To Judge Or Not To Judge, That Is The Question
1 Corinthians 2:15 – “The spiritual man judges all things . . . .”
1 Corinthians 6:2-4– “Do you not know that Yeshua’s Bride will judge the world . . . and the angels?”
Gossiping and lying are actions. Stealing is an action. Having sex outside of marriage is an action. Killing an unborn child is an action. Beheading an individual is an action. Actions, things, and fruits, are to be judged – are they good, or are they evil. Scripture tells us that those who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in other words, the Bride of Christ, are to judge all things, up to and including angels and the world. So, just what does this mean? We are instructed to judge all things. Things, not people; Actions, not people; Fruits, not people. That requires judgment!
Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”
When Peter came to Antioch and began to act hypocritically in regards to his manner of eating, Paul opposed him face to face in front of all who were present, as Peter’s actions had already condemned him (Galatians 2:11). Mind you, this confrontation was not done in private, but in public, as others were following Peter’s example. (See Matthew 18 below). There are times when immediate correction does not warrant pulling someone aside to correct their actions, especially if their actions are causing others to commit the same misdeeds. That requires judgment!
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 – Paul urged the Corinthian church to deliver a man who was living with his father’s wife to Satan; because this was an “immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles!” He went further and admonished them not to associate with anyone who claimed to be a fellow Christian, but who lived blatantly sinful lives without repentance. Again, There are times when immediate correction does not warrant pulling someone aside to correct their actions, especially if their actions are causing others to commit the same misdeeds, but when immediate action must be taken in public. That requires judgment!
Matthew 7:15-18 – “You will know them by the results of their actions . . . Grapes do not grow on thorns, figs do not grow on thistles. A good plant brings forth good fruit, a bad plant brings forth bad, inedible fruit.”
John 7:24 – “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
So it is with mankind. One can easily and correctly determine if a man’s fruit is good or bad. Yeshua clearly distinguishes between good and bad, and advises us to do the same. That requires judgment!
Leviticus 19:15b – “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
Mathew 18:15-17 – “If a believer sins, go and show them their fault in private; if they listen to you, you have restored them. But if they do not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed’ (Lev 19:15b). If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, let them be to you as a non-believer and a tax collector.”
The method of correction is clearly laid out in scripture. Correction is generally to be done first in private between two individuals, then escalated in stages if the person being corrected refuses to listen. That requires judgment!
Mathew 5:23-24 – “If you are about to present an offering at the altar and remember that another has something against you, first be reconciled, then come back and present the offering.”
James 2:12-13 “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.”
We are to forgive so that we may be forgiven, and we are to offer forgiveness and reconciliation before we come before Yahweh. But do not forget, there can be no mercy unless judgment comes first. That requires judgment!
The Definitive Declarations
Isaiah 59:14-15 “Judgment opposes the righteous, and justice stands afar off! Truth has fallen in the streets and justness cannot enter. Truth, in short has failed and the righteous has become victim. Yahweh sees it and it displeases him that there is no judgment.”
Mathew 7:1-5– “Judge rightly so that you may be judged rightly as well. The way you judge will be used to judge you. Do not judge hypocritically; first remove the speck in your eye before removing the log in your brother’s eye. Then you will be able to judge appropriately and correctly.”
One of the most often abused and misquoted verses in scripture is Matthew 7:1, usually stated in this manner: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” A much better translation is as above: “Judge rightly so that you may be judged rightly as well.” Lack of judgment is never called for by scripture, and the above quote does not call for such a lack. Just the opposite, in fact – Yahweh / Yeshua is not pleased when judgment is absent. Judgment is both necessary and expected. That requires judgment!
Conclusions
Yahweh never commanded us not to judge. Yeshua never commanded us not to judge. Just the opposite. We are to judge all things, even the angels. However we are not to judge hypocritically. We are first to carefully examine ourselves, to remove the speck so we can “see clearly” to help our brother, then rightfully evaluate the actions, things, and fruits. We are to judge between the holy and unholy; neither “giving the holy to dogs nor casting our pearls to swine” (Matthew 7:6)! We are not to “believe every spirit” but are to judge if a person is a true or false prophet (1 John 4:1). We are to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). That requires judgment!
Final Thought
Today we are one day closer to the return of Yeshua than we were yesterday and tomorrow we will be even one day closer. For almost two thousand years the Jews would proclaim “Next year in Jerusalem!” I now proclaim “Next Yom Teruah in the clouds!” Prophecy continues to unfold as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. Repent, Pray, Be Redeemed. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – get busy reaching the lost.
Rapture Party 