Judging vs. Evaluation
1 Corinthians 4 and the issue of judgment
On my mind lately has been this issue of judgment, in particular with regards to the New Testament's notations on the topic. As I've been studying 1 Corinthians, chapter 4 stood out to me. Here, Paul's example helps us to understand judgment and our role in it.
In 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, Paul is wrapping up his section addressing division in the church. It seems as though, now that he has mentioned the issue, provided foundational theology, and shared personal testimony, he begins to write some practical advice and commands. The Corinthians were arrogantly grabbing for patrons to cling to. They sought to find and follow the "strongest" and "wisest" among them. In this paragraph (4:1-5), Paul shows a lack of concern about judgment leveled against him in particular. Paul is aware of nothing genuine against him, yet it is still not his conscience that passes the final judgment. This is because the one who examines and judges the faithfulness of servants and stewards is God. Paul therefore tells the Corinthians to not judge but to leave that to God, the one who not only can judge the actions of an individual but their hearts as well.
Throughout the letter, Paul evaluates and judges the actions and values of the Corinthians, yet he does not level criticism at their personhood or identity in Christ. They are saints, so he calls them to act accordingly. This distinction between judging another's actions rather than their identity is an important part of this discussion.
Matthew 7:1–5 is an important passage to address here. In verses 1–2, Jesus warns against judging others. This is because judging will lead to judgment. In particular, the judgment that we judge with will be returned to us. This means that harsh judgment will be returned with harsh judgment. On earth, harsh treatment of another often results in harsh treatment being returned. With an eternal view, God is the ultimate judge and does not appreciate it when those made in his image treat each other poorly (Romans 14:1ff; James 4:11–12).
In verses 3–5, Jesus commends honest, humble evaluation. The human norm is to view our situation or others as the real problems. It is easy to overlook our own sin, but Jesus tells us to consider ourselves before seeking to address the sins of others. He uses an illustration of someone attempting to remove a speck (something so small that it is almost meaningless) from someone else's eye while they themselves have a beam (something absurdly large) in their own. Christ calls his followers to deal with their own sin before helping others with theirs. This involves humility, honesty, patience, and preferring others over yourself.
Scripture does encourage evaluation of one another (otherwise church discipline, such as what Paul goes on to address in chapter 5, wouldn't be possible). This evaluation is focused on actions, especially consistent patterns. It begins with humble self-evaluation and follows biblical patterns and commands. It appreciates the assistance of others but relies on the final evaluation and judgment of God. If confrontation is handled in a biblical way and for biblical reasons, it will be done lovingly and to encourage growth in Christlikeness. This type of confrontation ought to be appreciated.
However, only God truly knows our hearts and the hearts of others. God knows every action, both open and hidden. God is holy, just, and loving. We might know part of a situation, but only God knows all. We might be able to help evaluate and correct another’s actions, but only God can change someone’s heart. We are faulty judges, but God will one day perfectly judge the world. Believers ought to help bear one another’s burdens, but we must ultimately rely on God as the final and perfect judge.
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Soli Deo Gloria,
Caleb Friske