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To Judge or Not To Judge?

November 14, 2025 / Rory Anderson

“DON’T JUDGE. YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO JUDGE. THE BIBLE SAYS CHRISTIANS CAN’T JUDGE. IT’S WRONG TO JUDGE. YOU’RE NOT GOD. STOP FAITH-POLICING. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE?”

That’s usually the go-to defense of atheists and people who don’t know any better (Christians included) when talking about morals, ethics, or behavior. The argument typically comes after you’ve told someone that a particular action of theirs is a sin when they yell out, “the Bible says you can’t judge me”. Where does this idea of not being allowed to judge another’s actions come from? Is it actually in the Bible? If it is in the Bible, is it understood in its proper context?

The phrase “judge not” is usually quoted in these conversations. They even quote the Bible, “Matthew 7:1 says that we aren’t allowed to judge others.” Unfortunately for atheists and other ignorant parties alike, that is NOT what the Bible says. Before I dive in, I want to split this discussion into three major parts. The first part is just a purely logical exploration of the idea that God commands us not to judge. The second part will be a cursory view of Matthew 7, where the “judge not” command allegedly comes from and seeing what Scripture really says. Part three will dive into specific scriptures that will show us what God actually says about judging and how we are supposed to understand righteous judging in relation to other people.

Part One – Logical Consistency

Let’s take the phrase “do not judge” the way that it is normally presented, as a command from God that no person is allowed to make any sort of moral, ethical, behavioral, etc. assessment of another person. In other words, let’s say the Bible really does say, “Do not judge”. We can test the idea of “not judging” by making an internal critique and asking a few questions.

Can a person have a friend? Obviously, a person can have a friend. How does one gain a friend, except by the evaluating of a person’s character and initiating a relationship with them. But if God commands us not to judge, how do we gain friends? How do we find spouses if we aren’t allowed to judge? If we aren’t allowed to judge, how would we even buy a car? We have to evaluate whether the car salesman has an accurate assessment of what he is trying to sell us, but if we aren’t allowed to judge a person’s character then we would be forced to purchase the car no matter the salesman’s character or his assessment of the value of the car.

Compare the “don’t judge” law against this Biblical passage:

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.”
2nd Corinthians 6:14-16a LSB

Paul, under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us explicitly to NOT be yoked with unbelievers. How are we to determine if someone is an unbeliever if we are not allowed to judge them? If the “judge not” law is true, then it contradicts the command to not be yoked with unbelievers because in order to identify an unbeliever we would have to judge them by their character, morals, ethics, behavior, etc. The problem that arises is a plain contradiction between perceived commandments of God. In one way, we are commanded “not to judge” while also being told to judge. Since there is NO contradiction in the Bible and God would not contradict His own commands or character, then we can identify that there is something wrong with the “judge not” command. We can identify there is a problem with “judge not” because that’s not what the Bible is actually commanding.

Another problem with the “judge not” command that people throw around is also self-contradicting. They don’t want YOU to judge, but they are exercising judgment WHILE demanding that you not judge. They aren’t even internally consistent. It makes no sense, and you can safely ignore their demands.

Part Two – What Matthew 7 Really Says

The relevant section of Matthew 7 is verses 1 through 5. So I’ll copy it here:

“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck our of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:1-5 LSB

Now, I would like to think that most people who read that paragraph understand plain English and realize that Jesus was not commanding us to not judge. Anyone who can read English will see the three magical words, “Do not judge,” but a careful reader will notice that the sentence isn’t completed yet which indicates there is more information relevant to the initial phrase. The second phrase of Matthew 7:1 (“so that you will not be judged”) and verse 2 make it painfully obvious that Jesus is NOT commanding us to not judge. He was telling us two things:

1.) He warns us that if we are going to judge, we should be prepared to be judged by that same measure. (7:1-2)

2.) Don’t be a hypocrite. (7:3-5)

It really is as simple as that. If you’re going to judge someone, make sure you’re not doing the very thing you’re critical of them doing. Jesus even says that if we remove the log from our own eye, we are then freed up to remove the speck from our brother’s eye. In other words, if you’re not a hypocrite then you can help remove the speck (read: judge) from your neighbor.

