How do you teach the difference between living a moral life and living an ethical life?
To give a bit of explanation:
Believes are to live not by the rules but by the principles of the Scriptures. Living by rules brings about a very pharisaical rule-based living, and unfortunately may become pictured as Christ illustrated - folks concerned with outward appearance, yet filled with excess.
The typical Baptist as a lack of wisdom and discernment between living a moral in comparison to an ethical life has often struggled between what is taught as disapproved by God and sometimes put in terms of "not right with God," and their own personal living.
In the responses to this thread, it is hoped that a healthy discussion will take place that will enhance the awareness of the readers to follow the teaching of the Savior in a more perfect way.
I would also like to read how the respondents distinguish and define the words "moral" and "ethical" and provide examples of how they taught.
Do you teach...?
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by agedman, Aug 2, 2020.
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I expect there are a range of definitions for both morals and ethics, so any effort to sally forth might simply result in a pointless discussion that the concepts do not mean this or that.
Now God is said to be morally excellent, thus virtuous in thought and action. Thus as children of God we are to be chips off the old block. (1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:5)
Scripture says we were called by God's glory and moral excellence. Thus we were attracted by God's goodness.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is morally excellent, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. -
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RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
Webster’s doesn’t make much distinction between the two, nor does the Bible use them as such. One would need to make an artificial semantic distinction before discoursing, which is fine, as long as others are aware of the intent and usage and can agree.
ETH'ICAL, adjective [Latin ethicus; Gr. manners.]
Relating to manners or morals; treating of morality; delivering precepts of morality; as ethic discourses or epistles.
ETH'ICS, noun The doctrines of morality or social manners; the science of moral philosophy, which teaches men their duty and the reasons of it.
2. A system of moral principles; a system of rules for regulating the actions and manners of men in society.
MORAL'ITY, noun The doctrine or system of moral duties, or the duties of men in their social character; ethics.
The system of morality to be gathered from the writings of ancient sages, falls very short of that delivered in the gospel. -
Morals are basically built upon culture and have constant impact and changes according to what is relevant.
Ethics are locked in stone, unchangeable by circumstance or hardship.
Morals have everything to do about persuasion, pressure, circumstance. Morals can and often do change according to the relevancy of the situation.
Ethics stand irregardless or pressure, persuasion, circumstance. One who is grounded upon ethics, cares little about what others may consider “approved or disapproved” by the people or situation. -
Christ - ethics.
2 Timothy 3:16, ESV: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"
Some teach morals
Some instill ethics. -
RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used:
Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:
While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:
In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:
Definition of MORAL
If we want a word for God’s standards, “righteous” would seem a much better term. -
RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;…” (Romans 3:10)
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)
It is because of [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Cor. 1:30) -
Right off the web with highlights mine.
While they're closely related concepts, morals refer mainly to guiding principles, and ethics refer to specific rules and actions, or behaviors. A moral precept is an idea or opinion that's driven by a desire to be good. An ethical code is a set of rules that defines allowable actions or correct behavior.Joseph lived by ethics while surrounded by those who lived by morals.
Daniel lived by ethics while abiding under the authority of those who lived by morals.
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Morals will give escape and excuse for failure.
“Holy” is the same as sanctified. Their is that ethical which drives the morality, or one is unethical and moral relevance based.
One is holy, or one is unholy. Their is no relevance in holy.
This is the very area the Pharisee stumbled.
Ethics dictate actions, morals are based upon desires. -
Scripture tells us to dwell on, meditate on, think about "moral excellence." I very much doubt what scripture refers to is not always correct. Again, I have no interest in arguing alternate means, only the intended meaning of scripture, both as an attribute of God, and how we are to live. -
RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
Was there a good reason to omit the citation or link? Either way, it doesn't establish a biblical case, only a manmade one, which seems rather ironic here. -
RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
For clarity, note that there is a difference between having been given the Holy Spirit and walking by the Spirit. This is why Paul says to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), and not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). -
RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
What the Pharisees did was substitute their own rules, their own traditions, for God's commands. Here is something Jesus actually says (Mark 7:6-13):
[Jesus] replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
The distinction is between God's moral doctrines or standards and man's loophole efforts to avoid them. Perhaps another way to put it is that it's the difference between God's desires or will and man's. -
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RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
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If one relies upon some moral code, then that may certainly be changeable.
However, as did the examples given, one relies upon ethics, that person will pray with the windows open in the face of enemies, for the ethic scheme is so fixed as to demand moral compliance.
As the hymn writer states,
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losingWhen demanded to refute his own writing, the hymn writer could stand upon the ethics, not upon morals.
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He
The Lord of hosts His name, from age to age the same
And He must win the battle
Ethics sharpen the conviction of moral trespass.
For example, Saul told, “It is better to obey than to sacrifice,” was a rebuke to Saul’s moral weakness.
Peter, rebuked by Paul before the whole assembly is another example of one standing upon ethics versus one who lived by moral code.
John, fleeing the public bath at the presence of the ungodly ruler, displayed the ethics in which controlled his conduct and associations.
If one lives by the ethic, “... friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God,” then that which is of the world is in sharp contrast to Godliness. -
RighteousnessTemperance& Well-Known Member
Adhering to godly, biblical principles is common to every mature Christian I know. The Bible refers to it as walking by the Spirit, living by the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, as in Galatians 5:13ff. It is the dismissal of this biblical description and dependence on the Holy Spirit in favor of your own philosophy that is most troubling.
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
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