Dr Paul Allen

  “Judge not, and you will not be judged.” (Matt. 7:1 and Luke 6:37) Some have said that the most famous verse in the Bible is Jesus’s command not to judge. Jesus warned against judging since it will lead to our own judgment and condemnation ( Matt. 7:1 ;  Luke 6:37 ). Now, this should not be interpreted to mean that all evaluation of the lives of others is forbidden. Even in the context of Jesus’s command not to judge in Matthew’s Gospel, his followers are commanded to be discerning and not throw what is holy at dogs ( Matt. 7:6 ).  Elsewhere, believers are enjoined to judge one another and to remove from the church those who are blatantly disobedient and unrepentant ( 1 Cor. 5:12–13 ). Such cases call for gentleness and the recognition that we are liable to fall into the same sins ( Gal. 6:1 ), so there is no room for being supercilious and superior.  Having said all this, God has the prerogative to judge—something we humans don’t possess. As the Creator, the sover...

  "But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges, and they must determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property." Ex 22:8 The phrase “appear before the judges” in Ex 22:8 can also be translated as “appear before God.” The word translated as “judges/God” is Elohim, a common designation for God. While “judges” might be a possible translation in Ex 22:8, the most natural reading is to understand it as referring to God.  When the text indicates that the receiver of the goods (the “owner of the house” [22:8]) is to appear before God, it has in view a particular method for resolving the dispute at hand, namely, what scholars call suprarational procedures.  These are procedures that go beyond the pale of rational evidence, such as testimony, physical evidence or documentary evidence, by appealing directly to divinity to settle the matter.  Three basic categories of suprarational methods are used f...

When we read the prophets, we are often in pearl-hunting mode. The vast bulk of the prophets feels like a confusing, murky mess, but every now and then we’ll stumble across an encouraging verse such as “in quietness and in trust shall be your strength” (Isa. 30:15). Or perhaps we’ll come across a spectacular prophecy about Christ: “I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jer. 23:5). But what if the whole of the prophets were profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness? What if every verse of the prophets was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope? Wait, those questions sound vaguely familiar . . . (see Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16). To unlock the whole of the prophets, we must grasp the pattern of judgment unto restoration. This simple three-word phrase captures t...

It is far too easy to judge others over their sins when our own sins are obvious, so here’s why we shouldn’t “sin shame” others when they sin. Condemning Others Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matt 7:1-2). The word Jesus used for “judge” has the connotation of condemning someone; similar to being the prosecuting attorney, jury, and judge all rolled into one. It’s so easy to judge others and have others judge us, but we can be wrong, and so can they.  We may not have all the facts, or we’ve got the wrong facts, so it’s best to give people the benefit of the doubt (1 Cor 13:7). The Apostle Paul didn’t care about hurting the church’s feelings because they were being judgmental. He chastised them, telling them that they “have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practi...

Christians do not settle in with injustice at this age. Even as it surrounds us. Even as we find its impulses within us. In Christ, we aim and act for genuine justice. We do not pretend that the anger of man will work the justice of God (James 1:20), or that fallen human can execute full and final justice, but still, we make justice our aim. Yet in Christ, we also know that full and final Justice is coming. Just as Grace incarnate came in him, so also Justice will come with his return. Glory of the Great Judge It is precious to know Jesus as our advocate (1 John 2:1). And so he is for us by faith. Few of us ponder this glory nearly enough. It is worth daily reflection and enjoyment. This is at the very heart of the Christian faith. But our gospel not only acknowledges Jesus as our advocate. He is also our judge. Indeed, the Judge, of all the earth and of all history. One day soon, the man Christ Jesus will sit on the very judgment seat of God, and execute full and final ju...

Few texts are more misunderstood in our day than Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” It often comes up in conversations when one dares to make a moral assessment of another person that rubs the hearer the wrong way. “Who are you to judge?” comes the retort. What kind of “judging” is Jesus talking about? As in all cases, the context is a great help in understanding what Jesus is getting at. This text is in the Sermon on the Mount, which demonstrates the nature of true righteousness versus superficial religion. In this text, Jesus is concerned about the hypocrisy of the double standard. The proof of His point is in the illustration that follows in verses 3–5: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to ...

“Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” ( Psalm 96:13 ) Those men and women who reject or ignore the wonderful offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ need somehow to realize the eternal consequences of their foolishness. Jesus Christ was not just a religious teacher in Israel two thousand years ago, but is the very God who created them, the Second Person of the triune Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). God the Father “created all things by Jesus Christ” ( Ephesians 3:9 ), and therefore “hath committed all judgment unto the Son” ( John 5:22 ). And on what basis will He judge us? Our text tells us that “righteousness” and “truth” are the criteria. The problem is that “there is none righteous, no, not one” ( Romans 3:10 ). “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” ( 1 John 2:4 ). However, the Lord Jesus was incarn...