Empirical evidence indicates that many people, including Christians, have difficulty trying to correctly understand what the Bible teaches about matters that involve judging other people, anger, and/or forgiveness.  In attempting to explain what the Bible teaches in regard to these matters, this article will focus on answering 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 are quoting a source that uses a different translation.]

Is It Appropriate to Judge Other People?

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus Christ states, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  Likewise, in Luke 6:37a, Jesus says, “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 in reference to the same scripture,

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.

In reference to the same scripture, 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.

Also, with regard to the question of whether or not it is appropriate to judge others, Jesus Christ says in John 7:24b, , “judge with righteous judgment.”  (Strong’s Concordance indicates that the Greek word 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 Christ 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 scripture passage, as well as John 7:24b, implies that it is necessary to judge others to determine what “kind of fruit” their life is producing.

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. (There is no inference in this scripture, or any other scripture, that Christians need to judge the actions of non-Christians for the same reason.)  This scripture 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 same scripture,

[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.

Another scripture passage to consider is 1 Timothy 3:1-12, which states the qualifications for deacons and/or elders (or bishops).   Among the standards that are mentioned in this passage are the following: temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach, not violent, not greedy for money, gentle, not quarrelsome, and not covetous.  Whether or not a person has such qualifications cannot be determined without making judgments.

And, there is no reason to believe that the Bible would teach that it is inappropriate to judge people who are accused of a crime, because without judging, their guilt or innocence cannot 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.

On the basis of the referenced scriptures and the sources which we have quoted that seek to explain those scriptures, it is reasonable to believe that it is appropriate to judge the actions of others, provided that our judgment is done with the right attitude.  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.

Can a Person Be Angry Without Sinning?

Although the meaning of the term anger is generally understood, it may be worthwhile to define it before attempting to answer the question of whether or not anger is a sin,   Webster’s Dictionary defines anger as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism.”

Now, we will consider several occasions during which Jesus Christ expressed anger.

Mark 3:1-5 records a particular situation during which Jesus became angry, as follows:

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 scripture passages in Mark 11:15-17 and John 2:13-16 do not say specifically that Christ was angry, but these scriptures strongly imply 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 scriptures, 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), but He sometimes expressed anger.  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 is not sinful?  One distinction is whether or not the anger is righteous.  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 scriptures regarding Jesus 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 scriptures, including the following, infer that persistent anger is sinful.

Ephesians 4:26: Be angry, and do not sin: do 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 is not sinful is how it is expressed.  Negative expressions of anger are never appropriate, whereas constructive expressions are always appropriate.  Examples of negative expressions of anger are (a) alienation, (b) bitterness, (c) name calling, and (d) other types of insults.  Constructive expressions of anger include (a) fervently praying about how to deal with discord between ourselves and one or more other people, (b) seeking advice from the Bible and/or from a well-respected Christian with regard to how to settle the discord, and (c) attempting to resolve the matter by discussing it with the other person(s) involved in the discord, and doing so without attacking the other person(s) verbally or otherwise.

Are Christians Supposed to Forgive Everyone Who Offends Them?

Before attempting to answer this question regarding forgiving others, we think it would be beneficial to define the term “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.

Many people, even Christians, seem to have considerable difficulty expressing genuine forgiveness and love to people who have offended them, even members of their own family.  When someone offends them, they may lash out either verbally or physically in retaliation, rather than forgive them.  Even if they do not show an outward response, they may harbor resentment or anger toward the person(s) who offended them, despite the fact that the Bible instructs us not to do so.

Consider, for example, Matthew 18:21-22, which 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 that is translated as brother in this scripture 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.

In this scripture, Jesus Christ 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 seven (the latter being the number that Peter thought was ample), Jesus wanted Peter to understand that he (Peter) should forgive continually.

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 scripture is another one indicating that no matter how many times a person sins against us, we should forgive that person every time that he (or she) repents.  (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 to “[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, as follows:

[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 do not forgive people who have offended us?

In Matthew 6:14-15, 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 asserts with regard to this scripture,

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. . . .

Neither the foregoing scriptures nor the commentaries that we have cited 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.  For example, a parent should deal with their child’s inappropriate behavior, and civil authorities should deal with criminal behavior.

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

In deciding which, if any, preconditions are necessary before we should forgive people who have wronged us, it may 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 penitently acknowledge that we have sinned against God, He will forgive us.

Acts 8:22, which was addressed to a man who had tried to bribe the Apostles Peter and John to give him a special power, declares, “Repent . . . of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”  And, genuine repentance necessitates sincere remorse by a person who has sinned.

Neither of these last two scriptures states what a person should do if the person who offended him (or her) does not ask for forgiveness from the offended person. Therefore, we suggest giving consideration to an approach suggested 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 makes the following statements 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.

In any case, with regard to the question of whether or not Christians are supposed to forgive everyone who offends them, we believe it is worthwhile to seriously consider the following statement by Matthew Kelly on page 60 of his book entitled Rediscover Jesus:  “When we forgive, we share the love of God with others and rid ourselves of dangerous poisons that can prevent us from growing spiritually.”

Conclusions

Various scriptures indicate that it is alright to judge the actions of others, provided that the judgment is done with the right attitude.  The Bible also infers that not all types of anger are sinful.  And, although the Bible is not clear as to whether or not it is necessary to forgive those who do not ask us for forgiveness, we believe that it is necessary to at least release such people from our ill will by not harboring anger against them..