“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ” (Matthew 7:1, NASB)
Matthew 7:1 has been one of those verses used to reinforce the very unbiblical notion that Christians are wrong to pass judgments concerning the moral character of others. However, this a most unfortunate misinterpretation of the verse.
Scripture interprets Scripture. When drawing conclusions about the teachings of the Bible, the whole counsel of Scripture should be taken into consideration. Otherwise, one might be completely baffled when they read verses such as this:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15–20)
If one comes to this passage with the presupposition that judgment is categorically wrong, then how are they to heed Jesus' exhortation to beware of false prophets? Obeying such an imperative requires that I pass judgment about a person on the basis of what he or she says and does. According to this text, Jesus requires of those who follow Him to pass judgments concerning the morality of one's actions whenever that person claims to speak for God.
It gets even worse. Not only does the Bible tell us to pass judgments, but also to expose those we judge to be fraudulent. Consider what John writes in his epistle to the church:
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 9–11)
Not only has John judged Diotrephes to be an evil man, who unjustly accuses others, but he names him specifically and pronounces his judgments about Diotrephes to the church--Diotrephes is evil, wicked, unjust, divisive, counterfeit, and fraudulent. We may also derive from the text that he lacks humility, is arrogant, self-serving, refuses to be accountable to others, and refuses correction from others. After all, the text says that he likes to be first and does not accept what John and others have said in a previous correspondence. Clearly, this is not a man who bears good fruit.
Unfortunately, Diotrephes also appears to hold some manner of authority within the church, presumably an elder, since he is even able to be first amongst them, capable of forbidding other Christians to receive their brethren and has the power to put them out of the church. What would likely happen to this church if John did not pass judgment on Diotrephes? Obviously, Diotrephes would remain in power, teaching false doctrines, perhaps? or continue to persecute the men and women of God?
It would have been unjust for John not to judge Diotrephes.
To not pass judgments and expose falsehood is in itself unjust. To do so is to give evil men permission to do unjust and evil things without hindrance or exposure. We act in concert with our nature. Evil men do evil things; good men do good things. We judge them by their fruit. Christians should get very angry and upset when they see injustices and wickedness in their midst. It is a righteous anger to posses. Likewise, it is a sign of inner death, decay, and corruption when we can look upon such things flippantly or apathetically.
You see, as followers of an eternally righteous and holy God, we have a measuring stick; a straight edge, with which to judge. I cannot know what is crooked if I do not have something straight with which to compare it; and I cannot tell if something is short if I do not know how tall it ought to be. However, Jesus Christ is our standard and our example. We should compare ourselves to Him. Our moral judgments derive from his thoughts, words, and deeds as revealed to us in Scripture. Jesus saw falsehoods, wickedness, and evil in His midst and attacked these injustices vigorously because they were in violation against the holiness and righteousness of the Father. We should do the same.
As I mentioned above, Scripture interprets Scripture. Therefore, we should take into consideration the whole counsel of God's word. However, one could object that it was Jesus who said "Judge not lest ye be judged," and if Jesus said it, then it should be obeyed. One could make the argument that I was merely turning Scripture against itself--and argue rightly so. It is one thing to seek the whole counsel of the Bible on a given issue, but another thing entirely to use one portion of God's word as means of ignoring or dismissing the clear instruction of another. In other words, if what one reads in 3 John contradicts what one reads in Matthew 7, then it casts a hefty shadow on the ability of the Christian to judge, since his "measuring stick" is broken and cannot be reconciled. However, the immediate context of the verse within Scripture interprets the meaning of the verse.
