What did Jesus mean when he said "do not condemn and you will not be condemned"?

[JoeP222w]

when Jesus said don't condemn others he meant
don't sentence people to hell

We don't have the ability to sentence people to Hell.

Basically, spread the gospel the proper way?

Yes, the way He (Jesus) did, by calling all men everywhere to repent and trust in Jesus Christ. That is what Jesus did. And when we call people to repent that implies that they have something to repent of or from.

 

[Petros2015]

Then what is lacking in your experience ?
All the messengers of YHWH in the NT who remained faithful
were even sifted by hasatan,
then recovered ,
and turned to help others likewise sifted.
To keep living with a beam in the eye is , I expect, very sinful indeed

My experience has been something like that. I am alcoholic and went into recovery in AA 4 and 1/2 years ago and have remained sober. I am able to help others recovery from alcoholism who want to, in the same way that I was helped. While it could go back in quite easily, for now that particular beam is 'out of my eye'. I don't judge or condemn others who drink though, even if they drink alcoholically. I simply offer them a way out and the same help that I was given if they want it.

On the whole though, there are many 'beams', and yes they need to be removed and worked on. Lust, selfishness, laziness, wraith, pride - the usual suspects. These are things that are not always so black and white and we all have them in various shades. I went through a period recently where I hated my neighbor, rather than loved him. And I was pretty judging and condemning while I was doing it. So, I feel like it's safer to repent and keep myself recused from the bench in general, on top of that fact that I've been commanded to (for my own good, and I suspect, the safety of others). I'm simply not qualified. Helping people on the whole seems both the better way to go and the way to get better, and we are the best witnesses for deliverance in the areas we ourselves have personally been delivered from.

Luke 12:1 "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy". I think that was not just him saying "watch out for those guys." I think what He meant was, "watch out for this in yourself."

 

[Kenny'sID]

General stern warning is not condemning anyone, and it may be the biggest favor you can ever do or they will ever recieve.

Who says spreading the Gospel is necessarily the same as warning people about hell?

In our tradition there's a big difference between God's Law and the Gospel, and one doesn't do the same thing as the other.

I have no traditions of men to use as scapegoat but the whole gospel from start to finish includes hell and the warnings thereof. No way I'm going to skip that...God doesn't, nor does Jesus.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

My experience has been something like that. I am alcoholic and went into recovery in AA 4 and 1/2 years ago and have remained sober. I am able to help others recovery from alcoholism who want to, in the same way that I was helped. While it could go back in quite easily, for now that particular beam is 'out of my eye'. I don't judge or condemn others who drink though, even if they drink alcoholically. I simply offer them a way out and the same help that I was given if they want it.

On the whole though, there are many 'beams', and yes they need to be removed and worked on. Lust, selfishness, laziness, wraith, pride - the usual suspects. These are things that are not always so black and white and we all have them in various shades. I went through a period recently where I hated my neighbor, rather than loved him. And I was pretty judging and condemning while I was doing it. So, I feel like it's safer to repent and keep myself recused from the bench in general, on top of that fact that I've been commanded to (for my own good, and I suspect, the safety of others). I'm simply not qualified. Helping people on the whole seems both the better way to go and the way to get better, and we are the best witnesses for deliverance in the areas we ourselves have personally been delivered from.

Luke 12:1 "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy". I think that was not just him saying "watch out for those guys." I think what He meant was, "watch out for this in yourself."

Amen, adulterers are perhaps best able to minister to adulterers without condemnation , to show them the way of Salvation in Jesus;
likewise homosexuals who have turned to YHWH, for those others who are still trapped by sinful life style or demons;
and greedy landlords - (perhaps the hardest to recover) - since greed is so much promoted instead of repented of !
and so on..... once YHWH has removed the beam in a persons eye,
in His Plan, they are able to turn and help others as YHWH Pleases.

 

[Yarddog]

In Luke 6:37 Jesus tells us not to condemn others and not to judge others. Does this mean that condemning others to hell is God's job?

Absolutely.

And warning people that they're going to hell is a bad thing?

Absolutely.

How are we to spread the gospel if we can't warn other people about hell?

Telling people about the dangers of hell is quite different than telling them they are going to hell. We don't know who will or will not go to hell.

Is Jesus saying we can't tell people "I sentence you to hell for sinning against God and for denying Jesus."

