When the devil and the world twist Matthew 7:12

[ageofknowledge]

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." -Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

This verse was spoken by Jesus whom spoke it from the context of his understanding, life experience, and ministry.

I've heard people try to twist this around. For example, they attest that if a masochist practices this they will be inflicting pain on other individuals. Or a gay person who likes aggressive gay sex with all men will be pushing himself on other males both gay and straight aggressively regardless of how they feel about it. Etc...

I want to write an article on this subject for a Christian group who takes this as their motto. I could use your insight and help on this subject. Thank you.

[topic]

For myself there is a great danger in using a verse notation as a "logo". The bible was not written in verses, it was written as a book with chapters, paragraphs, sentences etc. The original usage of verse notation was a means for those not learned to find the passage that was being discussed or read. For many years now, people use verse notations as a weapon not as a tool.
The sermon is Christ puting many previous perceptions into a clarified way, and all of it has "climactic" points.
This piece of Mathew 7:12 is a climactic sentance.
To use only a part of the sentance " So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." is from the view point of the climactic statement at the end of the sentance " for this sums up the LAW and the PROPHETS" (my on highlights)
You must (or need to) read either the complete sermon then islolate the "verse" you wish to study or at a minimum read the full chapter.
At the start of the sermon, Jesus looks at the crowd and tells them within the "blessings" that they are included in this teaching. In otherwords he is telling them what he is about to say is "personal", then he goes on to say who he is.
This is a very cultural action. Within Middle East culture ,you never go into a discussion without first asking about the persons family, how they are and what is going on in their lives. Here Jesus does this as a collective.
In effect he is telling the crowd that he knows them personally. He then goes into the next part of Middle Eastern culture where in that once the formality of how they are and their families, they in return ask how he is, since as a large crowd such personal discussion can not be held, he then introduced himself in a short fashion of MATHEW 5:17.
If you then look at how Christ speaks at Mathew 7:12, he finalises thE statement by telling everyone they must look again at the Laws and Prophets.
Since those listening know of the prophets (they are hero's to the masses), Christ before going into specifics, clarifies the Laws in Mathew 5:18-20. It is in no small way that he brings Mathew 5:12 to this closure highlighting the connection.The climactic sentance is reflective to the laws that he has pointed out at the very start of the sermon.
So to understand Mathew 5:12, you need to understand what the Laws and Prophets stand for in regards to God and his relationship with MAN.
The personal viewpoint or opinion is irrelevent as the laws and prophets are the guidance of the action you do towards others.For in all actions, seen or unseen they are to bring Glory to God

To finish off. You also have to look at Mathew 7:29. For the impact of what impression Christ gave to the crowd. The crowd where amazed and that he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.So the questions to be asked from Mathew 5:12 are 1. how do my actions reflect towards the laws and the prophets and, 2. do my actions appear as - a. an authority (reflection) of them or b. as mearly a teacher of them?

[ageofknowledge]

I hear your concern but as an MBA understand the importance of a vision statement and motto for organizations. If you are going to engage in politics from a Christian worldview, and take the Christian Bible as your highest authority, it makes sense to use it to guide the culture and how the organization will engage. Matthew 7:12 does that. It sets the tone and the approach. Civility, love, empathy in dealing with people and issues.

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In your initial posting you said " I want to write an article on this subject for a Christian group who takes this as their motto", you did not indicate - "MBA", nor, "engage in politics from a Christian worldview". This lays a completly differant perspective on your requirements.

From my perspective, you have to be very carefull in what you write and how you structure the writting dependant on the audiance you are wishing to communicate with. Again, my personal viewpoint is that history has shown us that using parts or even just pieces of scripture as a "motto" ,"catch phrase" is fraught with danger in mis-interpretation. "An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth", "love one another as i have loved you","turn the other cheek", even "Adam and Eve" have been used, and you yourself have highlighted how the secular world looks at this part of Mathew 7:12.

As you know there are two world viewpoints - religious and secular, to be more specific and more personal - Christian and secular. To use a piece of a sentance as the one this group does " "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you " does not actually convey what that piece of scripture means. If a Christian says this to another learned Christian then the point is conveyed in the understanding of the actual meaning without full revelation because each knows the intent of the full sentance, however( and you highlighted very well) - from a secular perspective it gives a completly differant viewpoint,there is an abiguity, because they do not have the Holy Spirit to assist in the knowledge given but look at it without any Spiritual Light.

If the motto is directed to Christians then there should be no concern (one would hope) but for the secular, wait for the re-bound, but then again if you are doing it for the rebound ( the discourse ) then that in itself is a positve