Part 4248

* It is necessary, however, to distinguish between cursing and censuring or reproving. Reproof and punishment greatly differ from cursing and malediction. To curse means to invoke evil, while censuring carries the thought of displeasure at existing evil, and an effort to remove it. In fact, cursing and censuring are opposed. Cursing invokes evil and misfortune; censure aims to remove them. Christ himself censured, or reproved. He called the Jews a generation of vipers, children of the devil, hypocrites, blind dolts, liars, and so on. He did not curse them to perpetuate their evils; rather he desired the evils removed. Paul does similarly. He says of the sorcerer that he is a child of the devil and full of subtilty. Acts 13:10. Again, the Spirit reproves the world of sin. Jn 16:8. * 53 * But the strong argument is here urged that the saints of the Scriptures not only censured, but cursed. Jacob, the patriarch, cursed his sons Reuben, Simeon and Levi. Gen 49:7. A great part of the Law of Moses is made up of curses, especially Deut 28:15. Open cursing is commanded to be pronounced by the people, on Mount Ebal. Deut 27:13. How much cursing we find in the Psalms, particularly Psalm 109. Again, how David cursed Joab, captain of his host! 2 Sam 3:29. How bitterly Peter curses Simon (Acts 8:20): “Thy silver perish with thee.” Paul curses the seducers of the Galatians (Gal 5:12), “I would they were even cut off.” And he says (I Cor 16:22), “If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema.” Christ cursed the innocent fig-tree. Mt 21:19. And Elisha cursed the children of Bethel. 2 Kings 2:24. What shall we say to these things? * 54 * I answer: We must distinguish between love and faith. Love must not curse; it must always bless. But faith has power to curse. Faith makes us children of God, and is to us in God's place. Love makes us servants of men, and occupies the place of a servant. Without the Spirit's direction, no one can rightly understand