CAN WE BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE HEAR?

The Conclusion of the Matter

Have you ever been involved in a discussion where someone says something critical of someone else’s behavior and someone else says, “Now, now, judge not that ye be not judged?” Did Jesus really say that we are not to judge others? One of the basic rules of interpretation is to take the passage in context. In other words, you shouldn’t simply lift a phrase or sentence out of the book and read it by itself.  As you read Matt 7, you will find that Jesus is saying that you are not to judge the actions of other when you yourself are guilty of the same thing. He is speaking against being a hypocritical judge. Jesus had much to say about the wrong actions of others. He referred to false prophets in Matt 7:15. Paul judged the behavior of others in I Cor 5:1. John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees a generation of vipers in Matt 3:7. Jesus called false teachers hypocrites, blind guides, white sepulchers, serpents and a generation of vipers. In Romans 16:17 Paul tells us that we are to avoid those in church who cause divisions. In Titus 1:9 he tell us to refute false doctrine In 2 Thess 3:6 says we should withdraw our fellowship from some. Paul actually named names of those who were in the wrong in I Tim 1:18-20; 2 Tim 2:15-18; and 2 Tim 4:14-15. Paul even had the nerve to confront Peter face to face in Gal 2:11-14. Even the Apostle John had something critical to say about a man named Diotrephes in 3 John 9. We can judge the actions of others. But, we must be careful about judging motives. We can see ones actions, but we cannot see into hearts and judge motives. For instance, we can say, “He fired his assistant pastor.” This is based on facts. But we can’t say, “He fired the assistant pastor because he wanted his parking space and office.” We can judge actions, but not motives.