In what context was the Sermon on the Mount preached?
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During the time of the Savior, the Pharisees had significant influence in society. These were representatives of the religious and political movement who interpreted the law of God in their own way.
The Pharisees were guided solely by their own benefit, deciding whether a person was sinful or righteous. The representatives of the movement themselves were distinguished by arrogance and vanity. They considered themselves messiahs and believed that they had the right to judge others. There were Pharisees among those who attended the Sermon on the Mount.
The habit of judging others
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Jews often found themselves under the influence of the Pharisees, becoming proud and selfish, beginning to condemn others, subjecting everyone to petty criticism for any offense that did not fit into their worldview.
It was to such people that this phrase of the Savior was addressed. Christ said this to those who stopped noticing their shortcomings, criticized everyone in a row, forgetting about the need to feel compassion and take into account their conscience.
Meanings of the word "judge" in this phrase
It is important to understand exactly what meaning the word “judge” is used. There are several options for using it. First, directly condemn someone by criticizing and blaming. Secondly, reason, discuss the words and actions of others, make your own judgments. Thirdly, carry out the court, resolving disputes, making a verdict as a result.
By saying “do not judge,” the Son of God, of course, did not call people to stop thinking and reasoning. The Savior did not speak about the legal process, namely about slander towards one’s neighbor. He calls not to judge a person for his actions, but instead to come to his aid, to return him to the true path if he has strayed from it.
About righteous anger and “truth telling”
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—Can indignation directed at another person be righteous?
— Indignation directed at another person can never be righteous. But his actions - maybe.
Anger is given to us as the ability of a quick, prompt reaction of the soul to what is wrong - this is the uniform position of the holy fathers. Even before we realize that we are faced with something we shouldn’t, anger is triggered and protects us from it. This is the innate instinct of self-preservation of the soul. Another thing is that in a state of sin, we easily turn this God-given ability not on sin, but on people.
For example, a child brought a bad mark from school. We turn all our “righteous” anger on him: “Oh, you are such and such, lazy, now I will punish you!” And it doesn’t seem to us that we are doing exactly the opposite of what we should have done. After all, the child is already depressed, he bears the burden of the trouble that happened. Although getting a bad grade is not a sin. But it's unpleasant. But even if we imagine that a child, say, stole something from school, and this became known, we must not destroy him morally, but help him rise. Any action is the result of certain deep internal processes - most often unconscious by the child himself. And if at this moment we direct our seemingly “righteous” anger at the child, then we are saying: this child is a moral monster, but in our life this does not and cannot be, we are at the pinnacle of a virtuous life or near her. And so we literally trample this young sinner into the mud, destroying the last hopes for correction: we ourselves have driven him into a corner, condemning him and equating him as a person with his sinful act.
- What to do in such a situation?
- Without in any way justifying his action, it is necessary to immerse the child in such a sea of love that the acute feeling of shame burns out the very possibility of a repetition of such a situation. We must not drown him in our anger, but help turn his own anger towards a sinful act, so that in this way a kind of spiritual immunity will form in his soul. And then he will never do that again - not because he is deathly afraid of the withering anger of his parents, but because he knows what it is to burn with shame. And how hard it is to experience love forgiving you for your vile act!
— When we read about how Christ drove the merchants out of the temple, are we talking about righteous anger?
- Certainly. They knew that they were where they had no right, they knew that they were committing lawlessness. After all, the law of Moses prohibited engaging in commerce inside the Temple courtyard - for this there were other places outside the Temple. But, naturally, this was not so profitable for traders and money changers.
And Christ did not condemn these people. He condemned what they did - and there is nothing wrong with that. When Christ releases the harlot, he does not say that he does not condemn her fornication. This was not said. Christ said: “... I do not condemn you.” That is, I’m not saying that you are a harlot. Christ opens a new perspective for her: go and sin no more. All. Yesterday's sinner is given the opportunity to change her life by being close to Christ.
According to the legislation of Moses, mortal sin is a dead-end branch. A man has committed a mortal sin - and that’s it, there is no turning back, he must be killed - so that others will be discouraged, and the infection of sin will not spread further. And Christ reveals all these dead-end branches and makes it possible to correct later life - because for the sake of one lost sheep He leaves a whole flock, just to find and save it.
