“Restraining Injustice”
Restorative Justice Series, 6/28/20
Questions for Small Group Discussion
The Old Testament cycle of revelation (of God’s law) followed by rebellion was not able to restrain human sin. So what was the point of God giving the law?
Read Deuteronomy 5:29. What does God say is the point of the law he has revealed? If this is the point of God’s law for his people, can laws in a secular society fulfill a similar function? Why or why not?
Romans 3:20, 7:7, and Galatians 3:24 all give a New Testament perspective on the Old Testament law. What is the law intended to do for humanity? If law cannot restrain sin, is it possible for law to restrain injustice?
Do you think it is wise for Christians to get involved in secular politics to attempt to influence society toward greater measures of justice? What are the dangers involved? What are the potential benefits? Read Romans 13:1-7 for a perspective on the role of government in society.
Old Testament believers lived under a theocratic monarchy and early New Testament Christians were spread throughout the Roman Empire. How did their circumstances differ from ours in a 21st century representative democracy? Do you think they had more or less hope of affecting political change in their societies?
How did Christianity sweep through the Roman Empire until it became the dominant worldview by the 4th Century? What role did politics play? (You can google Rodney Stark’s “The Rise of Christianity” for a well-accepted account.)