Judging
I often hear people say that we shouldn’t judge others. Certainly we shouldn’t slander others, we shouldn’t bear false witness against others, we shouldn’t spread rumors about others, and we shouldn’t be judgmental. However, we must pass judgment on other people.
When people say we shouldn’t judge they are usually trying to defend themselves or someone they know and they throw out the “don’t judge” mantra to make themselves sound righteous. They may even throw Jesus into the mix and quote his words in Matthew 7 out of context as a proof text with, “Do not judge.” The reality is that in accusing someone of making a judgment, they are in fact making judgment too. It’s foolish to say we shouldn’t judge, we have to judge, making judicious decisions, is a part of daily life. Christians must judge and the Bible is full of it.
Yes, Scripture cautions us to be thoughtful and careful in our judgment, but it most certainly does not prohibit judging others. In fact we’ll see that the Bible insists that we do judge.
When we look at the life of Jesus we often find him using some harsh terms, “hypocrites,” “blind guides,” “snakes,” and many other names, to address the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day. The Jesus of the gospels is a far cry from “gentle Jesus meek and mild.”
Well that’s Jesus, he’s the Son of God, so maybe he’s an exception. O.K. let’s look at Paul.
In the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians he calls them both “foolish” and “bewitched.” He passes judgment on those who have infiltrated the church and are proclaiming a false gospel, he calls them to be under God’s curse. In his letter to the Philippians Paul calls the Judaizers opposing the gospel “dogs” and “evil doers.” In his letter to the Corinthians he is full of judgment on the church and tells them, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.” The only way to know if people fit these categories is to judge them. It is only by judging that we can be obedient to the apostle Paul’s warning to Timothy that in the last days, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Unless we judge the character of others how else will we know if they fit this description of the type of person we should have nothing to do with?
Paul judged. So did Peter.
Peter called those who deny that Christ will return “scoffers.” He declared they would follow their own evil desires. He said there would be false teachers and false prophets, to know they are false requires making a judgment. He says their behavior is depraved and their destruction is coming.
Well, Peter has always been a bit hot headed! What about John, the beloved disciple? Well John says that anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ is an “antichrist” and a “liar.” That’s quite the judgment! And then there’s the whole book of Revelation!
The point is that judging is very much a part of responsible Christian discipleship. The Scriptures contain some pretty harsh terms of judgment for both for non-Christians and Christians.
But, we don’t judge with a view to condemnation. That’s never to be the goal of the Christian. We judge with the hope of redemption and the offer of God’s grace. We judge with repentance in mind.
Don’t leave your discernment at home, keep on judging!
