Page updated 07 Dec 2015
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What does the BIBLE say about Judging Others
Judgment Begins at the House of God
(1 Peter 4:17-18
(verse 17) For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?
(verse 18) And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?1 Peter 4 verses 17-18)
Is 'Judging' biblical? Here is why we judge the house of God Ezekiel 3:16-21(verse 16) And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
(verse 17) Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
(verse 18) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
(verse 19) Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
(verse 20) Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
(verse 21) Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.Ezekiel 3 verses 16-21 and
Ezekiel 33 warns us to be WATCHMAN
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Judgment day is coming when the Lord God will judge us all but the Word of God also says that Christians are to be held accountable to each other while on this earth. There IS appropriate judging and inappropriate judging. The Word of God makes it very clear to those who study the Word and seek truth. Making a judgment should be supported with scripture.
Satan would like nothing more than to have the church believing the big lie that no one should ever judge at all. Holding onto this false theology allows people to continue in their sin with little to no chance of conviction or opportunity to repent. If no one ever tells the person that what they are doing is wrong then the person is not going to be bothered by what they are doing at all. Satan will continue to blind the person more and more while the person enjoys their sin more and more. And people will then reason "Why feel guilty?" when everybody is doing such sins. Then it no longer becomes a sin in the eyes of society. Such is the world we now live in.
Righteous Judgment vs Unrighteous Judgment
Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
And if he refuses to hear them, tell [it] to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17
So by this scripture we see that we are allowed to 'judge' our fellow Christian brother or sister. We should speak with them privately first to resolve the issue but if our brother or sister refuses to listen then take with us one or two more brothers to establish the truth of the Word of God. If our brother still refuses to accept the rebuke and repent then verse 17 says to bring the matter publicly to the front of the church. If our brother still refuses to listen then "let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 'For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' "And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, [you] wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Luke 19:20-22
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments... Numbers 35:24
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. John 7:24
"Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear [the cases] between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence, for the judgment [is] God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.' "And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do. Deuteronomy 1:16-18
There is "righteous" judgment and "unrighteous" judgment.
But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.
For what [have] I [to do] with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person." 1 Corinthians 5:11-13
And the cry is 'don't judge'...we've got a lot of people so confused about this. Yes, the Bible says 'don't judge' but then it goes on to quickly explain 'don't judge after the flesh' (John 8:15, 26(verse 15) Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
(verse 26) I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.John 8 verses 15, 26) ....judging after the flesh is vindictive. It comes from a mean spirit. It comes from arrogance. It comes from some doctrinal issue that somebody is trying to uphold. It doesn't come from a broken heart. To judge after the spirit the Bible calls it 'JUDGING RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT' is to judge redemptively. This comes from a broken heart... I have to preach like this because I see danger ahead. I love you too much. I care about you ...I'm not judging you according to the flesh. I am judging you redemptively hoping that you'll see the error of your ways and be saved and be healed and I can hug you and I'll know there is something of God's character in you...it comes from having a zeal for God's Word...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them. -David Wilkerson, Counterfeit Christianity-
"Righteous" judgment. Believers are called to judge other believers. "Unrighteous" judgment is when a believer tries to judge an unbeliever. Christian people are supposed to be held accountable to each other to be the proper example to unbelievers, to remain on the straight and narrow path. Unbelievers are accountable to no one but God. God only is allowed to judge an unbeliever.
To take this a step further, our Christian brothers and sisters who refuse to listen to rebuke, who choose to live "sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolator, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner" the Bible says "not even to eat with such a person."
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
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?
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?