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We\u2019re all familiar with Jesus\u2019 command: \u201cDo not judge.\u201d But people like to apply this selectively.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t judge me\u201d is a common defense for just about any disagreeable act we do. Many use it to repel criticism, regardless of their actions. But what did Jesus mean by judge and how should we understand his command?<\/p>\n
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Jesus actual words were:<\/p>\n
\nDo not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Judging in this passage means passing judgment on a person\u2019s character or worth. It comes from pride and an attitude of superiority over others. People have no right to give a low value to some people, or a higher value to others. Only God can assign value and worth to people.<\/p>\n
Jesus is saying God will use on us the measure we use on others. When we judge others, we too stand judged, since we also have sinned and are guilty before God. But in not<\/em> condemning but extending grace to others, God will then apply that measure and bring that same blessing to us. To those who bless others with kindness, forgiveness, and mercy he will bless in the same measure.<\/p>\n
Jesus in this teaching was not prohibiting all forms of judgment. There are legitimate types of judging that are necessary, as discussed later in the article. But here judging refers to judging someone\u2019s character or worth or condemning them.<\/p>\n
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Judging others by condemning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The parallel passage in Luke is:<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDo not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.\u201d (Luke 6:37)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
In the context of Jesus\u2019 command, judging goes hand in hand with condemning. When we condemn someone, we are pronouncing them guilty. And we have no right to condemn others, as only God has that right.<\/p>\n
But when<\/em> will God judge people? Was Jesus just teaching a moral lesson, or will there be an actual event where he judges the guilty? Jesus taught that God will condemn the guilty at the final judgment<\/a> of all people. At that solemn event each of us will give an account of our lives to God: how we treated others, and how we viewed ourselves in relation to others (Matthew 25:31-46<\/a>).<\/p>\n
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Judging others by hypocritical criticism<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Judging can also be criticizing someone with a judgmental and superior attitude. Judging others in this way is presumptuous and hypocritical.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhy do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother\u2019s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, \u2018Let me take the speck out of your eye,\u2019 when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother\u2019s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Jesus\u2019 exaggeration would have surely entertained his audience. Anyone hearing would\u2019ve quickly understood the point, that a judgmental person is blind to their own faults. It\u2019s such a common occurrence. Those who are always trying to correct others on their \u201cissues\u201d are probably guilty of their own issues that they\u2019re too proud to admit. We\u2019ve all seen it and have probably been guilty of it ourselves.<\/p>\n
Jesus then tells us only after we have taken the plank out of our own eye will we be able to see clearly enough to take the speck out someone else\u2019s eye. Removing our judgmental attitude will qualify us to be able to truly help someone else with their problem. When we have true love, concern, and compassion for another person, then our motives will be clean and God can use us.<\/p>\n
Pharisaical hypocrisy<\/h4>\n
Paul elaborated on Jesus\u2019 teaching and applied it to what he saw in the religious leaders of his time:<\/p>\n
\n\u2026 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?\u00a0 (Romans 2:21-23)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
As a previous Pharisee<\/a> himself, he was personally acquainted with the behavior of this group, who taught others to keep God\u2019s law but then didn\u2019t practice it themselves. He had undoubtedly witnessed these sins many times\u2014in his associates, and in himself.<\/p>\n
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Judging others by slandering<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Judging others can also be expressed as slander, as the apostle James explained:<\/p>\n
\nBrothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you\u2014who are you to judge your neighbor?\u00a0 (James 4:11-12)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Slandering is making false accusations about someone to destroy their reputation or livelihood. Judging in this context is putting someone down in public so others will think of them as dishonest, worthless, or having evil intent.<\/p>\n
James is saying that slanderously speaking against others is equivalent to taking God\u2019s place as the only true and righteous judge. We as believers are to imitate God\u2019s character, but not<\/em> his position as judge, as he is the true and only judge. And he gave us his moral law as a guide and standard for human behavior, which we are all<\/em> subject to. But those who judge others are imposter judges and will be punished for their presumptuousness.<\/p>\n
James also makes it clear that there are only two final destinies of people at God\u2019s final judgment: salvation or destruction.<\/p>\n
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Judging others by cursing them<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Judging can also take the form of cursing someone, making hateful comments about them to their face or wishing them harm or evil.<\/p>\n
\nWith the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God\u2019s likeness. <\/span>Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.<\/span> \u00a0 (James 3:9-10)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
God shares his personal attributes<\/a> with humans, and so they are made in his likeness<\/a>. Everyone has great value and worth, so we don\u2019t have the right to disparage and degrade another person who is made in God\u2019s image. We are making God a liar when we do so, since he has declared all humans to have great value.<\/p>\n
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Judging others by looking down at them<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A person with a judgmental attitude will view themselves as superior to others in knowledge, ability, status, or worth. They look on others as beneath them and so treat them with contempt. Paul addresses this attitude in his discussion on dealing with debatable matters within the church, such as what we eat and drink or observing special days.<\/p>\n
