What did Jesus mean when he said not to judge others? (10 things to know and share) [Akin]

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jimmyakin.com/wp-content/uploads/SignJudgeNot-300x145.jpg What did Jesus mean when he said not to judge others? Here are 10 things to know and share . . .

Jesus famously said, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

Today, some people use this to shut down conversations when the subject turns to sexual morality.

“Didn’t Jesus say not to judge others?” they ask. “Who are you to judge?”

Did Jesus mean his words to be used this way?

If not, what did he mean?

Here are 10 things to know and share . . .

1) Not a cover for immoral behavior in general

It’s clear that Jesus did not intend his words to be used as a cover for immoral behavior.

He did not mean them to be used as a conversation stopper to shut down attempts to admonish people engaged in immoral behavior.

In fact, Jesus himself did rather a lot of admonishing regarding proper moral conduct.

That is, in fact, the subject of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), in which the saying occurs.

**2) Not even a cover for sexual misbehavior **

Jesus had quite a bit to say about sexual immortality as well—noting, for example, in the Sermon on the Mount that even being mentally unfaithful was a sin:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart [Matt. 5:27-28].

3) Not a prohibition on admonishing others

Jesus did also not intend his words to be used to stop others from admonishing others when they are committing sinful behavior.

Jesus himself told his ministers:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you [Matt. 28:19-20].

That would include teaching his commands regarding sexual morality.

Also, admonishing sinners is a spiritual work of mercy that we are to engage in:

My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins [Jas. 5:19-20].

4) Not an endorsement of moral relativism

Taking Jesus’ teaching out of context, one might try to use it as a pretext for moral relativism—the idea that all moral judgments regarding the conduct of others are to be suspended and each person is to be allowed to define what is morally good for himself.

This is clearly ruled out by what we’ve already seen regarding Jesus’ own teaching on morality and on the need to proclaim them to others.

We do not define moral truth for ourselves. Moral relativism is a false position that is incompatible with the Christian faith.

It is also incompatible with itself. Like all forms of relativism, it is self-contradictory.

If it is wrong to make moral judgments regarding the behavior of others then it would be wrong to judge others for judging!

So what did Jesus mean?

KEEP READING.

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while we cant judge by appearance we can judge by righteousness

John 7:24
 
Not quite…there are different words used for judge in the New Testament. The one for judge is what is forbidden to us while the other word is better translated as discerns.

I have heard that the difference is much the same as the difference between a detective and a judge.

Both have two functions in common:


  1. *]Examines the facts
    *]Decides if a crime (sin) has been committed

    However, the Judge has a third function and that is the one that we are forbidden to do:

    1. *]Examines the facts
      *]Decides if a crime (sin) has been committed
      *]Passes sentence/condemns

      Hope that helps…
 
I have always been confused with the concept of a judgement at death and a final judgement at the end of time. For instance, if as Catholics we believe we may go to heaven or hell (forget purgatory for this discussion) at death, do all these souls get judged again at the final judgement?
 
ajcstr said:
I have always been confused with the concept of a judgement at death and a final judgement at the end of time. For instance, if as Catholics we believe we may go to heaven or hell (forget purgatory for this discussion) at death, do all these souls get judged again at the final judgement?
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The particular judgment at the end of our life determines whether or not we go to heaven or hell and possibly to heaven through purgatory. It is definitive and will not change.

The final judgment is after we receive our bodies back. In the final judgment the sentence we received at our particular judgment is announced to the entire world. The reasoning behind that judgment is made clear. All of our good works and bad works are shown to all and how they effected the entire world. The final judgment is like the final resolution and wrap up of our time on earth and the beginning of everlasting life with God or death without him.

The way I picture it is that the final judgment is like the award ceremony but the particular judgment is when we actually receive the award. the ceremony is just the formal making it public.

Look for the Baltimore Catechism online. That will have good answers
 
TomD123 said:
In the final judgment the sentence we received at our particular judgment is announced to the entire world.
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What if there is someone who is currently already in heaven/purgatory/hell, and it’s the day of final judgement? Will they come back, or what? 🤷
 
ajcstr said:
I have always been confused with the concept of a judgement at death and a final judgement at the end of time. For instance, if as Catholics we believe we may go to heaven or hell (forget purgatory for this discussion) at death, do all these souls get judged again at the final judgement?
Click to expand...
THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT

CCC 1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ. The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul–a destiny which can be different for some and for others.

CCC 1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification or immediately, – or immediate and everlasting damnation.

