As for the case to judge, the Apostle Paul condemns the church at Corinth for failing to judge and dis-fellowship a church member who was having sex with his stepmother - read the fifth chapter of I Corinthians. I am not addressing here the particular process that should have been executed by the leadership of the church of Corinth - that is an entirely complete study in itself. However, it is crystal clear that the Apostle Paul is condemning this church because of their lack of judging: I Corinthians 5:3 “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed.”

If we move to the very next chapter of I Corinthians (chapter six), we have the Apostle Paul rebuking Christians for being so quick to take each other to court. This behavior showed the ungodly judges that the Christians were not wise/mature enough to resolve various matters within the body of Christ. One of the remedies the Apostle Paul gives is for these Christians to judge these matters among themselves. Further, if the church leaders were incapable of judging, Paul says to let those not highly esteemed judge matters of disputation between Christians (see I Corinthians 6: 3-4).

Not only does the Bible tell us to rightly (correctly) judge all things (I Thessalonians 5:21), but the Bible goes even further to tell us to contend (stand up for, fight for) the faith (biblical Christianity) in Jude 3.

The love of God in a Christian’s heart does not make one accommodating to false doctrines. On the contrary, the love of God constrains us to help people out of the darkness of false belief systems.

Now, let’s answer the question of what Jesus meant by “Judge not” in Matthew 7:1. Look at the context of Matthew 7:1-5 printed below for your convenience:

Judge not, that ye be not judge.
For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, 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.

Jesus is simply saying don’t judge hypocritically. Metaphorically, if I have a long beam hanging from my eye, I am not in a position to pick a mote (a twig or piece of straw) from another Christians eye.

A prevalent example of the above passage are the supposed Christians who continue to live a sinful life, yet refuse to attend church on a regular basis (as the Bible prescribes in Hebrews 10:25). Their reason for not attending church is that, at every church they have gone to or heard about, the Christians are hypocrites.

So, the next time someone retorts “Judge not…”
point them to the scriptures in this article.
Just A Brother