Theology

Isaiah 11:3b-5

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and fa

Matt 7:2 and Lex Tallionis

If we [condemn] others . . . we must expect God to respond in the coinage of strict justice. Mercy and generosity [of spirit] to others is a declaration to God that such is the coinage we wish to have used in his dealings with us as well.

Tobit 4:15 and the Golden Rule:

15 And what you hate, do not do to anyone

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Tob 4:14–15.

The Golden Rule and the Sophists

Some have concluded (e.g., R. G. Hammerton-Kelly, IDB Supp., p. 369) that the “golden rule” originated in the Sophist movement in Greece (5th cent. b.c.), was taken over by Hellenistic Judaism, and from there found its way into early Christian teaching. It is incontestable that Christianity derived this principle fro

The Golden Rule—the principle of treating others as one would like to be treated—is found in many different faith traditions and philosophies outside of Christianity. This widespread occurrence suggests that it may have originated independently among various cultures or evolved naturally from basic human empathy and ethics. Here are some examples:

1

The Problem with Judging

Chrysostom, “thou art making the judgment-seat dreadful to thyself, and the account strict,” p. 158)

On Judging

Augustine comments that here “we are taught nothing else, but that in the case of those actions respecting which it is doubtful with what intention they are done, we are to put the better construction on them” (p. 154).

Because Wants to Hear the Prayers of His People

Genesis Rabbah 45 (28C): Why were the matriarchs (of Israel) barren? R. Levi (ca. 300) said in the name of R. Shela of Kefar Temarta (the village of dates; ca. 280) and R. Helbo (ca. 300) in the name of R. Yohanan († 279), “Because God desired their prayers and their words.”—The same is found in Midr.

2 Chronicles 7:14 in Rabbinic Literature

Jerusalem Talmud Taʿanit 2.65B.3: R. Eleazar (ca. 270) said, “Three things cancel a hard (divine) decree, namely, prayer, almsgiving, and repentance, and all three are contained in one scriptural verse; see 2 Chr 7:13: ‘Then when my people bow down, over whom my name is named, and when they pray,’ this refers

Matt 7:2 Measure
The imagery of the second comes from grain contracts in which it was frequently specified that grain delivery and payment therefore would be measured with the same instrument — that of  [Matt., p. 319] the purchaser (see Couroyer, RB 77 [1970] 366–70). S