Jesus then tells us a few verses later IN THE SAME CONVERSATION in Matthew 7:15-20 to beware false prophets and that we will know false prophets by their fruit. If we are commanded not to judge, then assessing a false prophet by their fruit would be a contradiction. He tells us to judge righteously in Matthew 7.

We MUST read passages in their entirety and not cherry pick individual phrases and base our entire morality on something that Christ isn’t really saying.

Part Three – Should We Judge?

So after seeing that the “judge not” command isn’t in Scripture and doesn’t make sense logically and seeing that Matthew 7 literally is not telling us not to judge, what should we do when it comes to evaluating another person’s character, lifestyle, morality, ethics, and behavior? Are we allowed to? Should we?

The short answer is yes. However, there are a few guidelines that we must fall into in order to rightly exercise judgement.

First, when we “judge” others we must understand that we are not granting another person’s salvation. God is the ultimate judge and we can’t take His place as the One who grants salvation to someone. We should, however, ensure that when we judge others it lines up with God’s perspective so that we can guarantee a more accurate evaluation.

Second, when we judge others we must remember that we, too, once were sinners without salvation. The only thing that separates us from an unbeliever is that our eternity is secured in Christ and theirs is not [yet]. Judging is a skill that we must exercise to evaluate another person’s condition before God to exhort people to salvation. In other words, we are not judging others because we are better than someone else or trying to exercise some sort of superiority or authority over them. Our goal is their salvation.

The disciples and apostles and other believers all throughout the New Testament regularly judged the lifestyles of unbelievers in order to properly witness to them. Take Peter’s preaching in Acts 2:14-36. Peter judged those who were hearing him and rightly assessed them when he preached to them. It was that accurate judging of their sins that “pierced them to their heart”, leading to the salvation of three thousand people. But “judge not”, right?

Third, we must judge in order to ensure right theology, right doctrine, and right living amongst believers. The immediate passage that comes to mind is Jude 3-4. Jude exhorts us to “contend for the faith” and then spends his entire letter judging false teachers. When we contend for the faith, we are grappling with others on what the Christian faith really is, which requires the act of judging. When 1st Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to “give a defense” for the faith, it requires us to judge what the real faith actually is. When 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” living according to the teaching, reproof, correction, and training requires an exercising of judgment. Paul himself says in Romans 16:17-18 that we should mark and avoid those who cause divisions and offenses that are contrary to righteous, Biblical doctrines. We can only identify those who we should mark and avoid when we judge people.

Conclusion

The fake “judge not” command is a symptom of just one of the problems with the average Bible reader: they don’t read entire passages in context. What they do is read one verse at a time, out of context, and expect the verse to speak for itself and present a standalone idea. Then they base an entire theology on something the Bible isn’t actually prescribing. The problem is that is rarely how ideas work. Ideas need expounding upon. Concepts need to be explained. And yes – I realize that I have used individual verses in this writing, but I challenge you to go read them in their literary context and see that those verses and passages still apply as I have presented them.

Today’s Bible reader does not have the necessary attention span or reading comprehension to rightly understand what is being said in passages like these. People are too caught up in “soundbyte theology” where they think entire doctrines can be summarized in ten words or less. Scripture demands more than that from us. God demands more than that from us. When the psalmist in Psalm 1:2 talks about how the blessed man delights in God’s word, he elaborates by saying that we should meditate on the Word – ‘mediate’ meaning a diligent and intentional study.

While I hear more atheists use the “judge not” command, believers and unbelievers alike get offended because they’re being corrected or challenged in their thinking or their beliefs or their lifestyle and are quick to whip out their “judge not” card. If only they were as quick to self-evaluate and see what the Bible really says.

Scripture References:

Psalm 1:2
Matthew 7:1-5
Acts 2:14-36
Romans 16:17-18
2nd Corinthians 6:14-16a
2nd Timothy 3:16-17
1st Peter 3:15
Jude 3-4

Only Begotten Son?

February 3, 2025 / Rory Anderson

Several years ago, a young student from one of my classes asked me what John 3:16 means when it says “only begotten Son”, primarily concerned with what it means that Jesus was “begotten”. I wasn’t prepared to answer justly and it wasn’t exactly in the scope of my planned lessons at the time. Things are different now. This one’s for you, Houston.

