The problem of wilful blindness

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Enoch111

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2018
17,688
15,996
113
Alberta
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
I. WHAT IS WILFUL BLINDNESS?
Wilful blindness is a deliberate shutting of the mental, emotional, and spiritual “eyes” against the light of the truth. It is a deliberate decision and choice to (a) resist, (b) refute, (c) reject and (d) oppose the truth. Whether it is the truth of matters in the ordinary world, or the truth of God as revealed in Scripture, or the truth of the Gospel, or the truth revealed to someone by the Holy Spirit. While this is serious enough in the natural man, it is catastrophic among those who consider themselves to be Christians.

II. SCRIPTURE EXPOSES WILFUL BLINDNESS
God and Christ show us the nature of wilful blindness in many passages of Scripture:
BLIND WATCHMEN IN ISRAEL FAIL TO FULFIL THEIR CALLING
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. (Isa 56:10)

THE WILFULLY BLIND ARE TO BE LEFT ALONE

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Mt 15:14)

III. THE WILFULLY BLIND ARE CONDEMNED TO HELL (MATTHEW 23)
1. THEY LEAD OTHERS TO HELL
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

2. THEY ARE HYPOCRITICAL PRETENDERS
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

3. THEY ARE ZEALOUS IN MAKING CONVERTS TO THEIR LIES
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

4. THEY HAVE NO SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

5. THEY DEBASE SPIRITUAL THINGS AND GOD HIMSELF
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

6. THEY FOCUS ON THE INCONSEQUENTIAL AND NEGLECT THE CONSEQUENTIAL
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

7. THEY FOCUS ON THE EXTERNAL AND NEGLECT THE INTERNAL
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

8. THEY ARE OUTWARDLY PIOUS BUT INWARDLY CORRUPT
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

9. THEY CREATE SHRINES FOR THE ONES WHOM THEY MURDER
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

10. THEY CONDEMN THEMSELVES TO THE DAMNATION OF HELL
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

As we can see, the Lord had some very harsh words for these people, as well as some very severe judgments. Therefore it behooves everyone to ensure that they are not wilfully blind, but always welcome the truth.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Reggie Belafonte

Joseph77

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2020
5,673
1,325
113
Tulsa, OK
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Therefore it behooves everyone to ensure that they are not wilfully blind, but always welcome the truth.
For all followers of Jesus, as written:

4 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late.

Read full chapter
Hebrews 4:1 in all English translations
 

friend of

Well-Known Member
Sep 22, 2018
1,738
1,365
113
33
B.C.
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
That reminds me of that verse about how instructors/teachers will receive a harsher judgement due to placing themselves in the position of instructing others in the ways of the faith.
 

Joseph77

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2020
5,673
1,325
113
Tulsa, OK
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
That reminds me of that verse about how instructors/teachers will receive a harsher judgement due to placing themselves in the position of instructing others in the ways of the faith.
OR
accepting God's Placement, (not placing themselves),
the caution, instruction, warning, that that position brings what God Says it brings.

Just like in the military, someone assigned to a dangerous designation, may be told of the dangers ahead of time, even if it is not voluntary but under orders.
 

friend of

Well-Known Member
Sep 22, 2018
1,738
1,365
113
33
B.C.
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
Yes God certainly can and does place people into positions where He wants them in the church. But often a spirit of ambition can lead others to seek out such positions for themselves, without being fully equipped to deal with the demands of such positions.
 

Joseph77

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2020
5,673
1,325
113
Tulsa, OK
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Yes God certainly can and does place people into positions where He wants them in the church. But often a spirit of ambition can lead others to seek out such positions for themselves, without being fully equipped to deal with the demands of such positions.
And more often than that, by far, apostates like c7pland are helped into place by the worldwide apostate gropu, or other smaller groups 'place' and promote 'teachers' , maybe from their own false converts,
to 'grow' their power, money, and influence, in darkness, pretending to be in the light ?

In the true assemblies, there are God's Protection and Safeguards as God Details in His Word against false promotion, false gospels, and false teachers -

God clearly says to test, test, test, and NOT to accept false teachers
and not to accept false messages ....
 

Windmillcharge

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2017
2,934
1,823
113
68
London
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
As we can see, the Lord had some very harsh words for these people, as well as some very severe judgments. Therefore it behooves everyone to ensure that they are not wilfully blind, but always welcome the truth.

Just who are you addressing.
I have no comment to make on what you have said, just concern over who you are addressing.

Willfully blind, does that have any relevance to those who are seeking, or who are struggling with doubts.
Just how many atheists are there on this forum?

The promise about Jesus is that the bruised red he will not break and the smouldering flax he won't put out.
He is discribed as a shepherd who carries his lambs over his shoulders.


One point. Years ago an evangelist to the JW talked at the church and pointed out that mainly when Christians and JW witnessed to each other what they were doing was standing on the banks of a river hurling bombs at the other. There was no communication.
He said we needd to communicate and that meant listening and to see doubts and move on.
No one hears something hostile to their believes accepts it at once. They have to think about it, to let it worry away at there certainty.

It is the same with atheist etc. We have to sew doubts, only God can cause a Damascus road convertion.
 

Enoch111

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2018
17,688
15,996
113
Alberta
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
Just who are you addressing.I have no comment to make on what you have said, just concern over who you are addressing.
I am addressing everyone in general (in fact just presenting what the Bible reveals), although we know that some are indeed wilfully blind.
 

