John 3:16 may be the best known reference, but the most quoted verse is Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not lest ye be judged."
Note I compared "reference" with "quoted verse." Most of the time, the quotation is given without reference, and my hunch is a very large percentage of the time those using this verse have no idea where it's located at.
But if they don't know where it's located, is there a chance that the verse is ripped out of context, with its real meaning twisted and distorted? Let me rephrase the question - is there a chance it ISN'T taken out of context or misused? To that rephrased question, I'd say "Probably not."
When it's quoted, I'd bet the vast majority of the time, those using it mean "Don't judge ME." It wouldn't surprise me that they also judge others, maybe without knowing it.
Of course, there's nobody who wants to be judged. But should we judge actions? Those participating in actions God clearly condemns would give that a negative, or else they'd have to turn from the sins they enjoy. Likewise, they'll remind you of Jesus' words to the law-keeping crowd, "He who is without sin cast the first stone" but forget Jesus told the accused (and guilty) woman to "Go and sin no more."
Again, those making that claim don't know the Scripture they're appealing to. The next thing Jesus tells them is to not give what is holy to the dogs or cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6), which involves discernment, which some would call judging. Later in the same chapter, Jesus says we're to beware false prophets and are told we'll know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Again, a call to discernment, or judging. Then, in Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus teaches His disciples that if someone sins, we should go and confront that person one on one, and if the person doesn't repent, then bring other witnesses and finally to the assembly (church). I've just given response through the book of the Bible we're dealing with - the same concepts are throughout Scripture.
But WHY did Jesus give that commandment? Isn't this part of "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20)? Like other issues as not applying the commands to our thought-life (Matthew 5:21-48), doing our good works for man's applause (Matthew 6:1-18), trusting in money (Matthew 6:19-24), or worrying (Matthew 6:25-34), is judging something we are prone to do?
Here's the sad part. I've seen two different memes which both pointed out the misuse of "Judge not" and then taking the unfortunate route of giving out-of-context Scriptures to excuse not obeying the command. One of them steps into absurdity of pointing out there's a book in the Bible called "Judges." No, that isn't a command to judge! The other lists Scripture translating words as "judge" when I'm used to them translated differently.
One Scripture used to counter Matthew 7:1 is John 7:24, where Jesus commands to "Judge with righteous judgment." The argument is that we should focus on this quote in John and basically ignore the command in Matthew. Is this based on the presupposition their judgment is righteous?
But what if we looked at both verses in context? Let's start with Matthew 7. You may be aware that it is part of the Sermon on the Mount. It starts in Matthew 5:1-2 with Jesus sitting on the mountain and His disciples coming to Him, and Jesus teaching them. I mentioned Matthew 5:20 three paragraphs earlier concerning the righteousness of the Pharisees, which is the key verse for this section of Scripture. Jesus starts with eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), and the teachings that follow are examples of living those beatitudes out. With Matthew 7:1-5, it fits the blessings on the poor in spirit, the meek, and the merciful. And to clarify the obvious, this is a commandment to Jesus' disciples.
Now, let's take the isolated brick of John 7:24 and put it back where it belongs. Is this section in John 7 Jesus teaching and commanding His disciples? No. In the context, our Savior is confronting the Pharisees who condemned Him from healing the impotent man on the Sabbath. "Judge with righteous judgment" is not a commandment to His followers but a rebuke to His enemy. In other words, if you want to live by John 7:24, you're placing yourselves not with Jesus' disciples but with the Pharisees.
Returning to the context of "Judge not" (Matthew 7:1-5), we see the command followed in verse 2 by the fact that we will be judged according to how we judge. If you're one advocating judging, let's be serious: do you want to be judged by the measure of how you judge others? If not, should you be judging?
Then, Jesus gives an illustration of someone with a log in their eye seeing a speck in their brother's eye and offering to help them. The pro-judging crowd sees the key thought/command in this paragraph to be verse 5 ("Take the log out of your eye so you can see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye," forgetting this verse is addressed to a hypocrite). This approach is opposite of typical Jewish teaching which starts at the main point and the develops the main point, which in this passage would mean the main point is "Judge not."
Also, how many of you have seen a speck in someone's eye? My hunch is that the answer is no unless a) somebody asks you if you see a speck in their eye or b) your occupation is an opthamologist. (How many specks do you see? One, or two? One? Or two?)
They have an impressive list of Bible verses, but I never see two important ones on the topic included. First, there's Romans 14:4 - "Who are you to judge another man's servant? To his own master he will be made to stand or fall, and he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him to stand." What is this verse saying? Simple - the person you're judging is not your servant but God's. Reading on in the same chapter, Paul asks why we do we judge our brother in a tone that makes it clear we shouldn't be.
Wait, I see why this one is omitted, because it strengthens Matthew 7:1, not giving us a loophole to obey the disliked command. But there's one more to look at.
"Do not speak evil against another, brethren. He who speaks evil of his brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the Law and judges the Law. But he who judges the Law is not a doer of the Law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver who is able both to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?" James 4:11-12 Uh, after this verse, does anybody think we are qualified to judge others?
So here's the question. As I pointed out above, we are commanded to discern and to turn others from their sins (also see Malachi 3:18, Galatians 6:1, Hebrews 5:14, James 5:19-20, and Jude 22-23). But when Jesus said "Judge not," I've got a sneaky impression He meant "Judge not." How, then, do we obey both thoughts?
The first is to distinguish between people and actions. We are commanded to condemn wrong actions, words, and ideas. But we aren't to judge others or motives.
That sounds simple. Well, maybe it doesn't. And it isn't. I heard one guide, though, on whether we should confront, and that is to ask ourselves, "Do I want to confront? Do I want to judge?" If the answer is no, it may be that God is calling you, as poor in spirit as the one in error, to gently and mercifully plead with them to turn. If the answer is yes, then I suggest you find something else to do.
