Bible Study Seattle

“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.  When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” Luke 9:51:55

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2

“Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?  Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” John 7:23-24

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?  As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.” Luke 12:57-58

So are we to judge or not? It is evident from these passages that we are not to judge others in the eternal sense. Until the end of the Age a person can still repent and follow God. But in the mundane issues of life we are to judge. It would be foolish not to. Doesn’t an employer judge if a perspective employee is a good fit? Don’t we judge if a person would make a good spouse. Of course! 

But Christians sometimes fall into the trap of passing ultimate judgment on a person. This is because they believe this life is it. If a person doesn’t have faith then they are confined to the flames of eternal damnation. That is not correct. Everybody will get a second chance. Ultimate punishment is second death which can only occur in the second life!