One of the most quoted verses from the Bible in Christian and non-Christian circles alike is “Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Often, this verse is used to promote tolerance of something unbiblical by suggesting that it is always wrong to judge. Other times it is quoted to refute someone wielding a legalistic position.

But what does the Bible actually teach about judging? 

As Christians, we need to know.

I examine this topic thoroughly in the latest series on my podcast CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD, where we tackle tough topics for parents. I decided to examine this difficult topic because a grandparent wrote to me asking for advice on how to respond when her grandchild was harshly judged by a Christian counselor. This faith leader told the child that God would not love her anymore if she didn’t change. She was also told that her parents were going to hell if they got divorced.

As you can imagine, the child was deeply scarred by this encounter. She actually left the church.

Given all the confusion and misinformation surrounding this critical topic, not to mention the dire eternal consequences when we get it wrong, I recently embarked on a four-part podcast series to establish what the Bible says about judging.

But something must be clear before we determine the if, when, where, and how of judging.

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