intersect, where the bible meets life

Judging "Judge Not" Part One

I wasn’t surprised when I heard it. In fact, I’d been expecting it.

The comment came during an online forum addressing the role of a Christian presence in American culture. “When you Christians say that Jesus is the only way, you’re being judgmental. You’re judging everybody else!” some guy claimed. Then came the kicker: “And Jesus himself said, ‘Judge not.’”

Does Just Anything Go?

Many people who have an axe to grind with Christians and their faith may not know a lot of Scripture, but chances are they know that verse. Let’s take a closer look at Matthew 7:1, where Jesus indeed says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Does this verse really say that anything goes, that we must never evaluate, form an opinion, or offer a negative take on a subject? Does anything and everything go?

Consider first the wider context of the verse. The statement falls in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew chapters 5-7 give kingdom people instructions about kingdom living. The Lord is not talking to the world here about some ethic of tolerance. No, His words are for His followers. He is not speaking to those more interested in their own rights and presumed liberties than pleasing Him as King. Matthew 7:1 has “Kingdom Priority” stamped all over it.

The Verdict on the “Judge”

Look carefully, too, at the command itself: “Judge not.” The word translated judge can speak of evaluating and discerning (see Acts 4:19 and Romans 14:5). But is that the meaning in Matthew 7:1? Is Jesus saying, as so many assume, that we must not consider and choose or voice our opinion on a matter? Obviously not! Other Scriptures make it clear that we are to discern, to form opinions, to evaluate, and choose (see, for example, Romans 12:9; 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5:13; Galatians 1:8,9; Ephesians 5:11; Philippians 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21,22; 1 John 4:1). Even here, Matthew 7:2 presumes we will make a distinction between “dogs and hogs.”

So would another meaning of judge fit what the Lord is commanding in this statement? To find an answer, check out James 4:11, 12:

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
Notice that judging a brother parallels speaking evil against a brother in this text. The same comparison occurs in Romans 14:3 where Paul says that someone who “judges” another in the church actually “despises” the other believer.

So, then, two different meanings of judging emerge from these texts. One involves evaluating, discerning, and choosing while the other speaks of a harsh, critical spirit that denounces other people.

A Look “Down the Nose”

The latter meaning is what Jesus condemns in Matthew 7:1. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones notes that this type of judgment manifests itself in feelings of superiority—smug self-righteousness reminiscent of the Pharisees. Such a temperament is quick to condemn others and treat them with contempt.

Goodness knows I have enough to do in my own life without trying to tell everyone else what’s wrong with them. Again, Paul offers wisdom in Romans 14:10-12:

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

In this light, Jesus concludes Matthew 7:1, “lest you be judged.” This consequence suggests three fallouts from a harsh, condemning spirit. First, when we blast a brother, we often face the prospect of our bitter words coming back to us. In this way, we are judged. But further, when we speak evil against another believer, we presume to take God’s place in rendering judgment that He alone has a right to give; therefore we commit sin and He becomes our judge.

Finally, Jesus reminds us that a forgiving spirit is a kingdom-marker (Luke 6:37). We show ourselves to be His disciples when we love each other, not when we slam each other.

A church-league basketball official told me once he didn’t understand how two teams of Christians could meet at center court before a game, pray with each other, then spend the next hour calling each other names and fighting like worst enemies. I told him I couldn’t explain it, either, and I played in some of those games!

Intersect: Where the Bible Meets Life is a regular column written by Dr. Garnett Reid, a member of the Bible faculty at Free Will Baptist Bible College. Visit his blog: www.garnettreid.com.