Matthew 7:1-5 - Judging Others

In light of Matthew 7:1-5, many Christians believe that it is wrong to judge others. But to arrive at this conclusion is to misunderstand what Jesus is actually saying here. The Greek word translated "judge" refers to the action of deciding what is wrong or right. It is this that Jesus forbids. We cannot determine what is right and wrong, because we are finite fallen human beings. God alone is the judge of right and wrong, since He is the One who defines both truth and morality. God has already determined what is right and wrong and recorded it in scripture. In any case, verses 3-5 state that we should take the plank out of our own eye first, before we remove the speck from a brother's eye. The lesson here is that we must deal with our own sin first before we can rebuke others. The Bible is full of instances of individuals judging others (eg. Nathan rebuking David, Paul rebuking the Corinthian Church). Indeed, 2 Timothy 3:16 states that scripture is useful for rebuking. In reality, Christians must judge each other - failing to do so would be like buying a first-class ticket to moral relativism - it would destroy the church!