Deuteronomy 16:18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift does blind the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
We are living in an age where in some instances, not all, the system of justice is perverted, an age where the rich and the infamous have curry favored some judges, in so much that folks on the lower echelons of society are in many ways being treated differently to those who have the money and influence to grease judges’ hands.
In some cases, persons are thrown in jail for minor offenses, while individuals at the top of the totem pole are released for much more egregious crimes. This grim state of affairs will not continue forever because the prophet Isaiah says that God is taking notice.
And in the fulness of time, He will act and He will do so in a very strange way that most persons are not expecting. When justice is perverted to suit one’s will, when populations are not given a fair shake in the courts of law, it is just a matter of time before society will begin to crumble.
And once the horses have left the barn, it could be quite difficult, if not impossible to rein them back in, because, nations that have permitted the wheels of justice to go off the rails, usually never regain their stature, or prominence as in former years.
This happened in ancient Babylon, it occurred with papal Rome, it happened in Herod’s day, and the same disease could now be seen in many nations around the world, where you have a two-tiered system of justice, one for the rich, and another for the poor, with the poorer classes, often receiving the short end of the stick.
This is exactly what God warned folks about in the book of Isaiah, and that movie is now showing at a theater near you. But according to what is written, it will reach a tipping point where The Lord will have to intervene, and when He does, it will not be pretty or cute, to say the least.
As we read, let us be honest with ourselves and ask this question: Is Isaiah speaking about some future time or is he referring to the here and now? And, if he is, then the word of the Lord is simple: Be ye also ready, because He is going to bring to pass His act, His strange act. Let’s read:
Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they know not; and there’s no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither does justice overtake us. We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, justice stands afar off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and He was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
The following story is an allegorical work that shows how a justice system can be perverted, and how any judge who is not very careful in his interactions with the public, can be led down a slippery slope, even if he may have had good intentions initially.
It just so happened that many years ago a mechanic used to live right next door to a judge, who was his neighbor, and over the years they became the best of friends. In the process of time the judge came to know what type of work his neighbor did, and since he lived right next door it was very much convenient for him to let his neighbor service his Volvo.
At first, the judge would pay his neighbor promptly for all of the services done on his Volvo so that even though they were good neighbors, there were no strings attached.
This was initially done with the best of intentions, because it saved the judge the hassle of having to take his car to the dealer, where he would have to wait in line like everybody else, or, if the repair was extensive, he would have to rent a vehicle while the work was being done.
So, the judge soon discovered that it was better in every way, and more convenient to let his mechanic neighbor do the work, especially since his neighbor would charge much less than the dealership. After a while however they became such good buddies that the mechanic stopped charging the judge for work, on the basis that they were very good neighbors.
At first, the judge objected to not paying, for he did not favor the idea of work being done for free, but since his mechanic neighbor insisted that he would not accept payment anymore, the judge decided to go along with it, because it saved him a whole heap of money over the years.
This continued for a period of time until one day the mechanic got into an accident, by which he ran into a Ford Taurus from behind, while texting. The man who was in the car which had gotten hit, decided to sue for injuries, and consequently went to Morgan and Morgan to handle the case.
And, believe it or not, it just so happened that the same case came before the judge who was neighbor to the mechanic. As defendant and plaintiff squared off in court, the judge became quite uncomfortable.
This was because his mechanic neighbor who had faithfully fixed his Volvo over the years, would now obviously be expecting the judge to give a favorable ruling, on account of their relationship.
The judge is torn between justice and quid pro quo, because, on account of the favors his good neighbor had shown, it seemed plausible, and right, that he should cut him some slack and rule in his favor.
However, as Morgan and Morgan presented the raw facts in the case, it became clearly evident that the mechanic was at fault, and now, the right thing for the judge to do would be to give a ruling that would incriminate his next-door neighbor.
What was he supposed to do? Should he go ahead and judge impartially, or should he favor his good neighbor on account of his previous kindnesses? On the one hand, if the judge in question rules against his neighbor mechanic, it would seem to be glaring ingratitude.
But if he was to rule in his neighbor’s favor, then he would have to deliberately twist the arm of justice, and in doing so he would deny the injured man his rights. What is he supposed to do, according to the Bible?
To find out what the judge is supposed to do we will have to revisit our introductory passage, because it speaks about the dangers of judges taking any gift in the first place. Quid pro quo is, according to Oxford dictionary: a favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something.
Now even though the judge and the mechanic may not have had any ulterior motives at the beginning of their relationship, the Scripture says that judges should not accept favors and gifts from the citizenry because there would always be that potential for a conflict of interest, which could easily morph into a Quid pro quo.
