What we are commanded to judge.

Christians are not to judge others. But this does not mean that we are not to use the capacity God has given us to evaluate and make judgments. It does not even mean that "judging" is wrong in every circumstance! a. Ro 13:1-7. God has established human government. He has given to governing authorities responsibility for all functions of rule, including the judicial functions. Thus the administration of criminal and civil law by judges is a right and a responsibility delegated to organized society. The ruler is "God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong doer" (v. 4). b. 1 Co 2:15. Paul says that "the spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment." The word here is anakrino, "to examine or discern." Believers possess God's Holy Spirit, and they also have been given the very mind of Christ (v. 16). Believers can thus evaluate from the divine perspective and can also sense God's individual guidance. c. 1 Co 5:12-13. Is the church to stand in judgment on fellow believers? The apparent contradiction is resolved when we understand the nature of church discipline (see 6, below). d. 1 Co 6:2-5. The fellowship of believers in Corinth was being marred by some of the believers taking their disputes into secular law courts. Paul urges Christians to ask other believers to serve as a panel to resolve such "trivial matters" rather than to go to court before unbelievers. e. 1 Co 10:15; 11:13. Paul's exhortation "Judge for yourselves" suggests here that the right answer is obvious. But not every matter Christians are called on to examine has an obvious answer. However, God expects us to examine the issues of our lives and develop convictions based on principles found in God's Word. f. 1 Co 11:31-32. Paul calls on us to judge ourselves. He points out that at times God disciplines us because we have not evaluated our own actions, recognized them as sin, and confessed the sin. "If we judged ourselves," he writes, "we would not come under judgment."