What Does the Bible Say About Jumping to Conclusions
James A. Mann
Past now yous have seen, ad nauseam, video of the "Covington Catholic Kids" and Nathan Phillips in a confrontation at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. By now yous've reached some conclusions on the incident. We've had time now to hear reports from both sides, see videos from dissimilar angles and sources, even look at the records of the "victim."
The "news" is not the incident itself, merely watching America spring to conclusions. Ideally, we reach conclusions after gathering data, weighing information technology and making advisable decisions. The idiom "jumping to conclusions" describes making decisions but skipping the information-gathering procedure.
In this case, I've watched news agencies and folks on social media backtrack on conclusions reached before other important data came to light.
The Bible addresses this homo predilection for jumping the gun in its wisdom literature. The Hebrew term for wisdom (hokmah) means something akin to "skill." Wisdom is, in a sense, skill for navigating life. And 1 of import life skill is withholding judgment until the facts are in.
"He who answers earlier listening — that is his folly and his shame (Proverbs 18:thirteen)." In the Volume of Proverbs, the fool is the opposite of the wise man. He refuses to mind to others (xv:5) and loves to express his opinion (12:15).
Hither, the fool is a poor communicator because he refuses to mind to others. He doesn't listen to the question before answering. He interrupts others to give his opinion. He believes his view is more important than others'.
The outcome is that the fool exposes his folly and brings shame on himself.
"The first to nowadays his case seems right, til another comes forwards and questions him (Proverbs 18:17)." Here the author uses an illustration of a legal case in courtroom. He warns against hasty judgments fabricated before all the facts take been heard and examined.
In a similar alarm we read: "... do not bring hastily to courtroom, for what volition you exercise in the end if your neighbour puts you to shame (Proverbs 25:8)?" Here over again is the alert of jerky conclusions reached earlier all evidence is presented and examined. The new evidence may disprove allegations and bring shame and embarrassment to the accuser.
These brief Proverbs are piece of cake to forget and ignore, often because there is no context. The sage simply states the truth in a long listing of other truths. The truth is harder to ignore in the context of story as the consequences of foolishness are seen.
This is one of the sub-plots of the Book of Task (another wisdom book of the Sometime Attestation). Job finds himself in a terrible situation. Life has crashed effectually him and he'south lost everything he loved. He'southward looking for answers. Enter Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.
The bulk of the volume is their dialogue with Task. What becomes quickly axiomatic is that each of Job's friends are then involved in their own answers and defending their ain theological positions they lose sympathy for Job and offer him no condolement.
At 1 indicate, Task responds: "I accept heard many things like these; miserable comforters are y'all all! Will your long-winded speeches never stop? What ails you lot that you keep on arguing (Job sixteen:2-3)?"
Ultimately, God condemns Job's friends for their folly — for speaking out of plough and opining without facts. "After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'I am angry with you and your two friends, considering yous take not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. ... My servant Job volition pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and non deal with y'all according to your folly (Job 42:7-8).'"
Some other biblical volume of wisdom is the Epistle of James in the New Testament. Here'due south his sage communication: "My honey brothers, accept note of this: Everyone should exist quick to mind, deadening to speak and ho-hum to go angry. ... (James 1:19)."
In our desire to notice the truth (one of the themes in James), we should strive to get all the facts (be quick to heed), listen more than we speak (since nosotros have two ears and i mouth) and reach conclusions but when the facts are in (slow to get angry).
James is probably working from earlier Jewish writings similar Ben Sira: "Be quick to hear, and be deliberate in answering. If yous take understanding, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your paw on your mouth. Glory and dishonor come up from speaking, and a man's tongue is his downfall (Sir. v:xi-13)."
Rabbis called this the "third natural language" because it "kills" three people: the speaker, the one spoken to and the i spoken of.
The foolishness of jumping to conclusions, of speaking without understanding, of refusing due diligence earlier opining, brings shame and pain. We would do well to heed the Bible's wisdom here.
In a world of lightning-fast information, nosotros're tempted to reach lightning-fast conclusions and shout our immediate opinions, condemnations or vindications. James might write to us today: "Don't believe everything you lot read or hear; be quick to exercise your enquiry, boring to repost and ho-hum to reach conclusions."
This is wisdom and has never been more relevant than it is today. It's pertinent to the media, to politicians, to bloggers — to us all.
And if this is an area in which yous struggle, James gives us this promise: "If any of you lot lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:v)."
JAMES A. MANN, Ph.D., is a Denton native and the lead pastor of New Life Church building of Denton. He is an assistant professor of New Testament at Liberty University Schoolhouse of Divinity located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Cheque out his blog at www.drjimmann.com.
Source: https://dentonrc.com/life/religion/james-a-mann-bible-tells-us-to-get-all-the-facts-before-jumping-to-conclusions/article_c43bb561-dda3-5bc8-83ee-dff3181489c1.html#:~:text=(James%201%3A19).,(slow%20to%20become%20angry).
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