John 3:16 is one of, if not the, most memorized Bible verse ever. It’s also probably one of the most misunderstood, if only slightly. But that slight misunderstanding has implications on a Biblical scale (heh) that reaches across not only the New Testament, but the Old Testament and beyond. I will briefly be addressing the overall message of John 3:16 and mostly discussing it through a textual perspective. Some of this article will involve what the Greek says, but don’t let that discourage you from reading and learning. Without further ado let’s find out what John 3:16 is really saying.

Context First

John 3:16 happens in the midst of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who recognized Jesus’ authority when he said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2 ESV). Jesus responds, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” They then go on to have an exchange about what being “born again” means and Jesus ends with the topic of eternal life saying, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14 ESV).

The ultimate topic here is salvation and discerning between those who are of God and those who are not.

The Sons of God

The very next sentence is the verse in question:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 LSB

Now you may have noticed I used a different Bible translation here. That was on purpose. Different English translations have slightly different wordings. For example, the difference between the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) is that while the LSB has “only begotten Son,” the ESV simply says, “only Son”. In fact, let me point out this phrase in a few English Bible translations:

ESV – “only Son”

LSB – “only begotten Son”

NIV – “one and only Son”

NKJV – “only begotten Son”

KJV – “only begotten Son”

HCSB – “One and Only Son”

CSB – “one and only Son”

ASV – “only begotten Son”

NASB – “only Son”

So your initial question may be, “Why are there so many differences?” That is a question I’ll address at a later date and is not relevant to the current discussion. In the meantime, we are focusing on the fact that in the English we see there is a common idea being conveyed here: Jesus is God’s only Son. Yes, I realize that may be obvious. It’s something we learn early on in church and early on in our Christian lives. However, reading any Scripture means reading it in the context of all of Scripture. For example, even though we just agreed Jesus is God’s only Son, what do you do when you come across this verse:

“…the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”
Genesis 6:2 ESV

Or this one:

“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He divided mankind, He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.”
Deuteronomy 32:8 ESV

Or this:

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.”
Job 1:6 ESV

Or these:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9

“…for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
Luke 20:36

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Romans 8:19

” Oh yes! A contradiction!” the edgy atheist cries in excitement.

Fear not, for we can utilize critical thinking to overcome an absolutely simple understanding of the text. There is no cause for concern. We simply need to read.

Without getting bogged down in a ton of details (details I will cover in a later post), just know for now that in Old Testament theology, the phrase “sons of God” was almost always understood to be the heavenly council of God. There are spiritual beings other than God. Don’t let this shock you. This is NOT a new idea. A few examples would include Satan, Gabriel, Michael, the angels that appeared to Lot in Genesis 19, and the angels that appeared to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds in the early New Testament.

The idea that actually is foreign to most Christians is that there is a whole council of beings to which God delegates responsibilities and duties and dominions. In the Old Testament, they are referred to as the sons of God. Some are good; some rebelled.

So how does knowing that help us with the text of John 3:16? Various Biblical texts say there are multiple “sons of God,” but John 3:16 says God has only one Son. Right? At the risk of sounding like the serpent in Eden, does John 3:16 really say Jesus is God’s only son? Let’s take a look at the Greek.

A Lesson in Greek: Monogenes

We are going to take a brief look at the Greek text from which we get our English understanding. The Greek word from which we get the phrase “only begotten” or “one and only” is μονογενης or in the English alphabet “monogenes,” pronounced like mono-guh-nays.

Monogenes is a Greek word that for many years has been translated “one and only” or “only begotten”. This is because for so long, the understanding was that monogenes came from two different Greek words: mono, meaning “one”; genao, meaning “to beget”. This can be confusing as it raises some implications such as God the Father begetting God the Son; or rather, that Jesus had some sort of beginning. This obviously can’t be true because Jesus is God the Son and therefore has always existed. Jesus is before all things and in Him all things hold together.

How then do we understand the phrase found in John 3:16 “only begotten Son”? Well, it wasn’t until later when Greek scholars learned that monogenes actually derives from the two Greek words: mono, meaning “one”; and genos, meaning “kind” or “class”. Literally speaking, monogenes means one of a kind or rather, unique. Jesus Christ is God’s unique Son. Properly translated John 3:16 should read:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one unique Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus is One of a Kind

Jesus Christ is God the Father’s Son and He is unique amongst all others. Jesus is One of a Kind. There is none like Him. John 3:16 sets Jesus apart from all else and all others. Jesus’ uniqueness is, in part, why we look to Him for salvation. He is the One and Only.

