Are Christians never to judge?

Jesus famously said in Matt. 7, “Do not judge” (v. 1).

Does that mean Christians should never make judgments about bad teachings, or bad things people have done, or the crazy things presidential candidates have said?

It does not mean any of those things.  After all, Jesus also said in John 7, “Don’t judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment”  (v. 24).

And Jesus told us to “beware of false prophets” (Matt 7.15).  How can we beware of false prophets unless we make judgments that certain teachers are false prophets?

Jesus in fact told us precisely how to recognize who are false prophets: “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7.16).  That act of recognizing involves making a judgment: “Since X is teaching things that are contrary to the teaching of Christ and his apostles, he is probably a false prophet.”

Then what does Jesus mean when he says “Judge not” (Matt 7.1)?

I would suggest, based on the rest of Scripture, that he means two things.  First, we should not judge someone’s eternal destiny, since God “alone knows the hearts of the children of men” (1 Kings 8.39).  And second, we should not judge motives, for the same reason.

But Jesus and the other writers of Scripture show us that we are to judge teachings (to “test the spirits” [1 Jn 4.1] and beware of false prophets) and actions (“you will know them by their fruit”).

The moral life requires that we make moral judgments.  Scripture commands us to make them, so that we might discern truth from error, and right from wrong.