Covenant Reformed News – November 2012 • Volume XIV, Issue 7
This article addresses a common misinterpretation of Matthew 7:1 ('Judge not, that ye be not judged'), arguing that the prohibition on judging does not mean all moral and doctrinal discernment is forbidden. The author demonstrates through scriptural evidence that the Sermon on the Mount itself requires believers to make judgments about sin and righteousness, and that the absolute rejection of all judging is both logically contradictory and contrary to Christ's own teachings.
Judge Not! (1) In our day, there is a very popular, but terribly wrong, interpretation of Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” This means, many say, that absolutely all judging is wrong. You must not judge religions or churches or doctrines or people or principles. For did not Jesus say, “Judge not, that ye be not judged”? According to this view, one cannot say that pagan religions are idolatrous (Ex. 20:3; I Cor. 10:20), abortion is murder (Ex. 20:13; Ps. 139:13-16), free will is...