He is not a politician or an economist, but Boundless Love Itself, for which one soul, a hundred, a thousand, and a million souls have the same priceless value.
— What do condemnation and “truth-telling” have in common?
— It seems to me that “truth-telling” is a form of condemnation. A person loves to annoy others with his truth, his idea of something. But if God reveals something to someone, He does this not at all because He really wants to reveal it and cannot restrain himself, as happens in the case of “truth-telling,” but only so that it has a certain effect per person. God in His Providence is moved by only one thing - endless love for man. And His endless pedagogical skill. Therefore, He does everything only when a person can perceive it with the greatest benefit - even if the person himself seems to be completely opposite.
And the main motive of “truth-telling” is that a person wants to always and everywhere tell the truth that will be inconvenient, awkward, and unpleasant to others. The “truth teller” initially sees those around him as incapable of hearing this truth in other forms. Most likely, under such “truth-telling” lies a deep-seated condemnation of people, a false conviction that all these people around are so inert, indifferent, incapable of anything living and correct, that they can only be whipped in the face with the truth, like a whip - so that at least came to our senses a little...
- Is it possible to judge a person with love?
- It is forbidden. You can condemn an act of love. There have been cases in my life when my actions were condemned by other people with great love. And, as a rule, I never did them again. This is a very difficult state: to be sure that you are endlessly loved, and at the same time understand that your action is also endlessly condemned. A huge, withering shame appears, which is a fuse, a guarantee that you will not do this again.
Other resources on how to deal with judgment:
Alexander Tkachenko. Fear of heights
Someone else's soul - darkness
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No one is able to understand what is really hidden in the soul of another person. That is why it is dangerous and wrong to judge your neighbor by deciding who he is - a sinner or a righteous person. In this case, the probability of error is too high. This can be done without fully understanding the person, or due to one’s own sinful nature.
Only the Lord, who knows all human thoughts and aspirations, is able to objectively evaluate people’s actions. At the same time, he treats them with compassion. Even if a person has sinned, he is ready to forgive and accept him in case of sincere repentance.
If we begin to judge someone, slander someone, then we ourselves sin. The Savior notes that in such a situation a person passes judgment on himself. Added to this is the sin of arrogance and pride.
About Schadenfreude, Trust and Church Judgment
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—Are there things that people don’t consider condemnation, but they are?
- Yes, and there are a lot of such things. Unfortunately, because of our love of judgment, any attempt to talk about someone else’s behavior turns into “washing out the bones.” This is due to the fact that we have a great lack of faith in people. We are more inclined to distrust people, to suspect people of bad things, rather than vice versa - to trust them too much and not to believe the bad, evil that, perhaps, is obviously present in them. There is such a sin of schadenfreude, and very often our discussion of people turns out to be connected with it. Somewhere in the depths of our souls we secretly rejoice at the fall of another person. Why? Thus, we receive some kind of “compensation” for our sinfulness.
When everyone around me is bad, there are two very comforting moments for me. First: if I am a sinner like them, I am no longer alone. Second: if I am at least a little different from them, a little taller and better, then I already feel like almost a superhero against the background of all these scoundrels. This is pleasant for a person. And until a person’s eyes are opened to who he really is, he will constantly slide into this pit of condemnation.
— Is there a relationship between condemnation, - confidence and faith?
- Such a connection really exists. The less a person believes, the less open he is to the action of God, the more he will condemn. And vice versa, the more a person approaches God - in reality, and not in his imagination - the more his heart is touched by the Divine light, the more he sees his indecency. Even if he lives decently, he begins to distinguish in the depths of his soul “snags” and “cobblestones” - problems that cannot be seen without this light.
I would like to note one very important point: when can a person be ready to bear the whole truth about himself? If a person suddenly sees himself without embellishment, as he is at this moment in his life, and at the same time identifies himself with all the sins, inappropriate actions, and crimes he has committed, the only way out for him is to hang himself. Because by doing so, a person puts an end to himself - if he does not have faith. In order to prevent despair when seeing the abyss of your lewdness, you need strong faith. Faith as a state of devotion to God, absolute trust and boundless hope in God's mercy. God is the greatest teacher, therefore He reveals to man the extent of his sinfulness to the extent that a person can bear with his faith.
