7:1-5 What does Christ's admonition, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" really mean?
7:1-5 What does Christ’s admonition, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” really mean?
A great many believers interpret this scripture to be a stern warning to Christians that they are not to make any sort of judgement at all. But that is not what Jesus is teaching. Jesus is admonishing us here not to judge others self-righteously or hypocritically. Christians are not to find faults in others while blinded to their own (cp Lk 6:37; Jn 8:1-11; Ro 2:1-3). Both Jesus and Paul teach us here that being blinded to one’s own faults results in an attitude of superiority and causes hardness toward the faults of others. In Jn 8:1-11 Jesus exposes the evil hearts of the Pharisees who were quite prepared to put to death one found sinning publicly, yet they themselves were all sinning privately. In Ro 2:1-3 Paul declares that there is a Pharisee in the heart of every Christian who esteems his or her own morality above others (cp Ga 6:1-3). When Christians judge, they must judge only as fellow sinners. To think that they are anything other than that, or that they are exempt from the faults which they see in others, is to judge self-righteously and hypocritically which is forbidden (cp 1 Cor 4:3-7; Jas 4:11-12).
Paul and James both teach in these passages that Christians are not to criticize or condemn each other. None of us are above criticism, and it is God who will judge us all. This is a rebuke to self appointed judges in the church. Not only must Christians not criticize or condemn others, or judge them in a self-righteous manner, but we must also not judge another’s holiness by our own personal convictions (cp Ro 14:1-13, 22). Paul admonishes Christians here, both strong and weak in the faith, not to judge each other. Everyone of us is God’s servant and is personally responsible to God for what we do aside from what is specifically forbidden. No one will fall who conscientiously follows God in the light of the knowledge they have received. Christians can fellowship with each other in spite of differences of opinion if we do not despise or criticize each other because of them. The strong are to bear with the weak and be tolerant of their doubtful practices. We must live in unity with one another (cp Ro 15:1-7 with 1Cor 13:1-7 and Ga 5:22-23).
Jesus is the only one who is capable of judging Christians because He is the only one who paid the supreme sacrifice for their salvation, so none of us should presume to criticize or condemn another for whom Christ also died (cp Ro 14:10-12). “Setting at nought” other Christians means despising them, holding them in contempt. That does not mean that we have to agree with what other Christians believe or teach, or that we must like what they do, but we are not to criticize or despise them because of it. We had better be looking at our own works rather than judge another’s, because every single one of us will have to stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ one day to give an account of our own faithfulness. The Judgement Seat of Christ is not to be confused with the Great White Throne Judgement. The Judgement Seat of Christ is for those who go to heaven, whereas the Great White Throne Judgement is for those being cast down to hell (cp Rev 20:11-15).
None of this is teaching that Christians cannot exercise discernment regarding spiritual things (cp 1Cor 14:29). Christians can also examine, convince, and reprove those in the world of their evil ways (cp 1Cor 2:15). This in no way is judging sinners, but simply witnessing to them the gospel of light. Neither does it mean that we cannot judge false teaching, and who false teachers are in the church. It is obligatory upon Christians to do this (cp Mt 7:15-20; 1Th 5:21; 1Jn 4:1; Rev 2:1-2). Nor does it mean that we cannot make value judgements with respect to sin in other Christians (cp 1Cor 5:1-5, 9-13). The fornicators, covetous, idolaters, railers (foul tongued abusers), drunkards and extortioners here are professing Christians, and Paul warns other Christians not to fellowship with them. They are to be put out of the church – excommunicated from that assembly – so that God can deal with them outside the church. Christian judgements are only limited to those inside the church. God judges those outside. Christians must always remember that the same measure of judgement with which we judge others will be measured back to us – doubled (cp Lk 6:36-38). The word again in Mt 7:38 means repetitive – it is repeated, so we get double judgement, just as we get doubly blessed in return for our giving. See also comments on Ro 2:1-4, 14:1-9; 1Cor 3:12-15, 4:2-5,
In the general sense it means that objects of value or sacred things should not be offered to those who are incapable of appreciating them. However, the context of this saying centres on Christians judging others by their own standards, and it must be kept in that context (cp Mt 7:1-6). The point Jesus makes in V6 is that as “dogs” are incapable of recognizing something sacred, and “pigs” have no regard for pearls, so believers cannot impose God’s standards of morality upon those who are morally corrupt. Christians cannot expect those who have no relationship with God to adopt His standards of morality. Rather, the morally corrupt are more likely to turn on Christians trying to impose their morality on them, and attack them. Jesus is not teaching here as a great many Christians believe, that Christians are not to share the gospel with unrepentant sinners in case they reject it and attack the one preaching it, because He teaches everywhere else that Christians must be prepared to die for the gospel’s sake if need be (cp Mt 10:38-39; Mk 8:34-37; Lk 9:23-25; Jn 12:24-26).
Here Jesus is warning Christians that the only way to enter into eternal life is through the narrow confines of a Christian walk totally consecrated to the service of God and completely surrendered to the authority of Jesus (cp Mt 6:24; 7:21-27). No one merely professing faith in Christ and not doing the work of God’s word will be saved (cp Lk 13:23-27; Jas 1:22-25; 2:14-26; Rev 3:14-16). The word strive in Lk 13:24 means to labour fervently; to wrestle as in an award contest, straining every nerve to the uttermost toward the goal (cp 1Cor 9:24-27; Php 2:12; 3:8-14; He 4:1). Christians must order their lives to do the work of God’s word See also comments on Mt 3:10, 7:21, 12:30, 25:14-30; Lk 19:11-27; Jn 15:2, 15:4-6, 15:16; Ro 2:13; Jas 1:22-25, 2:14-26
Jesus is passing sentence here upon those who do not bear fruit for God’s eternal kingdom (cp Mt 7:20-27). Jesus makes it quite clear here that no one merely professing to be a Christian will be saved – only those who hear God’s word and do it will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (cp Psa 119:9; Pr 4:4; Lk 11:27-28; Ro 2:13;Jas 1:22-25; Rev 1:3). These scriptures all teach the same thing: the only way to heaven is by doing the work of God’s word – no one can be saved by merely believing in Jesus (cp Jas 2:14-26). Demons also believe in Jesus, but they are not going to heaven. This is a warning for believers, not unbelievers. Those who profess faith in Christ must conform strictly to His word. There can be no compromise – believers not doing the work of God’s word for Christ, are doing the work of the devil against Christ (cp Mt 12:30). Professing Christians who are not bearing fruit for God’s eternal kingdom will not be part of the kingdom, and it is folly for them to think they will. See also comments on Mt 3:10, 7:13-14, 12:30, 25:14-30; Lk 19:11-27; Jn 15:2, 15:4-6, 15:16; Ro 2:11-13; Jas 1:22-25, 2:14-16