Jesus is saying basically that we are not to condemn, but we are to discriminate.
-Pastor and Bible teacher Chuck Smith
“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1) is one mind bender of a verse.
On the one hand, I have to judge what’s right or wrong. Jesus Himself underscored this when He asked, “Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? (Luke 12:57) So I have to make judgments. Otherwise how can I live my life, raise my children, discern truth, or know what to expect from others? Every moral assessment requires a judgment.
But on the other hand, according to Christ’s well known commandment “Judge not”, I’m forbidden to judge. So I have to judge, and I’m told not to judge, which makes no sense at all.
Of course, when there seems to be a contradiction in the Bible, the problem is me, not the Word, since God doesn’t contradict Himself. So only by comparing scripture to scripture and “rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15) can I break all this down and figure out what it means to judge, when to judge, how to judge, and what to judge.
And was there ever a time we needed more clarity on this point? Good grief, say a word against ungodly trends in the church, much less the culture, and you’re in for a bucketful of Judge Not! from people who seem to think any statement on morality is a felony.
(In fact, I think it’s a hoot when occasional e-mails come my way saying – and I’m not kidding, honestly – “You stupid, bigoted, homophobic right-wing twit! Don’t you know you’re not supposed to judge?”)
Anyway, let’s try unpacking the “Judge Not” question.
What Does It Mean?
The Greek word translated as “judge” is krino, which means, according to Strong’s, “To separate, put asunder, determine, select, be of opinion.” The word is found 114 times in the New Testament, sometimes used in a negative sense, sometimes, positive, and sometimes neutral.
Right off the bat, that tells me judging is sometimes commanded; sometimes condemned. There are some things I should judge, some things I may judge, and other things I mustn’t judge. The 64,000 question is, of course, which is which?
Behavior, Words, and Doctrine: Yes
Jesus requires me to rebuke the brother who sins against me (Matthew 18:15) which in turn requires a judgment on my part as to whether or not he’s sinned. Paul charged Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Timothy 4:2), another impossibility unless a judgment has first been made as to what needs rebuking or reproving.
And let’s not forget Paul’s rude confrontation with Peter over the latter’s avoidance of being seen eating with Gentiles. (Galatians 2:11) “I openly withstood him because he was wrong”, Paul wrote, a clear admission that he had judged his brother’s behavior, and rightly so.
Paul also came down hard on the Corinthian church for tolerating an openly incestuous relationship between a man and his step-mother to flourish, instructing them to dis-fellowship the guilty party. (I Corinthians 5:1-5) He further told them to remove themselves from any believer practicing overt immorality (I Corinthians 5:11); and wrote the Thessalonians not to engage with church members who spurned his teachings (II Thessalonians 3:14) All of this requires making judgments about a person’s actions.
Words, too, should be judged. What someone says is true or false; right or wrong; appropriate or out of line.
So the Bereans are described by Luke in the Book of Acts as “noble” because they judged the accuracy of what Paul was preaching against the Scriptures themselves. (Acts 17:11) The Proverbs teach that backbiting should be met with angry disapproval (Proverbs 25:23), calling for the hearer to judge whether or not what’s being said constitutes gossip. And the Ephesians are reminded to “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Determining what’s “corrupt speech” requires a judgement call. (Ephesians 4:29) so words are subject to scrutiny. They, like actions, should be judged.
So should doctrine. John was brutal in his judgement of Gnosticism when he wrote that “every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist (I John 4:3). Paul was no less subtle when he said Legalists had “bewitched” the Galatians and that he wished they would mutilate themselves in a particular and very private way. (Galatians 5:12) And Jude wasn’t much nicer when he described people who went the other way, perverting the grace of God by making it an excuse for immorality. (Jude 1:4)
There’s a place for judging. A few, in fact. According to the collective witness of Jesus, Paul, John, Solomon, and Jude, behavior, words, and doctrine can and should be judged.
Eternal Destiny, Thoughts, and Motives: No
I can’t see into anyone’s heart. I can’t read minds. Nor can I predict where someone will be in the future. For all those reasons, I cannot judge another person’s eternal status, thoughts, or motives.
Granted, I can say with confidence, as John did, “He who hath the Son hath life; he who hath not the son hath not life.” (I John 5:12) So I can assert to my unsaved friend, on Biblical authority, “You do not have life without Christ.” But since I don’t know where that friend will be tomorrow, much less ten years from now, I cannot say, “You’ll never get into heaven.” Likewise, when someone claims to be a believer and I find a contradiction between their behavior and their profession, I can say with confidence, “You’re wrong.” But I’m in no position to say, “And therefore you are not saved.”
I likewise cannot take it on myself to judge another’s motives. I may say a man is wrong in word or deed, but I’m in no position to say what motivates him. I don’t know what he’s thinking; I don’t know what drives him. So I’m literally unable to make a proper judgement about something I can neither see nor measure.
Morally unable, too. If I see your sin and judge it as such, that’s one thing. But if I conclude that you’re a terrible sinner while I’m a terrific guy, then I’m the one Jesus had in mind when He asked why I would behold the speck in a brother’s eye while ignoring the plank in my own. (Luke 6:41) That’s hypocrisy, something deadly, and specifically hated by Christ.
As is self-righteousness, a sin He also railed against pretty hard. If I set myself above other people because they practice sins that I don’t, that attitude generates a sin which is, I’m pretty sure, more repulsive to God than the ones I congratulate myself for not committing! Interesting, isn’t it, that in the seven things God is reported to find abominable, the one topping the list is a proud look?
(Proverbs 6:17)
And Jesus nailed it when He said we’d reap what we sow when we’re judgmental. (Matthew 7:2) I remember decades ago when a famous evangelist, well known for coming down hard on just about everyone for just about everything, was found to have been involved in ongoing sexual immorality for years. The public’s reaction to him, both within and outside the church, was especially harsh. Understandable, given that he’d judged others severely for sins not nearly as severe as his own! “He will have judgment without mercy who has shown no mercy” James warned, (James 2:13) and time and again it proves to be true.
So Where Does That Leave Us?
Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Cristian Fellowship sums the topic up nicely when he says:
We are to judge, but we are not to condemn. In fact, a better translation of Matthew 7:1 would be: ‘Do not condemn others, and you will not be condemned.’ I am in no position to condemn a person. But I am in a position to make judgments about things, situations, viewpoints, and even about people to some degree.
Well said. So in practical terms:
If I say, “That guy’s behavior is wrong”, I’ve judged rightly.
If I say, “That guy’s a jerk”, I’ve judged wrongly.
If I say, “That teaching doesn’t line up with Scripture”, no problem.
If I say, “He teaches that because he’s an unsaved heretic”, big problem
If I’m angry over someone else’s wrongdoing, that’s cool.
If I’m inwardly congratulating myself for being a “better Christian”, that’s
abominable.
Above all else, if I’m going to judge – and I will – I’d best be sure that I judge myself more severely than I dare judge anyone else. Because the truckload of sin, neurosis, quirks, and weaknesses bubbling around inside me are enough to keep my sin-sniffer busy first and foremost with Joe Dallas. If I’m not starting with him, and riding him hard (as he should be ridden) then I’d best keep my mouth shut about anyone or anything else.
So God help us to judge, when judgment is called for, with humility but without apology. But only with His heart, according to His word, and in His way.
