Avoiding a Childish View of Judging

Most people who use the phrase "Judge Not" use it in a way that God never meant for it to be used. This 1-minute devotion explains.


Young children only see things from their perspective. They can’t think logically or systematically until they mature. (source)

If we aren’t deliberate about studying Scripture, we’ll remain "mere infants in Christ" with a childish perspective of truth (1 Corinthians 3:1).

For example, it's a popular error to claim that Christians are not supposed to judge anything or anyone.

This error results from the childish practice of taking a single phrase out of context and ignoring the rest of Scripture. 

It's neither logical nor systematic. But most important: it's not Biblical.

In context, “Judge not” (Matthew 7:1), doesn't tell us not to judge. It tells us not to judge hypocritically.

Multiple Scriptures tell us when, what, how, and who to judge. Yes, despite the popular view to the contrary, we are even called to judge people according to Biblical guidelines. 

Let's not be misled by a childish view of judgement. Let's correctly handle God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15). See "How, Who, and What to Judge."

I run into this error so often, that I've written a whole series on this subject: Misunderstandings About Judgement.
To see some other Scriptures that are often interpreted from a childish perspective, see Twisted Scriptures



Most people who use the phrase "Judge Not" use it in a way that God never meant for it to be used. This 1-minute devotion explains.




1 comment:

  1. I have explained a few times to our pastor, that “judge not” is out of context. Yesterday, he had a sermon in which he told us not to judge, because it is a commandment of Jesus. It frustrates me because I see a lot of christians walking out of the kingdom of God, but who am I to judge. I only want them to be saved.

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