These verses that are shown within the Bible that millions go about saying to one another when someone confronts another with their misdeeds.
Why pursue studying them?
Because those that throw out this one verse in reply have not studied all the verses related to it. They take them out of context. Plus do not understand the full teachings within the entire Bible. At this time all I can say is those that throw out this one verse in reply are not going to be happy with the results of this study.
Matthew 7:1 – Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Now let’s take a more contemporary look at this teaching, then we will actually take a deeper look at the actual verses.
So in this hypothetical world we have a team of men setting down at a workplace. Someone approaches and says “Why are you setting when those men are working?” Referring to some of the co-workers that were still doing their assigned tasks.
One of the men turns to the person, and replies.
“We have finished all of our given duties, and as it is, we have new duties we plan on starting shortly. Why do you ask this?”
“Well this man from another team saw you sitting and doing nothing.” Was the persons reply.
The team of men look to where the person that had made the comment was working. The person was nowhere to be found and most of his work was not done. They looked for the person, that had made the comment and who was in need to complete his own jobs. They found him talking to others pointing again to those that were setting.
They approach the man and ask him.
“Why do you accuse us of not doing our work, when our work is complete? We looked to where you should be to talk to you and found you missing and your work nowhere near to being done.
The man grew angry and accused them once again of being lazy and failing to help those in need of help. The team of men turned and walked away.
This is the heart of this teaching that Jesus was speaking of when it comes to judging. It shows that those that judge are in fact hypocrites, and have no need to be accusing others of doing a wrong when they themselves commit the sin they are accusing the other of doing.
So let us look in this teaching in its entire context. Now the biggest issue people have to come to understand is the comparison Jesus uses to the issue of judging. The mote and the beam.
Mote – karphos – a small particle (a splinter of straw or wood); “a dry stalk; a chip of wood;” something dry and light; a “chip or splinter, of the same material with the beam”
Beam – dokos – a large beam (joist) of wood; “a beam of timber;” – “a log on which planks in the house rest (as in the papyri); joist, rafter, plank; a pole sticking out grotesquely;” (figuratively) a huge log (like a plank used in a house) that completely obstructs someone’s vision.
Jesus making this comparison is not by chance. It is specific and pointed out for a reason.
Do not try and take the splinter out of someone else’s eye when you have a beam of wood within your own eye. This means the sin are the same exact sin, as was demonstrated in the situation above. The man accusing those sitting down and resting after completely their work, of having a splinter. Had not done his own work and so had a beam within his eye.
Thus the statement by Jesus: “You hypocrite!”
Judging deals only with hypocrisy, and is shown as such as the sentence continues:
“First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
So here Jesus is telling us to first cast out our own sin. Now it is here that people will start to say that Jesus is referring to all sin. Then why the mote and the beam? Why have a particular comparison?
All sin. We are all individuals and so sin in different ways. Yet many that choose not sin through accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. With His help cast off sins. Not all sins, for we live within corrupted bodies. However we can cast enough sin from us to live a righteous life. Allowing us to be light into the darkness, which is sin. That is why we have these verses to follow within the Bible:
2 Timothy 4:1 – I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (KJV)
Reprove – elegcho – to convince with solid, compelling evidence, especially to expose (prove wrong, connect).
Rebuke – epitimao – assign value as is fitting the situation, building on the situation to correct (re-direct).
Exhort – parakaleo – (a) I send for, summon, invite, (b) I beseech, entreat, beg, (c) I exhort, admonish, (d) I comfort, encourage, console; (“personally make a call”) refers to believers offering up evidence that stands up in God’s court.
As you can see, when you accept Jesus Christ and then cast out the beam that is within your own eye. We are then taught to help others by showing them with the Bible that it is something that should not be done. To show them that the beam can be taken out. Then to encourage them to remove their own splinter. Why? Because the person talking to them had removed the beam from their own eye with the help of Jesus Christ.
So the team of workers are free to say for instance to the man in our example above: “You must finish your own work, before you can accuse us of not work.”
Now remove the word work and replace it with a particular sin. As long as you are not doing this sin yourself and show evidence it is a sin within the Bible. You are not guilty of judging, but trying to help someone not to sin.
However, we must realize that not all are willing to accept to the truth and so in turn will throw out that they are being judged. In a way they are, but not by those saying they are sinning. But by the word of God, so as the verse makes clear in 2 Timothy:
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.”
Those that reprove, rebuke and exhort are not judges, but advocates for the one sinning. They are being their legal defense. Trying to help them not have this particular sin between themselves and Jesus Christ as He sets upon the Throne of Judgment. Because they themselves, with the aid of Jesus Christ have put this particular sin behind them.