In other words, in order to judge impartially, judges must not have the burden of favors or gifts hanging over their consciences, because the natural, human thing to do will be to return the favor, since in most cases, the plaintiff or defendant who has favorable ties to the judge, will be expecting leniency.
In fact, according to the scripture, in the capacity as judge, there are certain things he or she just cannot do, that an ordinary citizen can. Those restrictions just come with the territory, and for good reasons, for wherever you have pay to play, corruption and injustice will prevail.
A judge, according to the Bible has to be wary of any kindness in the form of gifts coming from a citizenry, such as tickets to soccer games, dinners, vehicles, or paid vacations, even if such gifts were given to the judge at Christmas time.
In fact, even unwarranted gifts from Santa Claws are off limits so as to preserve the integrity of the bench and also to keep a judge’s conscience free and clear void of all bias and pressure to manipulate the law.
In other words, if Santa Claws is coming down every chimney in the judge’s neighborhood, and in every residence he leaves only cheap gifts, and plastic toys from China, but when he reaches the judge’s house, he leaves him a brand new Bentley, that obviously is an unwarranted gift.
That is why the Bible says that gifts will pervert the rulings of judges, and because of this, they are to be strictly avoided. When the following passage is read and understood, you will observe that it makes no mention of good intentions. It says, do not accept gifts or favors, from persons, if you are a judge. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
However, the command against the practice of Quid pro quo is broader, and more extensive than many people realize, so, for the sake of clarity, let’s revisit the meaning thereof. Here it is:
Quid pro quo: Latin, Something, in exchange for something, A favor, or advantage granted, or expected in return for something.
When understood in a broader context, the practice of quid pro quo can be observed on a personal level, for at its core, it contains the principle of showing a favor, or showing kindness, with the expectation of getting something in return.
Thus, the following are four areas of concern that we need to address, and as we do, The Lord would make clear in our minds why he speaks out against the practice in its various forms.
[1] Quid Pro Quo on a personal level.
While it is Biblical to do good, and it is upright to show uniform kindness to everyone, the tendency to expect favors in return for doing so, is forbidden in the scriptures. The Christian is to do good, as the song says, for goodness’ sake, not for hope of any reward.
This does not mean that the person who is shown kindness or favors should forget the benefactor, or should not show gratitude. All it means is that the highest motivation for doing good should not be an expectation of returned favor, for if this is the case, one’s goodness becomes transactional. Let’s read:
Luke 6: 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Again, on a personal level, quid pro quo is very often the reason why some individuals might not receive the blessings they expected, after returning tithes and offerings.
In some cases, it might not be genuine gratitude to God that drives the giving, in some instances, it was more of a deal that some folks cut with God. Thus, if the blessings do not come down as expected, some individuals do turn sour, and accuse The Lord of not upholding His end of the bargain.
Tithing was never intended to be a contract, it was intended to be as an acknowledgement of God as the owner of everything we have, and also to put a check on inherent covetousness in our fallen human nature.
Therefore, when the Christian gives, and returns to God, it should never be looked upon as us cutting a deal, for if we were to view it that way, it would just be quid pro quo, dressed up in sacerdotal garments. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposes in his heart so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.
Matthew 10: 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Again, on a personal level, the practice of salvation by works is based upon quid pro quo where persons do good and right things expecting to receive some benefit in return. Doing the right thing, in any form or fashion, where the primary motivation is a return on investment, falls short of the gold standard, and should be strictly avoided wherever possible.
According to the Bible, when Jesus comes the 2nd time, many people will be expecting to be ushered into His kingdom based upon meritorious work, for they kept a list of the many good things that they did and now, as far as expectation goes, they believe it is time for Jesus to return the favors, with a one-way ticket to glory.
But too late persons find out that God’s kingdom is not based on quid pro quo, and now, even though they make mention of their long list of good deeds, Christ isn’t buying it because their motivations were not honorable. In other words, they were doing the right things for the wrong reasons. Let’s read:
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[2] Quid Pro Quo on a church/ state level.
Quid pro quo is so pervasive that it can be observed also, on a church level where politicians may offer to fund certain programs and educational endeavors of the church, in exchange for some favor.
Remember, the foundational principles of quid pro quo involve a favor or advantage that is granted, or expected in return for something. When this occurs it very often blurs the lines between the church and state.
Thus, if churches accept payments, or funding from governments and politicians they could obviously be under some pressure to have their congregants vote a certain way, in the benefactor’s favor and then the churches in question will feel obligated to have the politicians use their pulpits to further their agendas.
