To Judge or Not to Judge, That is the Question

Over the past few years I really have been contemplating Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “ I have to be honest with you, the reason I have been studying this passage is because I know of some people in my life that like to misquote this verse and use it as their “don’t evangelize me, I have my own personal beliefs about God” verse. They use it as a shield as if to say that we are never to look at each other with a discerning eye. Then again that is our post-modern, no singular truth society, isn’t it? So as I studied this text I found that judging one another is fine when it is with the eye of discernment and the not the eye of unrighteous judgment.

Alexander MacLaren in his commentary on this text states the following “The ‘judging’ of which He speaks sees motes in a brother’s eye. That is to say, it is one-sided, and fixes on faults, which it magnifies, passing by virtues.” In the culture Jesus was addressing it was common for people to judge so that they could make themselves look better. Adam Clarke states this about the culture at that time “These exhortations are pointed against rash, harsh, and uncharitable judgments, the thinking evil, where no evil seems, and speaking of it accordingly. The Jews were highly criminal here, and yet had very excellent maxims against it, as may be seen in Schoettgen. This is one of the most important exhortations in the whole of this excellent sermon. By a secret and criminal disposition of nature, man endeavours to elevate himself above others, and, to do it more effectually, depresses them. His jealous and envious heart wishes that there may be no good quality found but in himself, that he alone may be esteemed. Such is the state of every unconverted man; and it is from this criminal disposition, that evil surmises, rash judgments, precipitate decisions, and all other unjust procedures against our neighbour, flow.” As Clarke points out this has more to do with rash judgment than over all not judging anyone at anytime. We have to remember when looking at scripture that Jesus was addressing a Jewish culture that was wrought with ways of making yourself better than others around you. The object was to say that you may be a sinner, but you are not as bad as the guy next door. John Gill in his commentary on Matthew 7:1 says “This is not to be understood of any sort of judgment; not of judgment in the civil courts of judicature, by proper magistrates, which ought to be made and pass, according to the nature of the case; nor of judgment in the churches of Christ, where offenders are to be called to an account, examined, tried, and dealt with according to the rules of the Gospel; nor of every private judgment, which one man may make upon another, without any detriment to him; but of rash judgment, interpreting men's words and deeds to the worst sense, and censuring them in a very severe manner; even passing sentence on them, with respect to their eternal state and condition” and the Geneva Bible Commentary says “We ought to find fault with one another, but we must beware we do not do it without cause, or to seem holier than others or because of hatred of others”.

So then how is it that we as Christians are to judge? We should judge with the filter of Scripture. Alexander MacLaren once again in his commentary says “The power of seeing into character is to be coveted and cultivated, and the absence of it makes simpletons, not saints. Quite true: but seeing into character is not what Jesus is condemning here.” By judging one another by the filter of scripture we have the ability to discern who real Christians are and those who pretend to be Christians, wolves in sheep’s clothing per se. The JFB commentary has this to say “Provided we eschew this unlovely spirit, we are not only warranted to sit in judgment upon a brother's character and actions, but in the exercise of a necessary discrimination are often constrained to do so for our own guidance.” As Robert Jameison articulates we are to discriminate for our own good. But, I might go a little further and say that in watching, and judging, a brothers actions we show him our love for him. Here would be my example; if you knew that a certain drink would bring potential harm to that person would you not tell them? Or for fear of infringing on their right to drink it would you allow them to drink? That would be foolish! So as a believer why would you allow someone who thinks they are a believer or even a person who isn’t a believer go without letting them know that their belief’s do not align with scripture and what God commands of us. I would rather evangelize a person or “judge” a person and gain them as an eternal brother/sister than allow them to falsely think that they are gaining something they are not.

This is one of the biggest dangers in our post modern society. Without a singular truth people tend to believe that they can gain eternal life any way they please. They can treat God, live their own personal bell hop and call on Him only when they need him. This idea of no true truth also leads society down the road of each person having the ability to forsake what is in scripture and replace it with their own personal beliefs and what they think a “good” god would do and not do. As long as society continues to go the way of a gospel that “tickles their ears” (2 Timothy 4:3) than we as true believers must judge. Not to puff ourselves up, but to correct that which is false.