by Leisa Garcia
The confusion regarding what scripture truly teaches as to when to judge, when not to judge, what should be judged and what should not be judged is largely due to the same English word being used to translate a variety of Greek verbs and nouns. There are three Greek verbs that mean “to judge” in the New Testament. Krino κρίνω1 is the primary verb that means “to judge” in general and can be used in a variety of ways. “Anakrino” and “diakrino” are two specific variations of the main verb. Anakrino ἀνακρίνω2generally means to investigate thoroughly and diakrino διακρίνω3 to render a decision.
The confusion regarding what scripture truly teaches as to when to judge, when not to judge, what should be judged and what should not be judged is largely due to the same English word being used to translate a variety of Greek verbs and nouns. There are three Greek verbs that mean “to judge” in the New Testament. Krino κρίνω1 is the primary verb that means “to judge” in general and can be used in a variety of ways. “Anakrino” and “diakrino” are two specific variations of the main verb. Anakrino ἀνακρίνω2generally means to investigate thoroughly and diakrino διακρίνω3 to render a decision.
Judge not that ye be not judged
The Greek word “krino” is the primary verb meaning “to judge” and is used in one of the most well-known, but misused verses regarding judging -- Matthew 7:1. The phrase “judge not that ye be not judged” is often ripped from its context and quoted as a blanket statement. We assume that Jesus is giving us a direct command--“Don’t Judge!” However, when compared with its parallel passage in Luke 6:37 and 38 we see that the point of this passage is clearly the aspect of sowing and reaping.
The confusion occurs because Matthew has condensed a longer passage into just a few verses. When compared with the Luke passage, verse three of Matthew which begins “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye…” is actually a new topic. The Luke passage contains additional information.
Luke 6:37,38
“--Judge not that ye be not judged, (The Matthew passage then skips the rest of the discussion)
--Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned,
--Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven,
--Give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom…”
Conclusion of all the above: “For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
What you sow whether in judging or not judging, condemning or not condemning, forgiving or not forgiving, giving or not giving, you can expect to reap the same and more. This passage corresponds with Matthew 6 verses one and two only. Verse three is a different topic which we haven’t come to in the Luke passage yet.
Do not judge hypocritically
Notice verse 39 in the Luke passage: “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?” This verse introduces a new topic! Close attention to this passage shows that verse three in the Matthew passage is not a direct part of what was being discussed in verses two and three of Matthew 7. Matthew 7:3 corresponds to this new topic of the blind leading the blind.
Verse 40 “The disciple is not above his master: but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master.” The point here appears to be that the disciple will be like his master, if the master is blind, the disciple will be also, if the master is perfect (complete), the disciple will be perfect also.
Now we finally have reached a slightly different wording of what is in verse three of the Matthew passage: Luke 6:41, 42“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceiveth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, (hupo krites) cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”
Starting with verse 39 through verse 42 in the Luke passage is giving an illustration of the wrong way to judge. We are commanded to not be a hypocrite ὑποκριτής--a pretender, a stage actor.4 The message of this passage is that as the blind cannot lead the blind because he can’t see any better than the person he is trying to lead, a person with a beam in his own eye is like the blind person, he can’t see to take the speck out of his brother’s eye.
How to take the speck out of your brother’s eye
Starting with Matthew 7:4 and Luke 7:42, Jesus clearly gives instructions in both the Matthew and Luke passages HOW TO judge in a non-hypocritical manner, by judging yourself first, (taking the beam out of your own eye) which makes you able to then see correctly to judge your brother (taking the speck out of his eye).
Taking the beam out of your own eye, judging yourself and correcting the problem first will prevent you from being judged by others as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”
Galatians 6:1 gives us more detail on how to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye once the beam is out of your own eye: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Taking the beam out of your own eye is one sign of the spiritual maturity referred to by the phrase “ye which are spiritual.” Taking the speck out of your brother’s eye (any sin/fault) is done in a loving, non-condemning manner with a sincere desire to help your brother.
In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gives us instructions on what to do when the trespass (sin) is against us personally. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church:5 but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.”
Bringing the matter before the church leads us to the next Greek verb (diakrino) that is translated as “judge” in 1 Corinthians 6:5-6. Paul states “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge (diakrino) between his brethren. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.”
The Greek verb “diakrino” in this passage means to determine, give judgment, or decide a dispute. The Corinthian believers were bringing their disputes to be judged in the courts by unbelievers. This is a command to judge or settle disputes within the church instead of going to the court system to settle a civil law dispute.
However, Paul goes even further to state that the preferred method would be to rather take wrong and to allow yourself be defrauded.
What are we commanded to judge? How do we go about judging?
In 1 Corinthians 2:15, Paul states that “he that is spiritual judgeth (anakrino) all things….” The Greek verb is anakrino, which means to judge--as in investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, etc. Notice, we judge all things, not all people.
