JUDGE OTHERS...JESUS SAID TO !!!
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Jesus Christ (John 7:24)
We often hear from both atheists and Christians that the Bible says that we are never supposed to judge others. To put it as nicely as possible, that’s baloney. We all know deep down that it’s not true. If we catch someone stealing a television, we’ll yell at the thief, “Put that back! Stealing is wrong!” It wouldn’t cross our minds that we’re doing something wrong by saying that.
But we all know the atheist’s three favorite verses in the Bible: “Judge not lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1), “He who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7), and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Why are these his favorites? Because they allow the atheist to escape accountability to God. He is guilty before God and doesn’t like to hear about it – just like the thief would like people to stop judging him and saying that stealing is wrong, especially the cops, judges, and lawmakers (until the thief becomes the victim of theft). But there’s bad news for the atheist. These verses don’t say what they think they say. The Bible commands us to judge, and these verses are fully consistent with the rest of the Bible. Let’s take a look at them one at a time.
“Judge not lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1)
Here is the full quote of what Jesus said:
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)
The problem with interpreting this passage to support non-judgmentalism is that Jesus says to judge in the last line – “take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” He is commenting on how to judge, not forbidding it.
“He who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7)
Jesus’ last words to the adulteress release her from liability before the impromptu court, but He still judges her for her sin of adultery: “Go and sin no more.” He’s like a judge who tells an accused when charges are dropped because of tainted evidence, “The police didn’t get the goods on you this time, but don’t let me see you back here again. Stay out of trouble.” There’s no support for non-judgmentalism here.
“God is love” (1 John 4:8)
God is love. That’s His fundamental nature. So the liberal thinks that he can ignore all the harsh stuff in the Old Testament. That was just because humanity was less evolved, but the New Testament expresses a higher view of God’s nature when it teaches the “new commandment” of love. But once again, the liberal is pouring his own ideas into the Biblical text. When Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34), He was quoting the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:18) says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So the Old Testament teaches the same ethic here. Since the Old Testament is no less God’s word than the New, and God’s fundamental nature is eternal, you would expect the Old Testament to express God’s nature of love as much as the New. If the Old Testament God does not seem loving, then you need to change your definition of love to conform to God’s.
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Jesus Christ (John 7:24)
We often hear from both atheists and Christians that the Bible says that we are never supposed to judge others. To put it as nicely as possible, that’s baloney. We all know deep down that it’s not true. If we catch someone stealing a television, we’ll yell at the thief, “Put that back! Stealing is wrong!” It wouldn’t cross our minds that we’re doing something wrong by saying that.
But we all know the atheist’s three favorite verses in the Bible: “Judge not lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1), “He who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7), and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Why are these his favorites? Because they allow the atheist to escape accountability to God. He is guilty before God and doesn’t like to hear about it – just like the thief would like people to stop judging him and saying that stealing is wrong, especially the cops, judges, and lawmakers (until the thief becomes the victim of theft). But there’s bad news for the atheist. These verses don’t say what they think they say. The Bible commands us to judge, and these verses are fully consistent with the rest of the Bible. Let’s take a look at them one at a time.
“Judge not lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1)
Here is the full quote of what Jesus said:
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)
The problem with interpreting this passage to support non-judgmentalism is that Jesus says to judge in the last line – “take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” He is commenting on how to judge, not forbidding it.
“He who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7)
Jesus’ last words to the adulteress release her from liability before the impromptu court, but He still judges her for her sin of adultery: “Go and sin no more.” He’s like a judge who tells an accused when charges are dropped because of tainted evidence, “The police didn’t get the goods on you this time, but don’t let me see you back here again. Stay out of trouble.” There’s no support for non-judgmentalism here.
“God is love” (1 John 4:8)
God is love. That’s His fundamental nature. So the liberal thinks that he can ignore all the harsh stuff in the Old Testament. That was just because humanity was less evolved, but the New Testament expresses a higher view of God’s nature when it teaches the “new commandment” of love. But once again, the liberal is pouring his own ideas into the Biblical text. When Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34), He was quoting the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:18) says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So the Old Testament teaches the same ethic here. Since the Old Testament is no less God’s word than the New, and God’s fundamental nature is eternal, you would expect the Old Testament to express God’s nature of love as much as the New. If the Old Testament God does not seem loving, then you need to change your definition of love to conform to God’s.