Judging Others 

The most quoted verse in the Bible used to be John 3:16.   Not anymore.  Today the most quoted Scripture, at least in the United States‚ is Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged."  Normally, this text is cited by someone who has just been accused of some type of wrongdoing.   "You can't do that," they say.   "The Bible says 'Do not judge!"  Well, they have part of it right. Matthew 7:1 is most certainly in the Bible.  However it is part of a larger section of Scripture and that larger portion gives the proper context.   The real meaning of the text is this:  We are not to judge (condemn) others, when we are excusing the same behavior in our own lives! Verses 4 and 5 make this very clear: 

⁴ "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 

⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Clearly we are not allowed to be judgmental hypocrites.  That said, there are times when the Bible says we are SUPPOSED to judge! For example:

1) In 1 Corinthians 5 the Apostle Paul is addressing the matter of a man who is committing sexual sin within the Corinthian congregation.   Look at 1 Cor. 5:11-13

¹¹But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
¹²What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
¹³God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

2) In 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 Paul addresses the matter of Christians who were suing other believers:

¹If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?
²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
³Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

3) In 1 Corinthians 10:14-16 Paul asks his readers to judge whether his words are true.

¹⁴Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
¹⁵I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
¹⁶Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

I'm running out of space, so let me sum this all up:  We are not permitted to judge (condemn) others...particularly when we are excusing the same behavior in our lives.   We ARE supposed to judge (evaluate) things, people, teachings, etc. in light of God's plain teachings.   The fact is, if we DIDN'T judge in this manner we would fall prey to all sorts of false doctrine and heresy.

We ARE to judge.....but correctly and wisely.

See you soon!

Bill