What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, "judge Not, That You Be Not Judged"?
1) Direct Answer
Jesus forbade a harsh, condemning, hypocritical spirit that sets oneself up as the final judge. He called us to judge ourselves first, then help our brother in meekness by the Word. He did not forbid righteous judgment; He forbade self-righteous condemnation.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Matthew 7:1-5: “Judge not… for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.” Then He says, “First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Now notice, He didn’t say leave the mote there; He said get yourself right first, then you can see clearly to help.
- Luke 6:37-38: “Judge not… condemn not… forgive… for with the same measure… it shall be measured to you again.” The issue is the measure and the spirit.
- John 7:24: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” You see, Jesus Himself commands judgment—righteous judgment—according to truth, not appearances.
- Matthew 7:15-20: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Recognizing fruit requires discernment.
- 1 Corinthians 5:1-13: Open sin in the church must be judged inside, not ignored. “Do not ye judge them that are within?” The Word is the standard, and the goal is purity and restoration.
- Galatians 6:1: “If a man be overtaken in a fault… restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself.” That’s judgment with mercy and humility.
- Romans 14:4,13: Don’t set yourself as judge over doubtful matters; don’t put stumbling blocks. God is the Master of His servant.
- James 4:11-12: There is one Lawgiver and Judge. We don’t usurp God’s throne.
- 1 Corinthians 11:31: “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” Self-judgment comes first.
- Matthew 18:15-17: Private correction, then witnesses, then the church. That is righteous, ordered judgment for the purpose of winning a brother.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- If “judge not” meant never make any judgment, you could not obey “by their fruits ye shall know them,” nor protect the flock, nor correct error. So Jesus is not banning discernment; He is banning hypocrisy and condemnation.
- The standard we use will be used on us. If we deal in mercy and truth, we will meet mercy and truth. If we deal in hard, fleshly criticism, we invite the same on ourselves.
- We never pronounce the final sentence on a soul—that belongs to God. But we do discern doctrine, conduct, and fruit by the Scripture for restoration and protection.
- Start at the mirror. Clean the beam out first. Then, with meekness, help remove the mote. The Word is the measure; love is the motive; restoration is the aim.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Judge yourself by the Word, walk in mercy and truth, and when judgment is required, let it be righteous—Scripture-based, Spirit-led, humble, and aimed at redemption, not destruction.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Key to the door
62-1007 §72
Now, if you walk upright and claim yourself to be a Christian, we invite you tonight to the table of the Lord. Today, no doubt, the communion has been taken across the nation, some of them in one way and some in another. But I think the best way to do it is follow the Scriptures, just the way they did it in the Scriptures. I think that would be sufficient. Do you have your Bible, Brother Neville? Brother Neville will now read the Scriptures. [Brother Neville says, "In the 11th chapter of I Corinthians, beginning at...
Perfection
57-0419 §25
Then he's already judged. You don't have to worry about judgment. As I turn and look at that little crucifix, I realize that that represents His body. And now that body has already been judged. God can't justly judge it again, for it's already judged. God struck the judgments of death upon that body. And as long as I can find a way to get hid in that body! His judgment was struck for me and for you. We are free! Romans 8:1, said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that walk no...
Sirs, we would see Jesus
60-0109 §1
Thank you very much, Brother Palmer. Good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be here in Tifton, Georgia, again tonight, but little did I ever know that I'd be taking the judge's place. I am coming to represent the judge tonight---the Judge of heaven. And I'm thinking, as I walked in the door, and looked at this people, and the way they were situated, to know this---that one day there will come a time where we will all meet again, if we never meet no more until then, and we'll be at another judgment seat. And the...
The great servant Moses
55-0122 §25
When sickness begins to gather, breathe that name of Jesus. What is it? It's God's representative of judgment. Christ already judged for your sins; Christ already judged for your temptation; Christ already judged for your sickness. See what I mean? It was God's judgment rod. And as long as that rod waved on, it was judgment. Moses, that night, after leading the children of Israel out, and there came Pharaoh's army, the pillar of fire went down and hung between Pharaoh and pursuing army, and Israel. It made light to...
Questions and Answers
59-0628E §37
Now, just in a few minutes I'm going to get to that same question, if we get to it, because it's the same order of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost; because you are professing something, and playing the part of hypocrite with it, when you should not be doing it. All right! Let me finish this then, see, and then we will stop. For this cause many are sick and weakly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should...