The Right to Judge | Clip 1

The topic of Christian judgment presents an apparent paradox in Scripture: certain passages warn emphatically against judging, while others clearly command believers to judge. Understanding this tension is crucial for effective Christian living, as ignorance or disobedience in this area causes many professing Christians to act contrary to biblical principles.

The key to resolving this paradox lies in recognizing that judging is fundamentally a function of ruling, descending downward from God. In the biblical framework, ruling and judging are always united.

This summary explains the biblical principles governing when, how, and where believers are obligated to judge, and where that authority ceases.

1. The Paradox of Judgment: When to Judge, When to Refrain

Scripture contains clear warnings against judging but also definite commands to exercise judgment, establishing boundaries for the believer’s authority.

A. Warnings Against Judgment (Don’t Judge)

Jesus commanded, “Judge not that ye be not judged”. If a person judges, that same judgment will return to them from both human and divine sources. People will judge us the way we judge them, and God will judge us according to how we judge others.

Specific warnings include:

• The Log and the Speck: Jesus highlighted hypocrisy, instructing individuals to first remove the “beam” (or plank) from their own eye before attempting to remove the “moat” (speck) from their brother’s eye.
• Judging the Weak: Do not judge others concerning matters of speculation or personal practice, such as dietary choices (eating herbs vs. all things). Believers are warned: “Who art thou that judgeest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth a hornest”.
• Judging Motives: Believers must “judge nothing before the time until the Lord come,” because only the Lord “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness” and “make manifest the councils of the heart”.
• Speaking Evil: James warns that speaking evil of another believer is judging that believer, which is specifically prohibited by scripture.

B. Commands for Judgment (Do Judge)

Conversely, scripture commands judgment in specific areas of Christian responsibility:

• Righteous Judgment: Jesus commanded: “Judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment”.
• Internal Church Discipline: Paul judged severely the case of fornication within the Corinthian church, instructing them to “deliver such and one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh”. He stated, “I have already judged”.
• Discerning Fellowship: Believers are commanded not to keep company with any man called a brother who is a fornicator, covetous, idolater, railer, drunkard, or extortionist. Paul specified that the church does not judge unbelievers (“them that are without”), but must judge believers (“them that are within”).
• Dispute Resolution: Believers should settle disputes among themselves rather than taking matters “to law before the unrighteous”. Paul asked, “do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world… and shall judge angels?”.
• Church Mandate: If a dispute cannot be settled privately, it must be taken to the church. A man who will not receive the decision of the church loses his right to be treated as a believer, becoming like a “heathen man and a publican”.

2. The Link Between Responsibility, Authority, and Judgment

The foundational principle that resolves the paradox is the inseparability of Responsibility, Authority, Judging, and Being Judged.

The Core Principle

Wherever you have responsibility, you must have authority to discharge that responsibility. Conversely, authority without responsibility is despotism. Where adequate authority exists, there is an obligation to judge.

• Accountability: Every person who judges is ultimately accountable to the ultimate Judge, God.
• Church Leadership: Those who lead (“rule over”) the church have responsibility for souls and, therefore, must exercise authority and judgment, knowing they must “give account” to the Lord. Believers are commanded to obey this leadership. Every Christian in normal daily living should be in a situation where they are either under authority or exercising authority, and are answerable to someone watching over their spiritual welfare.

God: The Ultimate Judge

God is the ultimate Judge and Ruler of all the earth.

• Justice: God’s judgment establishes the principle that it is contrary to justice to treat the righteous the same as the wicked. The primary function of justice is to protect the righteous, not primarily to punish the wicked.
• Delegated Authority: God the Father, the ultimate authority, has delegated the office of judge to His Son, Jesus Christ. This was done so that “all men should honor the son as they honor the father” and because Jesus, as the Son of Man, understands human frailties.
• The Bema: Believers will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (bema), where every one shall “give account of himself to God” for their works [5, Conversation History].

Judges Represent God

Historically, those appointed as human judges in the Old Testament were sometimes referred to as “God” (Elohim) because they represented God to His people and administered His law. When these human judges became unjust, they were strongly reproved by God, demonstrating that when judgment is unjust, the “whole structure of society is out of sorts”.