To Judge or Not?





One of the least followed and most quoted statements of Jesus is
found in Matthew 7:1  "Judge not, that you be not judged.

2  "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and
with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

3  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but
do not consider the plank in your own eye?

4  "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?

5  "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your
brother's eye.



This thought of not judging is repeated in:



Luke 6:36  "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is
merciful.

37  "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and
you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your
bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be
measured back to you."



If you look at these words of Jesus, they seem pretty
straightforward.  If then you turn back and look at the Old
Testament, you might become somewhat confused, for there seems
to be a lot of judgment going on.  What about Phinehas who ran a
weapon through an Israelite man and a Moabite woman?  That seems
to be a case of judging.  And execution.

Then as we look at Paul, might see some contradiction with the
text we just read, and even between different passages that he
wrote.

I believe in what Jesus said in the verses we just read.  But I
also believe that the church is suffering because there is no
judgment when there should be.  Paul indicates that the church
becomes feeble because of this.

Now lest you think I am opening a can of worms, let me assure
you that I probably am.  

In short, today we are going to discuss several aspects of
judging, and we will see that there is a time, and a place, and
a circumstance for judging, and likewise for not judging.

I am going to deal mostly with the New Testament today, and will
again spend some time with Paul's writings.  But to understand
this topic is it necessary to understand some definitions.  I
will try not to be too cerebral, but the distinctions are
important.

There are a number of Greek words that are translated "judge" in
the N.T.  

Now, I am sure that you all remember the difference between a
noun and a verb.  Noun is a name of something.  A verb is a word
that describes an action.

There are several nouns translated judge.

There are several verbs that are translated judge.

So we will take the nouns first.

"Krites"   (person who judges)     

"Dikastes"  (person who judges) 	

"Kriterion"  a rule of judgment ("criterion"), a tribunal:--
sometimes used as a verb, to judge, judgment (seat).

 "Krima", a decision (the function or the effect, for or against
["crime"]):--avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to
law, 

Now the verbs, which all are based on the same word, "Krino."

"Krino"  to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); 
to try, condemn, punish:--avenge, conclude, condemn, damn,
decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law,
ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

You can see that there are a number of actions covered by this
one word.

"Anakrino"  to scrutinize, i.e.,  investigate, interrogate,
determine:--ask, question, discern, 

"Diakrino"  to separate thoroughly,  to withdraw from, or
oppose; fig. to discriminate, or  hesitate: -- contend, make
(to) differ, discern, doubt, judge, be partial, stagger, waver.

Jesus is quoted as using the work "krino" in Matthew 7 and Luke
6.

	

Luke 12:56  "Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and
of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

57  "Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge "krino"
what is right?

58  "When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make
every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you
to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the
officer throw you into prison.



In this passage Jesus links judging in verse 57 with discernment
in verse 56.  That makes sense if you think about it.  When you
go shopping and look at fresh fruit, you pick up a piece and
judge, or discern, if it is fit to eat.  

In this passage Jesus is telling His followers that they need to
judge.

John 7:24  "Do not judge "krino"  according to appearance, but
judge with righteous judgment."



However in this passage, Jesus is telling His followers to
judge, but to judge in the proper way, with righteousness.



Romans 2:1  Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you
are who judge "krino", for in whatever you judge "krino" another
you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

2  But we know that the judgment "krima" of God is according to
truth against those who practice such things.

3  And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing
such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the
judgment "krima" of God?

4  Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance,
and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads
you to repentance?

5  But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent
heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of
wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

6  who "will render to each one according to his deeds":

7  eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing
good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;

8  but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath,

9  tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil,
of the Jew first and also of the Greek;

10  but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is
good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.



In this passage Paul addresses what I think we would all call
hypocrites.  As we look at the words for judgment here, we see
that the word for the judgment of God is a stronger word than
the one for the judgment that men do.  The consequences are
greater, more severe.



Romans 14:1  Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to
disputes over doubtful things.

2  For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak
eats only vegetables.

3  Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let
not him who does not eat judge "krino"  him who eats; for God
has received him.

4  Who are you to judge "krino" another's servant? To his own
master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for
God is able to make him stand.



In this passage, Paul uses the same word for judgment
throughout, but we see in context slightly different nuances of
meaning.  One person is judging someone else who is eating foods
that he doesn't approve of.  But he is not judging
appropriately, for the one whose judgment matters is God.

A similar passage is:



Col  2:16  So let no one judge "krino" you in food or in drink,
or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,



This passage of course has been used by many to denigrate the
importance of the 7th Day Sabbath.  But as you look at the
context is it about people asserting their superiority because
of their beliefs or actions.  

In the context of ceremonial uncleanliness, and feelings of
superiority, Paul is saying that one food is not better than
another.  One festival is not better than another.  One sabbath
is not better than another.  We can examine that more later if
you wish.

Moving on.  



