Christian Worldview and Apologetics: Judging Others

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus warned: “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” This verse has become one of the favorite recourses of those who seek to respond to any mention that their lifestyle or viewpoints may not fit with the values of the Bible. Indeed, in our day of pluralism and amidst calls for tolerance, Christians find themselves judged quite harshly as being “hypocrites” and “haters” if they seek to hold up the error of the world’s ways. And in light of this warning from Jesus, many Christians themselves tend to think that we are prohibited from passing any judgment on others. An anonymous quote sums up the modern attitude by stating, “We can judge others or we can love others, but you can’t do both at the same time.” But that is not what Jesus taught or demonstrated.

Let’s look at the setting of Jesus’ warning. In Matthew 7, Jesus was in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In Matthew 5, He presented the argument that the type of righteousness God requires of us exceeds the external, superficial righteousness that most accept, and He called for a deeper righteousness that permeates even through the intent of the believer and to the root of every action. He refused to be seen as dismissing God’s demands on us, but rather raised the expectation to an even higher level. In comparison to others we may be pretty good, but God’s standard is greater. Indeed, He concluded the chapter with a command for us to be perfect, like God himself. In short, Jesus did not excuse or diminish sin, nor should we, in our own lives or in others.

Please sign in or sign up to view the entire article.