There is a Bible verse that many people, both Christians and non-Christians, often quote. It is Matthew 7:1 (NIV) that says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” This verse is one of the most quoted verses from the Bible, but also may be the most misunderstood.

A few years ago, there was a very popular shirt that read: “Only God Can Judge Me.” That shirt seemed to be everywhere—even tattooed on people’s bodies. It’s actually the title of a song by rapper Tupac, where he repeats this phrase over and over. The idea behind the song and its adoption into popular culture is that no one else can judge us about what we do because that is only between us and God. This really is a tragic misinterpretation of Matthew 7:1.

There are a couple of issues with the way this verse is interpreted. First of all, it’s improperly used as biblical proof for moral relativism, or the concept that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles. This morality can advocate a “to each their own,” or “you do you.” Followers of this mentality will often say, “Who am I to judge?” Although morality does shift over time and is affected by culture, there is still an absolute truth and way of holy living laid out by Jesus in the Gospels.

The second issue is that quoting only verse one removes this verse from the context of Jesus’ words.  When isolating one verse from its context, it is possible to completely misunderstand the purpose of the teaching. We see that this verse happens within the context of the Sermon on the Mount, which is Matthew 5-7. This is a beautifully-crafted sermon in which Jesus lays out what it looks like to be His follower and pursue a life of righteousness.

“Although morality does shift over time and is affected by culture, there is still an absolute truth and way of holy living laid out by Jesus in the Gospels.”

If we look at the other verses in this section, Matthew 7:1-5, we’ll gain more understanding of what Jesus means. Verse two says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (NIV). Here, we start to see a bigger picture of what is happening. Jesus often rebuked the Pharisees (religious teachers of the time) for holding people to an unfair standard of spirituality that they themselves did not keep. They used a certain “measure” on others but did not use it on themselves.

Verses three through five give even more context through a comical example. Jesus tells a story about someone who tries to remove a piece of sawdust from their brother’s eye, yet they have a giant plank in their own eye. It is in this story that the meaning of verse one becomes clearer. This passage is about hypocrisy. It is about holding other people to spiritual or moral standards that you are not keeping.

It is much easier to see and call out the sins and flaws of others than it is to be honest, look inward and address the issues in our own lives. It is easier for me to “measure” others than it is for me to repent and change my own ways. This passage is not about letting each person live their own life without any accountability or pastoral care from others. Rather, it is about hypocrisy. It is about making sure that we hold ourselves to the same standard of holy living and righteousness as we do others. It is about measuring ourselves to the holy standard of Jesus.

Daily Readings:

• January 1: Matthew 7:1-5
• January 2: 2 Timothy 4:1-5
• January 3: Psalm 26:1-7
• January 4: Matthew 5:17-20
• January 5: Leviticus 19:35-36
• January 6: John 8:13-18
• January 7: 2 Samuel 12
• January 8: Galatians 6:1-6
• January 9: Romans 2:1-11
• January 10: Genesis 18:16-33
• January 11: James 5:19-20
• January 12: John 12:1-11
• January 13: Proverbs 31:8-9
• January 14: Matthew 7:15-20
• January 15: Leviticus 19:15
• January 16: Hebrews 4:12-13
• January 17: Exodus 2:11-15
• January 18: Matthew 18:15-17
• January 19: Exodus 18:13-27
• January 20: Leviticus 27:9-15
• January 21: John 8:1-11
• January 22: Judges 2:10-19
• January 23: 1 John 4:19-21
• January 24: Psalm 7
• January 25: Luke 6:37-42
• January 26: Psalm 51:1-12
• January 27: 1 Corinthians 6:1-6
• January 28: Psalm 75
• January 29: James 4:11-12
• January 30: Proverbs 25:11-12
• January 31: Ephesians 4:29-32