Judge Nothing Before the Time

I Corinthians 4:1-7

Before attending Baptist Bible College, I earned a math degree at a secular college. A number of the required classes promoted an atheistic and evolutionary philosophy as the only possible truth. Several well known authors writings were read and discussed as definitely supporting Darwins Origin of Species. One writer, a doctor who had spent several years in Africa was especially stressed. His viewpoint was definitely atheistic, and very racially prejudiced.

Afte completing my degree, I went to Bible college, enrolling in the missions course. One of the requirements was to read four specific books about some of the greatest missionaries to increase our understanding and burden for missions. Imagine my surprise when one of the books turned out to ber about a missionary doctor by the same name who had served for several years in Africa. The missions department would never recommend such a man as a missionary, so it had to be sombody of the same name.

After completing the book, I did further research and discovered that the dates of service in Africa were the same, and he mentioned several of the same events. The real shocker was discovering that the missionary was sponsored by the same organisation. It appeared to be the same man. I was troubled that such a man was named as one of the greatest missionaries of all time.

Years later, I ran across a copy of the journal of a second of those "greatest missionaries". In it, the missionary constantly complained about having to work among such an inferior people who were unable to cook what he considered proper meals or launder his clothes in a fashion he was accustomed to. There were numerous days in which he reported praying for 4-6 hours and "the skies were brass and the Lord did not answer." Deuteronomy 28:23 is the only reference to this condition, when God warns that if they get so far from God, he will cause the heaven to be like brass and God will not hear them. Perhaps obedience would have made his prayers more effective.

I suspect that those wo selcted these two as great missionaries had never checked beyond the superficial reporting to discover what they had actually done, and as Proverbs 18:13 says, "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."

In I Corinthians 4:1-5, Paul makes the following instructions. "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

We cannot make valid judgements when we lack sufficient information. How can we judge what a man has done, without knowing more than we know about him. He is a minister of Christ and as long as he is faithful, we really have no way of judging, as we do not know his exact job, as Romans 14:4 points out. God is the only one qualified to judge him.

Paul says that the peoples judgement means very little, as he is unable to even judge himself, much less anyone else. A valid judgement will not be possible until God shows us the things we can't see. Havingserved as a missionary for several years, I can state definitly that some of those who are promoted as the greatest have never even spent time on the field, merely taking credit for other men's labour. Others have done serious harm to the mission work.

Christians in the church, whether pastor, teacher, or just church goer, are equally difficult to judge. How many so called "Great Christians" have turned out to be abusive, or adulterers, or embezzlers? Remember that the Lord looks on the heart, not the outward appearance. Appearance is not everything. Such judgements prove our own lack of spiritual discernment. Needless to say, I cannot recommend David Brainerd and David Livingstone as the greatest missionary examples. I don't know what they actually did, but I have reason to question their claims. I am no better qualified to judge other's claims. This is exactly what Paul tells us in the next two verses.

"And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (I Corinthians 4:6-7)