Judging Others

Those who judge indiscriminately are not content with only being right, but now must find everyone else wrong.

Those who judge without due deliberation, claiming an exclusive possession of righteousness, and wisdom, will bring into their fold, all who agree with them. They then proceed to censure, and denounce with condemning words both the principles and character of those who disagree with them.

We should do well to remember that the practice of rash judging is forbidden in the Scriptures. The key phrase here is RASH JUDGING, meaning to be hasty in counsel or action; not coming to conclusions without due deliberation and caution; and lastly not weighing the truth of all the evidence.

Rash judgments are distinguishing features of a persons pride, envy, bigotry, blind loyalties, and lack of charity. Those who make their living on censuring others are often the most defective, deficient and out of order people.

When opinions are based only on partial evidence; then used to judge others; they must be put aside. In this the process of righteous judgments can begin.

There are two ways to judge others. The first would be based on pride, grudges and blind attachments. The second is a judgment handed down based on the righteous discernment of all evidence placed before two or more witnesses.

So the questions for Christians is, “Are we to judge others concerning the Christian faith and it’s principals? Or, are we NOT to judge others concerning the faith?”

People often make the following statement, “We are not to judge others.” When asked, “Where did you hear that?” they usually say, “It’s in the Bible.”

Yes these words are in the Bible, but their statement is only half right; but not in the context there in. They never take into consideration the difference between rash judgments, and just judgments.

Example; if God said, “Murderers shall not inherit the Kingdom of God,” do we have the authority to tell a murderer, “If you do not repent of your sins and turn to Jesus Christ, you are condemning yourself.”

The answer is, yes!  Christian’s should always reveal what God has proclaimed. Let’s first examine the word “JUDGE.”

There are six Greek words for the English, “Judge.”  Of the six, “Krino” which is the prime root of four of the remaining five. The sixth word is “dikastes,” (Strong’s 1348) which means a judger.

The word we are interested in for this study is “krino.” It is used in several ways; its overall meaning is to judge; also to form, or give a personal opinion after separating and considering the evidence or a particular case.

A few common verses used to prove personal sentiments that Christian’s are not to judge are seen is,

Romans 2:1-2, “Therefore thou = (those who judge) 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. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.”

Romans 14:4, “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?”

Romans 14:13, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more?”

Matthew 7:1-2, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged.”

On the outside it appears that what they say is true, we are not to judge others. So lets take a closer look.

The Greek word “Krino” expresses the idea that any one person or group of people form and express a judgment or opinion as to deeds and action of others.

More often than not, the opinion commonly favors a negative or unfavorable opinion; their opinions are biased. So lets consider the person speaking; to whom they are speaking, and the context in which these statements were made.

The following will give us a better understand of the phrase, “Judge not.”

First there are the unrighteous and unsaved; those not having the Holy Spirit. These usually form false or biased opinions concerning Christ, or the church. In this their tendency is to place prejudiced judgments against the righteous. The unsaved will, and do judge Christians using the world’s standards. God said, they will be judged by their own judgments.

In John 8, we have Jesus who is the head of the Christian church and the Pharisees who represent the unsaved. In the time of Christ the Pharisees being a body of Jews who professed to be more religious, more righteous and boast that they alone can explain the Jewish law more precisely than others.

In the above we will see that it was these men, these haters of our Lord who judged Jesus unjustly, condemning Him.

In, John 8:14-15-16, The Pharisees had accused Jesus of bearing a false record of himself. Jesus responds with, Ver.14, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true:”

Verse 15, “Ye = (the Pharisees) judge after the flesh = (you judge through the eyes of a sinful world); I judge no man.”

Verse 16, “And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”

What Jesus spoke was true. He had not come to judge the world, but came to seek and to save the lost. If He were to judge the Pharisees, He and the Father would witness against them.

In Jewish law two or more witnesses were required to condemn someone. The Pharisees as a group had a blind attachment to their sect, had concluded and proclaimed Jesus to be a liar.

How does the Lord deal with their frivolous objections? Jesus in His argument to these Pharisees said, “You judge after the flesh.” What He was saying was, “Because my appearance is that of a man, you judge me as a man, in this, you have no spiritual apprehension.”

They had witnessed His miracles; heard his teachings; saw Him cast out demons; heal; forgive; raise the dead etc.  He tells them,

“Examine my teachings, you were a witness to my miracles, you know that nothing less than infinite wisdom and unlimited power could do what I have performed and spoken.”

As the ambassador of His Father, Jesus had no second persons to testify of His truths. His teachings and miracles were His only credentials, his authority coming from the Father.

John 8:16, when He said, “I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.” The Father being the second witness.

Although Jesus fulfilled hundreds of O.T. prophesies; prophesies that the Pharisees knew well, they continued to accuse, and call Him a liar. They had already determined in their hearts that Jesus was to die.

In John 8:12, they turned a deaf ear to Jesus, when He told them that He was, “The light of the world.” He came to enlighten the Jews’ first, and than the Gentiles’. The inference from His statement is, “Anyone who follows me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” The Pharisees however said, “Thou bearest record = (witness) of thyself; thy record is NOT true.”

In John 8:48, they now accuse Jesus of being demon possessed. In ver.44, Jesus accuses them of worshipping the Devil. In ver.59, they picked up stones to kill Him. But, He hid himself, passing through the midst of them. The creature is calling their Creator a liar.