At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.

THE LAST JUDGMENT

CCC 1038 The resurrection of all the dead, “of both the just and the unjust,” will precede the Last Judgment. This will be “the hour when all who are in the tombs will hear [the Son of man’s] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.” Then Christ will come “in his glory, and all the angels with him. . . . Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. . . . And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

CCC 1039 In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare.The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life:

All that the wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When “our God comes, he does not keep silence.”. . . he will turn towards those at his left hand: . . . “I placed my poor little ones on earth for you. I as their head was seated in heaven at the right hand of my Father - but on earth my members were suffering, my members on earth were in need. If you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head. Would that you had known that my little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my presence.”

CCC 1040 The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death.

CCC 1041 The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving them “the acceptable time, . . . the day of salvation.” It inspires a holy fear of God and commits them to the justice of the Kingdom of God. It proclaims the “blessed hope” of the Lord’s return, when he will come “to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed.”
 
It seems that many discussions about moral issues come to a halt because of this Scripture passage and others like it. How should we interpret this passage? What does it mean to judge others?

Matthew 7 states:
Judging Others
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.

usccb.org/bible/matthew/7/
 
What a good question; I await answers from those more “in the know” than me.
Mary.
 
You can’t judge someone for committing a sin if you’re sinning too. If the speed limit is 30 and I’m going 45, can I criticize someone else for going 50? I must stop speeding before I judge the other driver for speeding. IMHO
 
**No human being has a right to judge. Judgement comes from God alone.

Human beings may be critical of visible behavoirs - only God has the right to see into a persons heart and soul that influence actions.

Critisize - YES ~ Judge not.**
 
We should not judge the culpability of others, but we can and should correct them when we see they are doing wrong. One of the spiritual works of mercy is “admonish the sinner.” Of course, we need to do that gently but firmly.
 
njlisa said:
It seems that many discussions about moral issues come to a halt because of this Scripture passage and others like it. How should we interpret this passage? What does it mean to judge others?

Matthew 7 states:
Judging Others
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.

usccb.org/bible/matthew/7/
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I’m no expert on the Gospels, but it seems to me one of the things this passage indicates is that one should focus on observing and then changing one’s own sinful behavior before paying attention to the sinful behavior of others. There are plenty of people who are constantly scrutinizing others’ behavior and finding fault with it. These people would do better to pay attention to their own behavior. That doesn’t mean we should never advise others, in a charitable manner, when we believe they are headed in the wrong direction or already engaging in sinful behavior. However, we should first be mindful of our own behavior rather than always being on the lookout for the faults of others.
 
I think the reason they come to a halt is because it seems a lot of people stop reading at verse four, or even verse one. No one bothers to continue to verse 5. Yes, we should not be hypocrites, pointing out others faults while ignoring our own, but that doesn’t mean we can never exhort or admonish others when they are clearly doing evil. Yes, we don’t judge the person’s soul or culpability or their final destination, but there is nothing wrong with calling evil acts evil.
 
I have noticed that in today’s society that this “judge not” verse is used as an ad hominem rebuttal when someone that is in a state of sin, or defending their particular favorite sin throws it out as a defense so that they can “win” the argument. And an attempt to tar the other one with the label “hypocrite”.

Especially when this involves sins of the flesh, not hidden, but very public; drunkenness, carousing, fornication, adultery, abortion/murder, brutality, homosexual acts, immorality, lust, depravity, and the like. All of the “hot button issues” of today, (and yesterday, and tomorrow).

And in my experience, it’s usually accompanied with “It’s MY life and I can do as I please! Who are YOU to judge?” (“Well, I’d be the imperfect one who was a sinner, and by the Grace of God have come to a new life, here let me help you a bit, for my Lord bids me to share this Good News and offer you help for you are blind to your problem and cannot see. God judges, not I. Oh, by the way, you’re heading into the abyss of eternal perdition made for the devil and the fallen angels, care for a lifeline?”:))

How does this sit with other verses of scripture that tell us to admonish our brethren that sin, so that they may draw back from the abyss? And what of the instruction to call on the sinner that we know is trapped in their sin, and if the sinner refuses to amend to then have another join with us in admonition so that the one sinning might be recovered and restored to faith? To discern from what is good and righteous versus wrong and sinful? I find far more scripture in support of humble discernment than against. 🤷

So, it seems to me that the scripture that you point out is often misused and misapplied. Especially by non-Christians. Funny thing that the only verse they can recall at any time is THIS one. 🤷 😃
 
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