Judging Others - Should Christians Judge?

By Martha Mac / SO4J.com ® / SO4J-TV & Video Productions

Judging Others— Should Christians Judge? - Shows us that we are NOT to Judge a person's MOTIVES (Matt 7:1), but we are to Judge a Fellow Believers (a Teachers) FRUIT (ACTIONS) with the Word of God (Matt 7:15-27, 1 Cor 5:12-13, 1 John 4:1), to make sure it is NOT Contrary to the Word of God, and to the Teachings of Christ.

Rom 16:17 “MARK THEM which cause DIVISIONS & OFFENCES CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE which you have learned; and AVOID them.”

Judging Others - Should Christians Judge?

We are NOT to Judge a person's MOTIVES (Matt 7:1), but we are to Judge a Fellow Believer's (a Teacher's) ACTIONS / FRUIT to make sure the Essential Christian Doctrine is Correct— to make sure it's NOT Contrary to God's Word, and the "Teachings of Jesus."

Matt 7:15-20 Jesus says, "Beware of the FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in SHEEP'S CLOTHING but INWARDLY ARE RAVENOUS WOLVES. You will know them by their FRUITS. (17) A GOOD TREE produces GOOD FRUIT, and a BAD TREE produces BAD FRUIT. A Good Tree can’t produce BAD FRUIT, and a BAD TREE can’t produce GOOD FRUIT. So every Tree that does NOT produce Good Fruit is chopped down and thrown into the Fire (Hell). Yes, just as you can Identify a Tree by its Fruit, so you can IDENTIFY PEOPLE BY THEIR ACTIONS."
John 7:24 "Do Not JUDGE according to Appearance, but JUDGE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT."
1 Cor 5:12-13 "It isn’t my responsibility to Judge Outsiders, but it certainly IS your Responsibility to JUDGE those INSIDE THE CHURCH who are Sinning. GOD WILL JUDGE those on the OUTSIDE; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the Evil Person from among you.”
1 John 4:1 "Dear friends, do NOT believe everyone who CLAIMS to SPEAK BY THE SPIRIT. You must TEST them to see if the spirit they have comes FROM GOD (or the devil). For there are MANY FALSE PROPHETS IN THE WORLD."
1 Cor 14:29 (NKJV) "Let Two or Three PROPHETS SPEAK, and let the OTHERS JUDGE."
1 Thess 5:21 "TEST EVERYTHING that is SAID. Hold on to what is Good."
Titus 1:9-16 "...He (an Elder) must have a strong belief in the Trustworthy Message he was taught; then he will be able to Encourage others with Wholesome Teaching and show those who OPPOSE IT where they are Wrong. For there are MANY REBELLIOUS PEOPLE who engage in Useless Talk and Deceive Others...They must be SILENCED, because they are Turning Whole Families AWAY FROM THE TRUTH by their FALSE TEACHING. And they do it only for MONEY. Even one of their own men, a PROPHET from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all Liars, Cruel Animals, and Lazy Gluttons.” This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them Strong in the Faith. They must Stop Listening to Jewish Myths and the Commands of people who have Turned away from the Truth. Everything is Pure to those whose Hearts are pure. But Nothing is Pure to those who are Corrupt and Unbelieving, because their Minds and Consciences are Corrupted. Such people CLAIM THEY KNOW GOD, but they DENY HIM by the way they LIVE. They are Detestable and Disobedient, Worthless for doing anything Good."

MORE - FALSE TEACHERS— BIBLE SCRIPTURES

Naming Names - "Mark Them"

If A Preacher / Teacher is NOT Correctly Teaching Essential Christian Doctrine (the True Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc.) and the Teaching is keeping people focused on this Life & on the Broad Path to Hell, OR if they are Prophesying Falsely (Deut 13:1-18, Deut 18:20-22), we are to "MARK THEM" (Name Names of False Teachers & Deceivers)— of which Paul did 8 TIMES in 2 Timothy, as seen below.

