Judge Not

[Salty]

From another thread:

I believe this subject is precisely what is addressed by "Judge not, lest ye be judged."

John 7:24 states: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

So lets talk about giving righteous judgment

 

[1689Dave]

Judging a person's work or fruit is good. But in judging their motive, you expose your own heart. I think our limited perception is one of the reasons we should not judge one another's motives. Do we reveal our own corruption, assuming the other guy's motives are the same as ours if we were to do the same? Example: Joe is doing this or that. He must be doing it for the same reasons I would if I did the same.

 

[Lodic]

In this passage, it appeared to the Jews that Jesus was violating the Sabbath by healing a man on that day. Likewise, a man might appear to be following God's laws because he had been circumcised. Jesus is telling them to look beyond the external appearances of the Law's requirements, and see what the spirit of the Law requires. Our judgment should not be biased by our expectations of how things should be, but go straight to the heart of the matter.

 

[37818]

In this passage, it appeared to the Jews that Jesus was violating the Sabbath by healing a man on that day.

John 7:23-24, ". . . 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? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. . . ."
Earlier, John 5:18, ". . . Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, . . ."
Of course He did so by why of the fact as God doing the healing. John 5:18-19, ". . . but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. . . ."

 

[Lodic]

While not in the same context as the "righteous judgment" passage, the "judge not" passage was quoted in the first post of this thread, and I wanted to address it. "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1-5) is often misinterpreted to mean that we are never to judge anyone else. Non-Christians may not know John 3:16, but they can be quick to bring up the "judge not" verse. I believe the passage from Matthew 7 is about the way we judge. That is, we are not to judge with double standards, especially if we are guilty of the same sin (Romans 2:1).

On the other hand, the main passage of this thread (John 7:24), we are told to judge others. In both passages, it's about the way we judge. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tells us to "test everything", and Galatians 6:1 tells us we must confront sin in the Church. Finally, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 tells us that one day we will even judge the angels. "How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life?"

 

[1689Dave]

While not in the same context as the "righteous judgment" passage, the "judge not" passage was quoted in the first post of this thread, and I wanted to address it. "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1-5) is often misinterpreted to mean that we are never to judge anyone else. Non-Christians may not know John 3:16, but they can be quick to bring up the "judge not" verse. I believe the passage from Matthew 7 is about the way we judge. That is, we are not to judge with double standards, especially if we are guilty of the same sin (Romans 2:1).

On the other hand, the main passage of this thread (John 7:24), we are told to judge others. In both passages, it's about the way we judge. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tells us to "test everything", and Galatians 6:1 tells us we must confront sin in the Church. Finally, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 tells us that one day we will even judge the angels. "How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life?"

We judge fruit, not motive. We condemn ourselves thinking our sin motive would be the same as someone else's if we were to do that.

 

[Lodic]

We judge fruit, not motive. We condemn ourselves thinking our sin motive would be the same as someone else's if we were to do that.

Yes. There is no way we could get inside someone's head to know their motives. Only God knows the intentions of the heart.