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Who Are YOU to Judge Me!!
How many times have you heard this? It is often uttered the moment a
minister opens his mouth in correction of a church member. The one
being corrected says, “You are judging me” as if ALL or ANY judgment is
wrong. The confusion seems to come from Matthew 7 and verse one:
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
-- Matt 7:1
What is this verse saying? Is ALL judging wrong? Is there a right kind
of judging? If so, how is it done? Begin by looking at one commentary,
which will explain the meaning.
Matt 7:1
[Judge not ...] This command
refers to rash, censorious, and unjust judgment. See Rom 2:1. Luke (Luke
6:37) explains it in the sense of "condemning." Christ does not condemn
judging as a magistrate, for that, when according to justice, is lawful
and necessary. Nor does he condemn our "forming an opinion" of the
conduct of others, for it is impossible "not" to form an opinion of
conduct that we know to be evil. But what he refers to is a habit of
forming a judgment hastily, harshly, and without an allowance for every
palliating circumstance, and a habit of "expressing" such an opinion
harshly and unnecessarily when formed. It rather refers to private
judgment than "judicial," and perhaps primarily to the customs of the
scribes and Pharisees.
(from Barnes' Notes)
Here are the two referenced verses showing clearly we are talking about
judgment as condemnation.
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. But we
are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them
which commit such things.And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest
them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape
the judgment of God? -- Rom 2:1-3
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be
forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again. -- Luke 6:37-38
Here are two more commentaries confirming the meaning as condemnation.
Matt 7:1
[Judge not, that ye be not judged.]
These exhortations are pointed against rash, harsh, and uncharitable
judgments, the thinking evil, where no evil seems, and speaking of it
accordingly.
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary)
Matt 7:1
Judge not. The present
imperative suggests that it is the habit of judging others that is
condemned. Though the word judge is itself neutral as to the verdict,
the sense here indicates an unfavorable judgment. Critics of others must
stop short of final condemnation, for men cannot judge motives, as God
can (cf. James 4:11-12). Believers are not to avoid all judging (cf.
Matt 7:6,16), for Christians need to judge themselves and offending
members (1 Cor 5:3-5,12-13).
(from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)
From all this we conclude:
1] “Judge not” refers to rash,
censorious [highly critical],
and unjust judgment.
2] Christ is not condemning judging as a magistrate [such
as a minister] when done according to justice.
3] Christ does not condemn our forming an opinion of the conduct of
others.
4] When a firstfruit is committing a known evil [or
moving toward a known evil], a minister will form an opinion
as to conduct of the firstfruit.
5] The verse is talking about thinking evil when no evil is present.
(See
Appearance of Evil)
6] Firstfruits are not to avoid all judging, for Christians need to
judge themselves and offending members.
Righteous Judgment
Righteous judgment takes place when one is speaking to the conduct of
another regarding an established evil or law breaking according to the
Word of God.
Example: A local minister is made
privy to a situation involving one unmarried male and one unmarried
female in the congregation. It was reported to the minister that the
male had been spending nights at the home of the female. When the
minister confronted the male about this report, he admitted that he had
spent several nights at the woman’s home but absolutely nothing sinful
had taken place. The minister informed the man that he would have to
cease from this type of behavior. The man responded by saying, “You are
judging me.” That is, the man was accusing the minister of implying
that he was committing sexual sin [fornication] with the woman and
therefore condemning him. Such was not the case.
The minister formed an opinion of the conduct of the man based on the
Word of God. The minister is not condemning the man, but rather
pointing out that he was practicing a “form” of evil. Secondarily,
because this behavior had been seen by at least one other member, the
man was casting a stumbling block and/or offending someone in the
congregation.
The minister rightly judged the actions of the member as being a form of
evil despite the fact that no actual sexual sin has taken place. As we
see in our study of “Appearance
of Evil," a firstfruit is never to initiate a process that could
result in sin. Clearly an unmarried male sleeping at the home of an
unmarried female could easily develop into temptation and then sin. The
minister is asking the member not to engage in a process that could lead
to actual evil. In addition, since at least one other member was
witness to the situation, we have a stumbling block issue, which can
only be resolved by having the male refrain from sleeping at the home of
the female..
In this example, the minister is dealing with the known sin of
fornication. Specifically, he is dealing with a member conducting a
form of evil. In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, it is clear that we are not to
initiate a process that could result in sin. Initiating the process is
a
“form of evil.” Paul’s admonition is to never even go in the direction
of sin. It is the duty of the minister to point out to the member any
process of sin [form of evil] in which they may be engaged. This is not
condemnation but encouragement to repentance and forward movement in the
Salvation Process.
Unrighteous judgment is condemnation of the individual rather than the
conduct. Unrighteous judgment is imputing evil where no evil is
present. Righteous judgment is positive in that its goal is to aid the
member in turning from sin or form of sin.
Judge not according to the appearance, but
judge righteous judgment. -- John 7:24
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even
they both are abomination to the LORD.
- Prov 17:15 |
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