Verses Misused and Abused – Continued
Together, we have studied two verses in the fifth chapter of the book of Matthew, in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, that are very often misused. Those verses are Matthew 5:17 and Matthew 5:20. The former is misused in order to place the believer under the Old Testament law; the latter is misused in order to teach a works-based salvation.
Today, I wish to examine a verse misused by believers and non-believers alike. This verse is the first verse of the seventh chapter of the book of Matthew.
Matthew 7:1 – “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
Whether it is a believer or unbeliever misusing this verse, there are some common facts regarding that individual. First, those who misuse this verse often know little about the Bible. I am in no way trying to sound arrogant. There are Bible passages I do not understand. There are questions concerning the Bible that I cannot answer. There are verses in the scripture of which I simply do not know the meaning. If any individual in the world needs to gain a better understanding of the Bible, I will be the first in line. I say that honestly and with a pure heart. But those who misuse Matthew 7:1 usually know little or absolutely nothing about the Bible. Second, most people who quote Matthew 7:1 usually cannot quote another single solitary scripture. Third, most people who know Matthew 7:1 usually know nothing else Biblically.
Matthew 7:1 is usually quoted in a heated discussion about the scriptures. Usually, the verse is pulled out when a certain SIN is being discussed. When a person becomes uncomfortable about their activity being called a sin, then they pull out Matthew 7:1 – “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
How Matthew 7:1 is Usually Presented
The words of Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,” are most likely the most misused and abused words of scripture. Those who quote it most have a very twisted understanding of its meaning.
To the ones who often quote Matthew 7:1, this verse means that several things; first, that no preacher should preach against sin, for naming specific sins is judging; second, that no Christian should make any judgment regarding what is right or what is wrong; and third, that preachers and teachers should not be identified as true or false teachers. You can see clearly that, usually, those who use this verse do not want sins, wrongdoings, and false teachers exposed. However, all of these conclusions contradict Biblical truth regarding making judgments.
The Bible Commands us to Judge!
Let us see what the Bible says to us about making judgments.
First, the Bible teaches that the preacher, the man of God, is to rebuke sin! This means that any activity that is condemned by the Bible is to be openly named and rebuked by the man of God. II Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, REBUKE, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” The word, “rebuke” means “to reprehend for a fault.” Before a fault can be corrected, it must be judged and identified as a fault! As a pastor, I cannot correct the actions of Christians sitting on the pews until I judge those actions to be wrong! It’s not rocket science. The preacher who will not judge an activity, naming it sin and correcting it, is not a man of God.
Second, the Bible teaches, not only that ministers are to judge sin and rebuke it, but also that those who sit under a minister are to judge the message of that minister. II Peter 2 and the book of Jude were written to identify false teachers. Paul said in I Corinthians 11:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” The only way a person could have obey Paul’s command, “Follow me as I follow Christ” is to JUDGE whether Paul was following Christ. In the same chapter where Christ said, “Judge not,” he also commanded the people to know who the false prophets were by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-16)! If an individual is a false prophet, Christ expects you to identify them as such by examining their fruit, and avoid them.
Third, Christians are commanded in I John 4:1 to “try the spirits” to see “whether they are of God!” The word, “try” means to “put on trial!” Put those spirits on trial, and see if they are of God or not! When an evangelist comes to town prophesying and blowing on people, claiming that he does so under the influence of the Holy Ghost, you are not to run to the meeting and hear everything he has to say. On the other hand, when you hear what such evangelists are doing, you are to determine whether the activities of such evangelists are Biblical or not. Once you discover that the words, “slain in the Spirit” are nowhere in the Bible, you should stay away from places that practice such.
Fourth, Christians are commanded to discern (judge) between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). The Christian, if he is living by the Bible, will do some things because he has discerned, or judged, them to be good things to do. He will avoid some things because he has made a judgment that those things are evil. This is not suggested for a Christian to do; this is COMMANDED for a Christian to do. Amos 5:15 tells us to “hate the evil, and love the good.” How do we know the difference? We are to make a judgment!
Fifth, when a young man is interested in finding a wife, how should he go about doing so? He should read Proverbs 31, where Solomon paints a picture of the virtuous woman, and see if the prospect measures up! He is to make a judgment! Young ladies thinking of marriage should do the same. They should read the book of Proverbs regarding the sluggard and so forth, and see if their prospect measures up! A lot of marriages have ended in divorce because someone wanted to refrain from being “judgmental.” So, “no judgment” was preferred over “good judgment” and it resulted in “bad judgment!”
Sixth, the Bible continually commands us to judge. Read the following verses very carefully.
John 7:24 – “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
I Corinthians 2:15 – “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
I Corinthians 6:2 – “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
I Corinthians 6:4 – “If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.”
So, it is clear that the individual who refuses to participate in judgment is living contradictory to scripture. We are make solid, sound judgments in the living of our daily lives.
The Meaning of Matthew 7:1
When Jesus said, “Judge not,” He was not at all meaning that we should not judge right and wrong. He was not asserting that we should not put a minister’s message to the test, to see whether or not it aligns with scripture. He was not suggesting that we make life-changing decisions without making solid judgments. Anyone who interprets this verse in this manner is ignorant of many Biblical teachings.
The meaning of Matthew 7:1 is simple – it means what it says, as all scripture does. Now, let us look at what Matthew 7:1 SAYS, but let us not look at this verse alone. Let us read the whole passage, and see what this verse says along with the four verses following it. Please read the following very slowly and carefully.
Matthew 7:1-5 – “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
You will notice near the end of the passage, Jesus speaks directly to the hypocrite. “Thou hypocrite,” He says. The hypocrite is the one who has a beam blocking his own vision, but he is concerned about the small speck in his brother’s eye! He will condemn someone for not eating healthy while he cheats on his wife.
If you think that I am judging by rebuking sin, or that I am judging for I identify what is good and what is evil, then you are the hypocrite to whom Christ is speaking in these verses. You have no right to judge anyone! If you point your finger at me and say that I am doing wrong because I am judgmental, then you are a hypocrite because you just judged me! You are upset because I make judgments, so you call me “judgmental,” making a judgment about me! Why is it wrong for me to say that homosexuality is wrong but it is okay for you to say that being judgmental is wrong? I am calling an activity (homosexuality) wrong. You are calling an activity (being “judgmental”) wrong. Why is it okay for you to make a judgment about my activity of being judgmental, but I am sinning by making a judgment regarding someone’s activity? The only answer is that the person who calls a person judgmental is a hypocrite. According to this passage, Christ teaches that the hypocrite who judges someone else will be judged in the very same manner. The person who has a beam in his own eye has no right to point his finger at the person who has but a speck in his eye. He will be judged as harshly as he judges. C.H. Spurgeon, concerning Matthew 7:1-2, said, “When I stand before God, can I honestly say, ‘Lord, judge me just exactly like I judged everyone else’?”
