"Judge Not" & Jury Duty

Biblegems #227

Question: I have heard "judge not lest ye be judged" (KJV) being used in opposition to jury duty and some other forms of justice in our governmental system.

The phrase, "judge not lest ye be judged" comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:1.  While the word used for “judge” can be applied to a wide variety of situations, including the legal system, the immediate context makes it clear that Jesus has something else entirely in mind.

In Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus explains precisely what He means. First, He explains the consequences of passing judgment on others. "Judge not lest ye be judged" means that by judging others a person exposes himself to being judged by the very same standard he uses against someone (v.1-2). The situation Jesus has in view is interpersonal, not judicial. “Judging,” here, means to speak badly of someone with a critical attitude. James makes the same point:

         James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? (NIV ’84)

Second, Jesus provides an example in verses 3-5 of what He means by “judging.” He humorously portrays a person who has a huge wooden plank sticking out of his eye attempting to pick a speck of sawdust out of another person’s eye. The point is clear: we have no business criticizing others for things we are guilty of ourselves.

It is interesting, however, that Jesus does not command us to never judge others; rather, He instructs us in verse 5 to take care of our own problem before we attempt to talk to someone else about their problem! That by itself shows that "judge not lest ye be judged" is given as a proverb, a guideline for behavior in interpersonal relationships.

Jesus Himself taught elsewhere that it is necessary to “judge” others, so long as we do it properly:

         John 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.

For example, it is imperative that believers become adept at judging whether a person is genuinely representing God or not. We have to be skilled at testing the spirit of a person:

         1John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

As believers, we are free to participate in the jury system in good conscience. In fact, as Jesus’ followers we should be above reproach in that setting. Jesus is speaking to the attitude of our hearts in dealing with other people, nothing more. This is precisely what God’s Word addresses repeatedly, as in Romans 14:

         Rom. 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Judging Others

Biblegems #201

Question: Can you tell me where in the Bible (if anywhere) believers  are called to "judge" others, especially another human being's spirituality or their relationship with the Lord?

The word used most often for “judge” in the New Testament is “krino,” (pronounced kree´-no). It means to distinguish between two things, such as right and wrong. It is often used in terms of a judge’s ruling in court. Jesus tells us not to put ourselves in the position of a judge over other people. However…that is not so much a commandment as it is a warning.

         Matt. 7:1-2 Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Romans teaches explicitly what Jesus implied—God Himself will judge our judgment over the behavior of others:

Rom. 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

That does not mean we will be automatically condemned for judging others, but that God will determine if our judgment was correct and judge us accordingly.

God knows the heart. He knows we are prone to step over the line from discerning judgment of right and wrong to condemnation:

         Rom. 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

So, as a general rule…

1Cor. 4:5 … judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes.

Are there exceptions? Yes.

The Bible does instruct believers to “judge those inside the church” who persist in “wicked” behavior.

1Cor. 5:12-13 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Jesus gave very specific instructions for dealing with the sinful behavior of others (Matt 18:15-20). To correct sinful behavior, of course, requires identifying sinful behavior—judging between right and wrong. There’s no avoiding it.

         Luke 6:44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.

In fact, the church is in training for the day when the followers of Jesus will exercise judgment over the fallen angels, and indeed, the world:

1Cor. 6:2-3 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

The truth is, the Lord wants to train His people to become wise, discerning people who know how to judge between right and wrong and act appropriately upon that judgment. We are not to play God and condemn people. But we cannot be wishy-washy either when it comes to how God’s people treat one another.

1Cor. 6:5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?     

Let’s exercise good “judgment” in how we use the word, and do the word.