Rom 16:17-18 “MARK THEM which cause DIVISIONS & OFFENCES CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE which you have learned; and AVOID them. STAY AWAY from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own Personal Interests. By SMOOTH TALK and GLOWING WORDS THEY DECEIVE INNOCENT PEOPLE."

We Are Not To Tolerate False Teaching - Jesus Did Not

We are NOT to Tolerate False Teaching— Jesus did NOT Tolerate False Teaching (Rev 2:2-3,6).

Rev 2:2-3 Jesussays, "I know all the things you DO. I have seen your Hard Work and your Patient Endurance. I know you DON'T TOLERATE Evil People. You have EXAMINED CLAIMS of those who SAY they are APOSTLES but are NOT. You have DISCOVERED they are LIARS. You have Patiently Suffered for Me without Quitting...(6) You hate the Evil Deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do."

Jesus & God's Word Warns us MANY Times to
Beware of False Prophets & False Teachers

Matt 24:11 Jesus says, "MANY FALSE PROPHETS will Appear and will Deceive MANY people."
Matt 24:23-26 Jesus says “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For FALSE MESSIAHS and FALSE PROPHETS will rise up and perform GREAT SIGNS and WONDERS so as to DECEIVE, if Possible even GOD'S CHOSEN ONES. See, I have WARNED YOU about this AHEAD OF TIME. “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!"
Matt 7:15-20 Jesus says, "BEWARE of the FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in SHEEP'S CLOTHING but INWARDLY ARE RAVENOUS WOLVES. You will know them by their FRUITS. (17) A GOOD TREE produces GOOD FRUIT, and a BAD TREE produces BAD FRUIT. A Good Tree can’t produce BAD FRUIT, and a BAD TREE can’t produce GOOD FRUIT. So every Tree that does NOT produce Good Fruit is chopped down and thrown into the Fire (Hell). Yes, just as you can Identify a Tree by its Fruit, so you can IDENTIFY PEOPLE BY THEIR ACTIONS.
"Not Everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually DO the WILL of My Father in Heaven will enter. "On Judgment Day MANY will say to Me 'Lord! Lord! We PROPHESIED, CAST OUT DEMONS, and Performed MANY MIRACLES in Your Name.' But I will reply, 'I NEVER knew you. Get away from Me, you who BREAK GOD'S LAWS."

2 Tim 4:3-4 "For the time will come (END TIMES) when they will NOT endure SOUND DOCTRINE; but wanting to have their EARS TICKLED, they will accumulate for themselves TEACHERS in accordance to their OWN DESIRES, and will TURN AWAY THEIR EARS from the TRUTH and will turn aside to MYTHS."
2 Cor 11:13-15 "These people are FALSE APOSTLES. They are DECEITFUL Workers who DISGUISE THEMSELVES as APOSTLES OF CHRIST. But I am not surprised! SATAN DISGUISES HIMSELF AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. So it is no wonder that his Servants also DISGUISE Themselves as SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. In the end they will get the Punishment their Wicked Deeds deserve."

We Are UNLOVING If We Do Not Judge (Examine) False Teachings & Warn Believers

If a certain Teacher continually Teaches error, it would be very UNLOVING if we didn’t WARN OTHERS (like Jesus, Peter, Paul, etc.) of the Dangers of these False Teachers, those who are keeping people on the Broad Path leading to Hell. Acts 20:26-32; Gal 1:6-9; 2 Tim 2:17-18, Eph 5:11, Ezek 3:17-19
(Place 'Mouse' over the Scriptures)

FALSE TEACHER SCRIPTURES—

Matt 7:15-20, Matt 24:4-5, Matt 24:11, Matt 24:23-26, Mark 13:22, Acts 20:29-32, Rom 16:17-18, 1 John 4:1-6, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Tim 4:1,2 Tim 4:3-4, Titus 1:10-11,Gal 1:6-12, 2 Cor 11:13-15, Col 2:8, Col 2:18, 2 John 1:10-11,Matt 16:4, 2 Pet 2:18, Matt 7:21-23, Amos 8:11, 1 Tim 6:8-10, Jude 1:1-17, Deut 13:1-18, Deut 18:20-22, Jer 14:13-15, Jer 23:1-40, Rev 2:2-3, Rev 2:6

Prov 14:12 “ There is a way which SEEMS RIGHT to a man, but its END is the way of DEATH.

