"Thou Shalt Not Judge!"
By Kristie Cody
I venture to say that most Christians who have confronted someone about his sins have been on the receiving end of some variation of: "The bible says, 'Thou shalt not judge!'" This is the "go to" response of a person who has chosen to embrace his sinful desires rather than repent of them. He wants you to shut up and has found that this is a rather effective method of achieving that goal. Sadly, many Christians simply do not know what to say when an unbeliever (or straying believer) hurls this "defense" at them like a dagger. So, they walk away questioning themselves, unsteady in their own beliefs, while the unrepentant person stands a little taller, feeling emboldened and morally superior for having set that judgmental Christian straight...
The written word of God is the standard by which all of the human race will be judged. It is our instruction manual for how we are to live the lives that God has given us and how we are to interact with the people and world around us. Does it really require that we go through life making no judgments whatsoever, just blindly assuming that everything everyone says and does is acceptable and equally valid? Are we to view one person's actions as no better or worse than another person's? After all, none of us are God, so we really cannot make any judgments of others, can we? If that were so, we would live in a completely lawless society, a chaotic culture where "anything goes" because to speak out against another person's actions would be "judging." In such a society, mankind would quickly descend into depths of depravity from which there could be no recovery. We would literally destroy ourselves out of existence. Therefore, it is not plausible that Jesus was instructing us to go through life making no judgments with regard to others. To say otherwise takes Jesus' words out of context and implies that He approved of, even promoted, a totally amoral society where there is no right or wrong. That is not at all in alignment with Jesus' teachings and Scripture as a whole.
Let's look at Matthew 7 to see what Jesus said on this matter.
Matthew 7:1-6
1) Judge not, that ye be not judged. (1)
2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (2)
3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4) 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? (3)
5) 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.
6) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Notice that the very passage that starts with Jesus saying, "Judge not, that ye be not judged", goes on to actually require making a judgment. No, this is not a contradiction and it is not an error. Let's look at the parallel passage in Luke for further insight into Jesus' intent.
Luke 6:37-42
37) Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38) 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.
39) And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40) The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42) Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
Jesus was not condemning all judgment against the actions of others. That is not at all the message and context of His words in these passages. He was warning against calling out the sins of others while excusing your own sins. He was warning against hypocritical judgment. As humans, none of us are going to live sinless lives. If that were even possible we would not need Jesus. However, there is a difference between struggling with a sin and embracing a sin. If we have known sin in our lives and we excuse that sin rather than repent of it, then we are in effect embracing that sin. If we then call out another person for a sin in his life while excusing and embracing our own known sin, we are being hypocrites. This is what Jesus was illustrating with "the mote that is in thy brother's eye" and "the beam that is in thine own eye". When dealing with other people and their sins, you have to use scriptural discernment. That requires making a judgment about the known sin in your own life and dealing with it before approaching someone else about their sins.
Jesus also made it clear that whatever measure we use to judge others will be applied to each of us in judgment. If you judge another with mercy and grace in your heart, you will receive the same. If you judge another with hatred, malice, or contempt in your heart, you will receive the same. Never lose sight of the fact that Scripture is the standard by which we will all be judged and "with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." The most loving thing you can do for someone who is straying from God or who is not yet saved, is to speak the truth to them in love. If they are wise, they will respond in a way that will return them to a right relationship with Jesus, or in the case of an unsaved person, they will recognize their need for Jesus, seek Him and be saved.
In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus talks about four different types of people (a brother, a hypocrite, dogs and swine) and clearly expects the listener to know the difference. He clearly expects the listener to judge, to distinguish between them and recognize the difference. That requires making a judgment, a decision. In Matthew 7:3,4, and 5, Jesus talks about a brother and addressing sin in the life of a brother. A brother is someone with whom you have some measure of kinship, whether biological, familial or spiritual. The overall context of this passage indicates that Jesus is referring to spiritual brothers rather than merely blood relatives. He clearly expects those listening to know how to determine who is a brother and to deal with that person in a way that differs from how they are to deal with the "dogs" and the "swine" mentioned in verse 6. To know the difference requires making a judgment.
Jesus' direction in Matthew 7:6 carries with it the expectation that you recognize when the person you are dealing with is not merely a straying brother or an unbeliever, but is actually an enemy of the gospel. This requires that you make a judgment. You do not deal with this person in the same way that you deal with a brother or even a mere unbeliever. While only Jesus truly knows a person's heart, how one handles the sins in his life provides significant clues about the overall condition of his heart.
A brother is one type of person, a fellow follower of Christ. A person who would be considered a dog is a completely different type of person. In our society today, dogs are valued and often viewed as beloved members of the family. That was not the case in New Testament times. Dogs were scavengers and were viewed with scorn. Morally corrupt people or people who behaved like ravenous scavengers were referred to as dogs. A dog does not value the same things a follower of Christ values. A dog will feast on garbage, consuming whatever lies in his path. It makes no difference to a dog whether they are consuming meat that has been sacrificed to God or the decaying carcass of an animal that has been killed and left to rot. They will devour it all the same with no regard for the source of it. That is their nature as scavengers. In comparison, a person who would be considered a dog will fill himself spiritually with whatever he comes across, having no regard for the source of it. He will make no distinction between what is holy or unholy, clean or unclean, pure or putrid. To such a person, the holy meat of the word will be regarded just the same as lies from the pit of hell. He makes no distinction between the two and has no regard for one over the other. You would not give anything that is holy or sacred to such an individual and expect them to reverence it. Proverbs 26:11 compares a dog to a fool, "As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly." Jesus expected those to whom He was speaking to recognize such a person and to deal with them differently than they would deal with a brother. By extension, that same expectation applies to believers today. Jesus' instruction literally requires making a judgment about another person.
