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.
God doesn't call man to judgement without warning
63-0724 §72
Herod, he never repented when John said, "It's not lawful for you to have that, your brother's wife!" He never repented. But what did he do? His wife required the head of the prophet. Look at the filth he went into. Look what happened to him. Look, even today, in Switzerland, the blue waters of rejecting Him still boils as a commemoration. See, sure, he didn't repent when he was rebuked of the Lord. John told him, no matter what he was (a procurator, or whatever he was; or the emperor, or whoever he might be), he m...
Identification
64-0216 §42
...k into God's mirror, his Word, and identify our present character by some Bible character. (We'll close just in a few minutes, now.) Identify ourself. Now, this is a mirror that you want to do like that little boy did---look into. Let's look into this, and see if we can see ourself reflected with some Bible character. See what they did under certain circumstances, and see what we are doing now. Now get these real close, now, see---what your present character as a Christian is. Now you can judge. That won't make nob...
A Court Trial
64-0412 §14
Now this afternoon I thought it would be no more than right, and after His appearing before us and go through the building and discern the thoughts of the heart... Now I've only used three or four little scriptures with you, which God knows that all scriptures join together. There's not one error in any of it. Not one contradicts the other one. Now, people say it does. I've offered a year's salary to anybody'll show it to me where the Word contradicts itself. It does not contradict itself. If it does, it's no good...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-69
Now where is this book located? Luke 10:17-24, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through Thy Name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. In that hour J...
A Greater than Solomon is here
61-0515 §7
Now, there's gifts of prophesy in the church, but there's a lot of difference between gifts of prophecy and a prophet, see. A gift of prophecy has to stand before three judges and be judged before it could even be given to the church, whether it's right. It could be on this woman tonight, and never come again the rest of her life. Might be on this woman the next night, and that man the next night. See, it's local gifts in the body. But prophecy is a office---a prophet---that's from birth, see. Comes from birth. Jer...