God's people are to exercise fairness and impartiality when called upon to exercise judgment in legal or church matters. However, the temptation to pass judgment upon the life or testimony of other individuals is clearly warned against.
Judging others in a legal situation
Fairness and impartiality are required by God
Deuteronomy 16:18–20 See also Exodus 23:6–7; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:16–17; Proverbs 24:23; Ezekiel 18:5–8
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Pursue justice, and justice alone, so that you may live, and you may possess the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Judges are appointed by God
1 Kings 3:28 See also Exodus 18:13–16; 1 Samuel 7:15, 1 Samuel 12:1–4
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
Jesus Christ refuses to judge others
John 8:3–11 See also Luke 12:13–14; John 7:24, John 8:15–16
Judging others in the church
Judgmental attitudes condemned
Matthew 7:1–5 parallel Luke 6:37–42 See also Romans 2:1–3, Romans 14:1–13; Colossians 2:16; James 2:1–4, James 4:11–12
“Do not judge, or you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
A discerning attitude commended
1 Corinthians 5:12–13 See also 1 Corinthians 5:1–5, 1 Corinthians 6:1–6
What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
Evaluation of ministries commended
Matthew 7:15–20 See also 2 Corinthians 11:10–15; Philippians 3:2
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.