Similarly, swine were viewed as ritually unclean animals. The wicked and unclean people in a New Testament society would be called swine as an insult. Swine wallow in filth because that is where they are most comfortable. That is where they are the happiest. They do not want to be taken out of their filthy environment and cleaned up. They are completely satisfied eating slop, spoiled food and wallowing in filth. There is no indication they want anything else. If you threw physical pearls into their pen, they would not regard them as anything of value and would walk all over them until they disappeared beneath the mud and muck. Just as swine (the animal) would have no appreciation for anything pure and clean, a swine (person) would have no appreciation for anything of God or words of Scripture. A person who could be likened to swine is equally happy wallowing in his own spiritual filth. This is where he is most comfortable and he has no desire to leave or be cleaned up. If you bring him biblical pearls (words of scriptural wisdom) he will not regard them as anything of value. In fact, he will likely detest them. Just as he will have no regard for the pearls, he will have no regard for the person bringing the pearls. His hostility for the word of God can quickly become hostility for the person bringing the word and could easily escalate into a physical attack, as Matthew 7:6 warns. Again, Jesus expected those to whom He was speaking to recognize this type of person and to deal with them differently than they would deal with a brother. Again, by extension, that same expectation applies to believers today. And again, Jesus' instruction literally requires making a judgment about another person.
Do not just immediately go silent the next time you are talking with someone and he hurls the all too familiar phrase, "The bible says, 'Thou shalt not judge!'" View it as an opportunity to plant a seed in that person's heart and seize the moment. First, say a silent prayer asking the Holy Spirit to give you the words to speak to this person. He knows exactly what they need to hear. In a non-confrontational manner, calmly ask the person to elaborate on that. (Just a few suggestions: Where does it say that? What is the context of that passage? How do you choose your friends without making a judgment? What exactly does it mean not to judge?) Patiently wait for him to answer one question before asking another, as long as you are in no danger of being physically assaulted. Be willing to interact with the person on this matter and shine a light on any errant statements he makes about God, Jesus, and the Bible. Hopefully, as he tries to provide answers, he will begin to realize that he has merely been regurgitating a phrase he has heard countless times but never really questioned or understood. Whether he actually reaches that realization within his own heart is something that you may never know. Even so, it is extremely important that you, as a Bible-believing Christian, share the gospel with the people God places in your path and that you are able to defend your faith.
Do some research on the most common arguments people make against Christianity in the light of current social trends. Study what the Bible says about these issues. Doing so will provide you with a firm foundation on which to stand and will lessen the likelihood of you feeling intimidated by the discussion. Often-times, people like to put Christians on the defensive, as if we bear the burden of proof and must provide all the answers. Learn to ask questions and allow the other person to provide answers. This can go a long way towards helping them examine their own heartfelt convictions versus mere social mantras they have adopted as their own over time. Your goal here is not as much to "win the argument" as it is to plant a scriptural seed in the heart of a person who is lost and in need of the salvation that only Jesus can provide.
That having been said, there are people who are clearly not interested in anything more than the sound of their own voice. Nothing you say will have any effect on them. You have to recognize when you have encountered a "dog" or "swine" and simply walk away. You will not be able to reach such a person, even for the planting of a seed. Understand that even Jesus allowed people to walk away from Him. See Mark 10:22 and John 6:66 for just two examples. The more time goes on, the more likely we are to encounter those warned about in 1 Timothy 4:1-2. By all means, pray for these people with a sincere heart and ask the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts as only He can, as He is their only remaining hope.
Never, ever let anyone else tell you what the Bible says. Read it, study it, pray for understanding and know for yourself what it says. It is easy for someone to cherry-pick verses from the Bible and use them out of context to support his own position. As Christians, it is our responsibility to know what the Bible actually says and to understand it within context. We have to know the truth in order to recognize a lie. If we say we believe something, we need to know why we believe it. And then we need to live it.
Below are scriptural references cited within this article:
Mark 10:22
And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
John 6:66
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
1 Timothy 4:1-2
1) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Definitions
Definitions are from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Updated and Expanded Edition, James Strong, 2007, Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC.
(1) Judge...judged - G2919 - Greek word krinō - properly to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish.
(2) Judgment - G2917 - Greek word krima from 2919; a decision (the function or the effect, for or against ["crime"].
(3) Brother's...brother - G80 - Greek word adelphos from G1 (as a connective participle) and delphys (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote [much like H1]
⦁ H1 - ˒āb - Hebrew primitive word; father (in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application).