“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” – Matthew 7:1-5

There appears to be a great deal of confusion on the issue of judging, even among Christians. “Judge not lest you be judged” seems to be one of the most popular Bible verses in our culture today and this is often the typical reply when a teacher is called to accountability or the message of a ministry is evaluated. But most people who quote this verse don’t understand what Jesus said. They seem to think that He commanded us to accept all lifestyles and teachings without any examination. They are not open to let the Lord have His full say in this matter. What did Jesus mean by those words? Is He saying that it is never proper for us to judge, in any sense, or for any reason?

The Greek word for “judge” (in this passage) is krino, and it has the meaning of condemning someone. The Bible teaches that only God can perform this kind of judgment and it is certainly wrong to point your finger at someone in a condemning manner. God is the ultimate judge and He alone can know a person’s heart and intentions...