Anakrino is also the Greek word translated “searched” in Acts 17:11: “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched (anakrino) the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
The Bereans conducted a thorough investigation of what Paul was teaching, scrutinizing every detail by comparing it to the Word of God. We are to judge all teaching from all teachers according to the word of God whether the teaching is the truth, or if it is not (false teaching).
1 Corinthians 14:29 instructs us to judge the words of the prophet or the prophecy. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge (diakrino).” There are two ways to judge or render a decision as to whether what the prophet says is truly from God and not from his own mind.
1. Does the prophesy agree with the Word of God? Does it contradict anything clearly stated?
Jesus tells us that we are to not judge “according to the appearance” but to judge “righteous judgment” in John 7:24. We all know how appearance can be deceiving. We cannot judge the intentions, motivations of the heart or the thoughts of the minds of anyone because only God knows that. God doesn’t judge by appearance because“…the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7.
When we judge according to the Word of God, we are judging with righteous judgment. In reality, we aren’t the ones doing the judging, the Word of God is what judges the teaching or behavior of a person.
Above all, we speak the truth in love “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ.” Ephesians 4:15. Speaking the truth in love--sound doctrine given in a loving manner--is an evidence of maturity in the believer.
2. If the prophesy is actually of a predictive nature--of something to happen in the future, does it come to pass?
God, in Deuteronomy 18:21-22, tells the Israelites how to judge a prophet: “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath NOT spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
If someone proclaims himself to be a prophet or to have the gift of prophecy, what they state as being from God must be 100% accurate. Any less and you can be confident that what they are proclaiming is not the Word of God.
Judging the teachings of False Teachers
What are we commanded to judge? How do we go about judging?
In 1 Corinthians 2:15, Paul states that “he that is spiritual judgeth (anakrino) all things….” The Greek verb is anakrino, which means to judge--as in investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, etc. Notice, we judge all things, not all people.
Anakrino is also the Greek word translated “searched” in Acts 17:11: “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched (anakrino) the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
The Bereans conducted a thorough investigation of what Paul was teaching, scrutinizing every detail by comparing it to the Word of God. We are to judge all teaching from all teachers according to the word of God whether the teaching is the truth, or if it is not (false teaching).
1 Corinthians 14:29 instructs us to judge the words of the prophet or the prophecy. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge (diakrino).” There are two ways to judge or render a decision as to whether what the prophet says is truly from God and not from his own mind.
1. Does the prophesy agree with the Word of God? Does it contradict anything clearly stated?
Jesus tells us that we are to not judge “according to the appearance” but to judge “righteous judgment” in John 7:24. We all know how appearance can be deceiving. We cannot judge the intentions, motivations of the heart or the thoughts of the minds of anyone because only God knows that. God doesn’t judge by appearance because“…the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7.
When we judge according to the Word of God, we are judging with righteous judgment. In reality, we aren’t the ones doing the judging, the Word of God is what judges the teaching or behavior of a person.
Above all, we speak the truth in love “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ.” Ephesians 4:15. Speaking the truth in love--sound doctrine given in a loving manner--is an evidence of maturity in the believer.
2. If the prophesy is actually of a predictive nature--of something to happen in the future, does it come to pass?
God, in Deuteronomy 18:21-22, tells the Israelites how to judge a prophet: “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath NOT spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
If someone proclaims himself to be a prophet or to have the gift of prophecy, what they state as being from God must be 100% accurate. Any less and you can be confident that what they are proclaiming is not the Word of God.
Judging the teachings of False Teachers
Paul warned in Acts 20:29 “after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.” In addition to many references in Paul’s epistles, (Jude 3 & 4), the Apostle John (2 John 7-11), and Peter (2 Peter 2:1-2) all confirm that this indeed did happen and has continued to this day just as Paul warned.
The shepherds of the flock of God--pastors, evangelists, and other teachers of the Word of God need to point out the false teaching and to warn and protect the flock from the false teachers. There are relatively few who actually do this and those who are faithful to do this are often chastised and condemned.
See: Touch Not God's Anointed
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WORKS CITED
1 "krino" def. 1-5. BlueLetterBible.org. Web. 4 July 2011
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2919&t=KJV
2 "anakrino" def. 1. BlueLetterBible.org. Web. 4 July 2011
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G350&t=KJV
3 "diakrino" def. 1-2. BlueLetterBible.org. Web. 4 July 2011
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1252&t=KJV
4 "hypocrite" def. 2-3. BlueLetterBible.org. Web 5 July 2011
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5273&t=KJV
5 The "church" in this passage isn't specifically the Church/Ekklesia as in the Body of Christ. because at this point, it didn't exist. This "called out assembly" would most likely be the synagogue or a specific group of Jewish leaders. However, once the church was born, it would be correct for believers to take it to the Church/Ekklesia of Christ as Paul indeed teaches. For detailed discussion on the Ekklesia of Christ see: The "Church" in the Wilderness
