Daily Bible Readings

What Does the Bible Teaches About Judging Others?

(Matthew 7:1-2 KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

(Romans 2:1-2 KJV) Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

(James 4:11 KJV) Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

(John 7:24 KJV) Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

(Proverbs 31:9 KJV) Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

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COMMENTARY

The lesson contained in these words is of solemn import, and it is to be carefully considered. The law of the divine government is that each one has the power of being the arbiter of his own destiny. What we do to others shall be done unto us again. Therefore we should be careful how we treat one another. We ever reap as we have sown, receiving back to ourselves what we have done to God and to our fellow-beings. In this life we are on probation, placed under test and trial to form characters for the future, immortal life. Through the provision of the grace of Christ, fallen man, debased and corrupted, may be transformed into the divine likeness. The lesson that Christ gave in the words we have quoted, was to counteract the influence of the former, erroneous teachings of the Jews. “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” In these words Christ presented before them a lesson that was to be brought into daily life to brighten their hopes, and to encourage their confidence in the Lord. The question is asked, What does God require of us? As transgressors of the law, justice condemns us as hopelessly ruined; but through the mercy of Christ, through repentance of sin, man, the enemy of God, may be forgiven and transformed into the divine image. And since it has cost an infinite price to redeem us, how can we presume to condemn others? Jesus says, “Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” In these words, Jesus has represented one who is filled with self-righteousness. He is swift to detect any seeming defect in others, but in comparison to his own errors and faults, the defect he presumed to criticise is represented as a mote compared with a beam. To such a one Jesus says, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” (RH August 16, 1892, par. 2 by Ellen G White).

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