Don’t Judge Me.
Only God Can Judge Me? In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” Christians and non-believers use this verse to say no one can judge another. However, other places in the Bible tell us to judge. So, what does this mean? First, the meaning of a verse always comes from the chapter, which is part of the book and the entire Bible. When a verse is read without consideration for the rest of the Bible, it is taken out of context. Words have different meanings in different contexts. It’s the surrounding words in the whole passage that help define the meaning.
John 15
“Every branch in me that heareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
The first branch brought forth no fruit; the second bore some fruit. “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” We have no right to judge our neighbors’ motives and thoughts except so far as they may be discoverable by their actions and words. The interior we must leave with God, but the exterior we may judge and must judge. There is a sense in which we are not to judge men, but there is another sense in which he would be an arrogant fool who did not constantly exercise his judgment upon men. “By their fruits, ye shall know them” is our Lord’s canon of sacred criticism. If you would judge men and judge yourselves, this is the one test— “by their fruits.”
Matthew 7
“Judge not, that you be not judged. You will be judged by the judgment you pronounce, and with the measure you use, it will be measured by you.”
People mistake what the Bible says about judging others by misapplying this statement in Matthew 7 because it is read out of context. When reading the rest of Matthew 7, Jesus says that when judging, we should be cautious to ensure our judgment isn’t hypocritical. The crux of this passage is to help fellow Christians take the speck out of their eye, which requires you to judge that it’s there.
If you continue reading to verse 6, Jesus says, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” How can you tell the difference between dogs and pigs unless you judge?
Then, read a little further in the same chapter, in the same sermon, Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. It’s clear from the passage that Jesus does not mean never to judge.
The Bible states that there are two ways to judge others:
Motives - judging another’s motives is sinful.
Actions - judging another’s actions (their fruit) is appropriate and, in many cases, commanded in the Bible.
Here are just a few passages showing how and when to judge. Be sure to look up the chapters and read them in their full context:
Matt 7:1-6 Jesus teaches us how to judge
Matt 7:15-16 We judge false teachers - “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.”
John 7:24 Jesus commands us to judge - “Do not judge by appearances but judge with right judgment.”
1 Cor 2:15-16 Judging is the character of being spiritual - “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one. For who has understood the mind of the Lord to instruct him?” But we (those sanctified in Christ Jesus), have the mind of Christ.”
1 Cor 5:12-13 We judge those in the Church - “What have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.”
2 Cor 11:4 We judge doctrine & teaching/truth from error - “..if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received..”
1 John 2:18-20 We judge false Christians from true Christians - “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Eph 5:11 We judge the deeds & workers of darkness - “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret.”
“Secular culture loves to shout ‘Don’t judge’ and in the same breath judge Christians (and others) who don’t agree with the secular narrative. Christians are told to be loving and accepting of all viewpoints, and yet we are told we are bigoted and narrow-minded, and our viewpoints aren’t accepted. Illogically, when people apply these labels to Christians, they themselves are being bigoted and narrow-minded toward us.”
Biblical Judgment in a "Don't Judge Me" World by Alisa Childers (article) - Culture will always have its slogans, mantras, and catchphrases. But haven’t Christians always been countercultural? Sometimes, Jesus calls us to judge each other. As difficult as it may seem, obeying his commands will keep you from being tossed about by the whims of a fickle culture. After all, that culture won’t be there for you when your life (or the lives of the people you love) falls apart from following its advice. Jesus will. And that’s something you can rightly judge to be true.
The Most Misquoted Verse of our Day by Josh Buice (article) - We are never to allow people to walk down a pathway of sin because of a misunderstood view of Luke 6:37 or Matthew 7:1. In love, the church is to confront people in their sin with a goal of restoration (see Matt. 18:15-20). In love, the church confronts unbelievers regarding their sins in evangelism (which is not sinful). Many people who pursue various forms of sinful autonomy misquote Jesus’ “judge not” statement while demanding a proper execution of justice, which involves judgment. The statement must be appropriately interpreted.
Judge Not…by R.C. Sproul (article + audio) - Jesus taught us nothing more than to do unto others as we would have others do unto us. He was teaching us no more than the Apostles taught us when they said there is a love covering many sins. Keep your handkerchief in your pocket, and let your brother or sister take the speck out of her or his eye. This is the teaching of Jesus for His people.
Does the Bible Tell Christians to Judge Not? by Ken Ham - What’s the purpose of judging error biblically? The church is to be built on the foundation of Christ and the authority of His Word (Ephesians 2:20)—and that means believers should examine their own lives regularly and lovingly challenge Christian brothers and sisters who are in error or commit sin. To do this, believers must be bold for Christ and humble, loving, and kind. We encourage you to keep these things in mind as you strive daily to maintain unity in the truth of Christ (John 17:20–26).
What Does Judge Not Really Mean? by Teach 4 the Heart - We should care enough about others to tell them the truth. When we see someone traveling down a dangerous path, we do them no service to ignore the problem in the name of “not judging.” We will speak the truth to them – in love and humility if we genuinely care. Gal 6:1 commands this beautifully, admonishing us that when someone falls into sin, we who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of humility, considering ourselves, lest we also be tempted.
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