We instead should be constantly Examining the Scriptures to see if what a Bible Teacher or Preacher is saying is True, that goes for here at SO4J-TV too.

Acts 17:11 "And the people of Berea were more Open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s Message. They SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAY AFTER DAY to see if Paul and Silas were TEACHING THE TRUTH."
Rev 2:2-3 Jesus says, "I know all the things you DO. I have seen your Hard Work and your Patient Endurance. I know you DON'T TOLERATE Evil People. You have EXAMINED CLAIMS of those who SAY they are APOSTLES but are NOT. You have DISCOVERED they are LIARS. You have Patiently Suffered for Me without Quitting...(6) You hate the Evil Deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do."

Paul Warns Believers about 8 False Converts
2 Timothy

1 - Phygellus - 2 Tim 1:15
2 - Hermogenes - 2 Tim 1:15
3 - Hymenaeus 2 Tim 2:17
4 - Philetus - 2 Tim 2:17
5 - Jannes - 2 Tim 3:8
6 - Jambres - 2 Tim 3:8
7 - Demas - 2 Tim 4:10
8 - Alexander the Coppersmith - 2 Tim 4:14

1 - Phygellus - 2 Tim 1:15

2 Timo 1:15 Paul said, "This you know, that all those in Asia have TURNED AWAY FROM ME, among whom are PHYGELLUS and Hermogenes."

2 - Hemogenes - 2 Tim 1:15

2 Tim 1:15 Paul said, "This you know, that all those in Asia have TURNED AWAY FROM ME, among whom are Phygellus and HEMOGENES."

3 - Hymenaeus - 2 Tim 1:17

2 Tim 2:17 Paul warns, "And their MESSAGE will SPREAD LIKE CANCER. HYMENAEUS and Philetus are of this sort.."

4 - Philetus - 2 Tim 1:17

2 Tim 2:17 Paul warns, "And their MESSAGE will SPREAD LIKE CANCER. Hymenaeus and PHILETUS are of this sort.."

5 - Jannes - 2 Tim 3:8

2 Tim 3:8 Paul warns, "Now as JANNES and Jambres RESISTED Moses, so do these also RESIST THE TRUTH: MEN OF CORRUPT MINDS, DISAPPROVED concerning the FAITH.."

6 - Jambres - 2 Tim 3:8

2 Tim 3:8 Paul warns, "Now as Jannes and JAMBRES RESISTED Moses, so do these also RESIST THE TRUTH: MEN OF CORRUPT MINDS, DISAPPROVED concerning the FAITH.."

7 - Demas - 2 Tim 4:10

2 Tim 4:10 Paul warns, "..for DEMAS has FORSAKEN ME, having LOVED this PRESENT world, and has DEPARTED for Thessalonica--Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia."

8 - Alexander the Coppersmith - 2 Tim 4:14

2 Tim 4:14 "ALEXANDER THE COPPERSMITH did me MUCH HARM. May the Lord REPAY him According to his WORKS.."

If Paul didn't make any Judgments, and warn fellow Believers about these various people in 2 Timothy (above), than some of the True Believers might have unknowingly gotten involved with these people, and led astray in their Worldly ways, etc.

Jesus Warned us about a Great Deception in the End Times (Matt 24:11), it is here, Right Now (2 Tim 4:3-4, 1 Tim 4:1). There are MANY Preachers who Preach a Feel Good gospel which keeps people on the BROAD PATH (Matt 7:13-14), and focused on this Temporal Life (2 Cor 4:17-18, Gal 1:6-12) vs what Jesus taught us in Luke 9:23-24; Matt 10:37-39. We are told ahead of time to BEWARE!

Jesus Told Us To Beware of False Teachers for a Reason!

Jesus told us to BEWARE of FALSE TEACHERS for a Reason.

