Judge Not or Judge All Things?

There was an article in an April, 2000, issue of the Berean Searchlight by C.R. Stam called “Judge Not – Judge All Things.” Check that out if you want to dive into this subject more deeply.

There is a sense in which we are to judge not and there is a sense in which we are to judge all things. Paul says, I judge not mine own self (1 Cor. 4:3) and yet he also says, if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (1 Cor. 11:31).

Wait. What? So… which is it?

Let’s start with Romans 14. We have here friction between believers in the matter of eating meats offered to idols. Paul would write in Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. When brethren differ on a minor matter like this, they should not hate each other over this, nor should they be judgmental about the other person who’s chosen to eat or not to eat meats offered to idols.

Plus, it’s the mature believer with the better understanding of Scripture, who knows that “every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:4) – that mature believer should not be critical and hateful toward the weaker brother who still needs to grow in grace and come to a greater understanding of the liberties he has in Christ.

Then, Paul says in Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Then, he’d conclude his argument in Rom 14:13 by saying, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” It is the mature believer who should not be judgmental of the person but judges the matter itself, and he’s to exercise spiritual discernment in this matter and give up his liberty so as to not offend the weaker brother until he grows in grace.

And further, with respect to the Corinthians suing each other in 1 Cor. 6, before Paul even got to addressing that matter, he would tell them in 1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. In other words, the spiritual man discerns all things. He is able to apply the truth of Scripture and the sound doctrines of grace to all the circumstances of his life, which is what makes him able to spiritually judge all things. It’s not that he knows all things but that he has a proper spiritual perspective about all things.

Then Paul would write, yet he himself is judged of no man. A man who has a proper spiritual perspective on life, who can spiritually discern all things, who walks in the Spirit according to the sound doctrines of grace, that person would not fall under any valid condemnation for egregious sins. He is condemned of no one for his walk.

This is why Paul would say in 1Co 6:5 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 between his brethren? It’s not that they’re being judgmental of the brethren but that they should have the spiritual discernment to judge between the brethren.

Stam would write, “Thus God calls upon His people, not merely to judge others, but to be such as are qualified, morally and spiritually, to judge in matters concerning truth and error or right conduct and wrong.”

Not only that, there are varying levels of discernment about our service to God. Consider Rom. 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. Notice there are 3 levels of discernment as we renew our minds. We can through growth be able to distinguish between three levels of quality in our service: that which is good, acceptable, and perfect, in fulfilling the will of God.

How would we know the difference between those levels of service, between what is acceptable, good, or perfect? Paul gives us examples later in the chapter. He says in Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. If you have an enemy and you choose to not avenge yourself, that’s acceptable. If you give place to your own wrath, that’s very good. But if you do good to that enemy, giving him food if he’s hungry, and in so doing you’ve heaped coals of fire on his head, then you have exhibited the perfect will of God by exhibiting His grace to your enemy.

We’ve made the point, too, that spiritual leaders in a local assembly, not just the pastors but also the elders, are designated overseers, protectors of the flock in the assembly, and they are to be spiritually discerning when it comes to egregious sins in the assembly, because as Paul told the Corinthians in chapter 5 in the matter related to fornication and the boy sleeping with his step mother, 1Co_5:6 Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 1Co_5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. The spiritual leaders, the overseers in an assembly, have a responsibility to protect the flock by addressing egregious sins because if they don’t, then sin will spread like cancer.

Turning a blind eye to egregious sins, tolerating egregious sins, excusing egregious sins, is on a par with endorsing those sins, permitting those sins to run rampant among the flock. Then everyone will feel free to indulge the flesh. Next thing you know, that whole assembly will be no better than the carnal Corinthians.

The overseers must purge out that leaven, excommunicate those committing egregious sins, but as I’ve pointed out many times, excommunication is always with a view to reconciliation and restoration of a believer after he repented, which is repent in the sense of changing his mind about that sin.

In 1 Tim. 5, we also have instructions about how to handle an accusation against an elder. That must be investigated and addressed without partiality. Correction has its place in the local assembly, but believers have to be discerning about the difference between right and wrong, between big matters and small matters (we cannot major on the minors), and also discerning about the manner in which that correction is handled with others.

Gal. 6:1 tells us, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. We restore that believer in a spirit of meekness, which is not weakness but strength under control, a softness of temper, mildness, gentleness, forbearance through injuries and provocations. We, in all humility, convince that one of his or her sin. We persuade through gentleness to that one to return to a proper walk as a believer, and having recovered that person, having restored that one overtaken in a fault, we confirm our love. This is to be done, not in wrath and anger, or as those who triumph over a brother’s fall, but in the spirit of meekness, as those who rather mourn for them with calmness and tenderness, sincere affection and concern for the welfare of that individual. We address that fault in that tone, because we’re to consider thyself, lest thou also be tempted. We ought not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think and we deal tenderly with those who are overtaken in sin, because we know we can also be tempted and be overcome by a temptation; and therefore, if we consider ourselves rightly, we will treat that individual rightly with the tenderness and love that becometh a saint.

This brings us to the next point.

We have to judge ourselves, examine ourselves, which is not to be confused with what Paul said in defense of his own apostleship in 1 Cor. 4. Paul said in 1 Cor. 4:3, “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.” Their judgments of him, how well he spoke and wrote, how he established churches, and the doctrines he taught were of zero consequence to Paul, because he is God’s steward of His mysteries. If Paul misspoke or did something wrong, it’s God Himself who would deal with him in real time, not the Corinthians. So, Paul doesn’t even judge himself. He does what he’s told and allows God to deal with him personally if he made mistakes.

In those days, God would deal with him personally as he did in 2 Cor. 12 when He told him that His grace was sufficient. But when it comes to judging ourselves, Paul says we’re to examine ourselves in 1 Cor. 11:28. Later in 1Co 11:31, Paul writes, For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, which reiterates the same principle in 1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. We reckon as true what God made us in Christ and then we judge how well we’re aligning our earthly walk with our heavenly identity. The spiritual man discerns all things, which includes solid discernment about his own walk. He applies the truth of Scripture and the sound doctrines of grace to all the circumstances of his life, and thus, we should not be judged. We would not fall under valid condemnation for egregious sins.

So our growth in spiritual discernment about problems that come up in life is crucial because that’s going to be our job when we occupy our heavenly seats.