Romans 2:1-3, Paul is here writing to the Jews who were in Rome. The following is to the Jews who had rejected Christ and remained within the sacrificial system of the law. Therefore their words and actions remained under law and therefore would be judged by the law.

Paul writes, “Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest = (unsaved Jews:) for wherein thou judgest another (saved Gentiles), thou condemnest thyself; —-And thinkest thou this, O man that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, = (commit the same sin’s as the one’s they accuse) that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”

The Jews opposed the Gospel of Christ. They understood the O.T. law and were aware of every gift that had been given them from God. Yet they judged others to be unclean and impure. These Jewish leaders detested any and all people outside of Jewish community. In no way would they ever accept the idea that God would bring into their community, Gentiles: Those they considered dogs.

Paul here is pleading with the Jews and defending the Gentile cause. He states that the Gentiles had as much right to God’s saving grace as they did. The Jews wrapped themselves in their own fatal confidence. They judged the Gentiles as beyond the pale, not having the light of God’s mercies. With their own words they condemned themselves.

Paul grounds his argument in the fact that God, was a God of equal rights to all men, in all nations, especially to those who practice truth, and lead a godly life. The Jews were guilty of many sins against God, yet they condemned others. They took upon themselves the character of a judge.  The unsaved were condemning those who now fall under the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:3, Jesus said, “Why beholdest thou = (you) the mote = (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye; and behold, a beam = (plank) that is in thine = (your) own eye?”

Jesus continues on and said concerning the man with a beam in his eye, “Will you say to your brother, let me pull the speck out of your eye, and leave the beam in your own eye?”

Matthew 7:3, Jesus calls them hypocrites. Here in, is a fine example of sinners who remain in sin, unrepentant, yet condemn others for lesser offenses.

Romans 14:4, “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth.” Our service is to the Lord Jesus, and not to another.

Relative to certain customs in the Jewish Christian community, there were many misunderstandings between the Jew, and Gentile Christians. The principle subjects of dispute were the eating of meats, holy days, and circumcision.

Certain Christian Jews retained the highest respect for the Mosaic law. They would abstain from certain meats = (pork, and meat offered to false Gods), the observance of certain holy days, and the 8th day circumcision of a male child.

On the other hand, newly converted Gentiles having no understanding of Jewish law, were under no obligation to regard these laws. Also some newly converted Jews were still being hindered by their upbringing concerning these laws. These were considered weak in the faith.

Because the early church was mostly Jewish, some began to censure and place their unjust judgments upon the new followers in Christ.  New Christian’s were being accused of not observing the Mosaic law.

Paul explains to both Jew and the Gentile: although they are one in Christ, were very different in culture and background. Because of their diverse backgrounds and various ways of thinking, words began to fly between them, these differences which are not essential to one’s salvation, and should not hinder Christian fellowship.

Paul defends these weak brothers. He speaks to those who were judging, stop judging others concerning trivial matters! What does matter is the Father’s new covenant through Jesus Christ, and saving grace. He said, “If a man wishes to eat meat let him do so. If he wishes to eat vegetables, let him do also.”

The same regard is still to be given concerning the scruples of others dealing with trivial matters.

In Romans 14:14, Paul writes, “There is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth = (considers) any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”

The Greek word “Unclean,” finds its roots in the Levitical sense. It is something not permitted by Mosaic precepts, and is therefore common, or not sacred. Therefore ceremonially, according to Jewish law, it is unlawful, unholy, and profane.

Here Paul is dealing with the idea of a person’s conscience. If a Christian person should act contrary to their conscience, they will likely be plagued by guilt. We are God’s servants. We shall stand before our Master, or fall before Him.

In summary concerning Rom.14, the idea of judging others is; we are not to judge others in unimportant matters. If a person is living or doing something offensive to you or others in the church, and Scriptures remain silent on the matter, it will be dealt with by the Holy Spirit through that person’s conscience.

In time that person will grow in faith, coming to know and understand good from evil, and in time will learn to deal with it through the working of God’s mercy.

Sins committed by men that should be judged can be found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. They are as follows.

1. To have a drink, is not the same as being a drunkard. A drunkard shall not enter into the Kingdom of God. A drunkard is one who’s god is habitual drinking, a drunk.

2. The unrighteous, or those not conformed in their heart to Jesus commandments, shall not enter into the Kingdom of God.

3. Fornicators: These are those who commit adultery, married or unmarried, homosexuals, males or females and incest. Idolaters are those who have forsaken the true God, having exchanged it for the worship of idols. The judgment states that fornicators shall not enter into the Kingdom of God.

4. Idolaters, adulterers, sodomites, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, the covetous, revilers, and extortioner’s, shall not inherit God’s Kingdom.

Those who do the above will not be found in heaven with the Lord. They will be cast into outer darkness, into the lake of fire,  “Where the worm = (sinner) shall not die, and the fire shall not be quenched (put out.)” These judgments can be found in the words, and in the law of God.

Now if a Christian is to judge someone, there are to be two or more witnesses: weigh all the evidence; check your decision against God word; pray about your decision and than resolve the matter with love and compassion. Christians are the ambassador of Jesus Christ. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in these matter; so righteous judgments can be forthcoming in your decision making.

Phillip LaSpino  www.seekfirstwisdom.com