Only Jesus can provide salvation.

Only Jesus can provide forgiveness of sins.

Only Jesus can suffer what must be suffered in order for our sins to be forgiven.

Only Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth.

Only Jesus is the one in whom we believe in for eternal life.

Only Jesus is the bread of life.

Only Jesus is the door through which we enter the sheepfold.

Only Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Only Jesus is the True Vine.

Only Jesus is the Light of the World.

Only Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

God Meant It For Good

May 27, 2024 / Rory Anderson

A friend of mine recently told me about their struggles with a situation they are in. There are some legal matters involved but the gist is that they are being falsely accused. The accusations are not of criminal issues but the stresses still weigh on them. There are a lot of unknowns in the near future for my friend, but one thing is for sure: God is with them and is in control. Regardless of the situation anyone may be in, no matter how dire the circumstances, God is with His people and is working in their lives. We are going to look at one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture: Genesis 50:20.

It reads:

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
‭‭

To give some context to this verse, at this point in Genesis Joseph the son of Jacob had been betrayed brutally by his brothers. They were jealous of him, threw him in a well that he may die, sold him into slavery, staged his death in the hopes that their father Jacob would forget about him, they deceived Joseph and Jacob, and other things. Nasty, evil stuff. They wanted Joseph gone even if that meant killing him and trying to cover the whole thing up.

After years of separation, Joseph had befriended the pharaoh of the time in Egypt. He was able to prevent a mass famine and helped lead essentially as Pharaoh’s second-in-command over Egypt.

Through God’s providence, Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt for food because of the great famine and encountered Joseph, but didn’t even recognize him. Joseph immediately knew who they were and set up a meeting. He could’ve exacted revenge on them; had them thrown in prison; enslaved; or even killed (considering the ruling power he had). Instead, Joseph revealed who he was to them and delivers one of the most gut-punching statements in all of scripture:

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20 NKJV

His brother’s actions derived from an evil disposition. They were so consumed with themselves and what they wanted, that they devised vile plans against Joseph. Their goal was evil.

Consider Joseph’s perspective for a moment. His older brothers became envious of how their father treated him. He was given a beautiful coat. His dreams caused his brothers to hate him. His brothers staged his death and sold him into slavery. He was accused of rape and thrown in prison. Can you imagine the mental anguish he may have been going through facing one beat-down after another?

But what happened after Joseph found himself in prison? He found favor with the pharaoh. Joseph was elevated to the position of Vizier – Chief Steward to the King. Basically, Joseph was the number two guy over Egypt. In the grander scheme, God was using Joseph’s situations it for good. God didn’t just elevate Joseph. He also used Joseph to save the entire nation of Egypt from famine! It was the Lord who took that evil and turned it for good.

Wicked people plot against us and in many cases they ACT against us. It destabilizes us and causes us doubt and fear. But the Apostle Paul tells us something really important about how God works:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NKJV

God doesn’t just work all things together for good. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Do you love the Lord? Then He is working things together for your good. It doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles or difficulties or pain. Joseph was faithful to the Lord and yet still found himself in less-than-great situations. But God worked in the way that only God can: taking evil and decimating it with good.

Something to note especially in your situation, is that even in the worst situations Joseph experienced God was still there with him. Joseph was not alone. And neither are you.

Your View of God

May 26, 2024 / Rory Anderson

Ever heard someone say, “You have to allow God to work in your life.” Or “Make room for God and see what he will do for you.” Or “God is waiting to do a great thing in you, but the choice is yours. You must let Him be a part of your life.” This is Word of Faith Lite.

God does not need our permission to do anything. Consider what Scripture actually says:

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Psalms 115:3

The Bible leaves no speculation about the dominion of God. The Lord does ALL that He pleases. I don’t know how much clearer that can be.

The earth melts when when the Creator speaks (Psalm 46), and yet we have to give Him permission to work in us and our lives?

He does not bow to us.
We bow to Him.

We aren’t breaking His heart.
He will break us.

If you’re “allowing” God to do anything, you have a weak god.

The Creator is sovereign over His creation.

So do you have a high view of God? Or a low view? Is He who He says He is? Or not?