Also, wherever this is the case, those affected by the practice of quid pro quo would be under pressure or even threat of removal of funding, unless they bring their moral beliefs, and practices into harmony with the funder’s wishes.
This in turn can, and will ultimately affect adversely, the freedom of religion and thus, a denomination or church, that is supposed to be a moral compass in a world gone wild, will feel pressured to acquiesce on very important moral issues such as marriage.
It all has to do with the concept and practice of quid pro quo, where you scratch my back and I would be expected to scratch yours. It is quid pro quo that got Balaam into trouble, for he was promised monetary benefits and high positions in Balak’s government in exchange for doing what he knew was wrong.
The pressure was turned up several notches as the highest, ranking members of Balak’s government, in their efforts to bribe the prophet, made additional and costly offers in return for the favor of cursing God’s people. Let’s read:
Numbers 22:7 And the elders of Moab and elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spoke unto him the words of Balak.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, let nothing I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me.
17 For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
In other words, in exchange for the favor Balak was asking, he proposes to give Balaam a high position, possibly in his cabinet, or in some other critically important post in government, even though Balaam is not qualified to fill such a post.
Hence the reason why God banned church and state from being in bed together in quid pro quo, because sooner or later, the churches in question will be led to compromise truth, integrity, and principle. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Let’s read:
Numbers 23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Thus, wherever morality, justice, equity and fairness are at stake, the individuals who are tasked with the administration thereof, should stay as far as possible from quid pro quo, for they will become tainted and compromised, if they go that route.
This is the reason why any entity which has a grave responsibility of making sound judgments on moral issues, or has to issue Biblical statements, pertaining to right and wrong must be left untrammeled by any gift or favor so as to render decisions that would not compromise God’s revealed will. Let’s read:
Micah 3: 11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord among us? no evil can come upon us.
Acts 8: 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, give me also this power that on whoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, let your money perish with you, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
[3] Quid Pro Quo on a governor or a kingly level.
This level of the practice could really jeopardize the security and stability of a nation, because when it is indulged, the king without scruples, could cut a deal with known criminals once he or his kingdom stands to benefit. In other cases, innocent persons could be detained in custody, if they simply refuse to grease the king’s hand.
This is what took place with governor Felix in the Bible who could have released or detained Paul if he chose to. At that time, the apostle was wrongly put in prison because of false charges brought against him by his countrymen on account of him preaching the truth.
In our day, truth has become an endangered species and persons who speak the truth are at times made to feel the ire of kings, and governors. In Felix’s case with Paul, the governor was deeply convicted of the truth in the matter, that Paul was innocent of crime, and thus, he knew what was the right thing to do.
This is made quite clear in the Bible, because of his reactions to Paul’s testimony. The governor’s own conscience was aroused, and as the unadulterated truth came from the apostle’s lips, Felix was visibly disturbed, as could be observed by his involuntary physical reactions. Let’s read:
Acts 24:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as he reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
But then, the quid pro quo demon began to haunt his mind, and as time went by it occurred to Felix’s that he could benefit financially by releasing Paul. Now, to be clear, releasing the apostle, in this case, was absolutely the right thing to do, but for Felix to seek financial benefit from doing so will be nothing short of quid pro quo.
And as the devil dangled financial gains before the mind of Felix, the decision came down to one of two choices, either he would do the right thing and free Paul without personal benefit or else he would keep him in prison until Paul would pay to play.
The regrettable record is there before us, because Felix decided that if Paul would not cooperate in the scheme, the governor would bend justice to suit his own desire, and the result is that Paul was left in his jail cell, because the Christian should never become involved in quid pro quo, even if it is to save his own skin. Let’s read:
Acts 24:26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul that he might free him, wherefore, he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
In other words, if Paul is not going to play to play, Felix is not going to release him, for whatsoever the facts might be in the case, if the governor is not going to benefit from the deal, no release would be issued to Paul, period. It doesn’t really matter whether he is guilty or innocent, that’s entirely beside the point.
This leads us to our fourth and final exhibit of quid pro quo:
[4] When quid pro quo includes pardons.
God has not granted to any mortal man the power to pardon sin, for the Bible explicitly says that this is the prerogative of God alone. Yet, over millennia the practice has been adopted in religious and in secular circles. Thus, before we move on, it is imperative to establish the truth in the matter beyond all doubt. Let’s read:
Exodus 34: 6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…..
Mark 2: 3 And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?
Par·don/ noun: The action of forgiving, or being forgiven for an error or offense.
