Page 352 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

JUDGE NOT

The Apostle Paul admonished believers, “Now I brother’s eye” (Mt. 7:1-5)
beseech you, brethren, MARK THEM which cause Read this again carefully. Notice that it is addressed to
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which a hypocrite—not to those who sincerely want to
ye have learned; and AVOID THEM. For they that are discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to
such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own God’s Word. And instead of being a prohibition against
belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the honest judgment, it is a solemn warning against
hearts of the simple” (Ro. 16:17-18). This apostolic hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of this
command could not be obeyed were it not right to Scripture commands sincere judgment—”Then thou
judge. God wants us to know His Word and then test shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy
all teachers and teaching by it. Notice also that it is the brother’s eye.”
false teachers who make the “divisions,” and not those If we take a verse or a part of a verse out of its setting,
who protest against their false teaching. And these we can make the Word of God appear to teach the very
deceivers are not serving Christ, as they profess, “but opposite of what it really does teach. And those who
their own belly,” or their own “bread and butter as we do this cannot escape the judgment of God for twisting
would put it. We are to “MARK THEM” and “AVOID His Word (2 Pe. 3:16). Let this be a warning to us
THEM.” See also Ro. 12:9; 2 Co. 6:14-18; Ep. 5:11; 1 never again to take a text or Scripture out of its
Th. 5:21; 2 Th. 3:6; and 2 Ti. 3:5. It would be context.
impossible to obey these injunctions of God’s Word
unless it were right to judge. And remember, nothing is Many who piously quote, “Judge not,” out of its
“good” in God’s sight that is not true to His Word. connection, in order to defend that which is false to
God’s Word, do not see their own inconsistency in thus
The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every judging those who would obey God’s Word about
spirit, but try (test, judge) the spirits whether they are judging that which is untrue to the Bible. It is tragic
of God: because many false prophets are gone out into that so much that is anti-Scriptural has found
the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). Again he wrote, “For many undeserved shelter behind a misuse of the Scripture
deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not just quoted.
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh... If there come
any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE The reason Christendom is today honeycombed and
HIM NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed: paralyzed by Satanic Modernism is because Christians
For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his have not obeyed the command of God’s Word to judge
evil deeds” (2 Jn. 7, 10-11). This Scripture commands and put away and separate from false teachers and
us to judge between those who do and those who do false teaching when they first appeared in their midst.
not bring the true doctrine of Christ. Physical health is maintained by separation from
disease germs. Spiritual health is maintained by
Whenever a child of God contributes to a separation from germs of false doctrine. The greatest
denominational budget that supports Modernist peril of our day is not too much judging, but too little
missionaries or teachers, he is guilty before God, judging of spiritual falsehood. God wants His children
according to this Scripture, of bidding them “God to be like the noble Bereans who “searched the
speed” in the most effective way possible. And he Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts
thereby becomes a “partaker” with them of their “evil 17:11).
deeds” of spreading soul-damning poison. How
terrible, but how true! Arouse yourself, child of God. If Romans 2:1-3 is also addressed to the religious
you are guilty, ask God to forgive you and help you hypocrite who condemned himself because he was
never again to be guilty of the blood of souls for whom guilty of the same things for which he condemned
Christ died. When we are willing to suffer for Christ, others. James 4:11-12 refers to an evil spirit of
we can readily see the truth of God’s Word on this backbiting and fault finding, not to judging whether
tremendously important matter. “If we suffer, we shall teachers or teachings agree or disagree with God’s
also reign with Him” (2 Ti. 2:12). Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand
one portion of Scripture we must view it in the light of
Misunderstood and Misused Scripture: One of the best all Scripture. “No prophecy of the Scripture is of any
known and most important and misapplied Scriptures private (isolated) interpretation” (2 Pe. 1:20).
is “Judge not” (Mt. 7:1). Let us examine the entire “Comparing spiritual things (words) with spiritual” (1
passage: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with Co. 2:13).
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you The Wheat and the Tares: The “Wheat and the Tares”
again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy parable of Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43, is also much
brother’s eye, but considereth not the beam that is in misunderstood. First of all, our Lord is talking about
thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let the world, not His Church—”the field is the world.” He
me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a goes on to say that “the good seed are the children of
beam is in thine own eye? THOU HYPOCRITE, first the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the
cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt wicked one” (Mt. 13:38). They are the two groups in
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy the world, children of God— those who have received

352 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity