What did Jesus mean when he said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged"?

Question

The people of this world condemn Christians for teaching God's plan for sexuality, accusing us of hate and bigotry. They judge us guilty of judging--a pragmatic paradox.

When Jesus said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged," was he saying we should not teach God's ideas about right and wrong? Or was he teaching us not condemn others for the things we do ourselves?

Answer 1

Everyone sins and judging is just a distraction from your need to correct your own sins.  

Answer 2

If we judge others before we look at ourseleves we are sorta being hyprocrites, but when JEsus says don't judge for you will be judged, it means that when we die we will stand before God and that is when we get judged to say if we go to Heaven or not, if your a Chrisitan you'll goto Heaven if not then you won't/

Answer 3

If you judge other people, they're going to start judging you.

Answer 4

Don't condemn others for what you do yourself.  Like the parable of people living in glass houses not throwing rocks.  Unfortunately, Christians are usually the first to cast the proverbial stone.

Answer 5

Everyone judges, as you can tell in this forum, but it is the attitude you should have while doing it, it is to find good, you judge righteously

Answer 6

he means do not judge in the way that god judges...as if you were god...

Answer 7

It meant to teach, not to point a finger!

Answer 8

i can only tell you what it means to me. it doesnt mean for our government not to punish us when we break laws. and it doesnt mean to not have your own beliefs and opinions.  it just means that we hsould try to remember that jesus loves us all and instead of worrying about other peoples wrongs and souls, worry about our own bc we all will answer to god when we get to heaven.  so basically, i may nto agree with homosexuality for my life buti wont be mean or ugly to anyone who thinks different.  i will treat them as my brother.

this is one of the things in scripture that the world has problems following but not preaching or using as a crutch in a debate

good question.

Answer 9

I think it's saying not to pass judgment on others, and that we can judge deeds but not people.

Answer 10

You are confusing Judgment with discernment.

We are not to place ourselves in a place of Judging what is sin and what is not. That is a place only God can sit in since only he can see what is in your heart.

He has also provided a list of what he considers sin and in that sense we are discerning by someones actions if they are sinning. Discerning actions on what can be seen, it is not a judgment.

Answer 11

he was stoned!

Answer 12

When we judge the sin of another man we will be judged by the same measure we put upon the other...We are not called to condemn and threaten, we are called to share the good news to the sinners. That if they repent and believe they will be saved. It is not our call to decide who is going to h**l.  

Answer 13

He was saying feel free to lead your life the way you want, but leave the rest of us alone to do the same.

Answer 14

we should do it out of kindness and respect. but then again, people don't want to hear that they are doing wrong...therefore the "you cant judge me" complex comes into play. i love you enough to tell you that you are doing wrong and that you should get right. just like i'd hope that someone loves me enough to tell me that im doing wrong.  

Answer 15

it was everything you said. but implicit in that particular teaching is also the idea of what goes around, comes around, so why bother judging? it also means live and let be. you have no responsibility to teach anything to anybody. you are responsible for learning your self. everybody does.  

Answer 16

You are judged to the same degree you judge others. If you forgive and forget all transgressions committed against you and love everyone, God will do likewise, then you'll Receive His Grace, otherwise an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Study the Edgar Cayce Material if you truly want to understand Jesus. God sent him to give us what the church hid from the people in regards to His Teachings and the Truth of the matter. God did not leave us as orphans.

The church is a bad tree.

Answer 17

I dont know. I cant think straight. I HATE ATHIESTS. and im so going to need forgivness later. Every one say bye to your computers. LOL LOL LOL

Answer 18

A) The correct quote is: "Judge not, lest ye be so judged."

B) That goes with: "By whatsoever measure you judge others, so shall you be judged."

C) In other words: a warning. You judge harshly, you're gonna get a harsh judgment against your own failings. You judge with mercy, you're gonna get mercy.

Answer 19

I think too many people forget Jesus is God and fail to incorporate the rest of Scripture when they say that judge thing.  Some love the story about Jesus saying "he that is without sin cast the first stone," but they leave out the "go and sin no more."

If we see our society going beyond repair and we do nothing, what kind of salt and light are we?  Jesus said to be salt and light!

True, if we are guilty of the same sins, we are hypocrites for judging others.  But if we have repented and seen the error of our ways, we can still use our knowledge to teach young others and hopefully keep them from the same traps in life.

Answer 20

If you are a christian, then you probably think anyone that hasn't accepted jesus will go to h**l. That sounds like judging to me.

Answer 21

He was saying that we should not condemn others at all. No matter if we would do it or not. We are to instruct them in the teachings of the Lord, and show them that the life they were living was wrong when compared to those teachings. *Wrong according to God, not man (no matter your belief).

Answer 22

Both.  He was saying that it is not up to us to judge others, that is for God.

That passage should have it's own page because it tends to get overlooked.

Answer 23

It seems obvious to me what was meant.  

Answer 24

Who's going to measure my meat?  That sounds mighty catholic to me.

What he probably meant was that since christians lack rational judgment, they should not push their weight around, or others will point out their delusions.

Answer 25

Actually, if you read it in Greek, or in many translations including the KJV, it is Do not judge or you will be not judged.

See, the thing is that it needs the following line to make sense, and with "or you'll be judged" it makes no sense.

"Judge not, or you will be not judged, but by the measure you mete so shall you be measured."

Since Christianity teaches that judgement comes to all the threat of being judged is no threat at all. The threat of being judged not by your actual actions but by what you've judged others with should have a Christian quaking in his boots. Can you imagine? Hate someone for being different from you and GOD hates you for being different from you. Think that someone should be in h**l and God thinks YOU should be in h**l.

...but that's the Bible, anyways. I think it's pretty clear Christianity isn't based on the Bible.

Answer 26

He also says, remove the huge log from your own eye before you try to help your brother remove the speck of dust from his.

I'm assuming you've been to school?  Think about the teachers you've had.  The bad ones seemed like rigid know-it-alls, who didn't leave a whole lot of time at the end class for people to raise hands and ask questions, right?  The good ones stopped, even in the middle of their lectures, to let people ask questions.  And they never made anyone feel stupid for not knowing the material in advance.

No one wants to stop you from teaching, but a)make certain you're approaching people who genuinely want to learn, and b) make certain you're being the kind of teacher who doesn't act like he or she is better than the students, just because the students don't know the material yet.

AND, I speak here as a teacher, THE VERY BEST WAY to teach, is by providing a good example, not by lecturing.