There was a discussion here last week about judgment and Christians not having the right to it ever. I believe we’re commanded to do it, provided we do it the right way.
Matthew 7:1 says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Many people read that as if Jesus were forbidding all judgment, as though any evaluation of right and wrong would cause God to judge them harshly for doing it.
But that is not what Jesus is teaching.
Jesus is not saying never judge. He is speaking to not practice condemning, self‑righteous judgment. Condemning judgment seeks to take God’s role. Discerning judgment brings clarity because it evaluates truthfully and humbly.
That is why Jesus also says in John 7:24, “Judge with righteous judgment.”
He forbids the wrong kind of judgment, which is condemnation, and commands the right type, which is discernment.
A clear example is His teaching about false prophets. We are told to judge them by their fruits. That is discernment. What we cannot do is condemn them to Hell. That belongs to God alone.
Paul teaches the same truth. In 1 Corinthians 2:15, he writes, “He who is spiritual judges all things.” Paul is not speaking of condemning anyone. He is describing the Spirit‑led ability to evaluate teachings, behaviors, and situations with wisdom and clarity.
Together, Jesus and Paul show the same truth. Jesus commands it. Paul confirms it. God speaks through both.