New Hope Fellowship
Do Not Judge
This may be the most often-misused verse in the entire Bible. Modern culture garbles this comment into a command to never disapprove or correct the actions of another. This mishandling of Christ's words is out of context three times over. First and foremost, Christ does not say "never judge," He warns that there is a consequence to judgment. Second, this statement is immediately followed by instructions from Christ on the proper way to use judgment. Third, Jesus' other teachings explicitly indicate that right judgment is necessary (John 7:24), while hypocritical or shallow judgment is wrong.
Locations & Times
New Hope Fellowship
5919 Antire Rd, High Ridge, MO 63049, USA
Sunday 5:00 AM
Always interpret scripture in its immediate context.
Eisegesis: Literally means “to lead into.”
Always interpret scripture in light of the whole counsel of scripture
“It’s one thing to exercise judgment; its quite another to have a judgmental attitude.” - The Holman New Testament Commentary
Righteous judgement is ALWAYS redemptive, never condemning
ἀδελφός, adelphos, literally translated brother, fellow countryman, neighbor; by extension a fellow believer in the family of faith, a member of the Christian community
Examine my own heart first
Ask God for ability to say the right thing, at the right time in the right way.
Then you can help your brother and sister