And the more a person strengthens in faith, the more sins are revealed to him. And vice versa. When a person weakens in faith, his sins bother him less and less. The Lord covers them, hides them, otherwise a person will fall into terrible despair and hopelessness.
- But what about the church court - after all, this is the body that is precisely called upon to judge, to make a judgment?
— The question can be expanded. Remember Christ's parable about the wheat and tares? So, until everything grows together - until the harvest - it is necessary to ensure that those who do not want to comply with the framework of the Divine law do not become a hindrance to those who want to live according to God.
The task of the church court is not to condemn as the pronouncement of some final “divine verdict” on a person, but to decide the question of how much this or that person has the right to be in the bosom of the Church in one or another status. If a priest drinks heavily and is a temptation to his parishioners, if he does not perform the divine services that he is obliged to perform, if he simply loses self-control due to his passion, the Church must decide what to do with him next. Does he have the right to be called a priest? This is her duty; she must, as a child-loving mother, protect her other children from the dangers that a given person in this situation carries within himself. This does not mean at all that the Church made some final judgment on him. Not at all! He can correct himself, change - and all this will be returned to him. There is no absolute right to condemn.
— Isn't excommunication the final verdict?
— Excommunication from the Church is a church-wide recognition of complete incompatibility with the Church. But such cases are so rare that they can be counted on one hand. And I have no doubt that if those anathematized wanted to return, all these excommunications would be lifted. This is an extreme measure, firstly, it is exceptional, and secondly, it testifies to some limit of a person’s departure from a state in which he can change and repent, about some kind of global bitterness, a person’s freezing in sin and his obvious inability change. But, I repeat, such cases are rare.
A very important point: Christianity looks at a person in constant dynamics. And such a vision immediately completely excludes condemnation, because any condemnation is a fixation, a stop. And we have only one stop - this is God's Final - and therefore Last - judgment.
Even from the moment when a person’s soul is separated from his body, when, it would seem, nothing can be done, we still continue to say that his fate is not decided. There is a Church that prays for him, there are neighbors who will do good in memory of this deceased - and all this has its significance for the soul of the deceased. And we know from many testimonies that there is a beneficial effect on the souls of those who themselves can no longer change. But what he left on earth is already working for him, against his will, his desire.
- So there is only one final judgment?
- Yes. Why is the Last Judgment called in Greek η τελική κρίση ? τελική means final, last, terminal. "Terminal" crisis, final judgment. There will be only one, and only God will do it. And most importantly, we do not know what its end will be in relation to even those obvious sinners and righteous people whom we are now observing “from below”.
The parable of the Last Judgment is a deeply paradoxical parable. In it, the righteous do not understand why they went to heaven, they do not understand completely sincerely, and sinners are simply hysterical that they are being sent to hell, when they seemed to know how to behave and behaved as was customary. There is only one criterion for condemnation: the state of either love or dislike, and for a living person this is not obvious. We cannot see ourselves, we cannot understand what state we are in. Not even the greatest saint could say about himself that he was guaranteed to be saved. On the contrary, Sisoes the Great cried on his deathbed and said: “I don’t know if I even made the beginning of repentance.” And this is clearly not a one-man show. He didn’t say this so that his disciples would be surprised: what a humble elder we have! Before us is a certain limit of self-deprecation: he entrusted himself to God so much that, on the one hand, he imputed all his labors, all his enormous exploits, to nothing, and, on the other hand, he still waited and hoped that the Lord would save him.
Luke's version
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The Evangelist Luke gives this phrase more fully, with explanations. He's writing:
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.
In addition to the fact that Luke here clearly focuses on the fact that the word “judge” here refers to slander, he also points to the law of God’s retribution.
Backbiting is a sinful offense. For this, the believer will have to answer before the Lord.