Matthew 7:1 does not merely stand alone and should not be interpreted outside of its immediate context. Both Hebrew and Greek, which are the two main languages of the original writings, are extremely context-oriented. In addition to this, they also use different literary devices than modern, American English. The Jewish mindset during the time of Christ, for example, was very "black and white" in its thinking. It was not at all uncommon to compact an otherwise complex teaching into black and white statements. This can be confusing to many of us modern Westerners, whose languages tend to rely less on context and more on precision. Indeed, sometimes the Jews would make use of hyperbole to emphasize the importance of a statement or to draw attention to something being contrasted:
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26)
While some more literal-minded people have raised issues against this verse in Luke, it is not to be taken literally. It is a hyperbolic expression, meant to strongly emphasize and sharply contrast the loyalty of the disciple to Christ versus his loyalty to his own life and family. Family was perhaps the Jew's greatest joy; and they certainly would have taken seriously the commandment to honor one's father and mother. To not obey the commandment was punishable by death. Jesus knew the commandment clearly as shown in Matthew, when He says, “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death’" (15:4). Since Jesus always instructed others to obey God's law, it is evident that He is commanding from His disciples a loyalty well beyond that of their own lives and their own families (cf., Mt 10:37), particularly since the rest of the context uses similar, non-literal speach to address the price of discipleship.
So the context of Matthew 7:1 is likewise important for discovering its meaning. Let's have a look at it:
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:1–6)
The section opens with our verse, "Do not judge so that you might not be judged." Then, Jesus explains His reason for saying it. The word "For" is the English translation of the Greek word "gar." This word serves as a marker to indicate that an explanation is forthcoming. It can also be translated, "because." In other words, Jesus is about to explain what He means by what He said.
The way in which you judge others will be judged by God; and the standard in which you use can either be punishable or rewarding, depending upon the way in which you judge. Consider how Luke treats the same saying: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38).
The next verse identifies the actual problem when it says, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Jesus is talking about people who do not seem to notice even the rather prominent sins they have, but are willing to point out the minutia of others. Of course, He is speaking hyperbolic language here--the point is about hypocrisy.
It is most unfortunate that this word has nearly lost its meaning in our times. For example, it is occasionally applied to people who may have repented for a sin and have made a sincere attempt to reconcile with whomever they offended. Sort of like when a teenager says to their parents, "Hypocrite, you used to do it!" However, this is NOT what the term means. Indeed, the passage we are examining makes it clear that once the sin has been dealt with, the person may then turn to deal with the sin of another. Actually, the hypocrite would be the teenager, who seeks to excuse his or her sinful actions on the basis that the parent once committed the act.
The Greek word for "hypocrite" comes from the Greek theater. The word is "hupokrites" and literally referred to an actor. Now, in these Greek theatres, actors wore these often large masks to cover up their own identities, pretending to be someone else, while interpreting a story or play for their audiences. Obviously, the better and the more convincing the actor was at playing his part on the theater, the better his performance, and the better his reward. Jesus used the term to refer to morally duplicitous, self-righteous people. They put on great act to fool others, but God sees behind the mask:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." (Matthew 6:1–5)
A hypocrite does things for show, like an actor who wears a mask on a stage. But his righteousness is only a mask--it does not emanate from a heart of sincerity love, truth, or compassion. His duplicity will not be rewarded, but his unrighteous judgments of others will be punished. He is blind to his own sins because he is self-righteous and self-exonerating. Think of how God considers his prayers:
And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)
I have always found it strange that Jesus should point out that the Pharisee was merely praying to himself. Evidently, he was soothed by the sound of his own self-righteous words. He spoke of no sins which he had committed, but thanked God for making him better than all those sinners and tax-collectors out there. Yet the other man, the publicly despised tax collector, felt the gravity of his sins before the most Holy God; and the weight of it must have sunk him into such shame and dishonor that he most desperately wailed, "God! Be merciful to me! the sinner!"
This is what judgment is all about.
The tax collector is free to judge, but the Pharisee remains in darkness. God is the standard of righteousness and the tax collector knows that he is not worthy and is not righteous compared to the holiness of God. However, hypocrites such as this Pharisee, judge as though they have no sin. They will remain as they are, condemned by the sins which they deny. But to those who confess their sins to God, are justified before God. He will exalt them.