Romans 14:9  For to this end Christ died and rose and lived
again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

10  But why do you judge "krino" your brother? Or why do you
show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ.

11  For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee
shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."

12  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

13  Therefore let us not judge "krino" one another anymore, but
rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to
fall in our brother's way.

Note here that the judgment is one that causes a brother to
stumble,  not help them over difficulites in their lives.  

Similarly the next text.

1 Cor 9  For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again,
that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

10  But why do you judge "krino" your brother? Or why do you
show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ.

11  For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee
shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."

12  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

13  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather
resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in
our brother's way.



Next is the last of the do not judge passages that we are going
to look at. 



As we move on to we move into the area where I believe the
church has been deficient.  Let me remind you of the passage
where Jesus encourages judgment.  That is, righteous, (Godly)
judgment. 



John 7:24  "Do not judge "krino"  according to appearance, but
judge with righteous judgment."



Jesus affirms that there is an improper judgment to be carried
on by people and a proper judgment to be carried on.  However,
it is left up to Paul to develop this doctrine more fully.

Interestingly enough, we find it laid out in the 1 Corinthians.  

Evidently the church was just a little too modern in it's
philosophy.  They seemed to have developed just a little too
much of the live and let live attitude that we see in the church
today.  The "do your own thing" movement was alive and well in
the city of Corinth, and in the church of Corinth.  And it is
never good when the church reflects the culture of the world
around it, rather than the world being lit by the culture of the
church. 

The church also had a half-gospel message.  We can do anything
that we want because we have salvation.  But all those moral
responsibilities:  They do not count any more.  

Me, Me, Me.  That was the center of the church at Corinth.  The
individual had become more important than the church, resulting
in a feeble, immoral church.

Paul takes the church to task:

5:1  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality
among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among
the Gentiles; that a man has his father's wife!

2  And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he
who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

3  For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have
already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done
this deed.

4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered
together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus
Christ,

5  deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,
that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6  Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little
leaven leavens the whole lump?

7  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new
lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our
Passover, was sacrificed for us.



 In this passage Paul is taking the church to task for not doing
it's job in minding the reputation, spirituality of the church. 
And if the church was not going to judge in this case, he would.
 And he used as an illustration of how it was necessary to do
this by referring back to the day of atonement, when all leaven,
which represented sin in this case, was to be banished from the
whole Israelite assembly.  

Then Paul takes the church to task again for not judging.  While
they refused to judge sin within the church, they were going
outside of the church to court trying to win judgments against
their brothers in the church.  



1 Cor 5:12  For what have I to do with judging those also who
are outside? Do you not judge "krino" those who are inside?

13  But those who are outside God judges "krino". Therefore "put
away from yourselves the evil person."

6:1  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law
before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

2  Do you not know that the saints will judge "krino" the world?
And if the world will be judged "krino" by you, are you unworthy
to judge the smallest matters?

3  Do you not know that we shall judge "krino" angels? How much
more, things that pertain to this life?

4  If then you have judgments "kriterion" concerning things
pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least
esteemed by the church to judge?

5  I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise
man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge
"diakrino" between his brethren?



Now this makes a lot of people uncomfortable.  We, too live in a
permissive society.  The church, too reflects too much of the
culture we live in.  And the counsel that Paul gives in 1 Cor
11:31 is wise.  

1 Cor 11:31  For if we would judge "diakrino" (discriminate,
withdraw from sin) ourselves, we would not be judged "krino"
(condemned, sentenced).



So how do we sum up the texts that we have read?  I believe that
we can do it by carefully observing the Scriptures.  

I believe that we are talking about three types of judgment.  

1.  The judgment that we are to apply to ourselves.

2.  Judging by an individual about another individual.

3.  Judgment that is by the church body in agreement with the
principles of  Scripture.

In the first two instances, we are to "rightly divide the word
of truth" and apply it carefully.  To Ourselves.  

In the third instance, as a church we are obligated to consider
the situations at hand and respond as the loving body of Christ
should do.  

It is not Christian love to affirm a deviant life style.  It is
not Christian love to let someone hurt someone else.  It is not
Christian love to ignore problems that affect the church.  It is
Christian love to confront them with humility, recognizing the
weaknesses that each of us has, and pray for healing for all of
us.  

And I might add, that anyone who enjoys the process is probably
not qualified to participate in it.  Church discipline is broken
hearts reaching out to help another broken hearts mend.  

Notice, it is to never, never, never be about us.  It is about
God and His work.

And remember, as in the O.T. the judge is to be the defense \
deliverer.  A judge is bound to do everything possible to help
the accused party.  

For the church not to exercise their responsibility is to hinder
the kingdom of God.  And possibly assist someone in their trip
to perdition.

To exercise this responsibility is to take seriously the word of
God, the importance of the message, the preciousness of each and
every human being, and the authority that God has given to His
church.  

May God give us strength to be whole Christians, supporting all
of His word, not just what makes us comfortable.