In recent years there has been a shift in the church concerning the idea of judging. If we attempt to point out something that is scripturally wrong we will frequently hear comments like ‘judge not, lest you be judged’. Does the Bible tell us that we are not allowed to judge between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and error? How do we obey God’s commands to uphold the truth and stand against wickedness while keeping judgmental attitudes in balance? This study will attempt to add clarification to this issue.
The first thing we must do is to put Jesus’ warning into the context in which it was given. In Matthew 7, Jesus said:
1 "Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
What is the point of this passage, not to judge or to examine yourself as a part of judging?
This is not a warning not to judge but that we will be judged according to the standard we choose. In Romans we are warned not to judge others when we are doing the same things. If we know something is wrong, we become a witness against ourselves if we are committing the same acts. We also don’t have the right to judge someone’s heart, but when warranted, we are to judge someone’s actions and words according to truth. If we are not permitted to judge, it becomes impossible to distinguish between right and wrong. Contrary to common opinion, the Bible commands us to judge. 1 Thessalonians 5 commands us:
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
What does it mean to ‘test all things’?
Does this require judging?
Does this passage instruct us to identify good and evil?
How do we handle what is good?
How do we handle what is evil?
Where does toleration fit into this principle?
Testing is judging between right and wrong. The devil has successfully removed our ability to measure truth by convincing God’s people that it is wrong to judge. It is not judging that is wrong, it is the standard by which we judge and the motives behind our judgment. Jesus gave the standard for judging. Look at these two passages:
John 7
24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
John 12
48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
What is the standard by which I judge?
Are my personal preferences a standard of measure?
Judgment is not according to appearance or personal preference, but according to God’s own righteous judgment which was revealed in His word. It is God’s word that judges between right and wrong and we are to test all things by evaluating it against the word of God. The Bible constantly reiterates a foundational truth – God does not change. His word does not change. Anything that disagrees with God’s unchanging word is not true. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will never pass away” (Matthew 24). In Psalms, God tells us that His word is equal to His name:
NKJV Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
NIV Psalm 138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
If someone’s word keeps changing or they fail to keep their word, what value is in their name?
If God never changes and His word never changes, how can we use His word to test (or judge) doctrine?
Can a person receive a direct revelation from God that disagrees with the Word of God that has already been given to us?
I have included two versions for the sake of clarity. The original Hebrew may be accurately translated as ‘Your word above Your name’ or ‘Your word and name above all things’. However, either way we translate it the intent is the same. God’s word is equal to or greater than His name. If we think for a moment, we will realize the significance of this principle. If a person keeps changing their position, what do we think of their principles? If someone makes a promise and does not follow through, how valuable is their name? The Bible calls God our Rock. He does not change and He does not move. The stability of His word is essential so that can have confidence in our faith. Who can put their trust in someone who changes based on circumstances, comfort or preference? Because God’s word cannot change, we can confidently lay down His word as the straight stick of truth and reveal what is crooked. Look at Matthew 5:
17 " Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
If we lay down the straight truth beside teach or direct revelation of a man of God and they do not agree, what does that tell us about the doctrine of the man claiming to be of God?
The straight truth is that those who teach God’s word faithfully are with God and those who alter or contradict it are against God. There is no such thing as a new revelation that is contrary to what God has already revealed in His word. We are to judge doctrine and truth righteously and this is only possible by comparing it to Scripture.
Look at John 14:
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
How do we know if someone loves God according to this scripture?
If someone says, ‘I love God’ but they refute His word, do they really love God?
Can someone who does not love God be trusted to present God’s truth?
How does this principle of scripture aide us in identifying false teachers?
According to the truth of scripture, we can determine if we or those who preach and teach are in the love of God. If anyone loves Christ, he or she will keep God’s word. We may not be able to judge someone’s salvation, but we can clearly judge whether or not they are in an abiding relationship with Christ. If someone rejects God’s commands, they do not love God. If someone refutes scripture or teaches a doctrine that contradicts scripture, they do not love God. They may say that they love God, but it is not possible to love God and align ourselves against His word. Some my call that judgmental, but Jesus plainly stated this truth.
