“Jesus is saying, ‘You judge people according to the flesh. But I don’t do that!’ Jesus does not form an opinion about you according to the flesh. He does not base a judgment about you on your appearance, ability, age, friends, race, gender, work, home, family, or experience.” - Colin Smith
Are Christians Supposed to Judge Others?
Jesus says in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, that you may not be judged.” From this statement one might conclude that judging is prohibited, but in the next verse the context helps us understand that the passage is not a prohibition. Rather it is a warning: “For in the way that you measure, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:2).
Luke 6:36-37 records a similar statement by Jesus: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not judge and you will not be judged, and do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Set free and you will be set free.”
Are Christians Called to Judge?
“Not only do we have to judge, but we are called to judge, and in today’s society, we need to be more vigilant about judgment than ever.” - Phil Cooke
“Judge Not” – Matthew 7:1 is one of the most needed and one of the most abused statements in the Bible
“First, ‘judge not’ means that we should measure others the way that we would want to be measured. No one wants weighted scales to be used against them, or an unfair measuring stick that is too short or too long. We all want to be evaluated fairly and consistently.” - Kevin DeYoung