Judge Not - what did Jesus mean

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and twith the measure you use it will be measured to you.

We live in an extremely judgmental world. Many Christians claim Jesus meant judge righteously yet he doesn't say that. He implicitly says Judge Not. Does Judgement itself create division and evil? What would happen if we stopped judging people - would it create a better world. Should we all be striving to become non judgmental, are we fit to judge others?

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but udo not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Hello @SoulSearcher, Matthew 7:1a taken as, "Thou Shalt Not Judge .... PERIOD!!", is the central verse/central thought in the Bible for Atheists and others (and sadly, for some who call themselves Christians, as well), so I believe that it's important for us to get to the heart of what Jesus really meant when He said, "do not judge", yes?

Of course, one thing to consider is the fact that He told us to judge/be discerning of others just 5 verses later .. Matthew 7:6.

I look forward to seeing where this thread goes/what people have to say, so thanks for creating it

God bless you!

~Deut
p.s. - Jesus told us this as well............

Whoops, I meant to say (in agreement with your OP and Title), "so ~along with you~ I believe that it's important for us to get to the heart of what Jesus really meant" (by judge not)!

You meant "explicitly". But context is critical. What Jesus said was in connection with one brother or sister judging or condemning the other in terms of their spiritual standing. See Romans 14:3,10,13.

Jesus also said this: Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? (Lk 12:57)

He also said this: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (Jn 7:24)

1. We are to judge nothing before the correct time (1 Cor 4:5)
2. We are to make judgments on issues within the local church setting (1 Cor 5:12; 6:4,5)
3. We are to make assessments or judgments of what goes on in the church (1 Cor 11:13; 14:29)
4. We are to judge ourselves (1 Cor 11:31)
5. In the future Christians will judge the world and also judge angels (1 Cor 6:2,3)

You have to remember that Jesus was a Torah keeping Jew. The Torah teach us that if you judge somebody and you are guilty of that same offence, that person's guild will become yours. Thus if I judge you about something while guilty of the same offence, guess what, I become guilty myself. Context (like Nehemiah said) is crucial when reading about Jesus.

Jesus said NO SUCH THING.

He said Judge not that ye BE NOT JUDGED, for with what Judgment ye jude, ye will be judged.

Why is this so complicated?

In modern English, this is what Jesus said.

Hey, do not judge if you don't want to be Judged (we are getting judged, Jesus is being sarcastic, WE ARE GETTING JUDGED, Jesus being God knows EVERY MAN JUDGES you can't live life without weighing the issues of life and judging when we cross the road we have to judge if all is clear when we tell our kids not to hang out with drug-taking losers, we have to judge) because with the very same standard (measurement) judgment you judge others by, you will be judged likewise in the same manner.

So, it's a given we are going to judge, thus the message, IF ANYONE takes the time to direct this, is about first getting right with God, then and only then can we Judge our brothers righteously. We are commanded to Judge throughout the bible. I can list 100s of places where we are commanded to judge, I can list 100s of places where Paul and the disciples judged over and over. But f course, they were of Jesus Christ, which means they had taken the plank out of their eyes. I being a Christian took the plank out 30 years ago, which qualifies me to judge.

What parent would send their own kids out and say, now if those guys have guns, cuss a lot, and smoke weed, DON'T JUDGE THEM, we want you to hang out with them? Now, why would God tell us not to JUDGE? We are not to condemn, we are to judge. We are told its a sin not to judge.

Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

We are ORDERED by God to warn the Wicked of his errant ways, or their blood will be on our hands. The Whole DON'T JUDGE is a falsehood from Satan who has manipulated the scripture.

It about assigning punishment, and damnation. Of course we judge whether actions are moral or immoral.
The example here given is drug abuse. While drug abusers engage in dangerous behavior and we do not want our children to "hang out" with them because we don't want their brokenness to influence our children, we have to understand that they are broken by abuse and the toxicity of this world, and that their hope is the seas ours. That hope is Jesus. Our hope and desire for them is repentance, what ever it takes. So we don't assign the as losers. Rather we understand that except for the grace of God there we would also be. As much as I hate drugs and drug abuse i don't hate the people trapped in that bondage. They are broken and abused and the drugs that they think helps only injures further. Like the whore and the whoremonger they are just broken people usually broken from childhood by abuse and neglect and the sin of this world.
I learned something very heart breaking lately and now I am tested as to whether I can do as I wrote in another thread about repentance. I can't confront the person because someone else is involved and I don't think they are ready to confront this person about it, and may never be. They just want to walk away from it and live and let live kind of thing, and if that is the best they have then who am into force a confrontation. But now how do I handle it? I have to forgive as well. I'm just trying to let God sort it out. I'm not God, to many times in my life have I been my own God working, forcing, pushing, controlling, it don't work. I have botched it far too many times.

Jesus also said "he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone (at her)". John 8 v 7 KJV.

Exactly, they wanted to consign her to the death penalty under the law, because of her sin, but didn't recognize their own sin and deserving of death also.
This is a perfect example, where Jesus lived out what he means in his teaching.

so basically, don't be a hypocrite.
Easier said, than done.

They didn't follow the law (because the law tells you that the man and woman should be present) but they wanted to prosecute her with the law.

Full context of the verses in the OP say we can judge, as others have rightly pointed out already. There would be no way to correct someone in error without some discernment of what is right and wrong.

So not being a hypocrite is what this is about. Others may not know by someone's exterior appearance what sins they're hiding or if they're hiding any at all, but God does. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, starting in Matt chapter 5, a call to be the salt and light of the world.

Good post/comment.
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More discernment & clarity are needed..nowadays.
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Matthew 7:6
- Scripture/verse.. to focus/reflect on.

Judge Not - what did Jesus mean

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He mean't not to judge others as though we were any better. But to judge others with compassion, for their welfare, is a good thing

Why did you claim that "Jesus said NO SUCH THING" and then quote Him saying almost exactly the same thing?

No more X factor .