Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Spoken to defend making a man wholly well on the Sabbath, the command exposes the inconsistency of condemning that healing while allowing circumcision on the Sabbath to keep the law, since relieving suffering and restoring wholeness accords with the Sabbath law. Judging by appearance is deciding by outward showing only, by a superficial reading of the law, by a fleshly view and worldly standard, and by surroundings or the influence of others that favors one over another. Righteous judgment is judging by what is right and just and by purpose, keeping the true spirit and purpose of the law rather than its surface, according to truth by God who knows hearts and guided by His Word as the perfect rule of action. For God does not judge as man judges but searches the heart, valuing humility and contrition above profession or external show, seeing concealed impurity beneath outward cleanness, and often counting as abomination what is highly esteemed among men. Therefore no one is to condemn those whose hearts cannot be read while the Holy Spirit may be leading them to repentance, but believers are to let love replace backbiting and criticism, to weigh evidence on every side and know circumstances thoroughly before concluding, and to test all conduct in home and church and every part of life by God's Word rather than by appearances.
Meaning in Context
In its setting the command defends the healing of a man on the Sabbath, calling for what is right rather than for outward appearance. Those who condemned making a man wholly well on that day at the same time allowed circumcision on the Sabbath in order to keep the law. Relieving suffering and making an afflicted person whole accords with the Sabbath law and does not deserve condemnation.
Judging by appearance means deciding by outward showing only and by a superficial reading of the law rather than its true spirit and principles. It means judging by a fleshly view, since finite humans cannot read hearts that God may be leading to repentance. It means looking no further than the outside and measuring by pretensions after the world's standard, which God who knows hearts judges according to truth. It also means being swayed by surroundings or the influence of others instead of considering evidence on every side and knowing the circumstances thoroughly. It includes contrasting believers in Australia with believers in America for capabilities, intelligence, and consecration and favoring one group over the other from outward showing, when even what is seen gives nothing superior to Australia.
Righteous judgment means judging by what is right and just, by justice and purpose, rather than condemning on the surface while ignoring the principles of the law. It means keeping the true spirit and purpose of the law rather than its surface, as shown when making a man wholly well on the Sabbath is recognized to accord with the law like circumcision on the Sabbath. It means judging according to truth by God who knows the hearts, and not as man judges from outward appearance. It is guided by God's Word as the perfect and unerring rule of action for testing conduct.
God does not judge as man judges but searches the heart and judges righteously rather than from outward appearance. He values humility and contrition of heart above words, profession, or external show. He sees concealed impurity within even when a person appears clean on the outside. What is highly esteemed among men He often abhors as abomination in His sight.
Practicing Righteous Judgment
Unjust condemnation of others is forbidden, for finite human beings cannot read the heart, and while the Holy Spirit may be at work to lead a person to repentance, Satan is at work to discourage every effort to overcome. Judgment must not rest on outward appearance or a fleshly view, but must discern this unseen conflict rather than condemn from what is seen.
Among believers love for one another must take the place of backbiting and criticism, lest they weaken one another by unrighteous judgment. No decision is to be made by how things look when contrasting believers in Australia with believers in America in capabilities, intelligence, and consecration, and no comparison favoring one group over the other is to be made from outward showing. Even what is outwardly seen gives nothing superior or in advance to Australia over America, yet the people in Australia, with proper agents working disinterestedly for the Master, may be molded and made vessels unto honor.
The rule is to be sacredly observed toward scholars and students, that the dullest, the youngest, and the most blundering are not to be dismissed, nor those who seem dull, young, clumsy, or uninteresting, for their future is unknown. God does not judge as man judges but searches the heart and judges righteously rather than from outward appearance, and He has in the past accepted and chosen just such apparently uninteresting youth to do a great work for Him. His Spirit acts like an electric battery to arouse apparently benumbed faculties to vigorous and persevering action, because He sees in these rough, uninteresting, unhewn stones precious metal that will endure storm and tempest and the fiery ordeal of heat, and precious qualities He can use for important work.
Those responsible for dealing with people must judge fairly and with careful discernment, not forming conclusions from appearances, surroundings, or the influence of others. They are to consider evidence on every side and know the circumstances thoroughly before reaching a conclusion. The rule applies to actions in the home and church and to every part of life, where each person is to test and correct conduct by God's Word as the perfect and unerring rule of action. Righteous judgment means following God and heeding His counsel, seeking the Lord's guidance rather than judging by appearances, and God works with a person just as long as that person does so. It warns against prejudice and false, harmful presentations that oppose truth, and against perverted ideas that imperil the cause of God and personal influence.
Where great opportunities and great light are given and not appreciated and improved, darkness follows to that same degree. Those under that darkness justify themselves before men while becoming intoxicated with self-deception. They become insensible to even the most powerful evidence that does not agree with their course of action, measuring by pretensions after the world's standard and looking no further than the outside, while God judges things according to truth because He knows the hearts and often abhors as abomination what is highly esteemed among men.
