Judgment

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-27-2025

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

 

Introduction: 

A.  As Paul, through the moving of the Holy Ghost, continues to write the Corinthians Epistle to a baby, carnal church, he deals with a problem among new converts.  Division.  Not division concerning who they choose to follow in 1 Corinthians 1:12-14, 3:3-9.  Division because of personal division. 

 

B.  In every church and in every believer, there is a time to “grow up” by realizing that not everyone who disagrees with you is wrong, nor are they not on your side.  We are labourers together with God and need to keep this in mind.

 

C.  I find the problem of judging an important one because the Book of 1 Corinthians lists many different judgments.  Don’t worry, I will not deal with them tonight! 

 

1. The judgment of others’ motives.  1 Corinthians 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

 

2  The judgment of self.  1 Corinthians 11:28-32  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  (29)  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  (30)  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  (31)  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  (32)  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

 

3.  The judgment of hidden things.  1 Corinthians 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

 

4.  The judgment of sinful believers by the local church.  1 Corinthians 5:4-5  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (5)  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

5.  The judgment of angels by the saints.   1 Corinthians 6:3-5  Know ye not that we shall judge angels?

 

6.  The judgment of quarrels among brethren.  1 Corinthians 6:3-5  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?  (4)  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.  (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?

 

7.  The judgment of the world by the saints.  1 Corinthians 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?

 

D.  Judgment can be a right thing, or it can be a wrong thing.  There are three kinds of judgments found in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 that need to be discussed tonight: judgment of others, judgment of self, and Judgment by God.

 

1.  The judgment of others.  There are things that we can judge, and some things that we cannot. 

 

a.  The unrighteous judgment of others.  1 Corinthians 4:3  “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment …” 

 

1)  I have often said that I care what others say about me but, I also do not care.  This is what Paul is saying in verse 3.  Paul was doing what God wanted him to do, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and apologizing for nothing. 

 

2)  I too am careful how I answer others and simply tell them what God says.  At that point, I will not back up.  Don’t ask the question if you are not ready to allow the Bible and Holy Ghost to answer it.

 

3)  If the answer is biblical, “it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment!”

 

4)  Be careful when you judge the motives instead of the act.  Paul said that this was a “very small thing” because there will be things that we do that others will not understand and judge in the wrong manner.

 

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

 

5)  There is an old saying that goes like this:  “Never judge another until you have walked a mile in his shoes.”  People are so prone to making quick judgments without all the facts.  They are also prone to making quick judgments without knowing the motive.

 

6)  In a court of law, one cannot use hearsay nor can they attest to what another person is thinking or has thought because these two things cannot be considered as factual.

 

7)  Both Paul and James declared that the only judgment that counted was God’s! 

 

Romans 14:12-13a  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  (13)  Let us not therefore judge one another any more …

 

James 4:11-12  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.  (12)  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

 

b.  The righteous judgment of others.  Now, having said that, there can and will be unrighteous judgment; there are things that we can righteously judge.  Not all judgment is wrong or unrighteous.  Righteous judgment is when we witness an evil deed and judge the act, not the perpetrator, according to God’s law or man’s righteous law.

 

1 John 5:16-17  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.  (17)  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

 

1)  This is an act that we witnessed as wrong and should not have been done.  I have personally seen saved people do things that are not right to do and know for a certainty that it was not right.

 

2)  We can, to some degree, judge the act, be it done in ignorance or willfulness.  We set judges in place for just such a time to make righteous judgments.  They seat a jury in both criminal and civil cases at times to make a righteous judgment.

 

3)  Just make sure that what you judge is right.  Another old saying, “Believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see.”  Great advice.

 

2.  The judgment of self.  1 Corinthians 4:3-4  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.  (4)  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

 

a.   Let me begin by saying that personal self-inventory is an essential part of our walk with and before God.  As we walk with God, we need to understand that we also walk before God.

 

1 Corinthians 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

 

1)  Examine your Salvation.  2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

 

2)  Ask God to examine your integrity (honesty, veracity, truthfulness).  Psalms 26:1-2  A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.  (2)  Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

 

3)  Ask God to examine your inner self.  Psalms 139:23-24  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  (24)  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

b.  Paul said, “I judge not mine ownself.”  Self-judgment can also be wrong. 

 

1)  There are times when we believe that what we are doing is right, only to find out that it was wrong.  Once again, we often do not have all the information when we make decisions and, though we want to do right, they may turn out wrong.

 

2)  Then there will be times when we are harder on ourselves than need be and slow to forgive ourselves when God has already forgiven us.

 

3.  The righteous judgment of God!  1 Corinthians 4:4-5  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.  (5)  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

 

a.  The ultimate judgment is to be of God.  “For I know nothing by myself.”  Paul said that his knowledge was limited and may not have all the facts or information needed to judge rightly.  Things are working in the background that we know nothing about; therefore, we must allow God, who knows it all, to become our righteous judge.

 

b.  “Therefore judge nothing before the time.”  The ultimate judgment of God will come at the right time, as the issues may not yet be resolved.  Often, things appear right or wrong, but their continuation may prove to be different.

 

c.  “the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”  We do not know the thoughts and motives of others because they are “hidden.”  God understands their thoughts afar off and, when judging, will bring these hidden things to light.