Are We To Judge?

Christians Are Not Called To Condemn

The first I will attempt to draw out is "krino." According to the Strong's Concordance:

2919 krino {kree'-no}

to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose
to approve, esteem, to prefer
to be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion
to determine, resolve, decree
to judge
1. to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong
  1. to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one's case may be examined and judgment passed upon it
2. to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure
  1. of those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds and words of others
to rule, govern
1. to preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings and rulers to pass judgment
b1) to go to law, have suit at law

As you can see this word is used to portray a passing of judgment in condemnation. These following verses are some of the ones in the New Testament that use this Greek word.

Mt 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.

Mt 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, [thou] wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

John 3:17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn (2919-krino) the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned (2919-krino): but he that believeth not is condemned (2919-krino) already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. John 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

John 8:50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

John 12:47-48 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

John 18:31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

I think that you should be getting the picture from these verses. We are not to pass judgment on any man in a judicial sense. Jesus Himself as the savior of the world was not here on the earth to pass judgment, either. Judicial passing of judgment is given to the Father and to the Son as He sits at the Fathers right hand in the final judgment. The Word also says that we who overcome will sit with him on His throne and judge the world. That is why Paul warned us not to "jump the gun" on becoming judgmental of one another when he said:

1Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

James wrote with much the same warning:

James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

In all these verses the Greek word used for "judge" is "krino." This type of judgment is driven by self righteousness and not by the heart of God. The very thing that we judge and condemn another of, we are guilty of. When some Samaritans forbid Jesus to enter their village, James and John "The Sons of Thunder" as Jesus called them had an "instant trial, sentence and execution" in mind in their zeal for the Lord, but look at the Lord's reply and learn.

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, YE KNOW NOT WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YE ARE OF. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save [them]. And they went to another village.

These disciples were guilty of "judging before the time." They weren't content to wait "until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." They were not acting by the leading of the Holy Spirit, but were of the other spirit and he (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning.

Now that we have seen the council of the scriptures about passing condemning judgment on one another, let's look at the matter of discernment.

We Who Are Spiritual Are Called To Discern

The second Greek word that was translated "judge" in the King James version is "diakrino." Its meaning is as follows:

1252 diakrino {dee-ak-ree'-no}

to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer
to learn by discrimination, to try, decide
to withdraw from one, desert
to separate one's self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend
to be at variance with one's self, hesitate, doubt

As you can see this is a weakened form of "krino" that means to discriminate or make a determination but because of the previous verses forbidding the "passing judgment" aspect it is not used this way in the scriptures. The following verses are ones where this word was used:

(Matthew 16:2,3, KJV) 2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern(1252- diakrino) the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

1Corinthians 6:5 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 (discern, 1252- diakrino) between his brethren?

1Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge (diakrino- discern) ourselves, we should not be judged (krino- condemned).

1Corinthians 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge (diakrino- discern).

(Jude 1:20-23, KJV) 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST UNTO ETERNAL LIFE. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference (diakrino- discernment): 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

1 Corinthians 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning (diakrisis) of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

As you can see, part of walking in the Spirit of God is to discern all men and all spirits to see "what spirit they are of" so that we can keep the body of Christ pure, edified and free of the false teachers, false shepherds, false prophets, and false Christs (annointings). When we fail to take someone to task and correct them in their delusions, we lose that person to the great counterfeiter and father of lies and we allow others to be deluded by their workings in our midst.

The final word that I would have you consider is the Greek word "anakrino." The Strong's concordance defines it as follows:

350 anakrino {an-ak-ree'-no}

examine or judge
1. to investigate, examine, inquire into, scrutinize, sift, question
  1. specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation
  2. to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses
2. to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing

The following verses use this word.

Luke 23:14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined (anakrino) [him] before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched (anakrino- examined) the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

1Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned (anakrino).

1Corinthians 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth (anakrino- discerns) all things, yet he himself is judged (anakrino- discerned) of no (natural) man.

1Corinthians 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth (anakrino- examines) me is the Lord.

1Corinthians 14:24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or [one] unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged (anakrino- examined) of all:

As you can see, we who are spiritual and walking in the Spirit are to examine and discern all things and at the same time the worldly don't have a clue where we are coming from.

I hope this helps you to see what we are to do in the body of Christ and what we are forbidden to do. Let all things be done unto spiritual edification, my brothers and sisters. Always ask Jesus to search your heart's motive first to see if you are walking in faith and then let you who are spiritual search out and discern the motives and spirits of all men so that they might be commended or corrected and placed back on the right path with Jesus as their true Shepherd.

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