In this episode, we explore why justice can seem hidden in the New Testament, and how some of that actually comes down to translation. We talk about how, when we first go searching for the English word “justice,” it barely shows up, which can make it seem like justice isn’t a New Testament priority. But if we look at the Greek, we see that a very important word, dikaiosyne, gets almost always translated as “righteousness” instead of “justice,” even though the concept actually includes both ideas together. Meanwhile, the Greek words that do get translated as justice tend to be more legal in tone, which doesn’t capture the full, holistic picture we see in Scripture. Understanding this helps us recognize that when the New Testament talks about “righteousness,” it’s often pointing to a righteousness and justice-filled way of living that shapes both our personal character and how we engage the wider world. By learning what’s hiding in translation, we start to see that justice is woven through Jesus’ teaching and the life of the early church far more than our English Bibles initially make obvious.
Show notes can be found at: Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes
