by Terry Wane Benton<\/p>\n
Some think Matthew 7:1 forbids any <\/b>judging of others. Actually, it only forbids unfair and hypocritical judging where the one doing the judging has a bigger issue that does not allow him to see clearly how to remove a “speck” in his brother’s eye.<\/p>\n
Now, the text admits that the speck needs to be removed, and someone with better vision should judge that the speck needs to be removed and how to remove it with caution and care. But a brother with a plank in his eye is not the one to judge how to remove a speck.<\/p>\n
Removing a plank must take priority over removing someone else’s speck. Further, even the brother with a plank in his eye is to be judged as needing help. So, Jesus is not forbidding all judging, just all self-blinded and hypocritical judging.<\/p>\n
If we are not to judge anyone else in\u00a0any\u00a0<\/strong>way, we can’t judge ourselves, or whether we have a plank or speck in the eye. Further, you could not commend someone for doing good; that, too, is “judging” them. Further, you could not judge that someone is lost in sin and in need of the gospel. Further, you could not judge when someone is judging. How could you judge that someone did wrong in judging another without violating the rule of no judging?<\/p>\n Unfair judging is wrong, but fair and righteous judging is in fact commanded (John 7:24).<\/p>\n Matthew 7:1 does not contradict the command to judge with righteous judgment. It only forbids hypocritical judging, looking for the smallest issue in others when refusing to deal with the larger issue in oneself.<\/p>\n First, deal with the larger issue in yourself, which will give you a more sympathetic outlook toward others. Judge with fairness, clarity, and sympathy. Don’t judge when you are not taking care of larger issues in your own life. Don’t be too quick to hunt for specks in others with a huge problem, which will blind your ability to be fair and careful.<\/p>\n You do not have to be perfect to help others, but you do have to be self-discerning and much more self-critical than you are toward others. That tends to improve your judgment.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Terry Wane Benton Some think Matthew 7:1 forbids any judging of others. Actually, it only forbids unfair and hypocritical judging where the one doing the judging has a bigger issue that does not allow him to see clearly how to remove a “speck” in his brother’s eye. Now, the text admits that the speck…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[713],"class_list":["post-87002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-judging-others"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61678,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/lets-revisit-judge-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":87002,"position":0},"title":"Let’s Revisit “Judge Not”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Each time we speak or write on an issue of sin, we have told what God has said about that sin. When we do that, we are relaying God's judgment\u00a0(what He has said and the necessary implications of what He said). We are not making up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":57535,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-always-wrong-to-judge\/","url_meta":{"origin":87002,"position":1},"title":"Is It Always Wrong to Judge?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 2, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bob Myhan There are those who seem to think that it is always wrong to judge because Jesus said,\u00a0\"Judge not, that ye be not judged\"\u00a0(Matthew 7:1). We can know with certainty, however, that this was definitely not what Jesus meant. We know this because He also said,\u00a0\"Judge not according\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41510,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-is-judging-a-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":87002,"position":2},"title":"When is judging a sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question about when judging people becomes a sin. I was thinking about how my friends take the Lord's name in vain sometimes. And I was thinking to myself well if they don't confess then they might not end up where they expect (when they die). Then\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46955,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/judging-with-righteous-judgment\/","url_meta":{"origin":87002,"position":3},"title":"Judging with Righteous Judgment","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 25, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"by Steven Harper The world's favorite Bible passage must surely be\u00a0Matthew 7:1, where Jesus said, \"Judge not, that you be not judged.\" This verse is most often cited when someone points out a sin in the life of another and the accused one is then quick to reveal the depths\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34697,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-man-who-committed-the-same-sin-many-times-and-is-still-fighting-against-it-be-in-a-leadership-position\/","url_meta":{"origin":87002,"position":4},"title":"Should a man who committed the same sin many times and is still fighting against it be in a leadership position?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Should a man who committed the same sin many times and is still fighting against it be in a leadership position? Answer: Preachers are involved in helping people out of their sins. Elders are involved in keeping people faithful to the gospel. Given that Jesus said, \"And why do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33376,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-to-listen-to-music-that-contains-swear-words\/","url_meta":{"origin":87002,"position":5},"title":"Is it a sin to listen to music that contains swear words?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I understand a lot more from your teachings, and I thank you for that! I understand about the swear words in music, but I still don't know, is it a sin to listen to music with those words in it? Answer: \"Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87002"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87002\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}