Judge or Judge Not? You Have No Excuse.
Romans 2:1 reads, "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things" (ESV).
Many people can read this verse and assume Paul is saying that we should not judge others.
This verse is critical in understanding what IT IS NOT saying. This passage is not saying not to judge.
Paul is letting us know that we have no excuse in the midst of our judging others, that we judge others for the very same things we do. NO EXCUSE - which means we are all guilty of doing it.
My proof is...do you pass judgement on people for the very same things you do as well? And I am not just talking to the world here, but Christians.
It is ok, Paul is letting us know in the analyzing manner HOW we judge others, and that we have no excuse, which makes us guilty of it.
If Paul's message was not to judge in this verse, what he just spoke about in Chapter 1 would make no sense and be contradicting. If I told you not to judge, I would be making a judgemental statement. You see, NO EXCUSE...you cannot avoid judging.
Matthew 7:1-5 is the same thing. These passages as well is NOT saying to NOT TO judge. We are called to make moral judgements as Christians for ourselves and others. Remove the plank in your own eye (be mindful of your own issues-a "plank" size in nature) BEFORE YOU HELP REMOVE the sawdust (making a moral judgement on a moral issue) from your brother's eye.
A matter of fact, if you fail to make moral judgements or make them incorrectly, you yourself are seen as morally corrupt and even an abomination to God.
Proverbs 17:15 says, "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD"
Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter"
John 7:24 says, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment"
Amen?