Spiritual Growth #2A – To Judge Inside the Church

(courtesy Smith, 2013)

In Part or Full?

Christians are to judge those “inside the church” (1 Cor. 5:12 NIV). God judges those outside of it (1 Cor. 5:13 NIV). The reasons for judging inside the church are given in 1 Cor. 5. Basically, when we judge, it is to stop sin from producing offspring among us (James 1:15 NIV).

However, since most Christians go by the popular definition that to “judge” is to criticize or censure, we stopped doing so because we wanted to show the world our Christian love. This decision cost the church her moral credibility before the world; and earned her the distrust of the disillusioned, disappointed, and damaged former church members whom she failed to protect.

Errors like this come from a combination of our “in part” understanding and desire to express philĕō-love. Philĕō-love means we are a friend to (fond of), or have an affection for someone (Greek #5368*). Because our philĕō-love is biased—favorably inclined—then we’ll never “judge” anybody’s actions, will we? Philĕō-love also carries with it an insidious blackmail component. All said, our philĕō-love is like the ebb and flow of the tide.

A “full” understanding is based on agapē-love, which W.E. Vine described as God exercising “the Divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause”**. Thus, there’s nothing we can do to earn God’s love because agapē can not be influenced. That said, our agapē-love must also originate from the deliberate choice of our will—not our feelings—and be immune to human influences. Above all, agapē-love remains constant under favorable or unfavorable conditions!

Moreover, the onus to rightly judge—to distinguish, decide (mentally or judicially)*—rests upon every member of the body of Christ. Therefore:

1. If you’ve judged truthfully, then speak the truth in love (See: 1 Cor. 13:4-7). If you don’t, then what part of darkness are you when your love doesn’t free your brother or sister in Christ?
2. If you’re lucky enough to be on the receiving end of truth, then respond in love and “think no evil” about the messenger! They probably spent a lot of time in prayer just to get up enough courage to speak with you. 

Things will get difficult, but hang in there; everyone experiences growing pains. Besides, the result is worth it if we grow up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ!

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*Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Greek definition); **Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981); Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge 1769. Used by permission. All rights reserved; Scriptures marked “NIV” are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved