Liberals, Liberal, Liberals—they seem to have found the one absolute that they are willing to stand by. How many times have you heard it said, “Judge not lest you be judged?” In our society this statement has become the great politically correct hymn when someone, anyone has the courage to stand up and declare that someone else’s beliefs, actions or lifestyle is morally wrong. However, one must ask is this the real thought and intent behind the scripture or is there a deeper meaning? Let’s clarify Matthew 7:1.
In times past, one of the most quoted verses in the Bible was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If you are ever at a sporting event, just watch the crowd as inevitably someone will be holding up a sign quoting this verse; however, I think it is quite obvious that the new king of the block is Matthew 7:1.
Very simply, Matthew 7:1 states, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” I don’t believe that anyone needs to be a Greek scholar to read and understand the Bible but, sometimes it is helpful to dig out the concordance and lexicon, blow off the dust and dig just a little deeper. In this case, the Greek word translated as judge is “krino.” This is taken from Strong’s #2919 “(kree'-no): properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish:--avenge, conclude, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law.
Brannon Howse, president and founder of Worldview Weekend gives the idea in his article entitled “One Nation Under Man” that tolerance and compromise are today’s formula—“Your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth,” or “It may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” Live and let live—that’s the concept of today! Of course, this is just as stupid as saying that black and white are the same color. The last time I checked it was impossible for two material objects to occupy the same space at the same time. However, apparently, such rules of time, space and logic don’t apply to tolerance and compromise philosophy.
If one is to objectively look at the context of this verse and those following, Jesus Christ is making it abundantly clear that as human beings it is not our personal responsibility to condemn or sentence others—in fact this is a job that expressly belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:36, 1 Chronicles 16:33, Psalm 94:2, Isaiah 66:16, 2 Timothy 4:1,8, Hebrews 12:23).
In Matthew 7:4-5, we are admonished to not be hypocrites by removing the plank (much larger) from our own eye before attempting to remove the speck (much smaller) from our brother’s eye. Ultimately, Christ is teaching to examine ourselves first—before the problems that we so easily see in others. Only then can we help someone else remove a speck—assuming that there is one there. Mr. Jacque Secours, a minister with the Living Church of God made this basic and yet profound statement, “What we see in others, we have!”
Jesus Christ is condemning a critical, judgmental spirit—an unholy sense of superiority. Ironically, those that tell you not to judge, quoting Matthew 7:1 grossly out of context, are often some of the most mean spirited, judgmental people that you could ever want to meet.
There are nearly 500 differing sects and denominations making up the professing Christian world. “We are not to judge or condemn them!” However, it is our personal responsibility to prove and discern right from wrong and to discern where God’s true church is today (Ephesians 4:1-6, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 1 Thessalonians 5:21). We can discern—how—based on Biblical truths. In Matthew 7:15-20, we are told that by their fruits you shall know them. Christ makes it clear that we are to discern between the right and wrong actions of others, we are to discern between true and false teachings. These are the words of Jesus Christ—He teaches us that there is a big difference between condemning and discerning. Condemning is God’s job and discerning is our job!
In his same article Brannon Howse profoundly writes, “Today’s postmodern culture of people is so consumed with non-judgmentalism that there are some who say we should not even call wrong or evil the terrorist attack on America on September 11, 2001.” He continues, “If Americans [Israelites] don’t start to judge and punish evil instead of accepting all ideas and beliefs as equal, we will become a nation that welcomes same-sex marriage, polygamy, pedophilia, incest, euthanasia, and likely a host of moral aberrations so bizarre they’re still hidden in the darkest reaches of the Internet. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, ‘you know we are not to judge people; even the Bible says judge not lest you be judged.’ Americans [Israelites] had better start getting comfortable with politically in-correct, non-humanistic forms of making intelligent judgments on moral issues because even if we don’t make them, I’m concerned there is Someone very willing to hold our nation[s] accountable for what we allow. And He doesn’t respond well to intimidation, name-calling, flawed logic, or being quoted out of context.” How very well put—if he only understood the true weight of his words? Anyway, condemn not, that you be not condemned!
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