Those of us who are committed to the authority of Scripture (see my article entitled, "What is Your Ultimate Authority?") will almost certainly recognize the following commandment: "Judge not, that you be not judged." (Matt. 7:1) Sounds clear enough, right?

Well, the truth of the matter is that it isn't as simple as it may seem. In just a few verses, we are given another commandment: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." (Matt. 7:6) It only takes a moment of reflection to realize that this particular commandment requires a kind of judgment. The same can be said of other passages, such as I Cor. 5:9-13. How do we sort all this out?

If we read Matt. 7:2, however, we discover that we are given a reason for the commandment in the preceding verse. That reason is that in the same way we judge others, we too will be judged. The implication here is that only a certain kind of judgment is prohibited. But what kind of judgment is in view here?

The fact that the Scriptures command us many times to make value judgments tells us that this is not what is in view in Matt. 7:1. We are to hold people to a certain standard of conduct in the context of the church, as in I Cor. 5:9-13. Outside the church, we cannot expect to hold unbelievers to a biblical standard of conduct, although we should hold them to whatever portion of civil law that does not violate Scripture. We need to have a certain minimum standard in society in order to have civilization, especially one which holds people to the preservation of life and an orderly society, and which provides for the freedom of individuals to pursue meaning in life.

A thorough search of the Scriptures will yield more details on the kind of judgment that is prohibited. It is the kind that involves passing judgment on a person's heart. In other words, we are forbidden to make a determination of a person's motives, which will very easily lead us to condemn the person. As we read in I Sam. 16:7b, "for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Romans 14:1-13 commands believers to focus on living their own lives to the honor of God, and to give others the benefit of a doubt in disputable matters, and I Cor. 4:3-5 makes it clear that the Lord is the one who judges. In the case of those who are not of the biblical faith, we know that they are already condemned (John 3:18), but I Cor. 4:5 tells us not to be engaged in delving any deeper than that. We are commanded to desire the best for them (Matt. 5:44-45), which is, of course, that they believe the gospel.