PART TWO:
Scripture will now answer the question of can we judge or not or are we forbidden from judging? There is a verse in the book of Matthew that is often used when pertaining to judgement. That verse is often quoted as if that is the only scripture written about judgement and that verse is Matthew 7:1. Judgement or being able to judge did not start in the book of Matthew nor did it start in the New Testament. What is the seventh book of the Old Testament? The seventh book of the Old Testament in the Bible is called Judges. The Book of Judges mentions twelve leaders who all judged Israel: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson (KJV). Also, Moses in the book of Exodus served as Israel’s judge and then appointed men to judge the people in his place. So, does the bible contradicts itself from the book of Exodus to Matthew 7 or rather did Jesus put an end to judgement too at his death and resurrection? Let us examine the scriptures for the answer. Matthew 7 :1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. Κρίση is the Greek word that is translated to judge. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 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? 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 (KJV).
How do I love this passage of scripture? So many people or should I say our adversaries love to misquote, misuse and just out and out beat Christians over the head as well as defeat Christians in debates over judgment issues with these first two verses of Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.. We as Christians should be well versed in such scriptures. Especially, The Sermon on the Mount. It should be no way a non-Christian should ever be able to use a single verse out of scripture and defeat a Bible believing Christian in a debate over scripture. That is like a carpenter telling an airplane polite how to fly a plane just because he read a pamphlet on aircrafts. Does not make much sense, now do it? Well, never should someone who does not read the Bible be able to tell someone who does read the Bible what scripture means and or how to apply it to their life.
Matthew 7:1-2 are the famous verses used by just about everyone who has been called out or caught in the wrong or who just willfully sin. The culprits or sinners use Matthew 7:1-2 so successfully, because we as Christians do not understand this verse ourselves, therefore we take it literally. Well, the term judgment here has mainly two meanings. When we use the word judge, we can mean discerning, weighing, or seeking to know the truth about something. Or judgment can be used in the sense of passing a sentence on or deciding payment, reward, or condemnation. In fact, the Greek word (κρίση) used here for judgment has the double meaning of discernment and condemnation. To understand what Jesus is saying when He uses the term judgment, we have to look at the entire passage here. Christians should have a full understanding that sinners’ mere mortals cannot judge anymore as far as condemnation is concerned, because only God can condemn someone to hell or grant them entrance into Heaven. But we have to be able to discern obstacles and certain dangers in our lives.
Here are a few scriptures pertaining to someone judging them. Luke 7:43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Jesus just told Peter that you have judged correctly. Here Peter actually judged someone’s feeling of gratitude. Galatians 2:11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Paul clearly judged Peter for his actions here.
These two short passages along with Moses serving as judge and the entire book of Judges should have one rethinking about whether one can judge or not. When one studies Matthew 7:1-2 they will find that it is a warning not a commandment. So, if we cannot judge why did Jesus tell Peter he judged correctly and why did Paul judge peter?