Las Vegas, Nevada Church
Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

Who Are YOU to Judge Me!!

How many times have you heard this?  It is often uttered the moment a minister opens his mouth in correction of a church member.  The one being corrected says, “You are judging me” as if ALL or ANY judgment is wrong.  The confusion seems to come from Matthew 7 and verse one:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. -- Matthew 7:1

What is this verse saying?  Is ALL judging wrong?  Is there a right kind of judging?  If so, how is it done?  Begin by looking at one commentary, which will explain the meaning.

Matthew 7:1

[Judge not ...] This command refers to rash, censorious, and unjust judgment. See Romans 2:1. Luke (Luke 6:37) explains it in the sense of "condemning." Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate, for that, when according to justice, is lawful and necessary. Nor does he condemn our "forming an opinion" of the conduct of others, for it is impossible "not" to form an opinion of conduct that we know to be evil. But what he refers to is a habit of forming a judgment hastily, harshly, and without an allowance for every palliating circumstance, and a habit of "expressing" such an opinion harshly and unnecessarily when formed. It rather refers to private judgment than "judicial," and perhaps primarily to the customs of the scribes and Pharisees.  ~from Barnes' Notes

Here are the two referenced verses showing clearly we are talking about judgment as condemnation.

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? -- Romans 2:1-3

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. -- Luke 6:37-38

Here are two more commentaries confirming the meaning as condemnation.

Matthew 7:1

[Judge not, that ye be not judged.] These exhortations are pointed against rash, harsh, and uncharitable judgments, the thinking evil, where no evil seems, and speaking of it accordingly.

~from Adam Clarke's Commentary

Matthew 7:1

Judge not. The present imperative suggests that it is the habit of judging others that is condemned. Though the word judge is itself neutral as to the verdict, the sense here indicates an unfavorable judgment. Critics of others must stop short of final condemnation, for men cannot judge motives, as God can (cf. James 4:11-12). Believers are not to avoid all judging (cf. Matthew 7:6,16), for Christians need to judge themselves and offending members (1 Corinthians 5:3-5, 12-13).  ~from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary

From all this we conclude:

1] “Judge not” refers to rash, censorious [highly critical], and unjust judgment.

2] Christ is not condemning judging as a magistrate [such as a minister] when done according to justice.

3] Christ does not condemn our forming an opinion of the conduct of others.

4] When a firstfruit is committing a known evil [or moving toward a known evil], a minister will form an opinion as to conduct of the firstfruit.

5] The verse is talking about thinking evil when no evil is present.  (See Appearance of Evil)
6] Firstfruits are not to avoid all judging, for Christians need to judge themselves and offending members.

Righteous Judgment
Righteous judgment takes place when one is speaking to the conduct of another regarding an established evil or law breaking according to the Word of God.

Example: A local minister is made privy to a situation involving one unmarried male and one unmarried female in the congregation.  It was reported to the minister that the male had been spending nights at the home of the female.  When the minister confronted the male about this report, he admitted that he had spent several nights at the woman’s home but absolutely nothing sinful had taken place.  The minister informed the man that he would have to cease from this type of behavior.  The man responded by saying, “You are judging me.”  That is, the man was accusing the minister of implying that he was committing sexual sin [fornication] with the woman and therefore condemning him.  Such was not the case.

The minister formed an opinion of the conduct of the man based on the Word of God.  The minister is not condemning the man, but rather pointing out that he was practicing a “form” of evil.  Secondarily, because this behavior had been seen by at least one other member, the man was casting a stumbling block and/or offending someone in the congregation.

The minister rightly judged the actions of the member as being a form of evil despite the fact that no actual sexual sin has taken place.  As we see in our study of “Appearance of Evil," a firstfruit is never to initiate a process that could result in sin.  Clearly an unmarried male sleeping at the home of an unmarried female could easily develop into temptation and then sin.  The minister is asking the member not to engage in a process that could lead to actual evil.  In addition, since at least one other member was witness to the situation, we have a stumbling block issue, which can only be resolved by having the male refrain from sleeping at the home of the female..

In this example, the minister is dealing with the known sin of fornication.  Specifically, he is dealing with a member conducting a form of evil.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, it is clear that we are not to initiate a process that could result in sin.  Initiating the process is a “form of evil.”   Paul’s admonition is to never even go in the direction of sin.  It is the duty of the minister to point out to the member any process of sin [form of evil] in which they may be engaged.  This is not condemnation but encouragement to repentance and forward movement in the Salvation Process.

Unrighteous judgment is condemnation of the individual rather than the conduct.  Unrighteous judgment is imputing evil where no evil is present.  Righteous judgment is positive in that its goal is to aid the member in turning from sin or form of sin.
 

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. -- John 7:24

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Las Vegas, Nevada Church of God - part of The Intercontinental Church of God and The Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association - Tyler, Texas