A False Prophet or False Teacher does Not always come off as a False Teacher! In fact in Matt 7:15-23 Jesus told us that they are "WOLVES DISGUISED in SHEEP'S CLOTHING". So in other words a False Teacher might come across as a Nice person, Good Communicator, and have a Good Sense of Humor as well. They might be Well liked, Thoughtful, Full of Excellence, very Genuine, and might Say Thought Provoking things (with Scripture mixed in as well), that Motivates and/or Inspires you— and makes you want to get a Pen & Paper to write their Ideas down as quick as you can.

A False Teacher might be a well meaning person, who's agenda might Not be out to Intentionally hurt God's People. In fact they might believe 1000% that they are doing God's Work. But whether they're out to Deceive people on Purpose or Not, it doesn't matter— as this False Teacher might be a Victim of Satan's Lies himself!

Jesus told us to BEWARE for a Reason— because these False Teachers are DANGEROUS WOLVES. They lead people to Believe that are on the right Road to Heaven, when really these people are unknowingly on the BROAD PATH that leads to HELL (Matt 7:13-14)! The False Teacher DOESN'T tell people the True Terms of the Gospel, as they'd prefer to WATER DOWN THE GOSPEL in order to be well liked. The True Gospel is Convicting!

John 16:8-9 Jesus says,"When He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will CONVICT THE WORLD OF IT'S SIN, and of GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, and of the COMING JUDGMENT. The World’s Sin is that it refuses to believe in Me."

Jesus was Crucified, Peter, & Paul, and others were thrown into Prison for the True Gospel, Tortured & Suffered (2 Cor 11:23-30, 2 Cor 6:4-10), Murdered for their Faith in God & His Word, etc.

True Biblical Preaching & Teaching might sound like this from Jesus:

Luke 9:23-26 Jesus says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must DENY HIMSELF (yourself), and take up his CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW ME. For whoever wishes to SAVE HIS LIFE will LOSE IT, but whoever LOSES HIS LIFE for My sake, he is the one who will SAVE IT. For what is a man Profited if he GAINST THE WHOLE WORLD, and LOSES or FORFEITS himself (his soul)? For whoever is Ashamed of Me and My Words, the Son of Man will be Ashamed of him when He comes in His Glory, and the Glory of the Father and of the Holy Angels."

To Warn People about False Prophets & False Teachers is for the Safety of ALL, so that we do not become Deceived (Rev 12:9, Heb 3:13), and be Led Astray (2 Cor 11:13-15, 2 John 1:10-11, Jude 1:1-17).

May the Lord give us Discernment against False Teachers & False Teachings, and may we not be afraid to speak the Truth in Love. Lord Bless You.

Wrongly Labeling True Believers as False Teachers

IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all Believers see eye to eye on many important Topics (KJV Only, etc), but that does NOT make each other a False Teacher. There are quite a number of Christian: Discernment Ministries, Websites, and Blog Sites who are wrongly Labeling True Believers & Godly Ministers as False Teachers because they have a difference of opinion on Non Essential Christian Doctrine which does not affect a person's Salvation. A True Believer is constantly growing in the Knowledge of the Scriptures (Acts 17:11), and none of us has arrived with perfect Knowledge (1 Cor 13:12-13); so we must show some Grace to those Believers who do not believe as you do on these Non Essential Christian Doctrines. That is our desire at SO4J-TV.

We do believe that we are to Name the Names of False Teachers & False Prophets so as to warn fellow Believers of the many Deceptions in the Church (1 Tim 1:3-6, Rom 16:17-18). We should however be reminded to be very careful not to make Judgments based on Non Essential Christian Doctrine— which does not affect ones Salvation.

We are not talking about those Ministers who are wrongly Prophesying Falsely (such as Benny Hinn), or who are Preaching the False Teachings of the Self-Esteem Prosperity gospel (Health & Wealth— see FALSE TEACHERS & FALSE PROPHETS - VIDEOS, AUDIOS, ARTICLES) for that truly is another gospel that is contrary to the Teachings of Christ - Gal 1:6-12.