The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Luke 6:37 Condemning?

37) “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. NKJV

What constitutes condemning here? Is it a verbal act? A thought? Both? Is it, "You're going to hell because you did this!" (Either in the mind or through the mouth.) Is there a difference between acknowledging someone doesn't know the Lord and is going to hell and condemning someone? I've heard a pastor say something like, "I don't know where he was spiritually, but...hopefully etc." Thank you in advance and may God bless you.

Perhaps this will shed some light on our question: Is it Right to Judge?.

Some good ol' Jonathan Edwards:

(From “Charity and Its Fruits”- the chapeter titled THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY THE OPPOSITE OF A
CENSORIOUS SPIRIT. - I highly recommend the full chapter)

"Particular persons, in their private judgments
of others, are not obliged to divest themselves of reason,
that they may thus judge well of all. This would be
plainly against reason ; for Christian charity is not a
thing founded on the ruins of reason, but there is the
most sweet harmony between reason and charity. And
therefore we are not forbidden to judge all persons
when there is plain and clear evidence that they are
justly chargeable with evil. We are not to blame,
when we judge those to be wicked men, and poor
Christless wretches, who give flagrant proof that they
are so by a course of wicked action. " Some men's
sins," says the apostle, " are open beforehand, going
before to judgment ; and some men they follow after."
That is, some men's sins are such plain testimony
against them, that they are sufficient to condemn them
as wicked men in full sight of the world, even before
the coming of that final day of judgment that shall
disclose the secrets of the heart to all. And so some
men's actions give such clear evidence of the evil of
their intentions, that it is no judging the secrets of the
heart, to judge that their designs and ends are wicked.
And therefore it is plain, that all judging as to others'
state, or qualifications, or actions, is not an uncharitable
censoriousness."