Matthew 7:1 has been one of those verses used to reinforce the very unbiblical notion that Christians are wrong to pass judgments concerning the moral character of others. However, this a most unfortunate misinterpretation of the verse.
Scripture interprets Scripture. When drawing conclusions about the teachings of the Bible, the whole counsel of Scripture should be taken into consideration. Otherwise, one might be completely baffled when they read verses such as this:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15–20)
If one comes to this passage with the presupposition that judgment is categorically wrong, then how are they to heed Jesus' exhortation to beware of false prophets? Obeying such an imperative requires that I pass judgment about a person on the basis of what he or she says and does. According to this text, Jesus requires of those who follow Him to pass judgments concerning the morality of one's actions whenever that person claims to speak for God.
It gets even worse. Not only does the Bible tell us to pass judgments, but also to expose those we judge to be fraudulent. Consider what John writes in his epistle to the church:
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 9–11)
Not only has John judged Diotrephes to be an evil man, who unjustly accuses others, but he names him specifically and pronounces his judgments about Diotrephes to the church--Diotrephes is evil, wicked, unjust, divisive, counterfeit, and fraudulent. We may also derive from the text that he lacks humility, is arrogant, self-serving, refuses to be accountable to others, and refuses correction from others. After all, the text says that he likes to be first and does not accept what John and others have said in a previous correspondence. Clearly, this is not a man who bears good fruit.
Unfortunately, Diotrephes also appears to hold some manner of authority within the church, presumably an elder, since he is even able to be first amongst them, capable of forbidding other Christians to receive their brethren and has the power to put them out of the church. What would likely happen to this church if John did not pass judgment on Diotrephes? Obviously, Diotrephes would remain in power, teaching false doctrines, perhaps? or continue to persecute the men and women of God?
It would have been unjust for John not to judge Diotrephes.
To not pass judgments and expose falsehood is in itself unjust. To do so is to give evil men permission to do unjust and evil things without hindrance or exposure. We act in concert with our nature. Evil men do evil things; good men do good things. We judge them by their fruit. Christians should get very angry and upset when they see injustices and wickedness in their midst. It is a righteous anger to posses. Likewise, it is a sign of inner death, decay, and corruption when we can look upon such things flippantly or apathetically.
You see, as followers of an eternally righteous and holy God, we have a measuring stick; a straight edge, with which to judge. I cannot know what is crooked if I do not have something straight with which to compare it; and I cannot tell if something is short if I do not know how tall it ought to be. However, Jesus Christ is our standard and our example. We should compare ourselves to Him. Our moral judgments derive from his thoughts, words, and deeds as revealed to us in Scripture. Jesus saw falsehoods, wickedness, and evil in His midst and attacked these injustices vigorously because they were in violation against the holiness and righteousness of the Father. We should do the same.
As I mentioned above, Scripture interprets Scripture. Therefore, we should take into consideration the whole counsel of God's word. However, one could object that it was Jesus who said "Judge not lest ye be judged," and if Jesus said it, then it should be obeyed. One could make the argument that I was merely turning Scripture against itself--and argue rightly so. It is one thing to seek the whole counsel of the Bible on a given issue, but another thing entirely to use one portion of God's word as means of ignoring or dismissing the clear instruction of another. In other words, if what one reads in 3 John contradicts what one reads in Matthew 7, then it casts a hefty shadow on the ability of the Christian to judge, since his "measuring stick" is broken and cannot be reconciled. However, the immediate context of the verse within Scripture interprets the meaning of the verse.
