Judging

This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.

In the previous post, we covered Matthew 6:31-34. Here was the conclusion:

Jesus concluded this portion of His teaching by stating we ought to seek God the Father and His Righteousness as our only cause. The effect would be that God would give us the things we need.

Before we begin Matthew chapter 7, we need to cover some background on an important topic: Judging.

We have covered this topic in depth in a post titled, "The Doctrine of Judging Others".

In this post, we will cover the Biblical Doctrine of Judging in order to be able to understand Matthew chapter 7 better...


JUDGING
In the New Testament, the word "judge" came from Strong's #2919 krino. The closest definition for every usage of this word in the New Testament was "to pronounce judgment, to be subject to censure". The word "censure" meant to take actions that would equal out Justice.

Everywhere this word was used in the New Testament, it meant "to equal out Justice".

Today, many "Christians" use the word "judge" when they mean "to determine if someone is right or wrong". THAT was not the word God used in His Word. This mixing of our man-made doctrine with God's Word makes His Word of NONE EFFECT.

However, this wouldn't be an issue if people ACTUALLY meant they were only determining if someone was right or wrong. However, what most "Christians" actually do is attempt to equal out THEIR own perspective of Justice. They prove this when they attempt to punish the person either through slander or motivating others to take from the person or take something for themselves...which was what God did mean by the word krino...and therefore these "Christians" are judging others.

Let's look at some examples of the usage of krino...


"17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.
18 He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:17-18)

(The verse after the most quoted verse from the New Testament blatantly stated that Jesus didn't come into the world to judge it. Do people who believe they are supposed to judge while they are in the world see themselves as greater than Jesus?)


"22 For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;" (John 5:22)

(God the Father doesn't even judge people! God gave Jesus the ability to judge people...and Jesus will do that at Final Judgment...not now.)


"15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
16 Yea and if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." (John 8:15-16)

(Jesus said that people judge after their own flesh...to their own benefit. Jesus stated He didn't judge anyone for His own benefit...and IF He did judge it would be with the Father so that it wouldn't be for His own benefit.)


"24 Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24)

(Jesus did say we are supposed to judge righteous judgment. So far, it would seem that righteous judgment would be a judgment that benefited others...)


"47 And if any man hear my sayings, and keep them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:47-48)

(Jesus allowed the word that He spoke to judge people. We have seen that we are able to do the same thing with the following posts: "Stating Your Will About The Past" and "Stating Your Will About The Future".)


"1 Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judges another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.
2 And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things.
3 And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:1-3)

(Paul blatantly stated that all of us do the same things that we judge others for doing. In fact, we are twice as wrong when we judge others: we are wrong for doing the wrong things AND we are wrong for judging others who do the same wrong things that we do. Paul asked the reader if they thought they would escape God's judgment if they judge others.)


"3 Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.
10 But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling." (Romans 14:3-5, 10-13)

(The most powerful statements about judging were written in the above passage. Paul stated that we shouldn't judge each other ANY MORE, except judging a believer who puts a stumblingblock in the way of another believer. THAT is righteous judgment! Notice, it doesn't matter if it causes the other believer to stumble. We are judging an action and how it affects other believers...not God. Notice also, we believers can only judge other believers...and they can only judge the circumstance where a believer puts a stumblingblock in the path of another believer. THAT IS IT!)


"5 Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God." (I Corinthians 4:5)

(Paul stated that we ought to not judge anything before the time...which was the final judgment. This would include everything other than a believer putting a stumblingblock in the path of another believer. The next chapter of Paul's letter to the Corinthians began with Paul judging...)


"3 For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing,
12 For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves." (I Corinthians 5:3, 12-13)

(In verse 3, Paul judged this person because they were a believer putting a stumblingblock in the path of other believers. A lot of pastors and teachers miss this point about I Corinthians 5: the chapter was written to the church AND NOT to the man in sin! The focus was rebuking the leadership for allowing a man in sin to act as a stumblingblock to the other believers! Verse 12 blatantly stated that we shouldn't judge unbelievers. Verse 13 was Paul equalling out Justice on the person! An action was taken: the person claiming to be a believer was put away from the rest of the church. If you read the entire chapter, you will see Paul stated to do this so that the people in the church COULD fellowship with this man AFTER he was put away! So, this righteous judgment was not for Paul's benefit. Paul judged a believer putting a stumblingblock in the path of other believers and he took action that equalled out Justice on the person, not only for the benefit of the church but for the benefit of the individual because the person ended up confessing and repenting according to II Corinthians!)


"2 Or know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?" (I Corinthians 6:2-3)

(In the next chapter, Paul stated that we will EVENTUALLY judge angels...at Final Judgment...NOT now. The context of those verses was to show that believers ought to sort out their problems within the church without having to go to the government.)


"31 But if we discerned ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world." (I Corinthians 11:31-32)

(Paul said that we should examine ourselves so that God doesn't have to judge us...and even if He did it is so that we avoid a much worse judgment at Final Judgment.)


"30 For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." (Hebrews 10:30)

(We shouldn't judge others, especially unbelievers. We ought to let God judge them.)


"11 Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." (James 4:11)

(James also blatantly stated that believers shouldn't speak against or judge other believers.)


CONCLUSION
In God's Word, the word for "judge" was the greek word krino and it meant to equal out Justice. God's Word was very clear that we shouldn't equal out our own Justice, but judge righteous judgment: a believer putting a stumblingblock in the path of another believer.

We need to remember this as we look at the conclusion of Jesus direct teaching according to principles...

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