To Judge or Not to Judge, That’s the Question
"Judge not lest you be judged," says Jesus in Matthew 7:1.
Some people like to rip this verse out of context to make it seem like reproval is a bad idea, even prohibited by God. They use the scripture to justify their own questionable behavior or as an excuse to remain non-confrontational in their relationships.
In fact, this may be one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible.
I say "misquoted" because Jesus didn't mean we should never pass judgment!
Think about it: If no one ever judged anyone, we couldn't make assessments about anything in life. There would be no employment qualifications or job interviews, no exams in school, no medical evaluations, no competitive sports, no court system, no traffic rules (or rules of any other kind), no legislation, and no political parties or elections.
We wouldn't be able to make decisions about who to date or marry, where to live or work, how many kids to have and how to parent them, where to invest our money, where to attend church, how to spend our free time, or even what to eat or wear.
My point is that to make ANY simple, everyday decision, we MUST judge.
The most important rule for correctly interpreting a Bible verse is to study the scripture in context. It's how we determine the writer's overall train of thought. When we apply this rule to "Judge not lest you be judged," we see from the surrounding verses, paragraphs, and chapters that Jesus was in no way saying we shouldn't confront sinful behavior.
No, here's what He was warning against: following the Pharisees' custom of judging in a careless, self-righteous, and hypocritical manner.
In the first few chapters of the Book of Matthew, we learn that the Pharisees (the religious leaders of Jesus' day) were a bunch of sanctimonious snakes. They related to others superficially and in a self-serving way, and they weren't trying to help anyone get closer to God.
These phonies' self-made traditions were nowhere to be found in God's Word. If your lifestyle didn't match their customs, they would pronounce judgment and eternal condemnation over you. They themselves followed the letter of the law but not the spirit, yet they thought they were above reproach.
It’s in the context of all this that Jesus warns against judging in Matthew chapter 7. Again, He isn't prohibiting confronting sinful behavior. (He, who is our role model, certainly had no issue confronting people when called for. In fact, He's confronting the Pharisees right here in this chapter!)
Instead, what the Lord is doing is He's making a call to self-evaluation. Judge NOT carelessly, He says. Judge NOT with a heart that hasn't confessed and repented of its own sin.
Soon after Jesus says judge not lest you be judged to the Pharisees, He gives these instructions: "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5).
If God had wanted humans to refrain from making judgments, Jesus would have commanded, "Don't remove the speck from your brother's eye!" But that's not what He does. He tells the Pharisees—and the rest of us—to take the log out of our own eye first (that is, to examine ourselves) so that we can see clearly (meaning with pure eyes). He says that when this has been taken care of, we are to remove the speck from our brother's eye!
Additionally, in John 7:24, Jesus says, "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly."
"Judge correctly." Because judging, when done properly, is GOOD! It can lead to positive change, growth, and the protection of God's people.
We shouldn't judge in the sense that we look only at the surface of things. We shouldn't rush to assume evil motives. And we most certainly shouldn't pass judgment in an ultimate sense, presuming to know where someone will end up spending eternity. Only God knows that.
But yes, Jesus is saying in John 7:24 to judge—not keep from passing judgment!
It's possible to be discerning without condemning, to judge without being judgmental. The critical difference lies in our approach. If a Christian friend is living in disobedience and is, therefore, moving away from God's protection and blessings, we would want to let them know they're headed for trouble. "He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).
This is a form of righteous judgment, not condemnation. We're not condemning them but warning them out of concern for their spiritual well-being.
It's good and godly to judge a fellow Christian's poor decision-making when lovingly confronting them about their fault. The Bible actually commands us to reprove and restore sinning believers (Matthew 18:15-16; 1 Corinthians 5:12; Galatians 6:1)!
Likewise, it's good and godly to tell non-Christians that they need to repent and receive Jesus as Savior unless they want to suffer the consequences of their sins for all eternity in hell. The goal is to save the lost person's soul, and God is a big proponent of this type of judgment-making!
You and I live in a relativistic society where everyone does what is right in their own eyes (see Judges 17:6).
Sometimes, I wonder if some people have become so open-minded that their brains have fallen out.
These people will call you "judgmental," "intolerant," or "narrow-minded" for taking a stand for what is ethical. But the great irony is that when they do, they're guilty of the very thing they're accusing you of: passing judgment!
"Judge not" may be a popular view in this postmodern day and age, but those who try to use the Bible to support it are ignorant about the scripture's true meaning.
Know the Word.
Don't let anyone confuse you.
L.B.
Have you ever heard anyone use “Judge not lest you be judged” out of context? What are your thoughts on the topic of judging? Please chime in in the comments section below!
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