Judging others - can we? If so how far?

[Raven]

A simple question to ask.

 

What does it mean by judging others? Many non-Christians deliberately try to find fault in Christians by telling us that we don't understand the Bible. As if we need non-believers to tell us how our faith works.

Many use Jesus as a cover to excuse all sins. For example, if a Christian points out that homosexuality is wrong, a non-believer may attack him, accuse him of hatred and remind him that Jesus was all about love.

Of course, I don't need an answer to this - I know the answer as we all should. Loving somebody doesn't mean accepting and ignoring their perpetual sins and Jesus does not want people to freely and willfully continue committing sins.

 

However it still begs the question, 'can we judge others?' If so, how and why?

 

I have my own thoughts on this but I would like to see what others think.

Judgement is almost impossible to avoid.

The most common fear that humans have is being judged. To fear judgement already includes judging others may judge us unfavorably. 

As soon as we compare our self with others, their beliefs, chosen words, expressions, etc., we are judging.

 

The problem of judgement is separation. We separate our self from others, losing that common identification of imperfection, fears, losing the plot, etc.

Sometimes our judgement leads us to think we are superior (playing god), and caught up in our false-self, leading a life that is not really real or genuine.

I believe that judgement goes too far as soon as we start exploiting our self and others through our judgement.

[Willa]

1 Cor 5:

3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

 

So, what do you suppose Paul is saying here? What do you think it even means to judge others?

 

I don't believe that this is condemning the person to hell.  This is a matter of church discipline.  In 2 Cor 2:5-11 he told them to comfort the person and forgive.  So his actions are judged and blatant sin is not tolerated in the congregation.  But he was not condemned to hell.  

[Larry 2]

1 Cor 5:

3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

 

So, what do you suppose Paul is saying here? What do you think it even means to judge others?

 

We judge not the world, but those among us polluting the grace of God.

Such a one might consider Rom 6:1.  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

 

1 Cor 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

1 Cor 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

 

The example of this just preceded these above scriptures.

 

1 Cor 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

 

1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

 

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

Where is the grace huh? Paul knew when the man had enough, and was ready to reestablish his spiritual walk below. Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

 

2Co 2:6  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

2Co 2:7  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

2Co 2:8  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

 

My thoughts. 

[FreeinChrist]

Judge others when they cause an offense or a stumbling block to others, this is how Paul states it, Romans 14:13. This is how the spiritual man judges things

I Corinthians 2:16. Jesus also calls this righteous judgment, John 7:24. So that because we need forgiveness we don't judge others of sin, James 2:10-13. But we do judge for causing others to backside or depart from God.

In the case of I Corinthians 5, the man hath cause the church a black eye because as I Corinthians 5:1 state this sin is not named aming the Gentiles. And this offence should have been rectify for it was a stumbling block to many.

[thereselittleflower]

We must discern truth from error, and this involves judgement of necessity.   We must discern a person's character, intentions, actions, words, if they be in line with truth or error.   This is the type of judgement we must all engage in -  it is how we are built to relate to others and the world around us.    This is the type of judgments we all must make.

 

When the scriptures say  "Do not judge, for with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged" it is not speaking of discernment above, but of judging another's eternal standing with God.   In the Old Testament we are told that God first examines the heart, then judges our actions.    If we judge another, then we are judging on superficial appearances only, for we do not have the power to examine their heart - only God does.   If we so judge another on superficial appearances, then scripture is telling us this is how God will judge us as well, without examining our heart first.

 

This would be a dangerous place to be.  This is why I have come to understand we dare not judge that even someone such as Hitler is in hell.

Edited July 2, 2015 by thereselittleflower

[Your closest friendnt]

We have the consience judgment.

there diferent kinds of judgments.

we have the judgment of association.

General group judgment and specific group judgment

We have the faith judgment,

We have the judgment of the Judge of Judges.

And there are a lot of other judges, every body judges, the judgment of the leaders, who judge their own, whether religious, political

we have the catholic judgment

we have the judgment of the believers!!

I will say only something about the judgment of the believers.

The believer, may be, secret, practicing, church, unchurched, baptize, unbaptize, confess, unconfess, and so on, with his own works and morality.

The point I am trying to make is that he is under the blood of Jesus Christ.

Then been under the blood of Jesus he is in the state he is. He is not many things people expect him or her to be.

He can be judge about many things by many, but he has something only faith in the cross can give, and nothing can take that away from him or her.

only if he or her denied their faith in Jesus Christ, if not they are found not with the denial but with faith in Jesus Christ.

[JohnD]

Depends on your intentions.

 

Do you judge to condemn or to help?

 

Matthew 7:1–5 (AV)

¹Judge not, that ye be not judged.

²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴Or 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?

⁵Thou 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.

 

††

1 Peter 4:17 (AV)

¹⁷For 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?

 

Romans 2:21–22 (AV)

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? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

 

John 7:24 (AV)

²⁴Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

[JohnD]

Jesus did judge the woman caught in adultery (John 8) with grace.

 

God is not out to create a human race of punching bags. He wants to save people. So should we.

 

Part of the problem is our stupid pride. "My Church is better than your Church, my Church is better than yours..."

[MorningGlory]

This says it all...

 

Matthew 7:3-5New International Version (NIV)

 

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

[Mrs Mac]

There is only one judge and that is Jesus. we have no way of judging a person's standing with God. I wonder though if we could use the word "discern". Acts 8:9-24 gives the account of Simon the Sorcerer. It would appear that he accepted the Lord as he was baptised. Peter discerned that through his actions his heart was not right with God and rebuked him. I would not hesitate to judge a teaching that I perceived as false. I would not be prepared to consign a person to his/her state in eternity.