Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged.

There are two verses that we hear about frequently.

(1) 1 Timothy 5: 23 seem to be a favorite Scripture for some.

Paul had written to Timothy, who had a stomach condition, and he said to him, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.”

It is obvious from this verse of Scripture Paul is addressing a physical problem that Timothy had.

From what we read in the scriptures, it had to do with a stomach problem, but he also had other infirmities bothering him. He specifically told him, “DRINK NO LONGER WATER.”

Illus: Often, those who go to foreign countries have to buy water to drink because the water is so contaminated that if they drink it, it will cause some serious pain in their stomach and some other related problems.

This could be the situation with Timothy. Possibly the water was contaminated, and was causing Timothy some serious problems.

But generally when this verse is quoted by some you hear these words only “…Use a little wine….”

They never put this verse of Scripture in the context that Paul knew Timothy had a stomach condition, and he knew of the other infirmities that seemed to be from drinking the water.

Perhaps Timothy had shared with Paul about this physical problem he was having, and how it was preventing him from being the best he could be for the Lord. So perhaps after Timothy told Paul of this condition, Paul told him to drink a little wine for medicinal purposes for this stomach condition.

Alcohol in the days of Paul, like today, was used for medicinal purposes. But those things that are used for medicinal purposes can also be abused. Many medications are abused!

But notice, Paul makes a point to mention that he was to, “…Use a LITTLE wine….”

Illus: For example, NyQuil contains alcohol, and if you drink enough of it, it will make you really enjoy your cold.

There are folks who do not care a thing about what the Bible teaches, but when it is convenient, they do not mind taking a Scripture out of context and using it to promote something they want to promote.

(2) Matthew 7:1-2 is another favorite verse of scripture that is used by folks who know very little about the Bible.

For example, verses 1-2, are often used to forbid ALL MANNER OF JUDGMENT.

Look at Matthew 7:1-2, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

The Bible specifically states we are to “Judge Not”. Is that verse of Scripture teaching us that under no circumstances are we to pass judgment on anyone?

• No, if that verse is teaching that, the Lord could not be the sinless Son of God, because he often judged people to be hypocrites.

• If that is what the Bible is teaching, then it would be wrong for us to discipline church members as the Bible teaches, because we would be judging them. But Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, in 1 Cor. 5, about a morality problem within the church, and even though he was not there, he had heard enough evidence of what was taking place that he said he already had judged this individual.

• If that is what the Bible is teaching, the apostle Paul could not have been the man of God we think he was, because he often judged people as false teachers and spoke out against them.

There are those who do not care a thing about what this Bible teaches most of the time, but when it is convenient, they are quick to quote Matthew 7:1 and say, “Judge not!”

If you believe the Bible is teaching against all kinds of judging, you have a serious problem.

For example, if the Lord is teaching we are not to judge, it would be wrong for us to serve on a jury. Why? Because that is what a jury does, they take the evidence that is placed before them and they pass judgment on someone.

WHAT DID THE LORD MEAN WHEN HE TOLD US TO JUDGE NOT?

As we look at this matter of judging we need to look at two different ways we can judge people. One kind the Lord is pleased with, but there is one kind of judging the Lord speaks out against.

Let’s look at:

I. IMPROPER JUDGING

It is so easy for us to improperly judge someone.

Illus: A lady was at the airport checking in her luggage. After she had completed checking in her luggage, she had a couple of hours to wait for her departure. She decided she would go and get her a drink and a pack of cookies. She got her drink and a pack of cookies, and bought a magazine, and went and found a seat. As she sat down and began to read her magazine, an elderly gentleman came and sat in the same row of seats, leaving an empty seat between the two of them. She opened her magazine and got into some heavy reading. She reached over to the empty chair and pulled a cookie out of the bag and began to eat it. In a few minutes however, she noticed the elderly gentleman sitting near her reached in the same bag an got himself a cookie also. She thought to herself, “The nerve of this fellow”. She continued reading, and in a few minutes she reached over and got another cookie, and the elderly man looked at her and smiled at her. She hardly got her hand out of the bag, when he reached over and took another cookie also. She thought to herself, “The nerve of this fellow, I am getting ready to tell this man what I think of him.” But she kept reading her magazine and never said a word to him, but gave him some awful mean looks. Finally there was only one cookie left, and he reached over and took it. She was so aggravated that she got her purse and moved as far away as she could get from him.