judgement

 

 

Saints of God, before you go any further than this first bolded introduction, please answer this question.  What do these verses mean if Christians are not allowed some form of judgment in this life in regard to both sinners and themselves?

1 Cor 2:15-16  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Direct quote from Jesus Christ: John 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 

1 Cor 6:1-6  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

2 Cor 13:5-6
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

This is a dialogue with a professing believer by the name of Caleb about a Christian’s authority to judge. I have listed his views with  ‘Caleb Q’ by the scriptures he is using to support the view that the Christian can’t judge and I have listed my counter scriptures and points that show that Christians should make judgments with a ‘John A’.

Caleb Q: Matthew 7:1

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

John A: Matt 7:1-5 is speaking of hypocritical judgment between brothers, IF you will keep reading it says get the beam out of your eye that you might remove the speck out of mine.

Caleb Q: Luke 6:37

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”… Read More

John A: Luke 6:37 understood in light of vs 40-42 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Same issue as Matt 7 hypocritical judgments such as you are making. Because if you can’t judge anything or anyone then please stop judging me!

Caleb Q: John 12:47

“As for those who hear my words but do not keep them, I do not judge them. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”

John A: This is speaking of eternal judgment: John 12:47-48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

Caleb Q: Acts 23:3

“God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

John A: Acts 23:1-3 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”

Obviously hypocritical judgment again as it is Paul being struck CONTRARY to the law. You need to read all the scriptures not just the ones that are seemingly prove your unbiblical view.

Caleb Q: Romans 2:1

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

John A: Rom 2:1-3 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Again we see that hypocritical judgment is what Paul is talking about. ”…for you who judge practice such things.” For example, a drunkard can hardly preach against drunkenness even though the Bible does because he would be hypocritical in doing so. You really need to read scripture in light of scripture verses your own subjective view. I seem to remember you don’t believe we can know objective truth from paper and ink, Caleb.

 

Caleb Q: Romans 14:10

“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”

John A: You must keep reading Caleb! This is speaking of eternal judgment. But, the Jews twisted Jewish dietary laws into eternal condemnation for food consumption. Paul constantly battled Jews that were trying to convert the new Gentile believers to the Jewish religion.

Acts 14:11-18

For it is written:

“ As I live, says the LORD,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”[d]

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things[e]is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Caleb Q: 1 Corinthians 4:5

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes.”…

John A: Again, context is important: Starting in 4:1-5

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court.[a] In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Here is it easily understood that stewards must be faithful and obedient. Then Paul outlines because final judgment comes from God, these earthy unrighteous judgments of men hold no reality with Paul. In fact he is so faithful to God he does not even judge himself, but submits to God’s judgment.

Caleb, you have twisted scriptures to your own destruction. You tell me I can’t judge and yet you judge me at the same time. This is inconsistent to say the least. You have no authority to say anything is right or wrong about anything because by your own words you can’t judge. I say a true Christian can judge according to scriptures. I do judge everything that you have written in light of the Bible. You can’t do that because you can’t even judge what you have written is true. You either need to become a true Christian or an infinite skeptic that can’t know if anything is right or wrong.

Caleb Q: James 4:11-12

“Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

John A: This is judgment between the saints in Christ. We have no authority to judge eternally between the brothers and sisters in the body of Jesus. But, the unbelievers are condemned already.

John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Here Jesus has already applied a judicial term to unbelievers. They are judged and condemned already! It could not be simpler to understand than that. For a Christian to tell an unbeliever that they are condemned is just repeating the righteous judgment of Christ.

Caleb Q: The Bible is very clear that God is the only judge; we are not to pass judgment on anyone. However well you may know your scriptures and however close you may be to God, that does NOT give you the right to judge!

John A: I agree that God is the final judge that passes eternal judgment on all who won’t receive salvation in Christ. I disagree that Christians are not supposed to judge. Here are the scriptures that you have denied in light of your view of God and His Word.

Matt 10:14-16 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

Matt 11:21-23 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be[a] brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Here Jesus is pronouncing woes upon three whole metropolitan areas, that it will be worse for them than for Sodom and Gomorrah which had hell fire poured out of heaven upon them. As a Christian I can make judgments about people and the way they are living in order to warn of the coming wrath of God. This would be the only loving thing to do. By not giving them warning I am not loving them and their blood will be upon my hands. Ez 3

Matt 12:41-43 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Hold the phone! Jesus is saying someone else besides God will judge a whole generation and condemn it. By your own denial you don’t believe God’s word.

John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

We should judge not what is on the outside but what is coming out of their mouth by the abundance of their hearts. If wickedness is coming out then we are to judge and reprove them.

Eph 5:10-12 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

How do you prove something unless you test and judge it?

Acts 24:24-25 24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.

Paul spoke to them about judgment to come. This is what every Christian should also speak about. We warn of the terrible day of wrath to come. We must judge righteously what is happening around us with our neighbors, frends, families, and enemies that we could warn them properly.

1 Cor 2:15-16 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?”] But we have the mind of Christ.

Amen. The Holy Spirit dwelling in every true believer will agree with the work that He conducts from within to the world. Out of the abundance of the believers heart the words of God will pour like Living Water.

1 Cor 6:2-5 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?

This is the clearest of the scripture as to the authority of the believer to judge all temporal situations and people, angels and the world to come. And of course it even tells the brethren to judge righteously amongst themselves that we would not drag each other into courts to be judged by the unbeliever. This does not contradict earlier scripture but highlights the differences between righteous judgment now and unrighteous eternal judgment which none of us can claim.

In summary, it is clear the believer has all authority to judge unbelievers and believers alike as long as this judgment is righteous in accordance with scriptural guidelines. We are not to condemn our brothers and sisters in Christ for issues such as the Jewish ceremonial, dietary, and governmental laws but only according to the moral code written on every heart. This judgment is not eternal but one that is to bring the person from sin and to repentance about a particular issue. We are to reprove with all long suffering and sound doctrine the worldly carnal creatures that are willfully living in rebellion against our King. I exhort the body of Christ to align your thinking with the instruction of God’s word and begin to put into practice this righteous judgment spoken of so much in the Bible.

This picture clearly shows the destruction that sin has in a person’s life.  He is someone’s son lost in a very dark world… I wonder where this young man is who was destroying his life with drugs?  I warned him, judged him unprepared to die and go before the throne of Jesus without repentance, confession, and a new birth.  What if he turned to Christ and lived at my call to life in Christ?  I surely hope and pray that is what has or will happen with this man.  Hallelujah, that’s our hope!

Here are some great verses on this subject:

Judgment was given to the Saints. We as believers are called to discern evil from good, to test every spirit, and use good judgment (Malachi 3:18; Hebrews 5:14).

Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.