AKJVReader
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Many people who aren't even Christians know at least one verse of the Bible: "Judge not, that ye be not judged!" Many professing Christians like to quote this verse as well when confronted with their own sin, error, or worldliness. So are we, as Christians, never supposed to judge anyone? Are we not supposed to confront people about their sin? What about judging unbelievers? What about false prophets? Is there a right way and a wrong way to judge?
Righteous vs hypocritical judgment:
"Judge not, that ye be not judged." - Matthew 7:1
Seems pretty straight forward right? or is there more to this verse? Lets read what is written after this:
"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." - Matthew 7:2-5
Upon reading the following verses it becomes clear that, in context, these verses are talking about hypocritical judgment. This is why Jesus says after you cast the beam out of your own eye (repent and deal with your own problems first) you will be able to clearly see the mote (splinter) in your brother's eye. He says to cast it out! That means you would have to
judge your brother by telling him about the splinter, which is a metaphor for his sin or error! So does the Bible actually say it is okay to judge sometimes?
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." - John 7:24
The Bible tells us to judge righteous judgment. Which means do not judge hypocritically or by appearance, but nevertheless, we are told to judge.
Let's look at more verses talking about hypocritical judgment:
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"
- Romans 2:1-3
Verse 3 reiterates the same warning about hypocritical judgment. It asks if you are committing the same sins you are confronting someone else about. The warning is a stern reminder that no one will escape judgment in the end. A little later in the chapter the warning against hypocritical judgment is repeated:
"Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?" - Romans 2:21-22
If you are a thief and you tell someone they shouldn't steal you are a hypocrite. Your words are meaningless to the person you are warning and to God. We can't warn people of the dangers of sin when we are committing those very sins we preach against.
"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." - 1 Corinthians 11:31-32
If we judge (examine and repent) ourselves (take the beam out of our own eyes), we will not be judged. This helps us to not be hypocrites. Whenever we are judged by the Lord, we need to know that the chastening of the Lord helps us to turn from sin, change, and grow. If we grow from the Lord's chastening (judgment) we will not be condemned with the world (unrepentant humanity).
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." - Colossians 2:16-17
We shouldn't judge trivial things, omitting weightier matters, like what our brothers eat, drink, and what day they choose to worship. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being overly concerned about things of little importance:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." - Matthew 23:23,24
If you judge, do not strain at a gnat or try to swallow a camel, which are just metaphors for not squabbling over matters of little importance.
"But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." - I Corinthians 2:15
If you are spiritual, you will judge all things. No man should be able to judge you though because you should be living according to the Word of God.
Judging situations:
"Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" - Luke 12:57
"And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged." - Luke 7:40-43
Everyday we have to judge a wide range of situations from small matters to highly important. The way we judge situations should be determined by what we have learned in the Word. Simon judged this situation rightly because of his knowledge of the Word.
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." - 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
We as Christians should be able to judge situations ourselves and not have to go to a secular courtroom to settle a dispute.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." - John 16:7-11
The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin so that we can repent. He will judge us and show us the path to righteousness if we humble ourselves and listen. In the end it will be the Word of God which judges us all. If we read it, heard it, or both, and refused to listen, we condemn ourselves. When you correct someone, make sure it comes straight from the Word of God and that it comes from a place of love and concern.
Righteous vs hypocritical judgment:
"Judge not, that ye be not judged." - Matthew 7:1
Seems pretty straight forward right? or is there more to this verse? Lets read what is written after this:
"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." - Matthew 7:2-5
Upon reading the following verses it becomes clear that, in context, these verses are talking about hypocritical judgment. This is why Jesus says after you cast the beam out of your own eye (repent and deal with your own problems first) you will be able to clearly see the mote (splinter) in your brother's eye. He says to cast it out! That means you would have to
judge your brother by telling him about the splinter, which is a metaphor for his sin or error! So does the Bible actually say it is okay to judge sometimes?
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." - John 7:24
The Bible tells us to judge righteous judgment. Which means do not judge hypocritically or by appearance, but nevertheless, we are told to judge.
Let's look at more verses talking about hypocritical judgment:
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"
- Romans 2:1-3
Verse 3 reiterates the same warning about hypocritical judgment. It asks if you are committing the same sins you are confronting someone else about. The warning is a stern reminder that no one will escape judgment in the end. A little later in the chapter the warning against hypocritical judgment is repeated:
"Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?" - Romans 2:21-22
If you are a thief and you tell someone they shouldn't steal you are a hypocrite. Your words are meaningless to the person you are warning and to God. We can't warn people of the dangers of sin when we are committing those very sins we preach against.
"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." - 1 Corinthians 11:31-32
If we judge (examine and repent) ourselves (take the beam out of our own eyes), we will not be judged. This helps us to not be hypocrites. Whenever we are judged by the Lord, we need to know that the chastening of the Lord helps us to turn from sin, change, and grow. If we grow from the Lord's chastening (judgment) we will not be condemned with the world (unrepentant humanity).
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." - Colossians 2:16-17
We shouldn't judge trivial things, omitting weightier matters, like what our brothers eat, drink, and what day they choose to worship. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being overly concerned about things of little importance:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." - Matthew 23:23,24
If you judge, do not strain at a gnat or try to swallow a camel, which are just metaphors for not squabbling over matters of little importance.
"But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." - I Corinthians 2:15
If you are spiritual, you will judge all things. No man should be able to judge you though because you should be living according to the Word of God.
Judging situations:
"Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" - Luke 12:57
"And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged." - Luke 7:40-43
Everyday we have to judge a wide range of situations from small matters to highly important. The way we judge situations should be determined by what we have learned in the Word. Simon judged this situation rightly because of his knowledge of the Word.
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." - 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
We as Christians should be able to judge situations ourselves and not have to go to a secular courtroom to settle a dispute.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." - John 16:7-11
The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin so that we can repent. He will judge us and show us the path to righteousness if we humble ourselves and listen. In the end it will be the Word of God which judges us all. If we read it, heard it, or both, and refused to listen, we condemn ourselves. When you correct someone, make sure it comes straight from the Word of God and that it comes from a place of love and concern.