Timtofly

Well-Known Member
Apr 9, 2020
8,284
581
113
Mount Morris
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
I am addressing everyone in general (in fact just presenting what the Bible reveals), although we know that some are indeed wilfully blind.
They remain willfully blind when they hear the truth and deny it, or call the person proclaiming the truth a liar and a wolf in sheepskin. The truth turns human doctrine, tradition, and theology upside down, and when shaken, not a single coin of truth comes out, thus there is only silence. They remain willfully blind because they are left with nothing, and the truth is so foreign to them, they detest it and have lost everything they did have, in God's eyes.
 

Reggie Belafonte

Well-Known Member
Mar 16, 2018
5,805
2,896
113
63
Brisbane
Faith
Christian
Country
Australia
I. WHAT IS WILFUL BLINDNESS?
Wilful blindness is a deliberate shutting of the mental, emotional, and spiritual “eyes” against the light of the truth. It is a deliberate decision and choice to (a) resist, (b) refute, (c) reject and (d) oppose the truth. Whether it is the truth of matters in the ordinary world, or the truth of God as revealed in Scripture, or the truth of the Gospel, or the truth revealed to someone by the Holy Spirit. While this is serious enough in the natural man, it is catastrophic among those who consider themselves to be Christians.

II. SCRIPTURE EXPOSES WILFUL BLINDNESS
God and Christ show us the nature of wilful blindness in many passages of Scripture:
BLIND WATCHMEN IN ISRAEL FAIL TO FULFIL THEIR CALLING
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. (Isa 56:10)

THE WILFULLY BLIND ARE TO BE LEFT ALONE

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Mt 15:14)

III. THE WILFULLY BLIND ARE CONDEMNED TO HELL (MATTHEW 23)
1. THEY LEAD OTHERS TO HELL
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

2. THEY ARE HYPOCRITICAL PRETENDERS
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

3. THEY ARE ZEALOUS IN MAKING CONVERTS TO THEIR LIES
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

4. THEY HAVE NO SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

5. THEY DEBASE SPIRITUAL THINGS AND GOD HIMSELF
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

6. THEY FOCUS ON THE INCONSEQUENTIAL AND NEGLECT THE CONSEQUENTIAL
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

7. THEY FOCUS ON THE EXTERNAL AND NEGLECT THE INTERNAL
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

8. THEY ARE OUTWARDLY PIOUS BUT INWARDLY CORRUPT
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

9. THEY CREATE SHRINES FOR THE ONES WHOM THEY MURDER
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

10. THEY CONDEMN THEMSELVES TO THE DAMNATION OF HELL
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

As we can see, the Lord had some very harsh words for these people, as well as some very severe judgments. Therefore it behooves everyone to ensure that they are not wilfully blind, but always welcome the truth.
Love it, spot on, thanks for putting it forward dear Enoch111
 
  • Like
Reactions: Enoch111

Windmillcharge

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2017
2,934
1,823
113
68
London
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
If the shoe fits.

That is a cop out and very poor reasoning.
Someone who is ignoring aspects of biblical Christian behaviour is highly likely to be ignorant of the fact that his behaviour is contrary to the Bible.
In which case saying blind man get yourself out of that hole you are in is not just unhelpful but actively preventing from getting help.

May I suggest you reconsider your position.
 

mjrhealth

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2009
11,810
4,090
113
Australia
Faith
Christian
Country
Australia
Theer are many "christians" who will reject the truth, ask God what something means, than when He tells them what it means ,they will deny Him and say it cant be so because the bible says, does that make them willingly blind too???
 

Jay Ross

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2011
6,760
2,523
113
QLD
Faith
Christian
Country
Australia
@Enoch111, what is your shoe size, or do you use the shoe for a hat to shade the laughing mater so that it does not overheat.

Probably not, you wear your oversized shoes even though they are too sloppy and big for your feet and they cause your feet to have blisters and sores. Does not the bible have something to say about people receiving sores and blisters during a particular time?

Oh you have considered that prospect and concluded that it does not apply to your particular case because you are a great student of God's word in your opinion.
 
Last edited:

Enoch111

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2018
17,688
15,996
113
Alberta
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
Probably not, you wear your oversized shoes even though they they are too sloppy and big for your feet and they cause your feet to have blisters and sores.
There you go with personal attacks. There's no need for such sloppy remarks.

But if the shoe fits wear it. I have simply presented the Scriptures which identify the wilfully blind as identified by Christ.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reggie Belafonte

Enoch111

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2018
17,688
15,996
113
Alberta
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
May I suggest you reconsider your position.
This is not my position, but what the Bible reveals. Those passages are available to all. Every person who opens the Bible must see that it is meant to search their hearts and minds (Heb 4:12,13).

For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
 

Windmillcharge

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2017
2,934
1,823
113
68
London
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
This is not my position, but what the Bible reveals. Those passages are available to all. Every person who opens the Bible must see that it is meant to search their hearts and minds (Heb 4:12,13).

For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
I was not clear enough.
I was referring to your cop out of throwing out an accusation blindly on a Christian forum and when asked who you were speaking to, replied, if the cap fits!.

In my opinion that is highly irresponsible. If you think posters on a forum are behaving ina in Christian way speak to them privately, if they ignore you repeat it publicly and if it is seriously enough take it to the forum moderators.

Don't fire off a scatter gun of accusation.
 

Enoch111

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2018
17,688
15,996
113
Alberta
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
Don't fire off a scatter gun of accusation.
I have not fired off any accusations. I have give you a proper exegesis of what Christ said. He was speaking of the wilfully blind and He had some very harsh things to say.