosophical, talk show host that my elders listened to.

I was at the time, a youth, so my understanding of what was being stated, was more limited than now. But his more philosophical statements interested me as I would overhear them as my elders listened to the radio. 

Radio Discussions 

Cited 

May 13, 2012

Legendary Broadcaster Pat Burns' Hotline Debuts in Vancouver 49 Years Ago Today

By Glen Livingstone

An outspoken defender of freedom of speech and freedom in general, the Runyunesque Burns - with his hard-right conservative views and a voice that suggested he began his morning ablutions by gargling with Drano - was the talk show host who gave Western Canadians a voice. He was fearless, thoughtful, and possessed a great sense of humour to boot.

Cited 

The "dolls" as Burns liked to refer to the female members of his listening audience -loved him - as did the station's advertisers who clamoured for airtime on his show.

Cited 

But in 1963 Pat himself was far too busy sifting through the personal death threats and fighting off the myriad of Board of Broadcast Governors ultimatums against him to pay any attention to the comings and goings of Jack Webster, a.k.a. "The Oatmeal Savage."

Cited 

"And when I say any topic under the sun I mean precisely that. For it doesn't matter to me if what you want to talk about is of a purely local nature, regional, provincial, state wide, national, international, philosophic, outer space or sports."

Sort of like my weekly (tonight for example) Zoom meetings. Saturday (or Sunday) night open topic Zoom meetings.

Cited

Sure, he could sometimes be a little rude to the "dolls" who called in, but along with his impeccable journalistic skills Pat knew that showmanship was also a part of the package and his brusque language and barbed insults added entertainment value to the show.

I am prayerfully not rude to anyone on Zoom. But, yes, I realize Mr. Burns added some drama for effect...

Paraphrased statements and my analysis from the You Tube video

Part 1

Roughly 22: 36 mark

Burns: Truth and integrity come from within, money can be obtained in a corrupt manner.

Reasonably true. Although, biblically, Jesus Christ is the ultimate human source of truth (John 14: 6). In other words, the triune Godhead is the ultimate source of truth, humanly represented in Jesus Christ.

Roughly 24: 20 mark

Burns: Basically lawyers are scum.

I do not agree with statement, as it is too absolute. In my adulthood, for example, I have embraced lawyers and the use of their services for legal protection. Part of the reason I am in a good financial standing at this point is because I received good legal advice from a now retired lawyer, that told me (paraphrased) 'My boy, do not leave my office until you agree to what I have suggested.' He was absolutely right, and my student loans and debt, were eliminated far sooner because of his fine, professional advice.

One has to know when he/she is the teacher, and when he/she is the student. I was the student...

Burns: If you do not believe me (in regards) to lawyers, think about what Christ said about them.

Burns cites Luke 11: 46

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

46 But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you load people with burdens that are hard to bear, [a]while you yourselves will not even [b]touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 

Footnotes (a) Luke 11:46 Lit and (b) Luke 11:46 I.e., to assist them

The New Testament context is religious, not secular.

In the New Testament context, Jesus Christ, God the Son, God incarnate, was criticizing religious scholars, the Scribes and the Pharisees, for their religious legalism, which missed the central points of serving God through faith credited as righteousness (Romans 4) and not by works righteousness.


I noted from the article above...

Matthew 7:21-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 

Biblically, in contrast, one that is saved, performs works in salvation, after being saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2.8-10). Those that do the will of the Father in heaven are those that produce works (Ephesians, James) after the atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ is applied to him/her through regeneration (Titus 3), being born again (John 2). 

Author: Matthew B. Tozer 

Cited

In conclusion, the Scriptures do not appear to specifically comment on the professional, secular attorney at law. Rather, Jesus denounced certain members of the Mosaic Law clergy who, at that time in history, were leading the lay people astray spiritually. The apostle Paul spoke favorably of Zenas the lawyer. But Zenas was, most likely, a former Mosaic law clergyman who converted to Christianity.

Yes...

An example is Jesus Christ commenting in Matthew 21: 28-32... 


COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville. 

Courson cited:

'Jesus likened the prostitutes and publicans (tax-collectors, from the ESV) to the first son. They seemed unlikely candidates to receive John's message, but receive it they did.' On the other hand, like the second son, the pseudo-religious scribes and Pharisees gave only lip service to the preaching of John.' Courson (158).

BARCLAY, WILLIAM (1976) The Letters of James and Peter, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press. 

BAUER, WALTER. (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.

BRUCE, F.F. (1987) Romans, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

COAD, F. ROY (1986) ‘Galatians’, in F.F. Bruce (gen.ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/ Zondervan.

COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville. 

CRANFIELD, C.E.B. (1992) Romans: A Shorter Commentary, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1995) The New American Commentary: Romans, Nashville, Broadman & Holman Publishers. 

FOULKES, FRANCIS (1989) Ephesians, Grand Rapids, Inter-Varsity Press. 

HARPUR, GEORGE (1986) Ephesians in The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

 

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