Absolutely. No one knows what may occur in a person's life that will change them. Take Paul as an example.

But there has to be more to it than that. Just what did Jesus mean when he said we can't judge and condemn others? Obviously if our brother is sinning we should be allowed to point it out. Or is that God's job as well?

We may point out another person's sin but we should remember that we are not perfect and still fail at times to follow Jesus. Be as gentle as possible and always remember of the great mercy that we were shown by God. Being a forgiving and loving person are essential qualities for God's children.

 

[DreamerOfTheHeart]

In Luke 6:37 Jesus tells us not to condemn others and not to judge others. Does this mean that condemning others to hell is God's job? And warning people that they're going to hell is a bad thing? How are we to spread the gospel if we can't warn other people about hell? Is Jesus saying we can't tell people "I sentence you to hell for sinning against God and for denying Jesus." that obviously is God's job. But there has to be more to it than that. Just what did Jesus mean when he said we can't judge and condemn others? Obviously if our brother is sinning we should be allowed to point it out. Or is that God's job as well?

Means do not judge/condemn in heart, as default. When you do, do so extremely carefully. Accuracy is of extreme importance.

More explicitly, do not judge/condemn, but allow the Holy Spirit inside to do so instead.

 

[RaymondG]

General stern warning is not condemning anyone, and it may be the biggest favor you can ever do or they will ever recieve.



I have no traditions of men to use as scapegoat but the whole gospel from start to finish includes hell and the warnings thereof. No way I'm going to skip that...God doesn't, nor does Jesus.

The good news is that you can be delivered from hell right now..... Not an introduction to a future hell that they will go to if they don't believe what you are about to tell them.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Telling people about the dangers of hell is quite different than telling them they are going to hell. We don't know who will or will not go to hell.

Look in the NT for very accurate descriptions.

 

[Kenny'sID]

The good news is that you can be delivered from hell right now..... Not an introduction to a future hell that they will go to if they don't believe what you are about to tell them.

The full gospel, start to finish, and yes, it's great news if we choose to accept the the requirements, and make a serious effort.

 

[Yarddog]

Look in the NT for very accurate descriptions.

One must be careful when looking at a list of sinful acts and then attempting to judge others by them because the one showing judgment just might be guilty as well.

 

[FireDragon76]

General stern warning is not condemning anyone, and it may be the biggest favor you can ever do or they will ever recieve.



I have no traditions of men to use as scapegoat but the whole gospel from start to finish includes hell and the warnings thereof. No way I'm going to skip that...God doesn't, nor does Jesus.

It's not a "tradition of men". It's our experience preaching the Gospel for 500 years, and the experience of Christian before then. Some things just don't work, they make people more religious, more pharisaical, but they will never cause people to have faith that trusts in the finished work of Christ for their salvation.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I think the parables speak well to this. There is one parable where this wealthy man representative of God forgave his debt representative of his sin and he was thankful but he went and oppressed another person and would not forgive that person's debt, so the wealthy man was grieved by this and put the unmerciful man in prison to pay off his debt ... So I'd say when being unforgiving towards others, a caution flag should raise otherwise one might fall into the trap of thinking "I must be doing it right because I'm being spiritually oppressed" when maybe repentence over unforgiveness is required instead?
.
Another parable related to this is the guy who received a large sum of resources from God and did nothing with it because he was afraid of messing up, but what he had was taken away and given to the person who was most productive.
.
So from this I understand it is important to be merciful as God has been merciful to me, but also to not let apprehension about taking action make me unproductive and subject to another kind of disciplinary action.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

One must be careful when looking at a list of sinful acts and then attempting to judge others by them because the one showing judgment just might be guilty as well.

Who said in Scripture to look at a list of sinful acts (or a LIST of anything for that matter) ?
Who said in Scripture to "attempt" to judge anything or anyone ?
Jesus did not command to look at things that are known to the flesh, nor to look at things "VISIBLE", but "invisible", as YHWH says.

What does YHWH Say Always, in Scripture, concerning Righteous Judgment, True Judgment ? (Jesus confirms and says also, how to do what YHWH Says to DO, and how to speak what YHWH Says to speak, and how to Judge Rightly, YHWH'S Way, not as men do).

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It's not a "tradition of men".

