Why Do You Judge?

Introduction

We all have a tendency to judge others for their differences from us. There is something in human nature that wants to feels superior and there is usually no better way to satisfy this sinful desire than to look at a brother in Christ and despise him for his different ways. That is one reason why the OPC underwent a split in 1937-the fundamentalists who did not think alcohol should be uses at all by a Christian left because the majority of the OPC did not believe the Bible called for complete abstinence. Those leaving judged those who stayed to be sinful. And the scenario has been repeated in many denominations over hundreds of different issues, many of them matters that are disputable, matters related to personal convictions.

It is to counter this sinful trend in the church that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write this passage. Now that he has stated the basic principle behind his command that we are not to be judges over one another in disputable matters, to wit that Jesus is Lord, Paul now deals with the problem with judging one another. If verses 7-9 were a question of Lordship, this passage presents us with a question of judgeship. Let us seek to understand this passage under two heads: The Lord's Prerogative and Our Own Accountability to the Lord.

• The Lord's Prerogative (10-11)
• Paul asks, Why do you judge one another? (10) Actually, he asks it more emphatically than that: But YOU, why do you judge one another? Then he puts the question in a different form for emphasis: Or, why do you take authority over your brother? We could put it this way in our modern terms, What makes you think you are qualified to judge or look down on your brother? The question is actually rhetorical in nature. For Paul gives us a good reason why we ought not do this, namely that all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. What Paul means to say is this: Christ is going to judge us one day. Therefore to judge our brother is to take upon ourselves the prerogative that rightly belongs to Christ alone. In fact he is here returning, again, to the point he made in verse 4-that our brother is the servant of Christ and he stands or falls before him as his master. We are not our brother's master, Christ is.
• Paul backs up his admonition by citing Scripture (11) He cites Isaiah 45:23-As I live, says the Lord; to me every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to God. The context of this verse is that of the Lord presenting himself to Israel as their only Lord and therefore their only Saviour. The point is the same one as Paul makes, which is why he refers to this Scripture. There is but one Lord over each one of us, and that is Christ. And if any of us sins in our practice, it is to the Lord that we must answer, and not to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Note carefully the word confess in the quote from Isaiah. In this context the word means confession of sin. Or it could mean to declare obedience to him as Lord. And Paul's point is crystal clear. We are not to call our brother to give to us an account for his practice. If he is a Christian, if he is devoted to Christ as his Lord (vs 8-if he lives and dies and belongs to Christ) then we are never in disputable matters to judge him. We may pray for and lovingly discuss our differences, but always as equals and never as superior to inferior when it comes to disputable matters. For Christ alone is judge and Christ alone is Lord of each of us. We are not judge or Lord of our brother, Christ alone is judge and Lord.
• We need to understand that judgment is the Lord's prerogative and not ours. We may not look at a brother and his personal convictions and practices and decide he is good or bad based upon them. Rather, if the Lord has accepted that brother and the brother acts out of a sincere desire to do God's will, then we have no right to condemn him. The key question is if he is sinning against God deliberately, and in such cases as disputable matters that is rarely the case. The one who will not eat meat or does eat meat, the one who celebrates certain days or the one who does not, is rarely, if ever, trying to subvert the Church or disobey Scripture. Those cases do occur, but very, very rarely. In any case, we are not called by God to be religious thought police investigating our brother.
• In fact, rather than judging our brother, we do well to remember something else.
• Our Own Accountability to the Lord (12-13).
• Paul turns our attention inward, to ourselves (12,13a). He says in verse 12, Each of us will give an account of himself to God. By which Paul means to say, each of us will answer to the Lord for the way we have treated our brother or sister in disputable matters. Just as our brother will have to account for his convictions to Christ, so we will have to account for our treatment of that brother and his convictions to Christ. Clearly Christ takes the way we treat one another seriously. Look back at 13:8-10 for the principle Paul is enforcing here. We are to love one another and that means doing no harm to one another, and in terms of our immediate text, that means not setting up court and putting our brother and his convictions on trial. And so Paul sums it all up in the first part of verse 13. Let us stop judging one another. Apparently there was such judging going on in Rome, for Paul says plainly, Stop doing that.
• We must do the hard work of examining ourselves for faithfulness to God. Sometimes people will set themselves up as judges of others because it helps them to ignore their own sins. That is not always the case, of course, but if you find yourself constantly critiquing the convictions of another, perhaps you would do better to stop and think, What is there in my life that I am trying to ignore? What has God laid his finger on that I am refusing to deal with. For the clear teaching of Scripture is that each of us will have our own day of accountability before Christ-1 Cor 3:8-15; 4:5; Ecc 12:14. We will be judged for our own errors of convictions, and knowing that ought to be enough to make us wary, lest we add to the things we will be judged for the sin of trying to make our brother accountable to us for his personal convictions.

• Paul gives us an alternative of love (13b). (literally from the Greek) Instead (i.e., instead of judging your brother), decide this rather, not to place a stumbling block before the brother or an occasion for offense. It is interesting that the word that is translated by the NIV as make up your mind is the same word translated in verse 10 as judge. The play on words is deliberate. Do not judge, says Paul, your brother, but rather judge yourself-and do it by making up your mind that you will not cause your brother to stumble. See to it that your actions toward your brother are loving. Don't allow your practice to cause your brother to stumble. Don't offend him with your attitude. Positively, in terms of verse 1, accept him without passing judgment. This second portion of verse 13 is also a transition to the next subject of the chapter, namely, how we are to use our Christian liberty or convictions. But the point is equally applicable to our attitude-we are not offend our brother with our attitude.
• The approach of love will win your brother. It is amazing how much good can be done by a loving good example. I know of a young man who was adamantly opposed to the thought of God's sovereignty, predestination. He was a charismatic too, and he did not like the idea of some narrow minded theological type telling him he was wrong. But then he saw the godly love of those who held what he opposed, and their lives and their gentleness with him won him over. And I thank God for men like Sinclair Ferguson and Eric Alexander and Norman Shepherd who taught me to learn from Scripture.

Conclusion

Paul is not saying that you may not disagree with a brother or try to persuade him to change his views. Rather, he is saying that the exact wrong way to do that is to take the Lord's place as judge and try to force him to change his views or lose your love and approval as a brother in Christ. First of all, that offends Christ, the one Lord and one true judge. Second of all, it only makes you accountable to the Lord for your lack of love to your brother.

How much better to let the beauty of holiness and the winsome love of Christ who welcomes sinners as friends do the work of tipping off your brother that he may need to think some more about his convictions. And if he is never persuaded, well, that is Christ's business, is it not? And what is that to you? Follow your own Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and let your brother follow Christ too. In the end, all things will be resolved and your theology and convictions and his will both be perfect.

Rev. Arthur J. Fox, Pastor
10 Spruce Street
Middletown, PA 17057
(717) 944-5835