I chose that headline deliberately because of one of the most quoted scriptures that I feel is also being manipulated and deliberately used to perpetuate hocus-pocus.
It has become an alibi for impunity and a leeway for rascality, to promptly quote Matthew 7:37 when folks don’t want their adverse doings to be scrutinized. But that scripture has two parts. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
From my own understanding of that scripture, the only reason you shouldn’t judge others is if you don’t want to be judged too or if your own acts are stinking, or if you know your own actions can’t stand the test. And realistically, whether you judge or not, we will all be judged anyway.
There is nowhere in the Bible where it is stated that judging others is bad. None. The emphasis is on “so that you will also not be judged.” The fear of being judged ourselves is what has made that scripture handy. In fact, Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 that: “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.” New Living Translation (NLT).
And in John’s Gospel, Chapter 7:24, it is written, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Judging others was still not condemned. The condition for judging others here is that it must go beyond appearance to “good judgment.” The command did not forbid anyone from judging others. So I will wait for anyone to show me where the Bible condemns judging others. That a cliche has become popular or hackneyed, doesn’t make it always true.
Open your mouth and judge who needs to be judged based on good judgment. Most people in the world are generally scared of being called to account, so everything that fits into that nonchalance is taken as a given. Don’t conform!
Citizen Agba Jalingo is the Publisher of CrossRiverWatch and a rights activist, a Cross Riverian, and writes from Lagos.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Agba Jalingo, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.
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