Judge not.

Selections from The Holy Bible and personal essays and commentary

The Holy Bible, quoted in the passages on this page, is in the public domain.
The King James translation and Hebrew Names Version of the World English Bible translations are quoted.


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Copyright © 1980-2010 by God's Peace Ministry

Judge not. This is one of the commands from the Bible that many who do not know or accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord are very familiar with. They often quote it back to Christians who appear to be judging their lifestyle or behavior. They say - judge not means that followers of Christ are never to judge others in any way. Is that true? Is that what the Bible really says? Let's take a look.

We are to be discerning of the spiritual nature of others so that we do not fall into bad habits or traps set by the evil one - to test the spirits. But, we are not to judge others unless we are perfect ourselves. This is sometimes one of the most difficult spiritual concepts to come to terms with - read the sermon on the mount, a passage of teachings from Jesus as He spoke to a large group of people along the shore of Lake Galilee or Genaseret. The entire group of teachings is found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5 or in the Gospel of Luke starting in Chapter 6 at verse 17.

Matthew 7-1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 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? 5 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.

Luke 6:37 Don't judge, And you won't be judged. Don't condemn, And you won't be condemned. Set free, And you will be set free. 38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you." 39 He spoke a parable to them. "Can the blind guide the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit? 40 A talmid is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you tell your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself don't see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.

Luk 6:37 "Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luk 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, you will be measured." Luk 6:39 He also told them a parable: "One blind person can't lead another blind person, can he? Both will fall into a ditch, won't they? Luk 6:40 A disciple is not better than his teacher. But everyone who is fully-trained will be like his teacher. Luk 6:41 "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Luk 6:42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you don't see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you'll see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Paul, Saul or Sha'ul, the apostle to the Gentiles wrote these words in I Corinthians 6:9 - I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world. But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Don't even eat with such a person. For what have I to do with also judging those who are outside? Don't you judge those who are within? But those who are outside, God judges. "Put away the wicked man from among yourselves." Paul clearly stated that we are to separate ourselves from evil people who claimed to be followers of Jesus and to put them out of the church. This was partially to encourage the backslidden saints to return to a closer walk with God. It was also to put out of the congregation those who were called a brother but not behaving like one. How many churches live up to this standard today? Many churches don't observe the Biblical commandments and standards for their membership because they're afraid of offending men and women but not afraid of offending God. By the moral standards that were held in Paul's time, most of us would be shunned by the few believers able to live up to God's high moral standards. None of us can even approach a high moral standard of living without faith, trust and dependence on the transforming power of God.

The gift of eternal life is freely given to those who trust in Jesus as their savior. Those who believe, pray, read the Bible and allow themselves to grow in spirit and truth by trusting in Jesus and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit are brought into the family of God and will spend eternity with Him. You can read more about Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Topics.
The Good News - the Gospel of John.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Paley's Evidences of Christianity
Sherlock's The Trial of the Witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Words of wisdom and warning.
The Authority of the Holy Scriptures - the Bible.
The Sign of Jonah.
The Two Babylons.
Thoughts.
Thoughts for today and every day.
...a refiner and purifier of silver.
Prophecies confirming Jesus as the Messiah.
To the Jew first and to the Gentile - Come let us reason together.
The Way.
Spirit.
Atheism.
Belief in God or science?
Old fossils?
Evolution or devolution?
The Shroud and The Sudarium.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Blood and Flesh.
Christmas.
Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
How should followers of Jesus live?
A praise and worship leader gone astray?
St. Valentine's Day.
The influence of feminism, new-age and pagan philosophy in the church.
God, the Father.
Marriage is for one man and one woman.
Touchy subjects.
The apostate church.
The last days.
Ancient conflict - Isaac vs. Ishmael.
A Tale of Two Films - The da Vinci code and The Passion of The Christ.
Current events and topics.
Fascism.
Hate speech.
To veterans and to those who serve in the armed forces.
The world.


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