Dear brothers and sisters, judging others righteously is a significant topic that we must understand deeply. The Bible teaches us to be fair and just when we look at others’ actions and behaviors. When we judge, we must do so with love, compassion, and fairness, reflecting God’s righteous judgment.
Righteous judgment is not about condemning others or pointing out their flaws harshly. It is about discerning right from wrong with a pure heart. Jesus taught us to first remove the plank from our own eye before we try to remove the speck from our brother’s eye. This means we must first examine ourselves and correct our own faults before we can help others with theirs. When we judge others, it should be out of a sincere desire to help them and lead them to the truth.
In the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus demonstrated righteous judgment. The Pharisees wanted to stone her for her sin, but Jesus responded by saying, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” By doing this, He showed that judging others should not come from a place of hypocrisy or self-righteousness, but from a place of humility and mercy.
Another important aspect of righteous judgment is that it should be based on truth and not appearances. God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance. We must strive to do the same and judge fairly, not based on superficial factors or personal biases.
Dear friends, when we judge others righteously, we reflect God’s justice and mercy. We help each other grow in faith and righteousness. Let us always seek to judge with a heart full of love and a spirit of humility, knowing that we too are in need of God’s grace. If we follow these principles, we will fulfill God’s command to judge righteously and help build a community of faith grounded in truth and love.
Dear friends now let’s see the Bible scriptures below that talk about ‘Judging Others Righteously’.
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgmentFor by thy words thou shalt be justified, by thy words thou shalt be condemned”
— Matthew 12:36-37
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go tell him his fault between thee him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brotherBut if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be establishedAnd if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man a publican”
— Matthew 18:15-17
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”
— Matthew 5:7
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive youBut if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”
— Matthew 6:14-15
“Judge not, that ye be not judgedFor with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”
— Matthew 7:1-2
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolvesYe shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”
— Matthew 7:15-16
“Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceitsRecompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all menIf it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men”
— Romans 12:16-18
“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way”
— Romans 14:13
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same thingsBut we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such thingsAnd thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”
— Romans 2:1-3
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”
— Romans 2:16
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; mercy rejoiceth against judgment”
— James 2:13
“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judgeThere is one lawgiver, who is able to save to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
— James 4:11-12
“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door”
— James 5:9
“Yea, why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?”
— Luke 12:57
“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; if he repent, forgive him”
— Luke 17:3
“Judge not, ye shall not be judged: condemn not, ye shall not be condemned: forgive, ye shall be forgiven”
— Luke 6:37
“A false balance is abomination to the Lord : but a just weight is his delight”
— Proverbs 11:1
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts”
— Proverbs 21:2
“These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment”
— Proverbs 24:23
“Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame”
— Proverbs 25:8
“Open thy mouth, judge righteously, plead the cause of the poor needy”
— Proverbs 31:9
“My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom discretion”
— Proverbs 3:21
“Shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord : he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his earsBut with righteousness shall he judge the poor, reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked”
— Isaiah 11:3-4
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithMeekness, temperance: against such there is no law”
— Galatians 5:22-23
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”
— Galatians 6:1
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”
— John 5:30
“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”
— John 8:7
“Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, shew mercy compassions every man to his brother”
— Zechariah 7:9
“In controversy they shall stand in judgment; they shall judge it according to my judgments: they shall keep my laws my statutes in all mine assemblies; they shall hallow my sabbaths”
— Ezekiel 44:24
“I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, judge righteously between every man his brother, the stranger that is with himYe shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, I will hear it”
— Deuteronomy 1:16-17
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour”
— Leviticus 19:15
“The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, his tongue talketh of judgment”
— Psalm 37:30
“For the word of God is quick, powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul spirit, of the joints marrow, is a discerner of the thoughts intents of the heart”
— Hebrews 4:12
“This I pray, that your love may abound yet more more in knowledge in all judgmentThat ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere without offence till the day of Christ”
— Philippians 1:9-10
“To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men”
— Titus 3:2
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, be put away from you, with all maliceAnd be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”
— Ephesians 4:31-32
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days”
— Colossians 2:16
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsufferingForbearing one another, forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”
— Colossians 3:12-13
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with thy God?”
— Micah 6:8
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bible teaches us to judge others righteously by emphasizing fairness, humility, and self-reflection. Verses such as Matthew 7:1-2, John 7:24, and James 4:11-12 remind us that while we can discern right from wrong, our judgments must be rooted in love and truth, not hypocrisy or condemnation. From these teachings, we learn the importance of examining our own actions and motives before evaluating others. Applying these principles in our lives encourages us to foster empathy, promote justice, and build stronger, more compassionate communities. By adhering to righteous judgment, we align ourselves with God’s will and reflect His grace in our interactions with others.