Romans 2:1 (God's Righteous Judgment)
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
Tag: Judging others, in itself, is enough to warrant judgement.
The book of Romans was a letter to the church at Rome. In the church at Rome there were mostly Jewish converts to the Gospel. In their “Jewishness” they had often thought themselves “special” to God. They indeed were special (chapters 8-11 talk, specifically, about this special, chooses position by God). Yet, in their position of being “special” in God’s eyes, they thought that would exempt them from judgement by God. Note what MacArthur points out in his commentary on this passage:
“They were firmly convinced that God would judge and condemn pagan Gentiles because of their idolatry and immorality but that no Jew would ever experience such condemnation. They loved to repeat such sayings as, “God loves Israel alone of all the nations,” and “God will judge the Gentiles with one measure and the Jews with another.” Some taught that Abraham sat outside the gates of hell in order to prevent even the most wicked Jew from entering. In his Dialogue with Trypho, the second-century Christian Justin Martyr reports his Jewish opponent as saying, “They who are the seed of Abraham according to the flesh shall in any case, even if they be sinners and unbelieving and disobedient towards God, share in the eternal kingdom.”
Paul, immediately, in this letter, points out their own judgment. In chapter one Paul outlines a variety of sins. To those sins, any respecting Jew, would yell out a hearty, “AMEN ... Preach it Paul.” Yet, Paul, without respect of person, points out their own sin of Judging others. His point will be that since they do the same things (any failure of keeping the WHOLE Law will be a failure to keep the Law), they, too, are subject to judgment. In fact, he states, that their “passing judgment” on someone else is contrary to thee Law and therefore breaks the Law, inviting judgment. When we, sinful humans, judge others about their sin, we open ourselves up to judgement, since the Law demands we DON’T judge others. Paul is NOT messing around with sin. As a Jew he knew the value of being a Jew. But, he also knew about the dangers of sin and judging others for their sin. Judging others puts us in the need of our own judgment. Do not judge, least you be judged.
Matthew 7:1-2 (Judging Others)
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
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