Jesus said "Don't judge!"

If there’s one verse people know and love to quote (Christian or not), it’s Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” Even this verse gets cut in half when quoted to simply, “do not judge!” D.A. Carson says it best when he writes that we live in an age when Matthew 7:1 (Do not judge) has displaced John 3:16 “as the only verse in the Bible the man in the streets is likely to know.” I usually see this used in a way that is meant to rebuke those who would advocate for moral principles within the church or even society. It seems to be used as the ultimate “trump card” to prevent any moral accountability or calling for repentance. The irony in using this verse to tell people that they ought not judge is in fact a moral judgment in and of itself! Beyond this though, the verse is almost always taken out of context and abused. For starters, we need to understand that this is part of the Sermon on the Mount, which was a discourse specifically to Jesus’ disciples, not to the broader unbelieving world. These are the standards of those who belong to the Kingdom of God and whose Lord is Jesus Christ. The beginning of the Sermon on the Mount starts by addressing the audience to whom Jesus is speaking: “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,”-Matthew 5:1-2. 

Secondly, if we read further in chapter 7, we see that what Jesus is speaking against is judging hypocritically. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” -Matthew 7:3-5. “Brother” in this context refers to fellow believers in Christ. Jesus is teaching how to judge righteously in the Kingdom of God (cf. John 7:24).If I as a Christian habitually cheat on my wife, yet I chastise a fellow believer for making a crude joke, I am letting him know he has a speck of sawdust in his eye while walking around with a 2X4 plank in my own! Christ says, “Hypocrite!” I would be in no position to help a brother out if I’m entangled in greater sin!

A similar concept can be seen in Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” As with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7, the idea is to evaluate yourself while confronting/restoring others who might be in sin. Consider in the very same letter, Paul rebukes (judges) Peter to his face for his hypocritical behavior. Behavior, I might add, that negatively influenced others and brought reproach upon the gospel. “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” -Galatians 2:11. Imagine if Peter’s response was, “Now Paul, Jesus said not to judge! How dare you!” As Timothy George points out, “Restoration cannot be accomplished without confrontation, and this may require firm words and a strong rebuke.” We see this admonition from James in James 5:19-20, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” Notice how this involves judging someone’s sinful error and calling them (lovingly) to account. The ideal response is that the sinner will recognise the error of his ways and repent, not to become indignant that a fellow believer would dare to judge him! In 1 Timothy 5:20, Paul’s solution for elders who continue in sin after being confronted is to “rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”

Perhaps the clearest example of right judgment taking place within the church can be found in 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul demands that the Corinthian church effectively excommunicate a member who was living in unrepentant sexual sin. Paul sums up this situation by saying, “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”-1 Corinthians 5:11-13. Keeping the church pure is of great concern in the New Testament. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.” This can even be seen in Matthew 18:15-20 where Jesus speaks of discipline within the church. The whole process prescribed by Christ is one of judgment and excommunication for someone who is unrepentant. Jesus stresses this dynamic between rebuke and forgiveness amongst Christians also in Luke 17:3, “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”

So I ask, what ought the church to do with a man in their congregation who persists in committing adultery against his wife?  Maybe he is found out and promises to stop cheating, but continues on in secret until he is caught again. Should the church hold this man to account? Should the church confront this man and exhort him to repent? If such a man professes to be a Christian and will not repent, what should the response of the church be? Or perhaps it comes to light that a businessman within the church has been scamming people and taking advantage of clients for his own gain. Should the church turn a blind eye to this behavior from within their ranks? After all, Jesus said not to judge and certainly condemning one's unethical business practices is an overt judgment. Similarly, should the church look the other way or even affirm a professing Christian who persists in living a homosexual lifestyle?

Beyond this, we are also called to judge and discern false teachers. In the very same chapter as our famous “do not judge” verse, Jesus gives a warning about false prophets.  “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.” -Matthew 7:15-20. Jesus is telling His disciples to guard against false prophets and even says that their actions and deeds will be the sign that they are false. This obviously entails a level of critical judgment on behalf of those following Jesus. This same principle and warning is carried throughout the NT in places like Acts 20:28-30, 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 4:1-4, 2 Peter 2-3, 1 John 4:1, 2 John 7-11. 

