Do Not Judge

Tonight, 12/20/13, I started watching Bill O’Raley and he started talking about the Duck Density brouhaha. I only got into it as far the point where he said that Christians are prohibited from judging others by Luke 6:37. Well that was just plain Bull Shit. Number one Phil was not judging anyone, he was saying certain acts were sinful. Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”

Many nonChristians try to beat Christians into silence with that verse, but that is not what Jesus is saying. In both Luke and Matthew the significant question is regarding  “and ye shall not be judged.” And “Judge not, that you be not judged” is judged by whom?  Are they talking about being judged by God for having judged others, but it reads as it is talking about not judging others so that they will not be judgmental of you. When Luke and Matthew have Jesus saying, “You hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to pull out the mote that is in your brother’s eye.” Does it not make more sense if Jesus is talking about how people are relating with one another and not having God judge them one way or the other?

Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” And in Luke 6:37-38 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Again this cannot be read as a probation against calling a sin a sin when you see it. In Romans 2 Paul elaborates upon this further. Verses 1-5 “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? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance andlongsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

This is clearly talking about being a hypocrite, condemning others for something you do yourself. This is not what Phil did. Phil pointed out in response to a question how he regarded homosexuality. This was not passing judgement upon any individual, rather he was expressing his belief that God finds that sinful and leads to damnation.

In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus is telling us to judge, “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” This is what Phil is doing, judging a tree by its fruit, men and women by their acts.

Jesus is not contradicting Himself, he is not telling us not to judge sinful behavior in Luke 6:37, he is telling us to treat others as we would be treated, and to behave civilly among one another.

I have copied the pertinent parts of Luke and Matthew as well as Romans 2 and put them below so you can read them in context if you so desire.

Luke 6
Do Not Judge

37Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven: 38Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete with it shall be measured to you again. 39And he spoke a parable to them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but perceive not the beam that is in your own eye? 42Either how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in your eye, when you yourself behold not the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to pull out the mote that is in your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7
Do Not Judge

1Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? 4Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye. 6Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

◄ Romans 2 ►

God’s Righteous Judgment

1Therefore 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. 2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance andlongsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11For there is no respect of persons with God.

12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

The Jews and the Law

17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thouthat abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.