On Judgment:
Is there anyone alive that does not know the most famous verse in the Bible about Judgment? For the record it is Mt 7:[1] Judge not, that ye be not judged.
A short verse, and almost as famous as Jno 3:16, but how many people actually understand a balanced and Godly view of judgment? To get a better picture of what God intends for us to do with our ability to discern both good and evil (Heb 5:[14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.) We should look at more verses about judgment.
Of initial import is Christ’s own attitude. We see in Jno 12:
[47] And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
[48] He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Here we see that Christ himself refrained from judgment in some sense. Was this because the creator of the universe was not able to discern their hearts? In Mt 12:25 and Lk 6:8, we see that Jesus “knew their thoughts.” In Mk 2:
[6] But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
[7] Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
[8] And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
We see parenthetically that Jesus was also able to discern thought processes at that time. How then, do we resolve this apparent contradiction? Jesus certainly had the right to judge, and indeed, he called groups of people “generation of vipers” in Mt 3:7, Mt 12:34, Mt 23:33, and Lk 3:7. Seeing then that he was fully capable of “discerning both good and evil,” why did he say that he did not judge the people? In Lk 12:
[13] And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
[14] And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
Here he clearly did not want his work to suffer from deciding disputes. This is in harmony with the Lord’s plan for deciding disputes in his own Body:I Cor 6:
[1] Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
[2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
[3] Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
[4] If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
[5] I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
Here is an instance where we are actually commanded to judge. At this point, we can usefully acknowledge two things. 1: The audience is Christians, while the audience for Mt 7:1 was hypocrites (see vs 5!) 2: We are judging disputes, not one’s final salvation. In the instances where Jesus spoke of “not judging,” he was stating that the time was not yet appropriate for him to determine the final spiritual outcome of his audience (Mk 9:[1] And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.)
Reviewing, we find that the infamous [1] Judge not, that ye be not judged. is not the end of the thought. It continues with verse [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
To clarify, we compare with Ro 2: [3] And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
In Jno 7:
[22] Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
[23] If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
[24] Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Here we are commanded to judge, but according to spiritual concepts, not according to the things which are perceived by the naked eye.
After having looked at these things, we find that we have just contradicted a blanket command not to judge. In real fact, what we have done is discerned that we cannot decide the final outcome of a person’s spiritual life before judgment day, but we are allowed to judge disputes; also, we are indeed to judge according to spiritual concepts, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” I Cor 2:
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
When we “compare spiritual things with spiritual,” we “speak wisdom among those who are perfect. I Cor 2:(same chapter, a few verses earlier.)
[6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
because these things are spiritually discerned, and the man defined as “natural” does not receive these things (vs 14 above.) Vs 8 is also to be closely associated:
[8] Which (wisdom) none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
It is important when we begin to embark upon judging in general, we should also remember an example of failing in this area: II Cor 10:
[12] For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
It is wise to remember that this judgment is to be done according to the guidelines of scripture, and we are to exercise our senses to discern both good and evil. Heb 5:
[14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
The reason it is important to exercise our senses to discern both good and evil is so we can avoid “casting our pearls before swine.” A good thing to remember about the “pearls before swine,” lesson is this: A person despising our Lord has rejected HIM, not given US any personal insult. However, such persons are likely to “turn again and rend” us, so we should be very alert in our dealings with them. The purpose of these persons is to set up a “biblical catch 22" for God: I’ll confess my sin to you, and you confess your sin to me. We’ll each forgive each other, and God can’t do anything about it! This should not be done, and they will learn of their error too late, if we do not attempt to correct them. If we offer correction and others refuse to heed, “they have one that judges them” as well. But they cannot say on judgment day “You never told me I was wrong!” Ez 3: [18] When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.[19] Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
“Judge righteous judgment,” is not the only command to judge. In I Cor 14:
[29] Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
We see that the prophets were to consider the quality and value of lessons presented in the assembly. (The verse is in context of spiritual gifts, but the belief advanced here is that the preacher of our day and time is similar to the Corinthian prophet.)
If we judge, we compare spiritual things with spiritual (I Cor 2:13,) and if we speak, we speak as the oracles of God (I Pet 4:11.)
In Jer 9: [23] Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
[24] But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
We see God delighting in judgment and righteousness. In the wisdom literature, Pr 2: [9] Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
Here, judgment is viewed not as an event or a pronouncement but rather as a path to be journeyed together with righteousness and equity. Understanding judgment is the reward that motivates us to lift up our voice for understanding, and search for it as for hidden treasure. In Pr 21: [15] It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Clearly we are not only authorized to exercise judgment, if we are just we may righteously delight in it.
Examples of Judgment:
· Procedural justice. Two or more people are to divide a pie. One is chosen for dexterity to cut the pie pieces, but how is he motivated to make all equal? He gets the last piece. We use this method with children, but it lends itself to many applications. The field of study of this kind of justice is called “procedural justice.”
· Tit for Tat – “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
· There is a time and a place for asking a guilty party to devise his own punishment. This causes the offender with an honest heart to be forced to contemplate the injury he is guilty of, and how he himself can devise justice.
· Solomon and the two women with children 1 Kings 3:16-28. It is worth noting that this was King Solomon’s first foray into the merchandise of wisdom. His other judgments are simply not recorded. When people spoke of the Wisdom of Solomon, they did not say “He’s going to do the baby thing again!” They were continually impressed and amazed at the variety of ways he solved problems that they themselves did not anticipate. In I Ki 10, the Queen of Sheba is recorded as saying: [6] And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
[7] Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
[8] Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
[9] Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of
· Example of what is meant by respect of persons. Pr 24: [23] These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
[24] He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
[25] But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. Judgment can be perverted: Pr 17: [15] He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
· People that refuse to do judgment . Pr 21: [6] The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
[7] The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment. Here we see people that refuse to do judgment, but it is not because of superior virtue.
Just as Justice requires law, the application of Justice requires Judgment, and Judges. We should observe that in the society of our nation today, the wicked many times point out that many sins are not illegal. When they adjure us not to judge them, I suggest that we reply “The system wouldn’t work very well without judges would it?” This attacks an atheist behavior of abolishing laws of the land by finding them unconstitutional.
In closing, judgment may be merciful after sin has been committed. Jas 2: [12] So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
[13] For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
But good judgment applied before temptation is preferable: Pr 21: [3] To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Although we have seen one or two examples of judgment, this lesson is not exhaustive. Rather it represents an exhortation to us all as brethren, to note instances of righteous judgment, so that we can follow in the pathway of justice and judgment and equity – yea every good path. Isaiah and Jeremiah are books rich in references to the word judgment, with Psalms and Proverbs both extolling its virtue and illuminating its practice.
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