Edjumakashun: Judge and judging

From time to time, I'll post an *EDJUMAKASHUN* post that will redefine terms for the world that are so often understood, mixed up, or used improperly and interchangebly with other terms.

This edjumakashun tyle is about the term "judge", "to judge", or "judging". Typically, with the terms, there really are two distinct meanings regarding the word "judge". The examples that I write about below, is biblically based as it really shows a decent and distinct contrast between the two meanings.

The distinction between the two is:

1. to judge ... to form an opinion
2. to judge ... to condemn

These scriptures talks of the condemnation type of judging (like the way a bench sitting judge does to pass sentence). It's NOT ok to do this kind of judgement of others. And this comes with a penalty. That if we condemn, condenmnation will be returned back to ourselves:

• Mt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
• Mt 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

This talks of forming an opinion type of judging (like a jury - innocent or guity):

• 1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

In 1 Cor 2:15 (above) we see both terms of judge used. We see that a spiritual person judgeth (forms opinion) on all things. Yet he (or she.. the spiritual person) is judged (condemned) by no one.

More about forming opinions of the world.

• 1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

We'll be forming opinions of the angels as well....

• 1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
• 1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
• 1Co 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

So, it's pretty clear that people are pretty much commanded to form opinion on all things. To not form opions, is a very difficult thing to do as we proceed in the marathon of life.

The time when I object to the use of "judge" is when it's used incorrectly and typically because it's being thrown around like a trump card because people aren't intellectually savvy to present arguments in a debate in order to get the upper hand. You'll hear people say something like: "Don't you judge now" -or- in a very slang-filled vernacular "Don't be a hater". In which case, neither is ever the case (with me anyway) where I am condemning (or hating) something. I don't have that power to condemn anything. I can say what is right or wrong for ME. That is the control over me that I have. Though I do not have that same power over EVERYBODY. I can't condemn something to be right or wrong for anybody other than me.

I can only play, my own strings.