"Judge not lest ye be judged"
Continuing to expound the concepts of His teaching, Jesus Christ said: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matt. 7:1)
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In order to correctly understand these words, you need to know in what setting they were spoken and to whom they were addressed. In the ancient Jewish state, during the time of Jesus Christ, the religious and political sect of the Pharisees had a great influence on people. The Pharisees arrogated to themselves the right not only to interpret God’s law in their own way (as was beneficial to them), but also to condemn people who did not adhere to their views and who did not fulfill their rules. “And he answered and said to them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”
(Matt. 15:3). Guided by their own interests and erroneous views, the Pharisees judged a person's entire life and passed judgment on whether that person was a righteous person or a sinner. The Pharisees themselves were characterized by selfishness, arrogance and vanity. Their personal, often erroneous, point of view was their main criterion in judging other people and discussing issues. Having elevated themselves to the rank of righteous people, they ascribed to themselves the rights of judges, criticizing and condemning the actions and words of other people, appearing before the people in the guise of righteous teachers. Representatives of this sect were also present at the Sermon on the Mount.
Following the example of the Pharisees, many Jews, also obsessed with selfishness and pride, showed a tendency to petty criticism and condemnation of their neighbors. To such people, who have forgotten about conscience and compassion for their neighbors, who do not notice their shortcomings, but criticize other people, Jesus Christ said: “ Do not judge, lest you be judged.”
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The word “judge”, which is used in this phrase, has several meanings:
To judge, in other words to think, that is, to reason, discuss something, as well as think, reflect.
To judge means to condemn, that is, to blame, criticize someone or something.
To judge means to judge people. That is, to sort out and resolve disputes, lawsuits and cases, and pass judgment on the guilty. The phrase “don’t judge,” used in the phrase under discussion, naturally does not prohibit people from thinking. “And let two or three prophets speak, and let the rest reason” (1 Cor. 14:29).
In what semantic meaning (2nd or 3rd) is it used?
The Savior’s words are not applicable in the 3rd semantic meaning, because they do not speak about the work of human courts (although courts are not rejected in society), but speak about condemnation in the form of slandering one’s neighbor. With these words, it is recommended not to judge (slander) people for their motives and actions, but to help them improve, because only the Lord God should judge a person’s entire life and reward him with a sentence.
“Do not judge in any way before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the heart” (1 Cor. 4:5)
each person.
“There is one Lawgiver and Judge, able to save and destroy” (James 4:12).
We humans will never be able to fully know what is hidden in the soul of another person. A person should not judge the entire life of his neighbor with a verdict, whether he is a righteous person or a sinner, because he may make a mistake during his judgment and, due to his sinful nature, may not fully and accurately understand the neighbor whom he condemns. Only the Lord alone, Who is without sin and Who knows the secret intentions of any person, can approach the human soul with compassion and tenderness and evaluate people’s actions without error. Therefore, the Savior’s words in question must be understood only in the second semantic meaning of “condemn” and “condemn,” which the Savior does not recommend doing.
It is impossible to judge (in the sense of condemning, slandering) your neighbor because a person, often condemning another for some sin, himself commits this or a similar sin. “You are inexcusable, every man who judges another, for by the same judgment with which you judge another you condemn yourself, because in judging another you do the same” (Rom. 2:1).
And judging his neighbor for a sinful act, such a person condemns himself, since he himself committed the same (or similar) act.
Moreover, the Lord clearly indicates that in this situation a person also pronounces a sentence on himself if he condemns his neighbor for a sin that he himself commits. The words “judging another, you do the same” clearly indicate the severity of the sin of that person who, condemning his neighbor for sin, exposes himself with this condemnation, since he himself is guilty of the same sin.
Moreover, a person, to his own sin, for which he condemns his neighbor, also adds the sin of slander and reproach, which is sometimes combined with the sin of pride and arrogance.
In Evangelist Luke, these same words of Jesus Christ about judgment are conveyed somewhat differently, because they contain an explanation. “ Judge not, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven
"(
Luke 6:37
).
As an explanation of why a person should not judge (in the sense of condemning) other people, it is clearly indicated that there is a law of God's retribution for the actions of people. It is impossible to judge your neighbor in the sense of gossiping, slandering, blaming and exposing your neighbor so that they do not do the same to you. “As you would have people do to you, do so also to them” (Matt. 7:12).