\nOne person\u2019s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else\u2019s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. (Romans 14:2-4)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Paul\u2019s logic is clear: we don\u2019t supervise someone else\u2019s servant or employee, so why do we do that with God\u2019s servants?\u00a0 We have no right to pass judgment on another believer\u2019s commitment to God or service for God<\/a>. Each person answers to him individually. So, our judgment of someone else\u2019s faith, style of worship, or approach to serving God only causes conflict and disunity in the church. The only exception is if we have an official supervisory position over others in a ministry or church.<\/p>\n
\nYou, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God\u2019s judgment seat. It is written: \u201c\u2018As surely as I live,\u2019 says the Lord, \u2018every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.\u2019\u201d So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12 NIV 1984)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Everyone will have to appear before God\u2019s judgment seat to give an account of their life. And we all will answer for our own life and service, not for others. On that day, God will be the final Judge.<\/p>\n
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Judging by discerning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
There is another type of judging we need to address: that of discerning. In this context, judgment is not condemning others but assessing a problem<\/em>.\u00a0 The goal of this is to get a better view of an issue so we can make a good decision.<\/p>\n
We make these kinds of judgments every day: what to purchase, when to commit and when to back off, what to eat and what not to eat. These are necessary for living a safe and blessed life.<\/p>\n
Most of these judgments are morally neutral because they involve decisions about things or ideas. But sometimes they concern people, their character, abilities, and even wrongs they may have done.<\/p>\n
We frequently have to make judgments about people: who to hire for a job, who to marry, who to trust in business, who to purchase a car from, what Bible teacher to listen to, what pastor to trust. In these cases, are we breaking Jesus\u2019 command by judging?\u00a0 No, these judgments don\u2019t involve condemning the person but are necessary to make wise decisions and to protect ourselves and others from harm or fraud. In these cases, we should make every effort to \u201cjudge correctly\u201d (John 7:24<\/a>).<\/p>\n
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Judging actions<\/h3>\n
Many times, when someone says, \u201cDon\u2019t judge me,\u201d they mean \u201cdon\u2019t criticize my actions.\u201d And we should be careful with giving unwanted criticism. But we can<\/em> judge the actions of people without judging them as people. We are completely free to reject a sinful action or an ungodly lifestyle and call it sinful, based on Scripture. In fact, it\u2019s necessary to judge actions to warn ourselves and others of the negative consequences of bad decisions and behavior.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s where we need to be careful. In confronting someone personally and calling out their actions, are we doing it in humility and in love, or are we judging them as a person? Are we using their actions as an opportunity to put them down, or to claim superiority over them or prove we\u2019re better than them? The goal in confronting is never to judge the person, but to restore them:<\/p>\n
\nBrothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.<\/span>\u00a0 (Galatians 6:1)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
We can use Jesus as our example here: he loved the sinful person and didn\u2019t condemn them, but he hated the sin that was destroying their life. As he told the woman caught in adultery<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThen neither do I condemn you,\u201d<\/i> Jesus declared. \u201cGo now and leave your life of sin.\u201d\u00a0 (John 8:11)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Judging false teachers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Jesus also warned us against false teachers and false prophets:<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBy their fruits you will know them\u201d (Matthew 7:16<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Heeding this warning involves making judgments on people who wield influence over others. False teachers should be avoided and even confronted. How do we know if a pastor or teacher is trustworthy? We use wisdom and discernment. This involves looking at their lives, their teaching, the results of their ministry, and their actions\u2014their fruits.<\/p>\n
This judging is not critiquing the person\u2019s ministry to point out what is deficient in it. That\u2019s the job of a supervisor or board of elders. The judging we should exercise is seeing if a teacher\u2019s fruit is good or bad, if it is safe to eat or if it is rotten. Is the teacher self-willed and arrogant, or do they show the fruit of the Spirit<\/a>? Are they in submission to authority, or are they defiant and unaccountable? Do they abuse people financially, verbally, or sexually (see 2 Peter chapter 2<\/a>), or are they respectful, generous, and self-controlled?<\/p>\n
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Judging disputes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Judging can also involve hearing disputes between people.<\/p>\n
\nOr do you not know that the Lord\u2019s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?\u00a0 (1 Corinthians 6:2)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The godly members of a church should be called on to judge disputes among believers. Again, this doesn\u2019t involve condemning or judging a person\u2019s worth. It\u2019s using discernment to resolve conflicts between people. Only godly and compassionate leaders who are wise, unbiased, and free from a judgmental attitude are qualified for this.<\/p>\n
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Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n
So, how do we know if we are conforming to Jesus\u2019 command not to judge? There\u2019s nothing wrong with making judgments about disputes, choices to make, lifestyles to adopt, actions to take, and who to involve ourselves with or commit ourselves to. These judgments are part of life and also an important part of serving and walking with God. And warning and correction are not judging if done with humility and respect. But Jesus forbids judging another person\u2019s character and worth, slandering or cursing them, and looking down on them as inferior. There is only one Judge, and we will all face him to answer for our own lives on Judgment Day.<\/p>\n
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