I am sure you have heard the words “judge not” spoken many times. They are usually mentioned when there is news about something morally questionable, such as a pregnancy outside marriage or a divorce.

The idea behind these words when they are spoken often amounts to something like this: “Do not make any moral judgment on what this person has done. Look the other way. If you pass judgment, you will be doing something that Jesus does not want you to do.”

This however is not what the bible teaches. Matthew 7v1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” is probably the most abused and misquoted text in the Bible.

When Matthew 7:1-6 is considered in its proper context, it is clear that Christ’s command to not judge is another challenge for the disciples to not be like the Pharisees and other hypocrites. Since the religious leaders of Christ’s time desired to exalt themselves in the eyes of others, condemning and judging was another way of lifting themselves up. Our text is divided into 3 parts:

1.  The Context (6:2-6, 6:16-17, 7:1-4)
2.  The Meaning (v.1-2)
3.  The Conclusion (v.3-6)

Getting Started

1. What well known social media quotes do you think have been inspired by “Misquoted” bible verse?

• Read Matthew 7:1-6

2. What insight, principle, or observation from Sunday’s sermon did you find to be the most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling?

Digging Deeper

3. “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” is probably the most abused text in the Bible. Interpretation Question: Does Christ’s command to “not judge” mean that we should never judge anybody?

4. Interpretation Question: What type of judging is Christ forbidding, which can be a hindrance to ministering to others?

5. Interpretation Question: What did Christ mean by the warning attached (in v.1-2) to the prohibition of not judging?

The Heart of the Matter

6. Application Question: How have you seen the phrase “Do not judge, lest you be judged” abused? How can we practice godly judgment instead of pharisaical judgment?

7. Application Question: How can we remove the beams of various sins that blind us so we can properly minister to others?

8. Application Question: In what ways have you experienced how sin causes spiritual blindness—the inability to evaluate your own sin and others’? Who is your accountability—who helps you evaluate your own sin?