As we see, reproach and slander in these words are presented as an act for which a person will be held accountable before God, and will receive punishment according to the law of God’s retribution. In order to avoid God's punitive retribution, Jesus Christ advises: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned"
, indicating that it is not man who should judge people, but the Lord.
According to Christianity, the true Judge is Jesus Christ, to whom God the Father, as the Son, gave all judgment. “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).
Thus, only Jesus Christ is the True and Just Judge.
In the light of this position, a person who judges the entire life of his neighbor with a verdict (condemnation) arbitrarily puts himself in the place of Jesus Christ, the Judge. Such a human action is contrary to God, since it pleases the evil spirit, which, likening itself to God, tries to take God’s place. “He sits as God, showing himself to be God” (2 Thess. 2:4).
Warning people against the harsh and irreconcilable criticism of their neighbors, which was used by the Pharisees, the Apostle Paul writes: “Brothers! If a person falls into any sin, you who are spiritual correct him in a spirit of meekness, taking heed to yourself, lest you be tempted” ( Gal. 6:1
). In these words, the Apostle Paul strongly advises people who love to criticize, first of all, not to allow their shortcomings and to fight them, that is, not to allow sinful acts.
In the previous part of the Sermon on the Mount, in the form of negations, the Savior gives a whole series of prohibitions regarding how one should not act, clearly indicating what is a sinful act. For example, “When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you” (Matt. 6:2)
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“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites” (Matt. 6:5)
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“And when you pray, do not talk too much, like the pagans” (Matt. 6:7)
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“Do not be like them” (Matt. 6:8)
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“When you fast, do not be despondent, like the hypocrites” (Matt. 6:16)
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“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:19)
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“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink.” (Matt.6:25)
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“do not worry or talk” (Matt.6:31)
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“do not worry about tomorrow” (Matt.6:34)
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In the seventh chapter, continuing His statements in the same style, in the form of denial of sinful acts, the Savior continues His thought: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matt. 7:1)
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“Do not give what is holy to dogs” (Matt. 7:6)
. If at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, associated with the beatitudes, it was said about how people should relate to the Kingdom of Heaven. Then in the next part of the Sermon on the Mount, sinful actions are characterized in the form of denial. And in the analyzed words of Jesus Christ “do not judge...” it is said about how people should treat each other.
The need for this instruction was also caused by the fact that as people get carried away with earthly goods and earthly riches, their indifference to God increases, they experience cruelty towards their neighbors and condemnation of the people around them. Since the analyzed words of the Savior “do not judge...” speak not only about the attitude of people towards each other, but also about retribution for human actions, these words also refer to the Heavenly court, at which a person will be judged for his earthly deeds according to the law of retribution God's.
The idea of reward expressed in the words analyzed is confirmed by the words “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you, and more will be added to you who hear” (Mark 4:24)
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Then a person who shows compassion for his neighbor (when he himself judged someone in a private or civil court) will not be judged for his mistakes by a cruel court, both human and Divine. “For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy;
mercy prevails over judgment” (James 2:13). From all of the above, it becomes clear that the words being analyzed speak of condemnation, exposure and slander. These phenomena may be present in both private and civil courts.
In order to correctly understand the words of the Savior being analyzed, you need to understand whether Jesus Christ prohibits judgment in general, and if he allows it, then what kind of judgment? In order to find the correct answer to this question, let us turn to a number of places in the New Testament that also speak of courts and the attitude of the Savior himself and His Apostles to the courts.
From the New Testament it is clear that Jesus Christ himself judged people and condemned them. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, because you devour widows’ houses and hypocritically pray for a long time: for this you will receive all the more condemnation” (Matt. 23:14). “How will you escape from condemnation to Gehenna?” (Matt. 23:33).
Jesus Christ gave the right and authority to judge people to His Apostles, who also administered judgment.
“Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).
“Speak, exhort and reprove this with all authority” (Titus 2:15) given
“by the Lord for building up and not for destruction” (2 Cor. 13:10)
. The Apostle Paul condemned the Corinthian adulterer (1 Cor. 5). And the Apostle Peter condemned Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5).
