Judge Not!
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin M Overfield
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000
Judge Not!
Matthew chapter 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." (see verses 2-5 &
15-20 also)
Now, this seems to be a favorite Scriptural saying of some people. Many
times those who quote the Scripture, "judge not", are themselves judging the
people who take a more strict stand on some type of behavior than they
themselves do. You see they don't want anyone to tell them what is right
and wrong, but they turn right around and imply that the one who is
supposedly judging them is in the wrong! This is self contradictory,
because they are judging the very one that they accuse of "judging".
In this same chapter Jesus deals with using our judgment, or our ability
to distinguish between right and wrong, to avoid being deceived by false
prophets.
One word for "judge", krino, is used in various ways in the New
Testament. In Matthew 7:1, it is used to mean "pronounce judgment; to
subject to censure" (Thayer's Lexicon). It is a critical, faultfinding,
judgmental attitude or spirit that Jesus condemns. In other places, krino
means "to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong" (Thayer's again).
Jesus uses this meaning in John 7:24, where he actually tells His hearers to
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." He
is telling them to use their judgment in a righteous manner.
When Jesus said, "Judge not", He was addressing hypocritical
religionists who judged others while they themselves were guilty of far
worse than those whom they were judging.
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for
wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest
doest the same things." (Romans 2:1).
In James 4:11, we see that again the type of judging which is condemned
is the kind that is practiced by those who do not keep the law of God.
Furthermore, this wrong kind of judging is itself contrary to the law of
God. It brings condemnation upon the one who wrongfully judges another.
James says that if we become judges then we are not doers of the law. But
it is the doers of the law, not the judges, whom God will judge to be right
in the end.
"For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and
mercy rejoiceth against judgment."(James 2:13)
No matter how much a person may pride himself with "I never judge
anybody", everyone who has his mental faculty makes judgments much of the
time. Whether or not these judgments are expressed is another thing, which
James strongly implies by the words "speaketh evil". Many times it is what
we say, how we say it, and with what motives that determines whether we are
guilty of the type of judging that the Bible forbids. It is usually better
to say nothing at all than to say the wrong thing and perhaps to never be
able to repair all the damage caused.
"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam" (a "stick of timber, or a pole" --
Strong's Greek Dict.) "out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly
to cast out the mote" (twig or straw -- Strong's again) "out of thy brother'
s eye." (Matthew 7:5).
We can certainly help one another, but some of those to whom Jesus was
speaking were guilty of far worse than some of the outward "transgressions"
about which they were judging others. They were guilty of lack of love,
lack of mercy, lack of proper judgment (ability to discern between right and
wrong). After we get the major problems in ourselves repaired, we can "see
clearly" to truly help our brother with pure motives of love, mercy, and
true judgment.
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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