Judging Properly

I Corinthians 6:9-10 reminds us, “…the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”  Unfortunately, the modern church has frequently forgotten this fact, focusing on the command in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” 

 They ignore the rest of what Jesus said in the same passage, that we will be judged according to how we have judged others.  Matthew 7:2-5 says, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”  Jesus was not saying that we are not to judge, but to make sure of our own rightness before we judge others because we will be judged by the same standards.  Romans 2:1 warns, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”

 In John 7:24, Jesus commanded, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”  We are to find out the facts before making judgments.  For example, God was very specific that a murderer was to be executed, in Leviticus 24:17.  “And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.”  At the same time, God recognized that a person may not have intended to commit murder, and made provision for such a case, in Numbers 35:15-25.  “These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.   And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.  But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;  Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.”

But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.”

They were to examine the facts and determine whether the person intended to kill or if it was unintentional.  If intentional, they were to execute the person without question, but if unintentional, he could go to the city of refuge, and as long as he remained there, he was protected.  If he killed someone trying to protect lives or property, there was to be no penalty, as Exodus 22:2 tells us.  “If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.”  They needed to know the facts to decide what the penalty should be.  Similarly, we need to learn the facts before we rush to condemn someone else. 

From time to time, problems arise in the church, and we need to learn how to deal with them properly.  The scriptures give very clear guidelines on how we should deal with them.  We will examine them in the next couple of posts.