Beware of Dear Abby
By Bro. David Cloud
Friday Church News Notes, May 12, 2006 - David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143. Send e-mail: fbns@wayoflife.org
Dear Abby Tells Readers To “judge Not”
The Dear Abby column in the Denver Post for May 7 advised readers to “judgenot.” A 20-year-old college student asked Abby what she should do about her mother's new lesbian relationship, and Abby replied, “Judge not, lest ye be judge.” (The popular Dear Abby column was founded by Abigail Van Buren and is carried on today by her daughter Pauline.) This refers, of course, to Matthew 7:1, which says in the King James Bible, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” But if we examine the context of this passage we see that the Lord Jesus is not condemning all judging; He is condemning hypocritical judging (Matthew 7:5). To forbid something in another person that I allow in my own life is hypocrisy and is a great sin, but this is not to say that Christ forbade judging in general. This is evident from the context. In the same sermon He warned about false prophets (Matthew 7:15-17). It is impossible to beware of false prophets without judging doctrine and practice by God's Word. How can I know who a false prophet is if I do not test or judge them by God's Word? That Christ is not condemning all judging is also evident by comparing Scripture with Scripture. In other passages we are commanded to judge certain things. We are to judge sin in the church (1 Corinthians 5:3, 12). We are to judge preaching (1 Corinthians 14:29). We are to judge those who preach false gospels, false christs, and false spirits
(2 Corinthians 11:1-4). And we are to judge the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). According to Romans 1 and other passages of Scripture, one of the works of darkness is homosexuality.
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