Matthew 7 New King James Version (NKJV)
Do Not Judge
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Let me begin with the last part. “…then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Jesus wants us to help our brother with his spec.
In another place Jesus says “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24
So do these two verses contradict themselves?
The word judge has two meanings. So does the word hate.
In one place in scripture it says unless we hate our brother we cannot be Jesus’ disciple. And in other place it says if we hate our brother we are murderers and do not know God.
When we realize hate has two meanings and thus two applications we realize there is no contradiction. Hate can mean to dislike/love less or it can mean to abhor. So if we read as “Unless you love your brother less than me you cannot be my disciple” and “If you abhor your brother you are a murderer and do not know God.” There is no contradiction.
So too Judge means to condemn or discern. Like if you judge that you like chocolate over vanilla you have not condemned vanilla you just personally prefer chocolate.
All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial.
We are not to decide our brother is worthless or abhor him because of his spec. After all to some degree we too have done the same sin most likely. But we are to discern it is not good and to not do the same ourselves and to tell our brother it is not good.
Note those who are quick to say “get the spec out of your own eye”. What they mean to say is “it is wrong to point things out” but they fail to see they just pointed out that you are pointing out. So I like to answer “so pointing out a spec is evil but you pointing out my plank is ok?” One time I replied “pointing out that pointing things out is wrong is just a silly contradiction of hypocrisy”.
So when we realize the interpretation there is no contradiction.
On one had Jesus is saying “Condemn not lest you be condemned” and on the other “Discern with just discernment”.
Jesus wants us to help our brother with his spec. In another place he says if your brother does you wrong tell him so. This is a command not a suggestion. What most don’t realize this is HOW you love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus was quoting Lev. 19:17-18 as a summary.
“You shall not abhor your brother, you shall surly rebuke your neighbor as so not share sin on account of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear a grudge against your fellow man, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
So the Lord is saying if you do not rebuke when done wrong you WILL get bitter. If you do not rebuke you him you ARE his accomplice.
If you witness others doing others wrong you will assimilate their behavior. For bad company corrupts good character.
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
If you hear it or see it – rebuke it. Jesus said “take heed to yourself” This is important. Only people fear conflict and so don’t do it.
Now another seemingly contradiction.
If you don’t forgive you won’t be forgiven. Matt 6:14
If he repents forgive him. Luke 17:3
To rebuke someone is to seek to reconcile. To rebuke is proof you have forgiven in your heart. For them to repent we then reconcile. Elsewhere we read if they do not repent to treat them as heathen, to no eat with them so that they be ashamed and so that we do not join in their sin.
So forgive in your heart and rebuke them. If they repent reconcile with them. 70 x 7
If they say I repent 70 x 7
Rebuke them 70 x 7
Ask for a witness (mediation) 70 x 7
Does God forgive without repentance? If so, then why is there a hell?
God has actually forgiven the whole world! Yet now the work is to reconcile the world.
“…, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” Romans 5:11
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18
So we are to discern and dislike. We are not to condemn nor are we to abhor.
In fact the verse that has the word abhor is wrongly translated.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/brian-willess/words-often-have-two-meanings/2165829883445820/
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