Is It Wrong to Judge?

Among many of today's professing Christians, it is commonly believed that judging the sins of others violates the teaching of the Bible. “Judge not that ye be not judged” (Mat. 7:1) seems to be one of the most often quoted Scripture verses in modern Evangelicalism. But isolating one verse in the Scriptures and interpreting it not only outside of its immediate context, but also outside of the context of the entirety of the Bible, almost always produces an erroneous doctrine and such is the case here.

In order to determine what God really says about judgment, let's look at Mat. 7:1 in the context in which God has placed it. Then we shall proceed to see what the rest of the Bible has to say about judgment.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Mat. 7:1-5)

In this passage, is Christ telling us that we are to make no judgments at all about anyone, or is he telling us not to be self-righteous by judging others without first judging ourselves and not to be hypocritical by judging others with a different standard from that with which we judge ourselves? Obviously, the latter is the case. It is self-righteousness and hypocritical judgment that is being condemned here, not all judgment. We have to judge others with the same judgment and by the same measure that we use to judge ourselves. And we are to first cast the beam out of our own eye before we try to pull the mote (a speck of dust) out of our brother's eye. In other words, we must judge ourselves and purge our own lives of wickedness before we judge and try to correct the lesser faults of our brothers.

Again, hypocritical judgment, not judgment itself, is condemned by the word of God in the Epistle to the Romans. Notice that it is those who condemn others but commit the same sins as them (and even take pleasure in others who commit them), who are the ones being admonished:

“Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 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?” (Rom. 1:29-2:3)

There were particular types of judgment that applied to the transition from the Old Testament dispensation to the New, which were forbidden. Christians were not to judge other Christians who were brought up observing the Old Testament dietary laws and holy days, and continued to do so out of a lack of knowledge or a weakness of faith (Rom. 14), nor were they to allow others to judge them for not observing such things (Col. 2:16-17).

But judgment itself is not forbidden, only unrighteous judgment:

“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.” (Lev. 19:15)

“It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.” (Pro. 18:5)

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” (Jam. 2:1-4)

Judgment of other men is, in fact, required by the word of God.

Christians are to disfellowship other professing Christians who profess godliness but continue in wickedness. This requires not only that a judgment be made, but also that action be taken based on that judgment.

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” (2 The. 3:6)

“And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” (2 The. 3:14-15)

In fact, Christ specifically instructed His disciples on the procedure for breaking fellowship with those who are in unrepentant sin. Obeying this principle, of course, requires making judgments about other men:

"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Mat. 18:15-17)

The Corinthians were explicitly commanded by Paul the apostle to disfellowship a man who had committed fornication with his father's wife. Paul judged the man worthy of excommunication by the testimony of the Corinthian church, and he also instructed them that they