Before we continue it is necessary for us to grasp the meaning of a particular passage in the Bible, so that when we speak of pardon or forgiveness on the horizontal, man to man level, we’ll understand what is being referred to. Let’s read:
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Question: On a human level, what does it literally mean to forgive one their trespasses?
Take the example of David and Uriah. If Uriah had opened the letter containing his death sentence and he decided to forgive David, his act in doing so does not move the needle in heaven one iota. David will have to admit and confess to doing the wrong, and then God, and God alone could offer pardon.
But on a man to man, horizontal level, Uriah could choose to bury the hatchet and not pursue charges with Morgan and Morgan. In other words, only God could wipe a person’s slate clean, but we, on a man- to man level, could decide to let things slide.
This is what was made plain to Moses as he asked God to wipe away the sins of the people who had made and worshiped the golden calf. Let’s pay close attention to the following passages, for they reveal the prerogatives of God alone, as it pertains to the issues of forgiveness and pardons. Let’s read:
Exodus 32: 30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, you have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
In other words, it is the prerogative of God alone to decide whose sins are pardoned, and whose sins are retained. This is the reason why the power to grant pardons and forgiveness was never given to man for God knew that it would inevitably be abused, and misused in cases where quid pro quo is practiced.
And so said so done, because as the early Christian church gradually departed from the pure principles of truth, the demons of quid pro quo entered, and they wreaked havoc on what was meant to be good when applied in harmony with scriptural instruction.
The God of heaven clearly states the condition upon which pardon and forgiveness are to be offered and even then, God ultimately has the final word in the matter. Thus, for mortals to come along and change the terms and conditions is the equivalent of sitting in the seat of God, or trying to play God. Let’s read:
1st John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ezekiel 33: 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; if he turns from his sin, and
he does that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restores the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
But here comes quid quo pro which removes those terms and conditions laid down by The God of the universe, and quid pro quo now offers pardons carte blanche, where you don’t need to confess anything, you don’t need to return what was robbed, and you do not need to make changes in habits and practice.
According to quid pro quo, as it occurred in church back in the dark ages, all you needed to do was to grease the hands of the person who supposedly had the power to pardon, and you can go on your merry way, without repentance or a change of heart. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 127] As Tetzel entered a town, a messenger went before him, announcing, “The grace of God and of the holy father is at your gates.” He declared that by virtue of his certificates of pardon, all the sins which the purchaser should afterward desire to commit would be forgiven him, and that “even repentance was not indispensable.”
Now, this is pretty serious business, because if the one who purchases pardon on a quid pro quo basis is thereby forgiven for all future sins, without even repenting, that will obviously open the flood gates of iniquity, and persons will feel at liberty to do any and every type of wrong, because it has been paid for up front.
As bad as this evil is, there is something even more disturbing written in the scripture that we must now turn our attention to, because, everything that took place with Tetzel, as pertained to pardons, on a quid pro quo basis, is scheduled to be repeated by the lamb like beast of revelation 13.
The following passages are therefore stacked line upon line so that persons may be aware of the grave dangers that are predicted to take place. Let’s read:
2nd Thessalonians 2: 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Revelation 13: 11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.
12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
The power of the first beast is a direct reference to work like what Tetzel was doing, and therefore, if the lamb like beast is scheduled to exercise “all” the power of the first beast, that will include pardons on a quid pro quo basis, also, the authority to receive praise and worship because that is what comes with sitting in God’s seat.
Thus, the you and me living in the here and now are on the cusp of a cataclysmic shift in the way things are done. If you decide to go with quid pro quo, you will have to be prepared to pay to play. But if, as the Bible clearly states, you decide not to go that route, persons will have to expect situations of no ordinary nature to unfold.
In fact, the mark of the beast is the final culmination of all quid pro quo, for it is a favor or privilege that is going to be granted, in return for something. That is a direct reference to your economic privileges which will be restricted only to persons who pay to play. Let’s read:
Revelation 13: 16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
In other words, quid pro quo in the final conflict will involve false worship in exchange for your economic privileges, very similar to the third temptation which was brought against Christ, where satan offered Him the kingdoms of this world in exchange for worship. It's just the same old pig, with lipstick on. Let’s read:
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil takes him up into an exceeding high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And said unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
God is now calling the inhabitants of earth to awake out of slumber. It is of critical importance for us to be anchored in Christ, so that as the storm unfolds, and as the heat of the furnace would be ratcheted up several notches, persons would not succumb to the pressure to bow down.
We therefore end with the passage of scripture that Jesus then used to rebuff quid pro quo, because if, and when folks are offered access to the kingdoms of this world, in exchange for worship to the beast, there is only one appropriate answer we can think of. Let’s read:
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
God Bless!