Spoken to defend making a man wholly well on the Sabbath, the command exposes the inconsistency of condemning that healing while allowing circumcision on the Sabbath to keep the law, since relieving suffering and restoring wholeness accords with the Sabbath law. Judging by appearance is deciding by outward showing only, by a superficial reading of the law, by a fleshly view and worldly standard, and by surroundings or the influence of others that favors one over another. Righteous judgment is judging by what is right and just and by purpose, keeping the true spirit and purpose of the law rather than its surface, according to truth by God who knows hearts and guided by His Word as the perfect rule of action. For God does not judge as man judges but searches the heart, valuing humility and contrition above profession or external show, seeing concealed impurity beneath outward cleanness, and often counting as abomination what is highly esteemed among men. Therefore no one is to condemn those whose hearts cannot be read while the Holy Spirit may be leading them to repentance, but believers are to let love replace backbiting and criticism, to weigh evidence on every side and know circumstances thoroughly before concluding, and to test all conduct in home and church and every part of life by God's Word rather than by appearances.
Meaning in Context
In its setting the command defends the healing of a man on the Sabbath, calling for what is right rather than for outward appearance. Those who condemned making a man wholly well on that day at the same time allowed circumcision on the Sabbath in order to keep the law. Relieving suffering and making an afflicted person whole accords with the Sabbath law and does not deserve condemnation.
Judging by appearance means deciding by outward showing only and by a superficial reading of the law rather than its true spirit and principles. It means judging by a fleshly view, since finite humans cannot read hearts that God may be leading to repentance. It means looking no further than the outside and measuring by pretensions after the world's standard, which God who knows hearts judges according to truth. It also means being swayed by surroundings or the influence of others instead of considering evidence on every side and knowing the circumstances thoroughly. It includes contrasting believers in Australia with believers in America for capabilities, intelligence, and consecration and favoring one group over the other from outward showing, when even what is seen gives nothing superior to Australia.
Righteous judgment means judging by what is right and just, by justice and purpose, rather than condemning on the surface while ignoring the principles of the law. It means keeping the true spirit and purpose of the law rather than its surface, as shown when making a man wholly well on the Sabbath is recognized to accord with the law like circumcision on the Sabbath. It means judging according to truth by God who knows the hearts, and not as man judges from outward appearance. It is guided by God's Word as the perfect and unerring rule of action for testing conduct.
God does not judge as man judges but searches the heart and judges righteously rather than from outward appearance. He values humility and contrition of heart above words, profession, or external show. He sees concealed impurity within even when a person appears clean on the outside. What is highly esteemed among men He often abhors as abomination in His sight.
Practicing Righteous Judgment
Unjust condemnation of others is forbidden, for finite human beings cannot read the heart, and while the Holy Spirit may be at work to lead a person to repentance, Satan is at work to discourage every effort to overcome. Judgment must not rest on outward appearance or a fleshly view, but must discern this unseen conflict rather than condemn from what is seen.
Among believers love for one another must take the place of backbiting and criticism, lest they weaken one another by unrighteous judgment. No decision is to be made by how things look when contrasting believers in Australia with believers in America in capabilities, intelligence, and consecration, and no comparison favoring one group over the other is to be made from outward showing. Even what is outwardly seen gives nothing superior or in advance to Australia over America, yet the people in Australia, with proper agents working disinterestedly for the Master, may be molded and made vessels unto honor.
The rule is to be sacredly observed toward scholars and students, that the dullest, the youngest, and the most blundering are not to be dismissed, nor those who seem dull, young, clumsy, or uninteresting, for their future is unknown. God does not judge as man judges but searches the heart and judges righteously rather than from outward appearance, and He has in the past accepted and chosen just such apparently uninteresting youth to do a great work for Him. His Spirit acts like an electric battery to arouse apparently benumbed faculties to vigorous and persevering action, because He sees in these rough, uninteresting, unhewn stones precious metal that will endure storm and tempest and the fiery ordeal of heat, and precious qualities He can use for important work.
Those responsible for dealing with people must judge fairly and with careful discernment, not forming conclusions from appearances, surroundings, or the influence of others. They are to consider evidence on every side and know the circumstances thoroughly before reaching a conclusion. The rule applies to actions in the home and church and to every part of life, where each person is to test and correct conduct by God's Word as the perfect and unerring rule of action. Righteous judgment means following God and heeding His counsel, seeking the Lord's guidance rather than judging by appearances, and God works with a person just as long as that person does so. It warns against prejudice and false, harmful presentations that oppose truth, and against perverted ideas that imperil the cause of God and personal influence.
Where great opportunities and great light are given and not appreciated and improved, darkness follows to that same degree. Those under that darkness justify themselves before men while becoming intoxicated with self-deception. They become insensible to even the most powerful evidence that does not agree with their course of action, measuring by pretensions after the world's standard and looking no further than the outside, while God judges things according to truth because He knows the hearts and often abhors as abomination what is highly esteemed among men.