Judge Not!

Wrong judgement vs. right judgement

Ps. Lee Shaw Ming

Are we allowed to judge?
Yes, but we must judge righteously, ie, according to God’s will.
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (Jn 7:24, cf. Jn 5:30; 8:16)

What to judge
- We are to judge sins.
3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. (1 Cor 5:3)… 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” (1Cor 5:12-13)

- We are to judge disputes among believers and not go to civil court.
1Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2Do 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? 3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? (1Cor 6:1-3)

- We are to judge prophecies or “word from the Lord”
Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. (1Cor 14:29)

- We are to judge teachers/prophets and the source of their inspiration.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1Jn 4:1; Mt 7:15-20; Deut 13:1-5; 18:20-22)

How to judge
- We are to judge as we would want God to judge us.
12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (Js 2:12-13)

- We are to judge as we would want others to judge us.
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Mt7:12)

- We are to judge as we would judge ourselves.
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (Gal 6:1)
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mt 22:39)

- We are to judge as a brother/sister
15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2Thess 3:14-15)

- We are to judge with love
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins. (1Pet 4:8)
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (Js 5:19-20)

Judge Not
Jesus’ warning about 'judge not' is given in both in Matt 7 and Luke 6:
“Judge (krino) not, that you be not judged (krino). 2 For with what judgment you judge (krino), you will be judged (krino); and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. (Mt 7:1-6)

37 “Judge (krino) not, and you shall not be judged (krino). Condemn (katadikazo) not, and you shall not be condemned (katadikazo). Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Lk 6:37-38) (note: unfortunately some have taken the second part of the verse out of context, relating it to God returning blessing for giving).

Word Study
I. Judge (krino)
Depending on its context, this word can mean one or all of the following:
1) to separate, to pick out, select, choose
2) to be of opinion, deem, think,
3) to judge by pronouncing an opinion concerning right and wrong
4) to judge by pronouncing judgment of punishment for wrong (ie, as like a Judge)

II. Condemn (katadikazo)
1) To give judgment against or to pronounce as guilty (ie, as like a Judge)

The word ‘judge’ (krino) in context is referring to the action of judging the faults of others as like a judge who condemns an offender in pronouncing guilt and punishment.

1. We must judge not the faults of others as a Judge, and pronounce condemnation. In so doing, we have taken the place of God the Judge (Mt 7:1).
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? (Js 4:11-12)

2. We must judge not others hypocritically for the same faults we still have (Mt 7:3-4).
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things… 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? (Rom 2:1-4)

3. We must judge not blindly, and thus, falsely, due to ‘planks’ in our own eyes (Mt 7:5)


‘Judge Not’- Matthew Henry
- We must judge ourselves and our own acts, but we must not judge our brother, not magisterially assume such an authority over others, as we allow not them over us, ie, be subject to one another (Eph 5:21).
- We must not sit in the judgment-seat, to make our word a law to every body. ( ie, insisting on our rights)
- We must not judge our brother, that is, we must not speak evil of him, so it is explained, Jam. 4:11.
- We must not despise him, nor set him at nought (contemptible), Rom. 14:10.
- We must not judge rashly, nor pass such an unjustified judgment upon our brother, but is only the product of our own jealousy and ill nature.
- We must not make the worst of people, nor infer such invidious (offensive) things from their words/actions…
- We must not judge uncharitably, unmercifully, nor with a spirit of revenge, and a desire to do mischief.
- We must not judge of a man’s state by a single act, nor of what he is in himself by what he is to us, because in our own cause we are apt to be partial.
- We must not judge the hearts of others, nor their intentions, for it is God’s prerogative to try the heart, and we must not step into his throne;
- Nor must we judge of their eternal state, nor call them hypocrites, reprobates, and castaways; that is stretching beyond our line; what have we to do, thus to judge another man’s servant?
- Counsel him, and help him, but do not judge him.

The consequence of judging wrongly
For with what judgment you judge (krino), you will be judged (krino); and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you (Mt 7:2)
18 And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother… 21 Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (Deut 19:15-21)

We receive the same degree of condemnation we give others through our wrong judging.

(Note: 'Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged" ( Matthew 7:1 ). He went on to say, in effect, "If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way." Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, "My God, judge me as I have judged others"? We have judged others as sinners— if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.' - Oswald Chambers)

Judging Righteously
First Step: The Lord’s Supper
- To judge righteously to remove the specks in others, we must begin at the Lord’s Supper.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine (judge) himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment (damnation) to himself, not discerning (diakrino) the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge (diakrino) ourselves, we would not be judged (krino). 32 But when we are judged (krino), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned (katakrino) with the world. (1 Cor 11:27-32)

-To participate in the Lord’s Supper is to come before God our righteous Judge for judgment:

- If we humble ourselves and repent of our sins, including that of a judgmental spirit, God will judge us worthy of receiving His grace for forgiveness, healing and deliverance.

- If we are unrepentant and presumptuous, we receive condemnation…
1. Because we participated unworthily if we have not judged ourselves to discover and deal with our own faults/blind spots (v.27-28).
2. Thus, we have despised the physical body and blood of Christ and defile the spiritual body, the church, of which we are a part of (v. 29, cf Heb 10:26-30).
3. Therefore, we are judged with weakness, sickness and premature death (v. 30).
4. But then, even this judgment of weakness, sickness & premature death God used to chasten us to repentance that we are not ultimately condemned with the world (v.32)

Judge ourselves first: Removing planks from our eyes
1. First repent of and renounce the sins that we are aware or made aware of in our lives.
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Mt 7:4-5)

2. Specks and planks are “blind-spots” that may need the help of others to reveal and remove: humbly ask spiritual leaders, parents and fellow believers to point out your blind spots.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (Js 5:14-16)