Because Jesus gave us a clear measurement to distinguish between those who love God and those who do not, we can easily identify many false teachers. What is our responsibility when we identify someone who teaches doctrine contrary to God’s word? 2 John 2 instructs us:
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
How does the Bible mandate us to handle teachers who bring doctrine contrary to scripture?
What does it mean to not allow them into your house?
What warning does the Bible give to those who allow false teachers a platform to teach?
The Bible commands in unmistakable terms that if someone brings a doctrine that is contrary to scripture, we are not to welcome them as a teacher on any level. This does not mean that we condemn them, but rather that we uphold the truth with the hope of repentance. Keep in mind that the early church did not have church buildings. Most churches were house churches. I believe the instruction not to let them into your house is intended to make it plain that we are not to give them a platform to teach their false doctrines. Remember that these are teachers of false doctrine, not merely misled people who need to be taught the truth. The intent of the passage is that they are bringing in doctrine contrary to Christ for the purpose of teaching others. We are not to allow them in to spread this doctrine. This principle would equally apply to churches and any other place that others are taught in God’s name.
Verse 11 makes it clear that those who give these teachers a platform to spread their heresy are partakers in their evil deeds. God will judge us along with them if we idly sit by and allow false teachers to lead people astray. The Bible gives the warning that teachers will receive a stricter judgment. The reason teachers will be held to a higher standard is because their error affects many others. If we allow heresy to go unchecked and we share in their evil deeds, then we also will be held to that strict judgment. It is no small matter to allow anti-Christian doctrine to be taught within the church.
Look now at 2 Peter 2:
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
Will a false teacher try to sound orthodox in their doctrine to lower our guard?
If God’s truth is blasphemed through secrecy and deception, how are we to avoid being deceived?
What is heresy?
Notice that these teachers use deceptive tactics to bring destructive heresies secretly into the church. Heresy simply means false teaching that is contrary to God’s word. We have been warned beforehand that many people will follow them to destruction. I have heard people ask, “Can that many people be wrong?” Yes. There is no safety in numbers. Safety is only found in truth. If their message was openly and blatantly anti-Christian, who would follow them? False teachers use tactics to gain trust. They will give a pound of truth to gain your trust and then slip in small doses of their doctrine once they feel confident that they will be heeded. When a false teacher begins, they often sound very orthodox, but as they gain trust, they will become more and more blatant as time goes by. Eventually these teachers can say almost anything and be applauded because they are considered to be ‘God’s spokesman’. Truth is abandoned and their words become the measure of truth instead of scripture.
Will the Holy Spirit reveal truth that is contrary to scripture?
Galatians 1 answers that question:
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
If an angel of God stands before us and contradicts scripture, what does the Bible say we are to do?
If the apostle Paul, who wrote 2/3rds of the NT came back and contradicted the Word of God that was already delivered, what was the church commanded to do?
The word ‘accursed’ comes from the Greek word ‘anathema’ which means a person or thing that is doomed to destruction. Consider the weight of this passage. The apostle Paul truly was God’s messenger. God used Paul to write 2/3rds of the New Testament. Paul was used to spread Christianity throughout the known world. He started many churches and even did miracles. Yet Paul said that if he comes back one day and teaches something contrary to what has already been delivered, count him as someone destined for God’s destruction. Then the Bible goes on two warn that even if an angel of light stands before you and claims that God has sent him to deliver a truth that is contrary to what has already been revealed, the angel is to be counted as accursed by God. This principle is so important that Paul repeated it to make sure the point is not missed. New truth is really a lie if it does not align with scripture.
If the Bible says that God’s own angel from heaven is to be accounted as doomed, why do we think this does not apply to men who claim to be apostles and prophets today? Paul was God’s anointed, but the Bible says that he would be doomed if he delivered new revelation contrary to what has been delivered. Why would this be true? Because God will never change and His word will never change. Anyone claiming to be of God and contradicting scripture is a liar. An angel of light delivering a contrary message is the devil himself and those who claim to be prophets are his own ministers, not God’s. Harsh words? It comes directly from scripture. Look at 2 Corinthians 11
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
If someone claims to be God’s anointed, an apostle or God’s minister but refutes scripture, whose ministers does the Bible say they belong to?