This may be well and good in the context of the believing community, but as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:12, “For what have I to do with judging outsiders?” Is this to say that Christians ought not call people to repent of their sin and turn to Christ in the first place? The answer to such a question is that in the case of 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is speaking of judgment that has to do with disciplinary action and restoration, not of warning unbelieving society of the judgment to come as Paul does in Acts 17:30-31. In fact, that is a good segway into what the church’s role in preaching to a lost and dying world is. In the aforementioned verses in Acts, Paul stands before a pagan society and proclaims, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” -Acts 17:30-31. We also see in Acts 26:20, that Paul kept declaring “both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.” 

The important thing to note here is what Paul proclaims in Acts 17:30. The disciples are delivering God’s message. “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,  because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness.” Paul was not confronting the Athenians to offend them with his own “superior” morality. He was proclaiming the truth of God’s message to them and by the very nature of the message, he was judging their beliefs as wrong. When those in the church proclaim the gospel message of repentance and faith in Christ to unbelievers, it is not a message they’ve made up and therefore decided to judge and condemn the world around them by their own standards. They are heralding God’s message. Part of the gospel message is necessarily calling people to repent of their sin and turn to Christ. Our culture would be greatly offended by Peter’s sermons where he stood up and proclaimed: “God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” -Acts 3:26.  Of course, this implies Peter’s audience is wicked! This is the promise of the gospel. That is, the blessing of eternal life that involves unbelievers turning from their wicked ways by faith in Christ. As Paul says in Romans 10:13-15, “for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent?”

In Ephesians 5:11, Paul commands the church, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.” In a world full of darkness (sin and wickedness of every kind), the Christian community is to be the light that shines in the darkness for the purpose of revealing and disinfecting. William MacDonald writes that the Christian does this in two ways, “first, by a life of holiness, and second, by words of correction spoken under the direction of the Holy Spirit.” As Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”” 

This message either produces offense or humility in the hearers. The call to repent of sin, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Jesus will inevitably produce revulsion for many. “Don’t judge me! You’re a jerk for suggesting I need saving!” might well be the response. Indeed, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NLT), “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.” The gospel message is a sweet smelling perfume to those who acknowledge their sin and need for a Savior and surrender their lives accordingly. To the prideful, the gospel is offensive, a dreadful smell! As Albert Barnes comments, “The preaching of the gospel, and the offers of life, are often the occasion of the deeper guilt of the sinner. Often he becomes enraged. He gives vent to the deep malignity of his soul. He opposes the gospel with malice and infuriated anger, His eye kindles with indignation, and his lip curls with pride and scorn. He is profane and blasphemous; and the offering of the gospel to him is the occasion of exciting deep and malignant passions against God, against the Saviour, against the ministers of religion. Against the gospel, people often manifest the same malignity and scorn which they did against the Saviour himself. Yet this is not the fault of the gospel, nor of the ministers of religion. It is the fault of sinners themselves; and while there can be no doubt that such a rejection of the gospel will produce their deeper condemnation, and that it is a savor of death unto death unto them; still the gospel is good and benevolent, and still God will be pleased with those who faithfully offer its provisions, and who urge it on the attention of people.”

There are surely many who judge hypocritically and I would of course be lying (and a hypocrite) to say that I’ve never done so. The solution is not to throw out what Scripture says on the issue and pretend that calling the lost to repentance and holding each other accountable in the body of Christ is unbiblical. Certainly, Christ's command is to “judge with righteous judgment” -John 7:24. The solution is to rightly divide the Word of truth and take inventory of our own hearts. What in our lives is the Holy Spirit showing us that needs to conform more to His will? Do we take correction from the Spirit or even others humbly, or do our prideful walls come up? It’s worth taking James 4:6-10 to heart: “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

Bibliography:

Barnes, Albert- Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible, (2 Cor. 2:15)

Carson, D.A.- The Gospel According to John, PNTC, 1991, (p.317)

George, Timothy- Galatians, NAC, Vol. 30, 1994, (p.412)

MacDonald, William- Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995, (p.1943)

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995): New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.