In this article, we will attempt to answer the following questions:

• Is it appropriate to judge other people?

• Can a person be angry without sinning?

• Are Christians supposed to forgive everyone who offends them?

[Note:  When we quote Scripture in this article, we use the wording in the New King James Version of the Bible, except when we quote a non-biblical source that is using Scripture from a different version of the Bible.]

Is It Appropriate to Judge Other People?

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus tells a multitude of people, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” 

Likewise, in Luke 6:37a, Jesus says to His disciples, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged.”

What did Jesus mean when He instructed His listeners not to judge other people? 

With regard to Matthew 7:1, John W. Haley, M.A., on page 284 of his book entitled Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible, expresses the belief that what is forbidden is “harsh, censorious [i.e., critical] judgment,” but not “judicial decisions, nor the expression of our opinions in a proper manner.” 

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says,

We must not judge rashly, nor pass such a judgment upon our brother as has no ground, but is only the product of our own jealousy and ill nature. We must not make the worst of people, nor infer such invidious things from their words and actions as they will not bear. We must not judge uncharitably, unmercifully, nor with a spirit of revenge, and a desire to do mischief. . . . We must not judge the hearts of others, nor their intentions, for it is God’s prerogative to try the heart, and we must not step into his throne. . . . 

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible explains Matthew 7:1 as follows: 

The context makes it clear that the thing here condemned is that disposition to look unfavorably on the character and actions of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust, and unlovely judgments upon them. No doubt it is the judgments so pronounced which are here spoken of; but what our Lord aims at is the spirit out of which they spring. Provided we eschew this unlovely spirit, we are not only warranted to sit in judgment upon a brother's character and actions, but in the exercise of a necessary discrimination are often constrained to do so for our own guidance. It is the violation of the law of love involved in the exercise of a censorious disposition which alone is here condemned.

Wycliffe Bible Commentary states,

The present imperative [of judge not] suggests that it is the habit of judging others that is condemned. . . . Critics of others must stop short of final condemnation, for men cannot judge motives, as God can. . . . Believers are not to avoid all judging . . . for Christians need to judge themselves and offending members (1 Cor. 5:3-5, 12, 13).

This position is supported by John 7:24b, in which Jesus says, “judge with righteous judgment.”  (Strong’s Concordance indicates that the Greek word dikaios that is translated as “righteous” in this verse means “a state of being right, or right conduct, judged whether by the divine standard, or according to human standards, of what is right.”)

Furthermore, in cautioning His followers to be aware of false prophets, Jesus implies in Matthew 7:15-18 that, just as each type of tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears, so the nature of each person is known by our assessment of what he (or she) says and does.  Thus, this passage, as well as John 7:24b and the previously cited verses in 1 Corinthians 5, indicate that it is necessary to judge others. 

In addition, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13a infers that Christians need to judge the actions of each other in order to disassociate from Christians who are engaging in wicked (i.e., evil) behavior, although there is no need for Christians to judge the actions of non-Christians.  This passage states,

I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner – not even to eat with such a person.  For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside?  Do you not judge those who are inside?  But those who are outside, God judges.  Therefore, put away from yourselves that wicked person [i.e., the Christian who is engaging in evil behavior].

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says with regard to the passage,

[H]eathens were such as Christians had nothing to do to judge and censure, and avoid upon a censure passed; for they are without (v. 12), and must be left to God’s judgment (v. 13). But, as to members of the church, they are within, are professedly bound by the laws and rules of Christianity, and not only liable to the judgment of God, but to the censures of those who are set over them, and the fellow-members of the same body, when they transgress those rules.

On the basis of the referenced biblical passages and the sources we have quoted that seek to explain them, we conclude that it is alright to judge the actions of others, provided that our judgment is done with the right spirit, which necessitates genuine Christian love.  However, as humans, we do not have either the authority or the ability to judge the motives of others; only God has the authority and the ability to do so.

