To Judge or not to Judge

When we think of judging their is one verse that always comes to mind. Heck, people who don’t even read the Bible know this verse.

Mat 7:1 Judge not lest ye be judged…

When such issues as smoking, drinking, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, gambling, and other controversial issues arise this is the verse that many use or refer to as they defend their actions or the actions of others. However, realize the Bible was not written in English, but in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. Matthew was written in Greek, and thus reads and translates like this…Greekmeaning of the text takes on a whole new life.

κρίνω μή ἵνα μή κρίνω, Krino me hina me Krino

Which literally translates into, CONDEMN NOT AND YOU WON’T BE CONDEMNED.

So is their a real difference between judging and condemning? Yes there is. A judgment is a decision based upon the presented facts. Condemnation is a decision based upon nothing but pure emotion and feeling. Judges make a judgment after hearing both sides of the argument and all the evidence. We condemn others or things based on how or what we feel. No where in the Bible are we given permission to condemn others. No where does God tell us to go out with posters and banners and yell, “God hates fags”. We as people are freed from condemnation as it states in Romans 8 because of Christ’s death for our sins.

Now what did the apostles and other New Testament writers say about judging. Is it good, bad, either or? Paul speaking to the mixed up church at Corinth speaks about a report he hears of a man sleeping with his mother in law. The Corinthians think they are doing something good because they are not judging the new couple and loving on them. Paul tells them…

1 Corinthians 5:1 Now, it is actually being said that there is sexual immorality among you so terrible that not even the heathen would be guilty of it. I am told that a man is sleeping with his stepmother! 2 How, then, can you be proud? On the contrary, you should be filled with sadness, and the man who has done such a thing should be expelled from your fellowship. 3 And even though I am far away from you in body, still I am there with you in spirit; and as though I were there with you, I have in the name of our Lord Jesus already passed judgment on the man who has done this terrible thing.

Paul speaking to the church tells them that he has passed a judgment on this person for what they have done, an authoritative judgement by the way, his judgment in verse 5 is to ask the man to leave the church so he can get his priorities together. Paul saw a problem in the church and wanted to address it as quick as possible before it got even worse. Paul saw a slippery slope and wanted to avoid it even at the cost of asking the man to leave for a time. It may sound harsh but Paul was looking out for the welfare of the church. Even if it offended a man and his mother in law.

Do we have any other instances where Paul judges or calls out someone? Numerous times in fact. While writing to the church of Galatia he talks about an encounter he had with the apostle Peter in which he called him out and, judged him in front of a crowd about his hypocrisy…

Galatians 2:11 When Peter came to Antioch, I told him face to face that he was wrong. 12 He used to eat with Gentile followers of the Lord, until James sent some Jewish followers. Peter was afraid of the Jews and soon stopped eating with Gentiles. 13 He and the other Jews hid their true feelings so well that even Barnabas was fooled. 14 But when I saw that they were not really obeying the truth that is in the good news, I corrected Peter in front of everyoneand said: Peter, you are a Jew, but you live like a Gentile. So how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews?

The last Apostle to die, John, while writing to the church leader Gaius states…

3 John 1:9 I wrote a letter to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, won’t accept us.10 For this reason, when I come I will bring up what he’s doing. He’s not satisfied with saying malicious things about us. He also refuses to accept the believers we send as guests. He even tries to stop others who want to accept them and attempts to throw those people out of the congregation.

John states that when he is there he will bring full attention to everyone about what this guy is doing? Sounds like making a judgment.

The next thing we look at is what did Christ have to say about judging? We have already discussed his words are not to condemn rather then judge. What else did he say about judging?

After healing a man and giving him his sight the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus states…

John 7:24 Stop judging by external standards, and judge by true standards.”

Look at the heart of the matter and see what’s really going on. Not what you think is going on.

Also, Jesus talking about if you see someone close to you doing something wrong then you…

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. 16 But if he will not listen to you,take one or two other persons with you, so that ‘every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,’ as the scripture says. 17 And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.

As we can clearly see we are told to judge. In our politically correct, lets be tolerant of everything and everyone in an effort not to offend, United States we can see we have a clear objective to weigh out the evidence and speak out and against what’s going on. If you haven’t noticed a pattern, here with all of these writers, a pattern follows that Paul establishes that we are to keep today…

1 Corinthians 5:12 After all, do I have any business judging those who are outside the Christian faith? Isn’t it your business to judge those who are inside? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Remove that wicked man from among you.

Our judgments are to be made against people inside the church. How foolish is it of us to expect people who don’t know God to live like they do. Paul tells us to worry about those who claim to be Christians because God will take care of those who aren’t.

Now before you start handing out judgments to those around you realize 3 key things.

(1). Before you start trying to tell people what’s wrong with their life look at your own and see what needs to be done for yourself. Their is nothing worse then an alcoholic getting mad at people who go to the bars and get drunk. Their is nothing worse then self righteous snobs who see the problems in every one elses life but fail to see their own failures. Jesus speaking…

Matthew 7:3 Why, then, do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye? 4 How dare you say to your brother, ‘Please, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ when you have a log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

(2). Realize the intent of judging isn’t to make people feel horrible about their sin, to shame them, or humiliate them. However, its in a hope to help lead them back into righteousness. Though they maybe too blind to see it; your help may point it out to them. Although it may hurt telling them, a true friend helps their friends see the truth. No matter how ugly it is. Paul talking about the man sleeping with his mother in law…

1 Corinthians 5:5 You must then hand that man over to Satan. His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns.

Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 18 that we talked about earlier. You talk to the man or woman about their sin in a hope to restore fellowship and bring about reconciliation.

(3). Even though we are told to leave the unbelieving world alone as in a judging sense we are still told to warn others those inside the church and outside about it. Speaking to the young pastor Timothy…

2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will pay him back for what he did. 15 Watch out for him. He violently opposed what we said.

When we as Christians, or I frankly, speak out against porn, homosexuality, or any other sin we don’t do it in a judging way where we condemn the people to Hell because of their actions. But rather we bring to light what is done in darkness in a hope to restore people to a God who loves them no matter what they have done or will do in their life. If you have felt condemned by mine or any other believer’s words I apologize for us all. Our intent is not to hurt but to help lead you to the cross. Once you arrive it’s your decision to follow Jesus or walk away. It will not be said of me that I forced Jesus down your throat. Jesus wants us to come to him by our own free will, not out of religious duty or by subversion.

If you are a Christian I hope this helped you better understand our roles in calling things out and warning others about what’s going on in this world. If you are not a believer in Christ as the son of God and as the sacrifice once and for all for our sins then I hope this helped you to understand the word and our (us as Christians) position better when it comes to things like porn, alcohol, drugs, sex, homosexuality, gambling, and other worldly things