Job 4:18 Commentary and Bible Study

It is possible to read the speech of Eliphaz (and the other comforters) and come to the conclusion that his only serious mistake is holding the doctrine that ‘suffering is always judgement for sin’. It was this doctrine which led to the unfair denouncing of Job.But there are other disastrous omissions and fatal flaws in the speech of Eliphaz, none more serious than the advancing of the ‘schoolmaster’ view of righteousness which is followed to this day, consciously or unconsciously, by all adherents of religion outside evangelical, biblical Christianity.Eliphaz expounds this view (Job 4.12-21) by claiming this strange vision, in which he heard a voice say, ‘Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay…’Eliphaz is tired of hearing Job’s view that only perfect holiness is acceptable with God, and therefore a man must receive, by grace, unearned pardon from God, so that God can view him as though he were perfect, and effect his sanctification. Job, who laid claim to such acceptance, is now struck down by ‘punishment’. ‘So,’ asks Eliphaz, ‘do you still think that you have been pardoned and elevated to a status of purity before God? How can you?’Here is the ‘schoolmaster’ view as Eliphaz might well express it today: ‘Don’t you understand, Job? – God never required this shortcut to perfection of yours, this justification by faith. It is now evident that you should have been concerned with the lesser sins you were committing, because your failure to be concerned about these has led to your current suffering. God is like a schoolmaster, Job. The schoolmaster knows everything about his subject, but he expects a much lower standard from his pupils. If they reach examination standard, though it is far lower than his own, he will be pleased with them. If they fail, he will punish them. No man can be as righteous as God, Job, you have entirely missed the point. We believe that it is possible to attain (by the help of God, of course) a certain level of righteousness, albeit far lower than God’s holiness, which will be rewarded by him. It is personal righteousness, not imputed righteousness; we have it and you don’t. Can’t you see, Job, you suffer from delusions of grandeur – you aim at perfect righteousness which is impossible, and you fail miserably in that righteousness which is within the reach of men and women. God expects even angels to fall; he certainly will not judge man for falling short of perfection.’In these words Eliphaz is presented as the father of all who believe that God will reward them for a reasonable ‘lower’ level of supposed righteousness. This is the essential hope of every non-evangelical believer in every age. This is essentially the theology of every liberal clergyman and minister.