Q - Is judging others right or worng?

A - We must be careful when Judging to make sure we are judging fairly and Correctly.

One passage that many people often quote to prove that one should not judge each another is:

Matthew 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.

But this passage doesn't mean that we can't draw an honest, righteous conclusion about another person. It means we can't make judgmental, condemning, and hateful statements about another person. In fact in The Sermon on the Mount Jesus explains that we can evaluate others if we do it righteously after listening and knowing the truth.

John 7:24 states
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

John 7:51
Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

There are many types of judging:

James describes a judgment that is wrong. It is called slander.

James 4:11-12
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. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

The key Greek word, KATALALEO, in James 4:11 is translated "speak against." It has the idea of "evil speaking" or someone being slanderous. Another key verse is found in Romans.

Romans 14:10
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

This verse occurs in a passage which is talking about people who were angry with what others were eating. The apostle Paul says there is nothing wrong with eating or not eating (Rom. 7:6-8). Their disagreement was not about right or wrong. So he says do not judge one another. He is simply talking about eating food.

When Judging our judgments or our conclusions about others must not slander them, must be true. Yet, there are times we must evaluate another person's actions, attitudes and conduct. We do this when we vote for men and women for elective offices, as leaders in a church, or when we identify false teachers.

There are times when we must judge others: when we see another Christian committing sin (Matt. 18:15-17; Gal. 6:1) and when we evaluate a person to be a leader in a church (1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1:7-9). We are also to evaluate false teachers. Otherwise, how do we know to avoid them (2 John 10)? May our evaluations be righteous, objective, prayerful and with a heart of love.

Remember this saying "It makes no difference what you believe, if what you believe makes no difference"