It is easy to conclude that justness and fairness are the same thing. A quick search of online dictionaries will show us that fairness is a synonym of justness. However, there is a subtle yet crucial distinction that greatly impacts our understanding of God, or our theology.
I came across an interesting blog discussing the difference between “just” and “fair” as they relate to our legal system:
“Although just and fair are synonyms, they do not mean, nor imply, the same idea. The very fact that they are two different words tells me that at some level, they do not refer to or embrace the same idea…The right of a criminal defendant to confront the witnesses against him is an example of a rule that is just with at least the appearance of not being fair. If the prosecutor wants to introduce a report or records into evidence he must bring a person in to testify about those documents and the defendant has the right to cross examine that witness. The defendant, however, can introduce business records into evidence without bringing in an outside witness—the state has no right of confrontation. While the application of this right may not seem fair to the state, it is just. The state has the burden of proving beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendant committed a specific criminal act. The defendant has to prove nothing….The rule is just, but not necessarily fair.”
One lawyer’s opinion doesn’t tell us anything about theology, but it does show that, even in secular understanding, these near-synonyms aren’t exactly the same thing. Perhaps sports can provide us with another example that distinguishes the two. If a referee doesn’t call “holding” on either team unless a player is dragged to the ground, the referee is being fair by treating both teams the same. However, the referee isn’t being just, because he isn’t conforming to, or enforcing, the established rules.
Fair has an aspect of relative comparison; just has a comparison to an external standard.
But doesn’t Scripture say that God is fair, or at least that God values fairness?
Yes and no. The answer to this question is going to depend on which translation one is reading. Leviticus 19:15 provides a good example to investigate. The NASB, one of my favorite translations, reads,
“You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly”.
In contrast, the ESV, another of my favorites, translates this passage,
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”
Which is the more accurate reading? Fortunately, there are tools that allow us to investigate deeper. We can look up the Hebrew word used here, and we learn that it means “righteousness”. We can check the other times the same word is used in Scripture and how it is translated each of those times. Based on that information, it would be hard to insist that God demands fairness from us and therefore must be fair Himself. I won’t go through each of the times the word fair is used in the Bible, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing so. I suspect that you will find that it isn’t used as many times as you think or in the ways that you might think.
If we set aside the notion that God has to be fair, we will find a number of times where God isn’t fair. For example, in Matthew 20 we find the parable of the workers hired for the vineyard. In what context would it be fair that someone who worked only an hour was paid the same amount as someone who worked the whole day? It was just, however, because the master of the house paid the agreed upon amount.
Let’s jump forward to Romans 9 where Paul talks about Jacob and Esau:
“And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom. 9:10–16).
When we set aside our preconceived idea that God must be fair, we can read this verse for what it says:
- The twins were not yet born
- They had not done anything good or bad
- God’s proclamation was not based on works
So if God’s decision wasn’t based on their works it seems natural to ask, as Paul interjects, “Is there injustice on God’s part?” It is important to keep reading because we learn the explanation. Paul doesn’t explain this phenomenon away by proclaiming that God was basing this on what He knew would happen in the future. No, Paul bases it on God’s mercy, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” This reasoning is strikingly similar to the explanation of the master of the house in the parable above, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”
Let’s examine another way that God isn’t fair. Fairness would demand that every sinner ends up with the same fate, eternal punishment. The gift of eternal life isn’t fair.
However, God is just. The Law, His Law, penalizes sin with death (Romans 6:23). This death was fulfilled on the cross when Christ, the One without sin, died in our place. If we don’t understand the difference between justness and fairness we miss the meaning of the cross.
When we insist on a fair god, we can only have universalism or works-based salvation. If some sinners are punished and others aren’t, that isn’t very fair. So all sinners can be rewarded with eternal life (universalism) or only those who aren’t sinners can receive the reward (works-based salvation). Since nearly everyone has sufficient insight to realize that we aren’t perfect, we make up new ideas of fair. People who are on the right track, i.e. the path of their life is in the right direction, can be saved. People whose heart is in the right place can be saved. People who are mostly good can be saved. People who are living up to the light that they have can be saved.
Our emphasis on a fair god, however, diminishes the mercy of God. We don’t get what we deserve. Jesus took the death that we earned. Instead we are freely given what Jesus earned. †
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