Regardless of how the preceding scripture passages are otherwise interpreted with regard to judging people, there is no reason to believe the Bible would teach that it is inappropriate to judge people who are accused of a crime – their guilt or innocence needs to be determined.  God is a God of order and justice, not a God of chaos and lawlessness.  If people did not judge those who are accused of a crime, chaos and lawlessness would prevail.

Can a Person Be Angry Without Sinning?

Before we attempt to answer the question of whether or not anger is a sin, it would be helpful to define the term anger.  Webster’s Dictionary defines anger as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism.”

Now, let’s consider some examples from the life of Jesus Christ.  The Bible indicates that on several occasions Christ expressed anger. 

Mark 3:1-5 states specifically that Christ was angry: 

And He [i.e., Christ] entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  And they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.”  And He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”  But they kept silent.  So when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Matthew 21:12-13 and comparable passages in Mark 11:15-17 and John 2:13-16 don’t say specifically that Christ was angry, but the passages strongly infer that He was angry.  Matthew 21:12-13 states,

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” 

From these passages, we know that not all types of anger are sinful, since Jesus Christ was sinless (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-22).  Furthermore, Ephesians 4:26a says, “Be angry, and do not sin. . . .”  Therefore, it is possible to be angry without sinning.

So, what are the distinctions between anger that is sinful and anger that isn’t sinful?  One distinction is whether the anger is righteous or not.  Webster’s Dictionary provides several definitions of righteous, including “acting in accord with divine or moral law” and “morally right or justifiable.”  In the previously cited passages regarding Christ being angry, it is clear that His anger was righteous. 

Another distinction between sinful anger and sinless anger is the duration of the anger.  Several scripture passages at least infer that persistent anger is sinful. 

Ephesians 4:26b:  [D]o not let the sun go down on your wrath.

Ephesians 4:31:  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

Colossians 3:8a:   [Y]ou must also put off all these:   anger, wrath, malice . . . .

A third distinction between anger that is sinful and anger that isn’t sinful is how it is expressed.  Negative expressions of anger are never appropriate, whereas constructive expressions are always commendable.  Examples of negative expressions of anger are alienation, bitterness, name calling, and other types of insults.  Constructive expressions include praying about the matter, seeking advice from the Bible and/or from a respected Christian, and attempting to discuss your anger with whoever has caused you to be angry, without attacking that person verbally or otherwise.

Are Christians Supposed to Forgive Everyone Who Offends Them?

First, let’s define what it means to forgive.  Webster’s Dictionary states that the word forgive means “to cease to feel resentment against (an offender).”   This suggests that forgiveness is basically an attitude, but generally our attitudes are reflected in our actions. 

Many people, even Christians, seem to have considerable difficulty showing genuine forgiveness and love in their daily life, sometimes even to members of their own family.  When someone offends us, we may want to lash out either verbally or physically in retaliation, rather than forgive them.  Even if we don’t show an outward response, we often harbor resentment or anger toward the person who has offended us.  However, the Bible instructs us to do otherwise. 

Matthew 18:21-22 records the following discussion between Peter and Jesus Christ:

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

The Greek word adelphos that is translated “brother” in this passage can refer to any person, not just to an actual brother or a person united by a common interest, according to Strong’s Concordance of the Bible.  Jesus was not telling Peter to keep a record of each offense against him by another person, so that after the total number of offenses by a person reached 490, Peter would no longer be obligated to forgive that person.  By telling Peter to forgive 70 times the number that Peter thought was more than ample (i.e., seven), Jesus wanted Peter to understand that he (Peter) should continue to forgive.

And in Luke 17:3-4, Jesus Christ says,

“If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

This passage indicates that no matter how often a person sins against us, we should forgive them each time they repent.  (Note that the same Greek word for “brother,” which we previously explained in our discussion of Matthew 18:21-22, is also used in Luke 17:3-4.)  With regard to Luke 17:3-4, Matthew Henry’s Commentary declares,

If you are permitted to rebuke him [i.e., a person who sins against you], you are advised to do so.  Smother not the resentment, but give it vent.  Tell him his faults; show him wherein he has not done well nor fairly by you. . . .

