Interview With Jon Noyes (Part 2)
Do Jesus’ teachings on justice conflict with Old Testament teachings on justice? In Part 2 of Know Why’s interview with apologist Jon Noyes, we examine the continuity of biblical justice throughout the Old and New Testaments. Jon even argues that a proper understanding of justice can help us answer this question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Jon shares free resources at the end of the episode for those wishing to read further on this topic. Find the links at the bottom of this article.
A Better Society for Everyone
In Part 1, Jon said that in order to define justice, we have to determine what standard we are basing are concept of justice on. Jon argues that God’s standard justice “actually provides a better and more just society for everybody, believer or non-believer.” Why? Because “true justice is impartial,” and “God’s law doesn’t contort to whether you’re rich or poor.”
Jon says the world often favors those with money or other forms of status, but “God’s standard puts a highlight on the poor.”
The Same Definition?
Did Jesus preach thee same definition of justice as God did in the Old Testament? Jon says the answer is yes.
“God is unchanging and the standards of God are unchanging,” Jon told Know Why. ‘Jesus didn’t shy away from those standards or back off those standards…he actually built on that.”
Jon Noyes
“True justice is impartial.”
Jon says Jesus exemplified this when he said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love one’s neighbor. “This is the foundation of biblical justice,” Jon told Know Why.
What About Suffering?
If God is just, why do bad things happen to people who don’t deserve it? While that’s a heavy question that demands more time to address in full, Jon offered a few thoughts toward the end of the episode.
It’s important, he argues, to remember our sins affect other people. “We live in a world that we corrupted, and corrupted people produce corrupted situations,” he said.
While we don’t like suffering, it can lead us to a deeper understanding of our need for a savior, Jon argues. “We’ve all realized that life is difficult by now,” he told Know Why. “Suffering cries out the need for a savior, for a rescuer. We all need to be rescued, and we just need to come to realize that.”
Resources:
- Visit STR U on Stand to Reason’s Website to create a free account with access to multiple courses, including a course from Jon called “Pursuing True Justice.” Courses are free.
- Read more about biblical justice on STR’s blog
- Free at Last? The Gospel in the African American Experience By Carl Ellis
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
- The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity by Douglas Murray
- Pursuing Justice: A Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things by Ken Wytsma