Should Christians judge others’ behavior?
Introduction
Few verses are more commonly quoted to silence Christians than Jesus’ command: “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Yet, the Bible, taken as a whole, both forbids one type of judgment and commands another.
The confusion arises because the word "judge" can mean either "to condemn self-righteously" or "to use discernment and wisdom." To live rightly, the Christian must know the difference.
Main: The Two Types of Judgment
To answer whether a Christian should judge, we must examine what kind of judgment is being discussed.
1. The Forbidden Judgment: Condemnation and Hypocrisy
The judgment Jesus strictly forbids in Matthew 7 is a condemning, self-righteous, and hypocritical judgment of a person's worth or soul.
Focus on the Heart: Only God can see the motives of the heart and know the full truth of a person’s eternal standing. When Jesus warns against judging, He is warning against playing God by looking down on others, assuming the worst, and condemning them based on your own flawed standards.
The Log and the Speck: Jesus illustrates this with the famous metaphor: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3). This forbids judgment that springs from hypocrisy—harshly criticizing another person's small sin while ignoring a massive sin in your own life. We must first deal with our own sin before we can help a brother or sister with theirs.
2. The Commanded Judgment: Discernment and Standards
While Christians are forbidden from condemning others, they are repeatedly commanded to exercise discernment (wisdom) to evaluate actions, teachings, and spiritual standards. This is not about condemnation, but about maintaining truth and holiness.
Judging Actions (Not People): Paul tells the church to evaluate the behavior of those within the Christian community. He asks the Corinthians: “Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). This refers to church discipline and maintaining clear moral boundaries. The church is called to hold its members accountable to biblical standards.
Judging Teachings: We are warned to “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). This requires judging or evaluating a doctrine against Scripture to determine if it is true or false. You cannot "test" a teaching without "judging" its content.
Judging Fruits: Jesus Himself commands us to judge the spiritual "fruits" of others to distinguish true followers from false ones: “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:20). This means looking at a person's sustained pattern of behavior—their actions—to discern the nature of their heart and teaching.
Conclusion
The Christian is called to a careful balance of love and truth.
Stop Condemning: Never take the place of God by passing final judgment on a person's character, motives, or eternal state.
Start Discerning: Use the Word of God as a standard to evaluate actions, words, and teachings. This discernment must always be done in humility (acknowledging your own sin first) and with the goal of restoration and holiness—not humiliation.
The right question is not, "Should I judge?" but "Am I judging like God's disciple, or like God's rival?"
