Are We To Judge?
Let’s start off this article by asking a very simple question. Is it possible to have safety without judgment?
Luke 12:57 Jesus asks “Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?”
Can we be assured that we will not be deceived, if we just trust everyone at their word? Anything that is thought to the contrary would fall under the category of judgment wouldn’t it? If we choose NOT to take everything people say and do at face value and require a bit of integrity proof and mature discernment, then we ascribe to a little thing the Bible calls “righteous judgment.”
John 7:24 Jesus says: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge a righteous judgment.”
Proverbs 31:9 “Speak up and judge fairly: defend the rights of the poor and the needy.”
Jesus tells Peter this in Matt 16:19 “You will be given the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in Heaven.”
This word “bind” in the Greek is “deo,” Strongs #G1210 and it means what you think it means: to bind, be in bonds. Loose is “luo,” Strong’s #G3089 and it means: to loosen, untie, or unbind.
Matt 12:29 Jesus says Mark 3:27: “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind up the strong man and then he will spoil his house.”
Matt 13:30 Jesus speaking of the harvest at the end of the age says: “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn.”
Matt 22:13 Jesus speaking about the Kingdom and the Judgment of the end of the age says: “Then said the King to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 13:16 the words bind and loose are both used: “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”
This power to “bind and loose” was indeed given to Peter by Jesus, right after Jesus told him that he was rightly called Peter “Petros” (a piece of a rock, a pebble or stone).
Matt 16:18 “I say into thee, that thou art Peter “Petros” and upon this Rock “Petra” (a massive or mass of rock) I will build My Church “ekklesia”, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” Petros: Strong’s# G4074 Petra: Strong’s # G4073
Petra in this verse, the ROCK that Jesus was building His church (ekklesia) upon was nothing more than the revelation His Father in Heaven had just given Peter about WHO Jesus was.
Matt 16:16–18 “And Simon Peter answered Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but My Father which is in Heaven.”
And I say into thee, that thou art Peter “Petros” and upon this Rock “Petra” (a massive or mass of rock) I will build My Church “ekklesia,” and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.”
The reader must consider the argument that, if someone is given the power to bind or to loosen whatsoever; they are given the ability to “judge,” whatsoever. They are given the responsibility to decide whatsoever will be bound by the repercussions of breaking the law, and whatsoever will be loosened from the repercussions of breaking the law. Paul said this type of authority was given to him and those ministering with him.
2 Cor 10:8 “For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.”
We know that Paul possessed this power to “bind and loose,” by the very judgments we see him pronounce in scripture, and the council he gives us all on how to judge a righteous judgment among those of us who say they believe.
1 Cor 5:1–13 “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, the he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have I judged already as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to keep company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of this world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company with any man that is called a brother and be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one do not even eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge those that are within? Them that are without, God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
Paul is actually reprimanding the Corinthian church for their complete lack of judgment!
1 Cor 6:4–6 “So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church? I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!”
2 Cor 10:5 says “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and having a readiness to avenge against all disobedience when your obedience is complete.”
The only people in scripture that are given this ability to “bind and loose” or rather to judge a righteous judgment, are those that have by reason of use and application have become complete in their obedience.
Paul passed judgment on men that proclaimed to be believers, but lived a life contrary to the teachings of Christ. For example: Hymenaeus and Alexander whom Paul said he had delivered up to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Tim 1:20, 2 Tim 2:17. Let us also look at what the apostle John had to say about this gentleman name Diotrephes.
3 John 1:9–10 “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”
1 Cor 2:15–16 says: “But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But We have the mind of Christ.”
Matt 7:5 Jesus says: “You hypocrites!! FIRST remove the plank from your own eye and THEN you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Jude 1:14–15 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Matt 13:37–43 Jesus explains the parable of the field and the sower: “He that sowed the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seeds are the children of the Kingdom but the tares are the children of evil and the enemy that sowed them is the Devil, the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels,(the word “angel” in Greek is “aggelos” and it means; the messengers of God, the “One’s Sent” with a message from God) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Is it starting to make sense to you yet?
Matt 16:27 Jesus says: “The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels (messengers): and then He shall reward everyone according to their works.”
It is important for the reader to understand that in scripture there are recordings of incidences of both celestial angels and terrestrial angels. Meaning, there are spiritual angels and physical angels. Remember: Angel means: messenger, one sent by God.
Hebrew 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
1 Cor 6:1–4 “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.”
Matt 19:28 Jesus says: “You shall sit upon 12 thrones judging the Twelve tribes of Israel.”
Luke 22:29–30 Jesus says: “And I appoint to you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me. That you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom and sit upon thrones judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel.”
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
This word “Try” in Greek is “dokimazo” and it means; to test, to approve, examine or to prove or discern.
Titus 2:15 “These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”
We must all judge a righteous judgment when it comes to the people that we associate with. As you can see from previous scripture; the lack of proper judgment can leaven the entire lump.
Paul had to make an example of these men in scripture to show that it is impossible to represent God and retain a standard of godliness if you keep ungodly people in your immediate circle.
Even we that are parents know the importance of judging our children’s friends properly. We naturally watch for signs of rebellion in their friends to see if these are healthy associations for our children. We as overseers, at whatever level we are called, whether it be in ministry or in family oversight, need to be willing to judge a righteous judgement; to ensure the spiritual productivity and safety of our fellowship with others.
Let us all strive to make our obedience complete, that we may be good and acceptable shepherds in the Kingdom of our God. 2 Cor 10:6
God Bless!
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