Do Not Judge
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
Part 1: Biblical Exegesis
2 questions key to understanding Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42:
(1) Which group of people was Christ addressing?
(2) What does the word “judge” mean?
(1) The audience of Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42: Pharisees
How do we know?
A. The mentioning of the word “hypocrite” (Matthew 7:5; Luke 6:42)
- The word “hypocrite” (Greek: ὑποκριτής / hupokrites) only appears in the Gospels
- Refers to the Pharisees whenever used
B. Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 present the characteristic of spiritual blindness (the ability to see other people’s faults but not your own)
- The Pharisees were known as the “blind” (John 9:35-41)
- Example 1: Matthew 15:14: “Let them (Pharisees) alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
- Example 2: Matthew 23:13-29
o Verses 13-15,23,27,29 identifies Pharisees as hypocrites
o Verses 16-17,19,24,26 identifies Pharisees as blind.
***Therefore, when Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 has the word “hypocrite” and contains the notion of spiritual blindness, Christ was either directly addressing the Pharisees (telling them not to judge), or those with the characteristics of a Pharisee (warning us to not judge like the Pharisees).
(2) “Judge” means “condemn”
How do we know?
A. The Pharisees was known to be condemning
- Example 1: Paul, a former Pharisee, condemned the early church.
Acts 26:10: “…but I (Paul) also cast my vote against them (the early church) when they were being condemned to death.”
- Example 2: The Woman caught in Adultery was condemned by the Pharisees
John 8:7-11: ““And as they (Pharisees) continued to ask him (Jesus), He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
B. Luke 6:37, the parallel verse of Matthew 7:1-5, juxtaposes “judge” with “condemn”
- “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned…”
***Therefore, since the target audience of Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 are the Pharisees, it makes perfect sense for “judge” to mean “condemn”, as the Pharisees were renowned for condemning.
Now that we know that Christ was addressing the Pharisees, with particular reference to their act of condemnation, what does “condemn” mean? Let’s firstly consider John 3:17 and John 12:47.
John 3:17: “For God did not send His Son to condemn the world but to save it”
John 12:47: “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”
Once again, we see that Christ uses “judge” and “condemn” interchangeably, but notice how “condemn” is contrasted with “save”. Christ came to save the world meant that He brought forth salvation (John 3:16) to all mankind – referring to an eternal state. Thus, to “condemn”, also refers to an eternal state. To condemn someone, biblically speaking, means to decree someone to death. Consider Romans 8:1-2.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death”
Condemnation is associated with death (Psalm 94:21, 109:31; Matthew 20:18 etc.), and as Christians, we are not condemned for we have life in Christ Jesus (Colossians 3:3-4).
On the other hand, “condemn” does not mean “rebuke” or “convict”. Christ did not condemn, but He certainly did rebuke.
Part 2: Applications & Implications
1. Many people who attempt to use the biblical phrase “do not judge” are mistaken of its biblical meaning, as they do not imply “you are not to condemn”. Oftentimes concepts that speak against criticism or coming to quick conclusions are great, but those concepts are not equivalent to "do not judge" in the biblical sense.
2. As Christ did not come to condemn, we are also forbidden to condemn.
If Christ came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17, 12:47) and we are called to “put on Christ” (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27), we must certainly not condemn.
3. However, Christ did not mean that we are not to convict – which is also to judge – others with regard to their sin. If that was so, then all His disciples and the early church had sinned, because to preach repentance is to convict one’s sin. Please note how what Christ meant in Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 had nothing to do with judging people’s sin – rather, the self-righteousness and spiritual blindness of the Pharisees.
A. We are called to convict, for the Spirit of conviction lives in us (John 16:8). In fact, immediately after Christ said to the woman caught in adultery, “neither do I condemn you”, He says: “now sin no more” (John 8:11) – which is the call to repentance. Christ even foretells that “in His Name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations" (Luke 24:47).
B. The Lord convicts (or: “rebukes”, “corrects”, “disciplines”, “instructs etc.) those whom He loves (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6; Revelations 3:19).
How can we not correct, instruct, discipline, or convict others when we are called to imitate Christ?
4. Christ firmly orders His followers to convict the sin of fellow believers.
A. Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault (in some versions: “go reprove him”)
B. Luke 17:3: “…If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him”.
C. Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
D. Titus 1:13: “This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith”
E. 2 Timothy 4:2: “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
(the list goes on)
Part 3: Summary
(1) “Do not judge” means “do not condemn” because to “judge”, in Christ’s terms, means to “condemn”.
(2) Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 deals extensively with the “truth” aspect. In truth, since no one but God can determine one’s eternal state of life, none can condemn another like the Pharisees.
(3) However, just because we do not have the authority to condemn, we are called to judge – to convict, rebuke, instruct, correct, and discipline – in love so that our brothers and sisters may be sound in the faith and depart from sin (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; Titus 1:13; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2).
(4) Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42, in context, has nothing to do with the common usage of the verse – which is oftentimes a defense regarding one’s performed sin – but self-righteousness and self-exaltation.
E.g.: According to the text, Christ was not talking about how we should not judge others’ sin, but how we should not judge others in terms of condemning them to eternal death based on what they have done.
Part 4: Examples
Example 1: A brother in Christ sins and I point that out to him.
Did I judge? Yes.
Did I do something wrong and unbiblical? No.
Did I break Christ’s commandment? No.
Does Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 apply to what I did? No.
Example 2: A brother in Christ sins and decides not to repent after I point out his sin. Then I tell him that he is subjected to eternal condemnation. (E.g.: “you’re going to hell”)
Did I judge? Yes.
Did I do something wrong and unbiblical? Yes.
Did I break Christ’s commandment? Yes.
Does Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-42 apply to what I did? Yes.
No comments:
Post a Comment