Page 350 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

JUDGE NOT

This is not to say, though, that Christ forbade judging Romans 14:4 -- “Who art thou that judgest another
in general. That He is not condemning all judging is man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.
evident from the context. In the same sermon He Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him
warned about false prophets (Mt. 7:15-17). stand.”
It is impossible to beware of false prophets without This passage is frequently abused by those who have
judging doctrine and practice by the God’s Word. How the ecumenical philosophy. It is said that this verse
can I know who a false prophet is if I do not measure forbids us to expose sin and error and compromise. The
preachers by God’s Word? verse is also used to support the doctrine that Scripture
That Christ is not condemning all judging is also can be divided into fundamental or essential and non-
evident by comparing Scripture with Scripture. In other fundamental or secondary doctrine. One pastor wrote to
passages we are commanded to judge. The Lord Jesus me and said:
Himself said we are to judge righteous judgment (Jn. “Romans 14 is probably the most violated passage by
7:24). those of us who call ourselves ‘fundamentalists’ (note
We are to judge sin in the church (1 Co. 5:3, 12). that I include myself). We have either skipped over
“For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have that chapter or given it a sinfully surface interpretation
and danced around its powerful mandates for dealing
judged already, as though I were present, concerning him with differences over ‘secondary’ doctrine within the
that hath so done this deed, ... For what have I to do to church. By ‘secondary’ I do not mean ‘unimportant.’ I
judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them must be 'fully persuaded' about all Scriptural issues,
that are within?” though I must welcome and neither judge nor look
We are to judge matters between the brethren (1 Co. down on those who differ on some of them.”
6:5). “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a To this I gave the following reply:
wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to Romans 14 is an important passage, but it has
judge between his brethren?” nothing to do with the idea that there things in
We are to judge preaching (1 Co. 14:29). “Let the Scripture of secondary value in the sense of how we are
prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” to deal with them. The two examples plainly given by
We are to judge those who preach false gospels, false the apostle are eating meats and keeping holy days.
christs, and false spirits (2 Co. 11:1-4). “But I fear, lest These are matters about which the Bible is silent. There
by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his are no divine requirements upon the New Testament
subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the Christian in these matters.
simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth Thus, Romans 14 is discussing how we are to deal
another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye with matters NOT CLEARLY TAUGHT IN SCRIPTURE. In
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or matters in which God has not plainly spoken, I am to
another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well give liberty.
bear with him.” On the other hand, in matters in which God has
We are to judge the works of darkness (Ep. 5:11). plainly spoken, the only liberty is to obey. People use
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Romans 14:4 to defend many areas of plain
darkness, but rather reprove them.” disobedience, such as worldly music, long hair on men,
We are to judge spirits (1 John 4:1). “Beloved, believe immodest dress on women, etc. Since the Bible has
not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of spoken plainly about these matters, it is a misuse to
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the apply Romans 14:4.
world.” You are missing the mark by a great distance in your
We are even to judge all things (1 Co. 2:15-16). “But understanding of this passage.
he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 -- “But with me it is a very small
judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's
Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know
Christ.” nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he
The spiritual man does not judge things by his own that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing
thinking but by the mind of Christ in the Word of God. before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring
He knows that he lives in a fallen world filled with lies to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make
and error and spiritual deception and he knows that he manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every
has the light of God in the Scripture and he thus judges man have praise of God.”
all things by that. Paul is not saying that believers should judge nothing
at all and should leave all judgment to God. This would

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