Topical Encyclopedia
Censure, in a biblical context, refers to the act of expressing strong disapproval or criticism, particularly in matters of moral or doctrinal error. It is a concept that appears throughout Scripture, often in the context of church discipline, correction, and the maintenance of doctrinal purity within the Christian community.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, censure is often associated with the prophetic role of calling out sin and urging repentance. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were tasked with delivering God's messages of rebuke to the people of Israel. For example,
Isaiah 58:1 states, "Cry aloud, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins." Here, the prophet is instructed to openly censure the people for their sins.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, censure is more explicitly connected to the life of the church and the behavior of its members. Jesus Himself censured the Pharisees and religious leaders for their hypocrisy and legalism, as seen in
Matthew 23:27 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity."
The Apostle Paul also addresses the need for censure within the church. In
1 Corinthians 5:1-2 , Paul censures the Corinthian church for tolerating immorality: "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and removed from your fellowship the man who did this?" Here, Paul emphasizes the necessity of addressing sin within the church to maintain its purity and witness.
Purpose and Process of CensureThe purpose of censure in the biblical sense is not merely punitive but restorative. It aims to bring about repentance and reconciliation. In
Matthew 18:15-17 , Jesus outlines a process for addressing sin within the church: "If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
This passage highlights the steps of private confrontation, involving witnesses, and finally, bringing the matter before the church, emphasizing the goal of restoration rather than exclusion.
Censure and Church LeadershipChurch leaders are often tasked with the responsibility of administering censure. In
1 Timothy 5:20 , Paul instructs Timothy, "But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear." This directive underscores the role of leaders in maintaining the moral and doctrinal integrity of the church.
Censure and Personal ConductBelievers are also encouraged to practice self-censure, examining their own lives and conduct. In
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 , Paul writes, "Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." This self-examination is a form of personal censure that helps believers align their lives with God's standards.
ConclusionCensure, as depicted in the Bible, is a necessary and loving act aimed at correcting error, promoting holiness, and preserving the integrity of the Christian community. It is a tool for both individual and corporate growth, always with the hope of restoration and reconciliation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Judgment either favorable or unfavorable; opinion.
2. (n.) The act of blaming or finding fault with and condemning as wrong; reprehension; blame.
3. (n.) Judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand; condemnatory judgment.
4. (v. i.) To form or express a judgment in regard to; to estimate; to judge.
5. (v. i.) To find fault with and condemn as wrong; to blame; to express disapprobation of.
6. (v. i.) To condemn or reprimand by a judicial or ecclesiastical sentence.
7. (v. i.) To judge.
Greek
2008. epitimao -- to honor, to mete out due measure, hence to...... to honor, to mete out due measure, hence to
censure. Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: epitimao Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee-tee-mah'-o) Short Definition:
...3201. memphomai -- to blame, find fault
... to blame, find fault. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: memphomai Phonetic Spelling:
(mem'-fom-ahee) Short Definition: I blame,censure Definition: I blame...
784. aspilos -- spotless, unstained
... 784 ("unspotted," literally, "without spot or stain") refers to what is () , ie
morally unblemished (pure) -- "free fromcensure, irreproachable, free from vice...
3469. momaomai -- to find fault with
... blame. From momos; to carp at, ieCensure (discredit) -- blame. see GREEK momos.
(momethe) -- 1 Occurrence. (momesetai) -- 1 Occurrence. 3468, 3469....
3470. momos -- blame, disgrace, blemish
... 3470 -- literally, a blemish (spot, blot); (figuratively) what spoils a reputation,
causing undue blame (disgrace,censure). Word Origin a prim....
3681. oneidos -- reproach, disgrace
... Cognate: 3681 (a neuter noun) -- defamation (reproach), personal disgrace; primarily,
"reproach,censure, " (loss of reputation; ). See 3679 ()....
423. anepilemptos -- without reproach
... Here the person (accuser) trying to seize someone's character by unjustifiedcensure
is shown to be groundless, ie when the matter is understood in its ....
