Should Christians Judge?
Occasionally, we receive correspondence from individuals (moral relativists) standing in "judgment" over our liberty "in Christ" and our obligation to exercise judgment and discernment. Curiously, these folks fail to see the hypocrisy of their position--that of engaging in the very behavior which they claim is unacceptable. Typically, they quote Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged" out of context, with hopes of intimidating those who would seek to discern truth from error. Consider the following thoughts written by Miles J. Stanford.
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The terms "judge," or "judgment," are used in different ways in the Word of God; their meanings and usage are mainly governed by the context in which they are found.
When they mean to condemn, to sentence, or to punish, man [individually] is to leave that prerogative with God. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). [God has established government--civil authority--as His earthly delegated representative/agent to administer justice upon evildoers. See Romans 13:1-7.
At other times the words mean to distinguish, to decide, to determine, to conclude, to try, to think, and to call into question. This is what God would have believers do in love, especially as to whether or not preaching and teaching is true or false to His Word. Paul wrote, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent" (Philippians 1:9,10).
The Lord Jesus both warns and commands to "Beware of false prophets" (Matthew 7:15). We could not "beware," or know a false prophet unless we exercised true judgment. For that we are given the correct standard: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).
There are realms in which the believer is generally not to judge. In most instances he is not to judge whether or not a person is saved, if he professes to be scripturally* born again. "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19).
Nor are we to judge another's motives. Only God can see into the heart and know the motives that underlie actions. (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) [However, Scripture does allow for some exceptions--e.g. Philippians 1:15-18].
And we are not to judge believers concerning the eating of certain kinds of foods or drink, or keeping certain days, etc. (Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; and Colossians 2:16,17)
All too many believers remain immature or are actually drawn into error because they seek to exercise love apart from Scripture-guided discernment and judgment. Christians who are mature, of "full age," are "those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14).
One of the reasons for the Church being in such a sickly condition today is that believers have not obeyed the commands of God's Word to judge error. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them" (Romans 16:17). The false teachers make the "divisions," and not those who protest against their errors.
An often misapplied Scripture is "Judge not" (Matthew 7:1). This is a command against hypocritical judgment, and is not directed to those who in love and sincerity discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to the Word. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5).
Actually, the last statement of this Scripture commands sincere judgment: "then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." We are not to forget nor seek to avoid the fact that our Lord Jesus commanded us to "judge righteous judgment." He commended one, "Thou hast rightly judged." He asked others, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (John 7:24; Luke 7:43; 12:57). Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." Again, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1 Corinthians 10:15; 2:15).
It is all too common and easy for Christians to assume a critical and censorious attitude toward those who do not share their opinions about matters other than those which have to do with Bible doctrine and moral practice. But it is our privilege and duty to do all we can to encourage their spiritual growth. We are to love and pray for one another, and to consider ourselves lest we be tempted. The safest and most profitable thing to do is to judge ourselves. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened (child trained) of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:31,32).
It will make all the difference if we judge our own faults as uncharitably as we do the faults of others; and judge the failings of others as charitably as we do our own!
* Mr. Stanford's statement was written several decades ago, when the profession to be "scripturally born again" was largely if not exclusively used in fundamentalist circles. Accordingly, the exercise of discernment was conditioned upon a "scriptural" profession. Miles never intended to convey the idea that we can never tell who are true and false Christians. Today, the term "born again" has been prostituted and carries numerous meanings. Believers have both the right and the obligation to judge when the term is abused or the context is not scriptural. Dan R. Smedra
Occasionally, we receive correspondence from individuals (moral relativists) standing in "judgment" over our liberty "in Christ" and our obligation to exercise judgment and discernment. Curiously, these folks fail to see the hypocrisy of their position--that of engaging in the very behavior which they claim is unacceptable. Typically, they quote Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged" out of context, with hopes of intimidating those who would seek to discern truth from error. Consider the following thoughts written by Miles J. Stanford.
<HR>
The terms "judge," or "judgment," are used in different ways in the Word of God; their meanings and usage are mainly governed by the context in which they are found.
When they mean to condemn, to sentence, or to punish, man [individually] is to leave that prerogative with God. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). [God has established government--civil authority--as His earthly delegated representative/agent to administer justice upon evildoers. See Romans 13:1-7.
At other times the words mean to distinguish, to decide, to determine, to conclude, to try, to think, and to call into question. This is what God would have believers do in love, especially as to whether or not preaching and teaching is true or false to His Word. Paul wrote, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent" (Philippians 1:9,10).
The Lord Jesus both warns and commands to "Beware of false prophets" (Matthew 7:15). We could not "beware," or know a false prophet unless we exercised true judgment. For that we are given the correct standard: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).
There are realms in which the believer is generally not to judge. In most instances he is not to judge whether or not a person is saved, if he professes to be scripturally* born again. "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19).
Nor are we to judge another's motives. Only God can see into the heart and know the motives that underlie actions. (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) [However, Scripture does allow for some exceptions--e.g. Philippians 1:15-18].
And we are not to judge believers concerning the eating of certain kinds of foods or drink, or keeping certain days, etc. (Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; and Colossians 2:16,17)
All too many believers remain immature or are actually drawn into error because they seek to exercise love apart from Scripture-guided discernment and judgment. Christians who are mature, of "full age," are "those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14).
One of the reasons for the Church being in such a sickly condition today is that believers have not obeyed the commands of God's Word to judge error. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them" (Romans 16:17). The false teachers make the "divisions," and not those who protest against their errors.
An often misapplied Scripture is "Judge not" (Matthew 7:1). This is a command against hypocritical judgment, and is not directed to those who in love and sincerity discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to the Word. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5).
Actually, the last statement of this Scripture commands sincere judgment: "then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." We are not to forget nor seek to avoid the fact that our Lord Jesus commanded us to "judge righteous judgment." He commended one, "Thou hast rightly judged." He asked others, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (John 7:24; Luke 7:43; 12:57). Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." Again, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1 Corinthians 10:15; 2:15).
It is all too common and easy for Christians to assume a critical and censorious attitude toward those who do not share their opinions about matters other than those which have to do with Bible doctrine and moral practice. But it is our privilege and duty to do all we can to encourage their spiritual growth. We are to love and pray for one another, and to consider ourselves lest we be tempted. The safest and most profitable thing to do is to judge ourselves. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened (child trained) of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:31,32).
It will make all the difference if we judge our own faults as uncharitably as we do the faults of others; and judge the failings of others as charitably as we do our own!
* Mr. Stanford's statement was written several decades ago, when the profession to be "scripturally born again" was largely if not exclusively used in fundamentalist circles. Accordingly, the exercise of discernment was conditioned upon a "scriptural" profession. Miles never intended to convey the idea that we can never tell who are true and false Christians. Today, the term "born again" has been prostituted and carries numerous meanings. Believers have both the right and the obligation to judge when the term is abused or the context is not scriptural. Dan R. Smedra
