Judge not?

[Montie_Claunch]

I have a question about something. Where Jesus says “judge not and you will not be judged” what does he mean by that? 'cause I remeber him (i think it was Jesus) also said, Judge with rigthous judgement. Could any one help me out with this confusion.

 

[jaz1976]

Montie Claunch:

I have a question about something. Where Jesus says “judge not and you will not be judged” what does he mean by that? 'cause I remeber him (i think it was Jesus) also said, Judge with rigthous judgement. Could any one help me out with this confusion.

Matthew 7:1-5

1
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
2
For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
3
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
4
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?
5
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

In this passage, I think what Jesus is trying to tell us is that we need to deal with our own sins before we go after others. I think this was a jab at the Pharasees who acted “holier than thou” but who clearly weren’t. Later Jesus tells them,

John 8:7

7
But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

If we also look at when Jesus said this, it was during the Sermon on the Mount. So I think that Jesus was addressing the people who went about judging others, not saying that we shouldn’t judge a sin as wrong.

 

[trogiah]

Montie Claunch:

I have a question about something. Where Jesus says “judge not and you will not be judged” what does he mean by that? 'cause I remeber him (i think it was Jesus) also said, Judge with rigthous judgement. Could any one help me out with this confusion.

The question you ask is very important. More so, I believe, than most people realize.

The Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “forgive us as we forgive others.” indicating the two actions are closely linked. In parables and in plain words Jesus makes clear that God will forgive us in the same measure that we forgive others.

I believe the quote about “judging with righteous judgement” comes after the religious leaders condemned Jesus disciples for plucking heads of wheat as they were walking along on the Sabbath.

the quotes by jaz1976 make the message clear.

Though of course we should avoid sin, we don’t have to condemn anyone that fails to avoid sin. If we avoid condemning others for their sins, then - even though we may suffer some temporal consequences for our mistakes - we won’t be condemned for our sins if we do make them.

peace

-Jim

 

[NotWorthy]

I understand it deals with hypocrisy. This seemed to be one of Jesus’ biggest hangups - hypocrisy.

Noticing the splinter in another’s eye when you have a plank in your eye is another way of calling someone a hypocrite.

Notworthy

P.S. The story of Jesus saying, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” is His way of putting the Pharisees to the test. Jesus wasn’t throwing the ball back in the crowds lap, He was throwing it into the Pharisees lap.

The Pharisees, “The Separated One”, kept themselves isolated from all things unclean, and hence considered themselves sinless. By throwing down the gauntlet, Jesus was making the Pharisees admit that

A) They were Sinless - stone the woman - and face the Romans punishment for killing someone.

or

B) Admit to the Jews that they were not sinless - lose face among the Jews - but live to fight another day.

 

[Dorothy]

We have to differentiate between judging and correcting.

The Scriptures tell us to “admonish the sinner”, and “instruct the ignorant”. Those are two of the spiritual works of mercy.

Of course, we must do the admonishing and the instructing with love and tact, and also firmness.

 

[Brad]

Love the sinner. Hate the sin. Don’t judge the whole person. Don’t condemn a person to hell and think that they are beyond help. Continue to love them. Loving them includes helping them to escape from sin (i.e. correction out of concern/love of the individual). Being tolerant of a sin of another is not love because it keeps that person apart from God who is Love itself.

 

[rwoehmke]

Dorothy:

We have to differentiate between judging and correcting.The Scriptures tell us to “admonish the sinner”, and “instruct the ignorant”. Those are two of the spiritual works of mercy.Of course, we must do the admonishing and the instructing with love and tact, and also firmness.

Dorothy is quite correct. We are called to judge our own actions as well as those of others. If they are objectively sinful we have an obligation to admonish or correct the person. Judgement as Jesus uses it means to decide(priests hearing confessions excepted) or judge the state of another’s soul and perhaps condemn him in our own mind to damnation.

 

[SueKrum]

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." Jhn 7:24

I get so sick of everyone saying, “judge not, judge not, judge not” it’s getting old! You’re right, we shouldn’t make a final judgement on the person, that’s in god’s hands, but we DO need to judge what they are doing!

What did Jesus say to the woman who was about to be stoned for committing adultry? Did He ask her why she did it? Did He ask her if her relationship with her mother was insacrue??? No, he said, “REPENT! And sin NO MORE!” God wants us to lift up our sinning brothers and sisters and help them. When they are sinning, Jesus says to go to them first and talk it over with them. Is that jusdging? According to our culture, it seems to be, but according to God, it’s not.

If no one ever judged anything, how would anyone every know they were doing anything wrong? If a close friend told you that she likes to steal money out of the cash drawr at work, what would you do? would you say, “oh, I don’t wnat to judge her”? Hopefully not. you’d try and get her to right the wrong. Is that judging? I don’t think we know what judging means anymore.

 

[dkward2]

Psa 1:1
Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

1:2
But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

This is one of my favorite passages. I think this says, fairly eloquently, to worry about yourself. Thus, the pit preachers shouting “you’re all going to hell” are doing exactly the opposite of what the Bible says. Right there, I have judged their actions (appropriate), while not judging those people (which would inappropriate/scornful).

This passage makes clear the difference between judgment and scorn. It says not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. How can you avoid this if you do not judge someone’s actions as ungodly? Christians are called to judge the actions of others. However, we are told not to be scornful of others.

Basically, this passage backs up the overall sentiment of most of the posters in this thread. Yes, we must judge, but also forgive. Love your neighbor as yourself.