Does satan march in the door and announce heresy or does he come as a bearer of truth?
Can satan’s ministers masquerade as apostles and ministers of righteousness? Absolutely. Satan does not walk in the front door of a church and announce his intentions. He masquerades as a bearer of truth. The devil will give you as much truth as it takes to get you to bite into the lie. Unless you are grounded in the word of God, you will not recognize the lie when it is counterfeited. Can a false prophet that the Bible calls a minister of satan do good things? Deuteronomy 13 answers this question:
1 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods' -- which you have not known -- 'and let us serve them,'
3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
If someone teaches unbiblical doctrine and does good things or even performs miracles, are they ministers of God?
Will God use wicked men and women to test God’s people?
God allows these people to arise to test you. Do you love God, or are you just looking to use God for selfish motives? We saw earlier that those who truly love God will cleave to His word. Anyone can say, ‘I love God’, but the evidence is found in your choice. Anyone can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, but if their Jesus is not the Jesus of scripture, this statement means nothing. As we move into this study to compare false teaching to scripture, we will see that false teachers do indeed ask us to go after other gods. They may call an idol the true God, but it is still ‘other gods’ if it is not the God who has revealed Himself in scripture. They may call the spirit who guides them the Holy Spirit, but if it does not confirm scripture and point to Christ, it is nothing but a spirit of deception.
If someone says, ‘Jesus is Lord’, does that mean they are lovers of God?
If someone calls their god, God, does this mean the God of the Bible?
How will we know?
We will be accused of attacking God’s anointed when we obey scripture and test their doctrine, but in reality, we are defending, not attacking. If a teacher presents his doctrine to me and I compare it to scripture, is that an attack? Of course not. However, I have found that almost 100% of the time, I am called the aggressor when I openly use the scriptures to validate a prominent teacher’s doctrine. Even so, I am mandated by scripture to do so or else I am a partaker of their deeds. The apostles were punished severely for presenting the truth of Christ, but they said, “We ought to obey God and not man”. In this country we don’t have to fear severe punishment. Even so, the church has been unknowingly taught to fear man instead of God. The Bible says that we are not to be afraid of the threats of false prophets nor listen to their words, yet people tremble at their curses and fear that they will be judged by God at the warnings of these teachers that God has already condemned. No man can curse a child of God. We are cursed or blessed based on whether we choose to love or reject God. The Bible says that God will turn their curses into a blessing if we are faithful.
Can a false teacher curse a Christian who questions him?
Why do false teachers warn people not to ‘touch God’s anointed’ when they compare doctrine to scripture?
Why did the apostle Paul praise those who questioned his doctrine and compared it to scripture?
If we are commanded to test doctrine in order to determine what is good and evil, how can we think that we are not allowed to judge? Why does the Bible warn us to be on guard and watch out for false teachers if we are not to question them for fear of being called attackers? We are mandated by scripture to judge, identify and stand against false teachers by upholding the truth. Our goal is not to prove others wrong. Our ultimate goal is to bring others to repentance by upholding truth. Ideally we want the teacher to see the truth and respond. Equally important if not more important, our intentions should also be to keep others from falling into satan’s traps.
Is our goal to prove others wrong or to present the truth of God’s word?
Can someone worship God while walking according to false teaching?
John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Without truth, worship and our relationship with God are not possible. If we allow faith to be perverted, we are partakers at the height of injustice. The world around us is lost and dying without Christ. If we allow Christianity to be conformed to the world, who can be saved? We are to be calling the world to get off the sinking ship, not getting into the ship with them.
If the church tolerates the lie, who will share the truth?
In Jeremiah 23, the Bible says:
30 " Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor.
31 "Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.'
32 "Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD.
If God is against these teachers of error, should we be afraid to question their doctrine?
If God is against them, and we are commanded to identify them by their doctrine, we must judge according to the truth of God’s word. He will not change and His word will not change. We must either conform to Christ through the Word of God, or we must conform to the world and the doctrines that point us to it. God does not allow for compromise when it comes to truth.
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