2633. katakrisis -- condemnation
... Noun, Feminine Transliteration: katakrisis Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ak'-ree-sis)
Short Definition: the act of condemnation Definition: condemnation,censure....
Library
Endurance of the World'sCensure.
... SERMON X. Endurance of the World'sCensure. "And thou, son of man, be not
afraid of them; neither be afraid of their words, though...
The Fourth Ground of hisCensure is in the Beginning of My Second...
... 25. The fourth ground of hiscensure is in the beginning of my Second Book,
in which I expounded the statement which St. Paul makes...
Judge Fairly, and You are Deserving ofCensure in This...
... Book V. 45 Judge fairly, and you are deserving ofcensure in this?... Footnotes:
[4554] Lit., "are in this part ofcensure.". [4555] Lit., "for."....
I Wish Now to Review Your Sacred Rites; and I Pass noCensure on...
... Chapter XIV. I wish now to review your sacred rites; and I pass nocensure
on your? I wish now to review your sacred rites; and...
Of God and his Affections, and theCensure of Epicurus.
... Chap. IV."Of God and His Affections, and theCensure of Epicurus. That
which follows is concerning the school of Epicurus; that...
Christ's Reprehension of the Pharisees Seeking a Sign hisCensure...
... Chapter XXVII."Christ's Reprehension of the Pharisees Seeking a Sign HisCensure
of Their Love of Outward Show Rather Than Inward Holiness....
St. Paul Quite in Accordance with St. Peter and Other Apostles of...
... Paul Quite in Accordance with St. Peter and Other Apostles of the Circumcision His
Censure of St. Peter Explained, and Rescued from Marcion's Misapplication....
Of Nature, and of the World; and aCensure of the Stoics and...
... The Divine Institutes. Book VII. Of a Happy Life. Chap. III."Of Nature, and
of the World; And aCensure of the Stoics and Epicureans....
That it is the Prerogative of the Same Power to be Beneficent and...
... Admonition, then, is thecensure of loving care, and produces understanding.... Upbraiding
iscensure on account of what is base, conciliating to what is noble....
Of the Subject to whom to the Key of Church Priviledge, Power, or...
... to joyn with the Elders, in inquiring, hearing, judging of publike scandals; so
as to binde notoribus offenders and impenitents undercensure, and to forgive...
Thesaurus
Censure (3 Occurrences)...Censure (3 Occurrences). Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter visited Antioch, I remonstrated
with him to his face, because he had incurred just
censure. (WEY).
...Reproach (124 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To attribute blame to; to allege something disgraceful against; to charge
with a fault; tocensure severely or contemptuously; to upbraid....
Blame (14 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) Tocensure; to express disapprobation of; to find
fault with; to reproach. 2. (vt) To bring reproach upon; to blemish....
Lash (2 Occurrences)
... 10. (vt) To scold; to berate; to satirize; tocensure with severity; as, to lash
vice.... (vi) To ply the whip; to strike; to uttercensure or sarcastic language....
Tax (43 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) A disagreeable or burdensome duty or charge; as, a heavy tax on time or
health. 7. (n.) Charge;censure. 8. (n.) A lesson to be learned; a task....
Reproof (29 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) An expression of blame orcensure; especially,
blame expressed to the face;censure for a fault; chiding; reproach....
Retort (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect. 3. (n.) To return, as an argument,
accusation,censure, or incivility; as, to retort the charge of vanity....
Excommunication
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The act of communicating or ejecting; esp., an
ecclesiasticalcensure whereby the person against whom it is pronounced is, for...
Denounce (8 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To point out as deserving of reprehension or punishment, etc.; to accuse
in a threatening manner; to invokecensure upon; to stigmatize. Int....
Backbite
... 1. (vi) To wound by clandestine detraction; tocensure meanly or spitefully
(an absent person); to slander or speak evil of (one absent)....
Resources
Who was Peter Abelard? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to be above reproach / blameless? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the history of Christianity? | GotQuestions.orgCensure: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
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