Judge Not?

There are several Bible verses that I almost always hear quoted out of context . . . and one of those is Jesus’ words “judge not.” People will say, “Christ said, ‘Judge not,’ so you can’t judge me!”

But what did Jesus mean by that? Well, if you read the verse in context, you’ll see that Jesus was referring to judging others in a hypocritical manner. Jesus later tells us to “judge with a righteous judgment.”

This means we first examine ourselves and then make judgments against the absolute authority of God’s Word. We don’t judge according to our own opinions, but according to God’s eternal Word. It’s the ultimate standard for our thinking in every area.

Dig Deeper

• The Ultimate Standard
• Should Christians Not Judge Others?