From all of the above it is clear that Jesus Christ did not abolish human courts, but taught how to carry out justice, both personal and civil. “Judge righteous judgment” ( John 7:24
).
The Apostle Paul distinguishes between two types of judgments. “For why should I judge those who are outside?
Are you not judging the internal ones? But God judges those who are outside” (1 Cor. 5:12-13). According to this quote, the Apostle Paul indicates the presence of a Christian and state court. Christian judgment is understood as admonishing a neighbor who has sinned and instructing him on the true path. This judgment applies to those people who want to improve. And people who persist in their sins will be judged by God through punitive retribution, which can also be expressed in punishing the criminal through state court.
According to the Savior’s views, judgment between people, in the form of comments and admonitions, is needed in order to point out the shortcomings and mistakes of a sinner and kindly help correct them. But there is no need to expose errors with irreconcilable hostility and caustic gloating, as the Pharisees usually did. Both civil and private courts judge our neighbor. Therefore, you need to show a sense of compassion and mercy towards your neighbor. And you need to be able to not only point out his mistake (that is, expose his sin), but you also need to be able to do this in such a way as not to offend the person who has sinned. And you need to be able to convince the sinner to renounce his sinful actions, to show the destructiveness of sin. Therefore, judgment, in the form of condemnation of sin, is needed in order to help the sinner to correct himself and to guide the sinful person on the true path. And ultimately make a righteous man out of a sinner.
It was precisely this understanding of the Savior’s words that St. John Chrysostom wrote about. “So what? If someone commits fornication, shouldn’t I say that fornication is bad and shouldn’t the libertine be corrected? Correct, but not as an enemy, and not as an enemy demanding retribution, but as a doctor applying medicine. The Savior did not say, do not stop the sinner: but do not judge, that is, do not be a cruel judge.”
Judgment in human society should be based on justice and mercy, and not only punish the criminal, but also rehabilitate him. Therefore, the court, in the form of a state institution, is established by God. In the Old Testament it is written: “In all your dwellings which the Lord your God will give you, you shall appoint judges and overseers according to your tribes, so that they may judge the people with righteous judgment” (Deut. 16:18). “And You came down to Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven, and gave them just judgments, true laws, good statutes and good commandments” (Neh. 9:13).
The Bible gives instructions on how to administer judgment. “Do not commit untruth in court; do not show partiality to the poor and do not please the person of the great; Judge your neighbor with righteousness” (Lev. 19:15). “And I gave commandment to your judges at that time, saying: Hear your brethren and judge fairly, both brother and brother, and his stranger; do not distinguish between persons at the trial, listen to both small and great: do not be afraid of the human face, for judgment is the work of God; But bring the matter that is difficult for you to me, and I will listen to it” (Deut. 1:17).
In the ancient Jewish state, great importance was attached to the execution of court decisions and punishment was provided for disobedience to judges. (Deut. 17:12).
In the New Testament, as in the Old, the idea is also expressed about the need for court and judges in human society in which evil is present. Moreover, the state court must not only punish and suppress evil, but also protect society from evildoers, acting on the basis of justice and philanthropy. The fact that the Apostle Paul did not refuse, but took part in the trial, confirms that he recognized the courts as a necessity, and demanded the judgment of Caesar as a defense against unfounded denunciations of the Jews. “Paul, when the governor gave him a sign to speak, answered: Knowing that you have been judging this people fairly for many years, I will defend my cause the more freely” (Acts 24:10).
The New Testament also indicates what human judgment should be. “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24).
But along with the mention of human courts, the Bible also speaks of the Higher court, the court of God.
“We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:10).
It is indicated what this Supreme Court will be like.
“And every one was judged according to his deeds.”
(Rev. 20:13). Thus, the words of the Savior “judge not, lest ye be judged” speak of reproof and slander, but courts, both private and public, are not abolished, and a person is prohibited from applying hostility and malice to his neighbor during judgment (condemnation of vice). And it is recommended to show mercy and compassion towards him. And judgment (in the sense of exposing vice and sin) is used only in order to correct the lost and eliminate sin.
