I think that Matthew 7:1--Judge not that ye not be judged--is one of the most misused, misunderstood passages in all of Scripture. It seems to be the verse that nonbelievers know best. I don't think they understand what it means. I don't think many Christians fully understand either, myself included. I found Joel Onyshuk's statement, "Almost every time someone tries to use Matthew 7:1, it is usually in defense of a clearly sinful act" to be very true in my experience hearing the verse.
Joel Onyshuk writes, "The apologist missionary preacher, Paul Washer, makes the bold statement in response to those who wrongly utilize this passage, saying, 'Twist not Scripture lest ye be like the devil.' Whoa. Is he taking that too far? Or is he on to something?
"Let me be very clear: Matthew 7:1 does not support, in any way, the idea that Christians are not allowed to make any sort of judgments as to the rightness or wrongness of an act or circumstance. Ironically enough, merely saying that it is wrong to pass judgment on someone else is itself an act of judgment!"
"So what did Jesus really mean, then? How can we know what he meant by such a strong command?"
Read the rest here. Also, I would be curious what your reactions are to this. Have you heard this verse used before?
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