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To Judge or Not to Judge ?
To Judge or Not to Judge ?
Many people seem to believe that the sum total of what the Bible says about
judging is: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” - Matt 7:1.
Based upon this they conclude that none of us has the right to point out or
reprove the sins of anyone else. We are even told that if we should presume to do
so we are “playing God.”
However consider that Jesus also once said, “Judge not according to the
appearance, but judge righteous judgment. - Jn 7:24 That implies that not all
judging is wrong.
The basic meaning of judging is simply to examine the available evidence and
reach a conclusion based on it.
Paul commanded the Corinthians to judge and discipline one of their immoral
brothers. - 1 Cor 5:1-13 There are actually other places where the Bible speaks
of judging in an approving way, but consider this:
Judging is condemned in scripture if . . .
it is self-righteous, overly critical and condemns others while ignoring
one’s own sins - Matt 7:1ff
it concerns matters that only the Lord can know (e.g., thoughts,
motives)
- 1Cor 4:5
one is guilty of the same thing - Rom 2:1-3
it is a personal opinion, made into law and bound upon others
- Rom 14:1-3
We certainly need to avoid judging in these wrong ways, but we should also
remember that we not only have the right, but also the responsibility to do as
Paul admonished the Ephesians: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of
darkness, but instead even expose (rebuke, reprove) them.” - Eph 5:11
- Leonard White____
