7/24/2019 Is It Always Wrong to Judge

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Is It Always Wrong to Judge?

by Bob Myhan

There are those who seem to think that it is always wrong to judge because Jesussaid, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" Matthew !#$% We can know with certainty,

howe&er, that this was de'nitely not what Jesus meant% We know this because (e

also said, "Judge not according to the a))earance, but judge righteous judgment"

John !*+$% Thereore we are not only )ermitted but commanded to judge% But our

judgments must be righteous not unrighteous%

According to -ine.s /0)ository 1ictionary o 2ew Testament Words, the word

translation 3judge,4 in Matthew !#, ")rimarily denotes to se)arate, select, choose5

hence, to determine, and so to judge, )ronounce judgment5" "sometimes denotes tocondemn%"

Jesus is not saying that you are not to tell your brother that he has a "s)eck" in his

eye% (e is saying that you should 'rst e0amine your own eye to make sure it does

not contain a ")lank%" I you 'nd a ")lank" in your own eye, you ought to remo&e it

'rst then hel) your brother with the "s)eck" in his eye% (e may not like hearing that

he has a "s)eck" in his eye but he will be more rece)ti&e i he sees that you ha&e

remo&ed the ")lank" that was in your eye% 6 course, "s)eck" and ")lank" are

'gurati&e or some moral or s)iritual )roblem that needs to be corrected% 7our)roblem is a ")lank," while your brother.s is only a "s)eck" because you are acting

as though you do not ha&e a )roblem%

Thereore, Jesus is sim)ly saying that you are in no )osition to judge your brother i

you ha&e things in your lie that need correction% 7ou should correct those things

then hel) your brother% This necessarily in&ol&es judging but not the sort that Jesus

condemns% It demands "righteous judgment" John !*+$%

There 8reek word translated 3judge4 Matthew !#$ is translated as 3sue4 Matthew

9+:$, 3determined4 Acts ;#;5 3ordained4 Acts #uestion4 Acts *;