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The Bible Says "Do Not Judge"

Probably the most popular verse with people trying to avoid responsibility for their actions is Matthew 7:1. They like to cry, "The Bible says 'Do not judge!'" And that verse is in the Bible, I suspect many of the people who quote it could not find it, and may never even have opened a Bible.

“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.” Matt. 7:1, NASB

These people seem to feel that it is like a get out of jail free card. They can do whatever they want without consequences because no one can judge them. One of the great heresies of humanism is the idea that people can sin without consequences.

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God has created a universe of cause and effect. Every action has a consequence. If the actions are good, the consequences are good. If the actions are bad, then the consequences are bad. Sometimes the consequences are delayed, as when a chain smoker seems to be in good health… until he gets lung cancer. Sometimes, others suffer the consequences of our actions, as when a stone is thrown into a pond and the ripples continue to spread outward.

An example would be a drunk driver who kills someone. Although some people may appear to escape personal consequences in this life, they will face the perfect Judge Who will see that perfect justice is done. [We look at this in more detail in our book, How To Know For Sure God Loves You.]

However, when the Bible says "Do not judge," it refers to people judging others, not God's judgment. How are we to understand this? Those with a guilty conscience or who want to indulge in their style of sinning try to use it as a blank statement. Judge Not! - two words to get everyone off their back. After all, the Bible says, "Do not judge."

Feed Yourself and other Bible students will immediately recognize that two crucial Bible study principles are being violated. First, always know your context. Second, always consider the entire teaching of Scripture on a subject.

The Bible Says "Do Not Judge":
Context

First, let’s look at context. Jesus is giving His famous Sermon on the Mount. This message is addressed to HIs disciples who are living in a politically and religiously oppressive society. What does Jesus mean when He tells His disciples to judge not?

Jesus begins Chapter Six by criticizing hypocrites. Then He teaches how to pray, how to set life priorities and how not to worry. In Chapter Seven, He follows the same pattern. He begins by discussing hypocrisy, then speaks about prayer, followed by life priorities, and in conclusion, those who build their lives on the Rock have no need to worry.

We can see from our context that Jesus is talking about a very specific kind of judgment. He warns that people who harshly judge others for sins that they themselves are guilty of will receive the same sort of harsh treatment from God. The Old Testament Law has this same principle. A person cannot press charges against another if they are guilty of the same crime. A thief could not complain if someone stole from him. A New Testament example of this is Jesus and the woman taken in adultery. What Jesus really said was that anyone who had not committed “this” sin could throw the first stone. That meant all her accusers were guilty of adultery!

The Bible Says "Do Not Judge":
Judgment Topic

Second, we have to consider the entire Scriptural teaching on a topic. For example, what about 1 Cor. 2:15?

The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 1 Cor. 2:15, ESV

Obviously, a spiritual person is judging something.

So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so that there is not among you anyone wise who will be able to decide between his brothers and sisters, 1. Cor. 6:4-5, NASB

Paul teaches that there should be church courts to replace corrupt humanist courts, where Godly men and women can hear and make sound judgments about conflicts between Christians.

But solid food is for the mature, who, because of practice, have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil. Heb. 5:14, NASB

The writer of Hebrews says that Christians must judge so that they can learn the difference between good and evil.

So, Jesus' statement in Matthew 7:1 is not a blanket statement covering all judgment, but a specific statement about a particular type of judgment: hypocritical judgment. The person - Christian or non-Christian - who thinks they can hide behind the “Judge Not “statement is deceiving themselves and actually entering a realm of harsher judgment. If we will not judge ourselves and correct ourselves, then God will do it.

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