You are commanded, upon his repentance, to forgive him, and to be perfectly reconciled to him. . . . Though he do not repent, you must not therefore bear malice to him, nor mediate revenge; but, if he do not at least say that he repents, you are not bound to be so free and familiar with him as you [may] have been.

You are to repeat this every time he repeats his trespass. . . .

Ephesians 4:32 instructs Christians, “[B]e kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.”

Likewise, Colossians 3:12-13 states that Christians (“the elect of God”) should forgive each other:   

[A]s the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

But what if we don’t forgive people who have offended us?  In Matthew 6:14-15, which immediately follows the model prayer, Jesus Christ declares,

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This is obviously a very strong admonition by Christ.  Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Matthew 6:14-15 asserts,

We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven; and therefore must not only bear no malice, nor meditate revenge, but must not upbraid our brother with the injuries he has done us, nor rejoice in any hurt that befalls him, but must be ready to help him and do him good. . . .

This does not mean that there are no circumstances under which we should seek discipline or punishment for the offender.  Forgiveness does not necessarily require that no action should be taken to hold an offender responsible for their inappropriate behavior.  Obviously, a parent should deal with their child’s inappropriate behavior, while civil authorities should deal with criminal behavior.

As for situations when someone does not ask you for forgiveness for having wronged you, the Bible is not clear as to whether or not it is necessary for you to forgive that person.  Among the scripture passages that we previously discussed, Matthew 6:14-15 and 18:21-22, Ephesians 4:32, and Colossians 3:12-13 do not indicate it is necessary for the person who has wronged you to ask you for forgiveness before you forgive them, whereas Luke 17:3-4 suggests that it may be appropriate to wait for the other person to ask you for forgiveness before you forgive them.

In deciding which, if any, preconditions are necessary before we should forgive people who have wronged us, perhaps it would be helpful to consider the biblical criteria for us to receive forgiveness from God for our wrongdoing (i.e., our sins). 

1 John 1:9, which most biblical scholars believe was addressed to Christians, states, “If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  In other words, after we acknowledge that we have sinned against God, He will forgive us.  The scripture does not mention that Christians must also ask for forgiveness, but it may be inferred that it is part of the process of confession.

Acts 8:22, which was addressed to an individual Christian who had committed a particular sin, declares, “Repent . . . of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”  Genuine repentance by a person indicates sincere remorse for their sin, and as with the process of confession, it may be inferred that asking for forgiveness is part of the process of genuine repentance.

Since these last two biblical passages do little, if anything, to clarify what we should do if someone does not ask us for forgiveness for having wronged us, let’s consider a suggested approach by Gary Chapman, who has authored a number of books about love.  On page 76 of his book entitled Love as a Way of Life, he provides the following perspective:

When someone has wronged you and refuses to apologize, the challenge is not to forgive the unapologizing offender but to release him, along with hurt and anger.  If the offender confesses his error and makes a positive change in his life, you can then forgive. . . . Releasing a person is very different from forgiving.  It does not lead to reconciliation, but it does free you emotionally and spiritually to become the person you were meant to be.

On pages 76-77 of the same book, Chapman goes on to say with regard to situations in which the person who has committed a wrong refuses to apologize,

The second step in being freed from the pain and anger of being mistreated is to confess your own failures in the situation.  If you have been wronged, your anger is legitimate. . . . But anger was designed to be a visitor, not a resident. . . . When you hold anger inside and brood over it, it becomes bitterness and later hatred.  These emotions and attitudes are destructive to anyone who harbors them.

Thus, although complete reconciliation is not possible without a sincere apology, it is important that the hurt and the anger felt by the person who has been offended be released as soon as possible.  Because hurt and anger are usually difficult for us to release, a genuine desire to act in accordance with God’s desire, rather than in accordance with our human disposition, will be necessary to be able to release the hurt and the anger.