This week in our sermon series we examine whether or not the Bible says/teaches “Do Not Judge”. A lot of get our claim from the passage below.

“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye?5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:1-6 CSB

The statement made by Jesus in Matthew 7:1-6 should be enough to end the conversation on whether or not Christian brothers or sisters should judge. There’s no need for a sermon on the topic, right? The word judge (krino (Greek)) means to determine salvation of a person. To judge means decide guilt or innocence and to arrive at a verdict. That is being both lawyer and judge and in this passage Jesus is primarily speaking to hypocrites. But from this we have a culture that exists today where people have taken this saying of “Do Not Judge” to mean “Don’t tell me I’m wrong”. There is a great difference between trying a case and giving a verdict. I would be totally fine if I got a speeding ticket and the judge simply told me “Hey you were speeding” and I walked out of court. That means I avoid a sentence and verdict and I’m only told about the wrong I did. But if I get a fine to pay that is a different story. In our text of 1 Cor. 5:1-13, we will see that God has set up the family of the church as a means of holding each other accountable. Not for the sake of each other’s judgment but the salvation of every believer.

As Christians we are called to hold each other accountable for our individual salvation and for the proper upkeep of the body.

1 Corinthians 5 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this? 3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.