3557 - Right to Judge by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 19, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 37.

3557 — Right to Judge

By Editor

I send a paper entitled "The Pillar of Fire," with an article marked. Please give us your opinion on it. D. A.

There are two things in the article which we note: the one is concerning its exposition of the rich man and Lazarus, for which we have not space at this time in our "Question Corner." Too many questions are waiting; but for a complete reply to this we refer our readers to Bible Students' Library, No. 146, entitled "Rich Man and Lazarus." This will give a complete explanation of the parable.

Secondly, an expression used by the writer as follows: "We are often told by carnal persons not to judge; but as a messenger of Christ, and one who has met the conditions and obtained salvation through the blood, we claim that the right to judge is a part of our commission. When Jesus said, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged' in Matthew 7, He was speaking to the hypocritical Pharisees, who were full of poison and criticism. . . . No one is capable of judging another righteously until he is right himself."

This is an awful doctrine. It is that which has brought all the persecution which the world has ever seen — men's assuming the right to judge their fellows. We could as truly say that all the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, that the Beatitudes and all, were spoken to the hypocritical Pharisees, as to say that the text quoted was spoken to them; because it comes in the same discourse of our Lord — Matthew, chapters 5 to 7. We read in the beginning of that sermon, "And when He was set, His disciples came unto Him; and He opened His mouth, and taught them." And among His teaching to His disciples was, "Judge not, that ye be not judged," followed immediately by, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Another passage, found in Romans 14, written by the apostle Paul to Christians: "Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ." Verse 10, "So then every one of us shall give account of