Matthew 7:1 does not merely stand alone and should not be interpreted outside of its immediate context. Both Hebrew and Greek, which are the two main languages of the original writings, are extremely context-oriented. In addition to this, they also use different literary devices than modern, American English. The Jewish mindset during the time of Christ, for example, was very "black and white" in its thinking. It was not at all uncommon to compact an otherwise complex teaching into black and white statements. This can be confusing to many of us modern Westerners, whose languages tend to rely less on context and more on precision. Indeed, sometimes the Jews would make use of hyperbole to emphasize the importance of a statement or to draw attention to something being contrasted:
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26)
While some more literal-minded people have raised issues against this verse in Luke, it is not to be taken literally. It is a hyperbolic expression, meant to strongly emphasize and sharply contrast the loyalty of the disciple to Christ versus his loyalty to his own life and family. Family was perhaps the Jew's greatest joy; and they certainly would have taken seriously the commandment to honor one's father and mother. To not obey the commandment was punishable by death. Jesus knew the commandment clearly as shown in Matthew, when He says, “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death’" (15:4). Since Jesus always instructed others to obey God's law, it is evident that He is commanding from His disciples a loyalty well beyond that of their own lives and their own families (cf., Mt 10:37), particularly since the rest of the context uses similar, non-literal speach to address the price of discipleship.
So the context of Matthew 7:1 is likewise important for discovering its meaning. Let's have a look at it:
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:1–6)
The section opens with our verse, "Do not judge so that you might not be judged." Then, Jesus explains His reason for saying it. The word "For" is the English translation of the Greek word "gar." This word serves as a marker to indicate that an explanation is forthcoming. It can also be translated, "because." In other words, Jesus is about to explain what He means by what He said.
The way in which you judge others will be judged by God; and the standard in which you use can either be punishable or rewarding, depending upon the way in which you judge. Consider how Luke treats the same saying: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38).
The next verse identifies the actual problem when it says, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Jesus is talking about people who do not seem to notice even the rather prominent sins they have, but are willing to point out the minutia of others. Of course, He is speaking hyperbolic language here--the point is about hypocrisy.
It is most unfortunate that this word has nearly lost its meaning in our times. For example, it is occasionally applied to people who may have repented for a sin and have made a sincere attempt to reconcile with whomever they offended. Sort of like when a teenager says to their parents, "Hypocrite, you used to do it!" However, this is NOT what the term means. Indeed, the passage we are examining makes it clear that once the sin has been dealt with, the person may then turn to deal with the sin of another. Actually, the hypocrite would be the teenager, who seeks to excuse his or her sinful actions on the basis that the parent once committed the act.
The Greek word for "hypocrite" comes from the Greek theater. The word is "hupokrites" and literally referred to an actor. Now, in these Greek theatres, actors wore these often large masks to cover up their own identities, pretending to be someone else, while interpreting a story or play for their audiences. Obviously, the better and the more convincing the actor was at playing his part on the theater, the better his performance, and the better his reward. Jesus used the term to refer to morally duplicitous, self-righteous people. They put on great act to fool others, but God sees behind the mask:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." (Matthew 6:1–5)
A hypocrite does things for show, like an actor who wears a mask on a stage. But his righteousness is only a mask--it does not emanate from a heart of sincerity love, truth, or compassion. His duplicity will not be rewarded, but his unrighteous judgments of others will be punished. He is blind to his own sins because he is self-righteous and self-exonerating. Think of how God considers his prayers:
And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)
I have always found it strange that Jesus should point out that the Pharisee was merely praying to himself. Evidently, he was soothed by the sound of his own self-righteous words. He spoke of no sins which he had committed, but thanked God for making him better than all those sinners and tax-collectors out there. Yet the other man, the publicly despised tax collector, felt the gravity of his sins before the most Holy God; and the weight of it must have sunk him into such shame and dishonor that he most desperately wailed, "God! Be merciful to me! the sinner!"
This is what judgment is all about.
The tax collector is free to judge, but the Pharisee remains in darkness. God is the standard of righteousness and the tax collector knows that he is not worthy and is not righteous compared to the holiness of God. However, hypocrites such as this Pharisee, judge as though they have no sin. They will remain as they are, condemned by the sins which they deny. But to those who confess their sins to God, are justified before God. He will exalt them.
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