Do Not Judge? Does Matthew 7 Really Teach That?

Matthew 7:1-5 "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." NIV

My church and I have done a lot of street preaching and some preaching on college campuses. Based on that experience, I swear every person in America knows at least half of one scripture. They can all shout, "Judge not least ye be judged." They are not alone. Christians who should know better are also quick to shout this part of the scripture. They totally ignore the rest of Matthew 7 and what the rest of the Bible says about judging.

We are commanded to judge in many places in the Bible. It is a shocking thought, but it is true. We are commanded to judge false prophets. How? We are to judge their fruit, which are their lifestyles. The rest of Matthew 7 says that they will come to us in sheep's clothing.

Matt.7:16-19"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or grapes from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fit. " NIV

By their fruit.... In other words we are to judge these prophets by what they say and do.

1 Timothy also tells the Christian they are to judge.

1Ti 6:3 "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." KJV

If you don't judge, how are you going to know from whom to withdraw?

As one preacher I have met on another forum has written, "You cannot take one verse or one chapter out of the context of the entire Bible and build a doctrine around it. This foolishness of not judging is modernistic apostasy. It is direct contradiction of God's clear instruction. There is judgment that is wrong. Judgment based on philosophy, social pressures or personal preferences are wrong. But judgment based on clear Scriptural principles are not only right, they are commanded."

.The following passage is another that commands the Christian to judge.

2 Corinthians 6 13 "As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also. 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" NIV

We are commanded not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. This idea may be surprising to many, but we who are Christians are not only forbidden to marry unsaved people or date unsaved people, but we are also forbidden to be close friends with unsaved people. That means we must judge if this someone we are going to be yoked with in marriage or even in a close friendship is a believer or not.

There are other places were we are commanded to judge.

2Ti 3:1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." NIV

How are we to know who to turn away from if we are not to judge? We are not to have anything to do with people who claim to be Christians yet are still lovers of their own selves, covetous, blasphemers, and all of the rest of those things. In other words, people who claim to be Christians yet whose behavior proves that they do not have the power of Christianity. What is that power? The power of Jesus Christ living inside by the Holy Ghost which results in a HOLY LIFE.

2nd 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that yea withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." KJV

The Christian must make a judgment to be able to identify the "disorderly". The "never judge idea" won't fit the Scriptures.

I Corinthians 5:9 "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexual immoral or greedy or idolater or a swindler, a drunkard or a slander. With such a man do not eat."

Sounds to me like we are commanded to judge if a person who is calls himself a brother and is sexually immoral or greedy or idolater or a swindler or a drunkard or a slanderer. We are not to have anything to do with these folks, so we have to judge if a person is such a one.

So what does Matthew 7 mean? Matthew chapter seven is forbidding hypocritical judging. For example, we are not to judge someone who likes porn as sexually immoral if we are having sexual fantasies about someone to whom we are not married. That would make us as immoral as he is and just as much under God's wrath. We would do well to be very careful in judging of any kind.

The best kind of judgment and the most correct judgment is when one judges oneself, not according to what he feels in his heart but by the Word of God.