03.28. Romans 14:10-13 Do Not Judge One Another
Rom 14:10-13 MKJV But why do you judge your brother? Or also why do you despise your brother? For all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each one of us will give account concerning himself to God. Then let us not judge one another any more, but rather judge this, not to put a stumbling-block or an offense toward his brother.
We are not judges – Christ alone is the Judge and we will all stand before Him. And we will be judged with the same judgment with which we have judged others – so let us not judge anyone at all!
Weighing up how “spiritual” another Christian is, or judging their walk with God, is very common in some evangelical circles – but is completely wrong! We are not the judges of another Christian! It is simply not our business to make evaluations of how they observe the Sabbath, or about the food they eat or the clothes they wear or the music that they listen to!
There are three different Greek words that are often translated “judge” - the first is “krino” and is a judicial word meaning (according to Thayer’s Lexicon): to judge, to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong, to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined and judgment passed upon it, to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure. Of those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds and words of others
Thus “krino” means to judge absolutely, to criticize, to take the whole person and say they are good or bad because of some factor. Only God can do this, and Christians are totally forbidden from making “krino” style absolute judgments about each other. The second word is “diakrino” which means to “discern” and is used in a positive sense of self-judgment and personal inspection. Thayer’s defines it as “discrimination” (in the positive sense as in a discriminating purchaser of antiques): to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer, to learn by discrimination, to try, decide The other Greek word is “dokimazo” – which means to test or approve: to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals, to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy. This is necessary part of spiritual wisdom ’testing the spirits” (1Jn 4:1) and deciding between true and false doctrine. Gullibility is not a fruit of the Spirit! Nevertheless this is testing with the expectation that good will be found in the end. It is hopeful testing rather than destructive testing.
While Christians are to have active minds and alive critical faculties they are to be used constructively for rooting out sin and weakness within one’s own heart and to test doctrines and spirits in a constructive and kind (but wise) fashion.
What Paul is against is the sort of pompous judging of other Christians that contains a large measure of contempt or disapproval: Or also why do you despise your brother? We commonly see this contempt with respect to “other denominations”: “those bible-bashing Baptists” “the chosen frozen”, “the crazy charismatics” and so on and so forth. Such talk violates the spirit of Christ and makes judgments that we should not be making!
Paul asks us to have a bit more humility and to remember that each of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each one of us will give account concerning himself to God.
Now this judgment by Christ is not a judgment as to our salvation (which was accomplished when we believed) but for our reward, and as an assessment of how we have lived our lives here on earth in obedience to Christ’s commandments (1Co 3:10-15). It is our “giving an account” of how we served the Lord (Rom 14:12).
2Co 5:10 MKJV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad.
1Co 3:12-15 MKJV And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each one’s work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one’s work as to what kind it is. If anyone’s work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. If anyone’s work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
Jesus tells us that when we give our account the measure used to judge us – will be the measure that we used to judge others! O pity the strict, harsh, impatient and unkind souls on that Day!
Mat 7:1-5 MKJV Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again. And why do you look on the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast the splinter out of your brother’s eye.
Many who think they were “right” in judgment will be found wrong in love, mercy and compassion – which are the greatest of all!
Judging people causes them to become discouraged. Disapproval is an obstacle to fellowship and to Christian growth. Rather God wants a community of encouragers! So Paul says: Then let us not judge one another any more, but rather judge this, not to put a stumbling-block or an offense toward his brother. Let’s get out of the way of the growth of the saints – and stop judging one another!