Tag: Binary

Living in the Image of God, The Gospel

Binary Categorization at Judgment—Good or Evil

Living in the Image of God M07S07

This bible study discusses Christ binary categorization of a person based on performing or declining their individual responsibilities in human interactions and relationships. He categorizes as “good” (righteous) a person that he judges as “those who have done what is good.” In contrast, he categorizes as “evil” a person that he judges as “those who have done what is evil.” God will grant eternal life to every person that he judges as good but will condemn every person he judges as evil. Christ declares the categorization in an interaction documented in John 5:28–29. In another teaching, he tells the Parable of the Faithful and Wise Servant (Mathew 24:45–51) to explain that people that perform their individual responsibilities in human interactions are categorized good. The others are evil. In yet other teachings, he refers to the categories as “righteous” for the good and evil for the others. There is no middle category.

The study discusses Christ declaration of the categorization of people as good or evil (John 5:28–29) and his teaching in the Parable of the Faithful and Wise Servant (Mathew 24:45–51), where he explains the basis for the categorization. In other related teaching, he refers to the “good” category as righteous. Please see our previous study under M03S21, Righteous or Wicked in Parable of the Weeds.

Christ made the declaration as part of his response to Jews that had begun to persecute him based on their understanding that he was breaking the Sabbath (because he healed a blind man on the Sabbath) and that he called himself the Son of God: “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” [John 5:18].

In a different interaction (Mathew 24:45–51), he tells the Parable of Faithful and Wise Servant to explain the basis for the categorization. There he describes the human relationship with God in terms of an interaction between a hypothetical master and one of his servants. In the parable, Christ describes the master’s judgment of the servant based on performing his responsibilities to the other servants while the master was away. The master judged the servant as “faithful and wise” if he performed his responsibilities to the other servants. In contrast, the master would judge the servant as “wicked” if he declined his responsibilities to the other servants.

In the Parable of Faithful and Wise Servant, the master represents God and the servant represents any person (any individual regarding his or her relationship with God). The other servants represent other people in human interactions with the subject person. Christ uses the relationship between the subject person and other people to model human relationship with God, whereby God places every person to represent him among other people—to be for the others what God would be for them if he lived with us in human form. Therefore, the parable describes human relationship with God regarding individual responsibilities in human interactions and relationships. Please see more discussion of individual responsibilities under M04S01 through M04S21.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility Series

Living in the Image of God M04S01

We begin a study series to understand God’s purpose for a person in terms of individual responsibility. In the Parable of the Net and Parable of the Weeds, for example, Christ describes the basis for binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked during final judgment. He describes fishermen categorizing fish as good fish or bad fish based on their judgment of the fish as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose. Similarly, the grain farmer categorizes farm proceeds as wheat or weed based on their judgment of the proceeds as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose. These parables convey a message that God categorizes people as righteous or wicked based on his judgment of their living as showing themselves fit or unfit to fulfill his purpose. God’s purpose for a person defines the individual responsibility.

Individual Responsibility Series 17:04

Our Living in the Image of God program continues this year (2023) with a study series on understanding God’s purpose for a person in terms of the individual responsibility. We will discuss Christ teaching and other human-interaction examples from the bible to understand God’s purpose in specific events in terms of the individual responsibility for a person in such events.

The series begins with understanding the basis for binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked, as Christ describes in the Parable of the Net and Parable of the Weeds. In the Parable of the Net, fishermen categorize fish as good fish or bad fish based on their judgment of the fish as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose for fish. Similarly, in the Parable of the Weeds, the grain farmer categorizes farm proceeds as wheat or weed based on their judgment of the proceeds as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose for wheat.

The parables convey an understanding of the basis for the binary categorization of people at final judgment. God categorizes as righteous, people that show themselves fit to fulfill his purpose for them based on his judgment of their living. In contrast, he categorizes as wicked, people that show themselves unfit to fulfill his purpose for them based on his judgment of their living. Therefore, God’s purpose for a person determines his categorization of the person.

His purpose for a person in a given event defines the person’s individual responsibility for the event. He is pleased with those that show themselves fit to fulfill their individual responsibility and displeased with those that show themselves unfit: based on his judgment of their living. The bible study series will seek to understand the individual responsibility in specific events based on Christ teaching and human-interaction examples from the bible regarding such events.

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From the Gospel, Living in the Image of God

Righteous or Wicked in Parable of the Weeds

Living in the Image of God M03S21

Christ teaching in several parables describes the binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked based on God judgment of their living. The righteous show themselves fit for God’s purpose and typically fulfill their individual responsibility as he assigns to them. In contrast, the wicked show themselves unfit for God’s purpose and typically decline their individual responsibility. Through the Parable of the Weeds, we learn that God creates every person righteous and gives each a lifetime to show themselves righteous or wicked. He allows them to coexist until final judgment, when he will separate the wicked into hell and call the righteous to his kingdom.

Righteous or Wicked in Parable of the Weeds 16:31

This study begins a miniseries to understand Christ teaching regarding the binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked based on God judgment of their living. The righteous are people that show themselves fit for God’s purpose based on how he sees them. Such people typically perform their individual responsibility as God assigns to them. For example, the righteous typically complete responsibility in a call to compassion.

The other category is the wicked and consists of people that show themselves unfit for God’s purpose based on how he sees them. Such people typically decline their individual responsibility as God assigns to them. For example, the wicked typically decline responsibility in a call to compassion.

The miniseries begins with the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24–30 and 36–43), where we learn that God creates every person righteous. Also, he gives every person a lifetime to show themselves righteous or wicked. There is no neutral choice. There is no neutral behavior. Whoever is not righteous is wicked. Also, the parable explains that the righteous and wicked coexist until final judgment, when God will separate the wicked from the righteous, throw the wicked to eternal burning in hell, and call the righteous into his kingdom in heaven.

We discuss the Parable of the Weeds in this study to end our 2022 program year. The bible study program will resume in February 2023 with focus on Christ message regarding God categorization of people as righteous or wicked and how the categorization affects our understanding of God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships.

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