First you say it is not a tradition of men,
then you say >>

It's our experience preaching the Gospel for 500 years, and the experience of Christian before then.

apparently referring not only to what is tradition of men,
but also to what is not necessarily good tradition.

The tradition of men may be separate and apart from (and opposed to) YHWH'S Word,
thus is not always (maybe rarely) good not right.

 

[Kenny'sID]

It's not a "tradition of men". It's our experience preaching the Gospel for 500 years, and the experience of Christian before then. Some things just don't work, they make people more religious, more pharisaical, but they will never cause people to have faith that trusts in the finished work of Christ for their salvation.

You have just described traditions of men, or at the very least, what you say does not negate what I said.

Some things don't work for the people that refuse to accept the truth, so goes life. I can show someone truths right now, things the bible is clear about and it will not be accepted, so yes, in that light some things don't work but that doesn't mean we should not stick with the truth.

And your "finished work" there, is also a tradition of men. To you it means we can sin, it's all covered id we say we have accepted Christ/the salvation plan, but that is completely contradictory to what to bible says...or another one of those things that "don't work" for people because they would refuse to believe it, yet I will continue to tell it like it is, whether it works for some or not..

Nothing new about the plan of salvation not being accepted because it has requirements, requirements that used to be obvious to Christian and even non Christian, the very reason some stayed non Christian...too costly. At least until Satan's new way started confusing the issue/started lying to people, and selling his illusion about the requirements so they could now play Christian using traditions of men that, in affect, now make sin acceptable... something that is more acceptable to them than Gods way was..

 

[Deadworm]

Your answer is implied by Matthew's parallel in 7:1-2: "Just not, or you will be judged."

What Jesus means is that in a sense God has no absolute standard of judgment, but rather we are judged by the standard we apply to others:

"For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged and the measure you dish out will be dished out to you."

So if we condemn others, we are condemned by the same standard. If we release grudges, then God release His "grudges" against us. If we refuse to forgive others, God refuses to forgive us. It is as if God says, "My essence is love and I take no delight in judging others. So let's look at the standard you impose on others. You assume that your standard is fair. So I will apply your standard to you as well!" This also implies that judgment in Hell is based on the principle that like attracts like. The punitive and judgmental acts and attitudes that we impose on others are reciprocally applied to us--thieves with thieves, manipulators with manipulators, control freaks with control freaks, etc. Conversely, if we are quick to overlook the faults and abuse of others, we will find ourselves in a postmortem realm, in which God sees to it that grace always allows us mercy for our own faults and abusive conduct. It is precisely such a system of judgment that prompts Paul to urge us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

 

[Yarddog]

Who said in Scripture to look at a list of sinful acts (or a LIST of anything for that matter) ?

Well, technically you.
When you provide my quote "We don't know who will or will not go to hell." and respond , "Look in the NT for very accurate descriptions" you are telling me to look in scripture to find who is going to hell or not.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Well, technically you.
When you provide my quote "We don't know who will or will not go to hell." and respond , "Look in the NT for very accurate descriptions" you are telling me to look in scripture to find who is going to hell or not.

Yes, no. or No, yes? (depends on YHWH'S Revelation, of course, as even the Apostles and disciples depended on His Revelation in order to understand Scripture, as written)
YHWH does not leave us unknowing, unless He chooses to for a time, or for His Own Reason (as when He tells who cannot know). If anyone wants to know, they can go to Him, and He may reveal the simple answer from His Word .

 

[Yarddog]

Yes, no. or No, yes? (depends on YHWH'S Revelation, of course, as even the Apostles and disciples depended on His Revelation in order to understand Scripture, as written)
YHWH does not leave us unknowing, unless He chooses to for a time, or for His Own Reason (as when He tells who cannot know). If anyone wants to know, they can go to Him, and He may reveal the simple answer from His Word .

God does not say which of our neighbors are going to heaven or hell in scripture. A person who appears to be mired in sin today may be a devout Christian in a year.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

God does not say which of our neighbors are going to heaven or hell in scripture. A person who appears to be mired in sin today may be a devout Christian in a year.

How can you tell if your neighbor is mired in sin,
or if your neighbor is a devout Christian , either one ?
(or even ones own self , for that matter)
(preferably with Scripture, as Scripture Says (as YHWH Says), or at least not opposed to any Scripture ) ....