Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye”; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1–5
No one likes to be judged. When Lot begged the men of Sodom not to carry out their evil intentions, they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge” (Genesis 19:9). When Moses tried to reconcile two Israelites who were quarrelling, they said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” (Exodus 2:14). No one enjoys being told they are in the wrong, and people will often despise you if you point out their flaws in character and conduct. Often when we talk to people about faith and the practice thereof, they will direct us to Matthew 7:1 and remind us that we are not to judge others. Many scholars and commentators from left and right agree that this is one of the most misunderstood and abused verses in Scripture. Even a casual reading of the context will show us that Jesus never intended to say, “Don’t judge at all,” but rather, “Don’t judge hypocritically.” The truth is that judging is essential to Christian living. Just a few verses later, Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets, and He says we can identify such by their works (vv 15–20). So how can we judge “with righteous judgment” (John 7:24)?
We are required to make judgments in several areas. First of all, we must make judgments in matters of doctrine. John says, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Jesus praised the church in Ephesus for correctly identifying false apostles (Revelation 2:2). Whether we like it or not, we must also make judgments of people’s morals, for Paul commands us to withdraw from every brother who lives contrary to the teachings of Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:6). Furthermore, if we are to convert one another from error (James 5:20), we must also make judgments regarding one another’s spiritual condition. Whether or not we are to judge is not really a question as far as the Bible is concerned; the real question is, “How are we to judge?”
We will make better judgments when we base them on God’s word. Even Jesus, God’s own Son, declared, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). When we judge, we must also make sure that we hold ourselves to the same standard. It is hypocritical judgment that Jesus condemns in the Sermon on the Mount, and He assures us that people will not accept our criticism when we are not living exemplary lives ourselves (Matthew 7:1–5). We must also be careful not to judge according to appearance. After all, haven’t we all been misjudged at some point by someone who jumped to an inaccurate conclusion based on outward appearances? When we judge, we must also be careful not to confuse matters of opinion with matters of faith. I might decide not do manual labor on Sunday so as to set aside that day for holy observances alone, but I cannot force that on others since the Scriptures do not. In short, if I will learn to base my judgments on the word of God and reserve my judgment until I have all the facts, my judgment will be what God desires.
As we judge others, let us bear in mind that we will all be judged one day. Let us also bear in mind that, when others judge us (perhaps unfairly), we will be judged in righteousness one day (1 Peter 2:23).