“Judge not” in Matthew 7:1 does not forbid all judging, for the teaching Jesus gives in the rest of Matthew 7 demands judging! However, there are some good instructions to heed in Matthew 7:1-5:
- A simple caution (Matthew 7:1-2): we should not unjustly judge others because we will have the same rule applied to us.
- A simple condition (Matthew 7:3-4): we tend to want to correct others without considering our own faults.
- A simple cure (Matthew 7:5): by first amending our own faults, we can correct the faults of others and not be hypocrites
Don’t be afraid to judge righteously (John 7:24), for your soul may depend upon it! But don’t judge someone by a standard you are unwilling to live by yourself!
Kyle Campbell