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Guest (Male): describing the sort of judging that too many engage in, but shouldn't, here's Pastor Tom Keller.

Pastor Thom Keller: to assume the office of a judge, pass judgment, condemn in judgment, and to execute judgment. The full legal gamut. Prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and executioner. Don't let anyone do that to you on matters of liberty. And conversely, conversely, listen folks, don't you do that to anyone on matters of liberty.

Guest (Male): It's been well said that as Christians, we're not called to be judges or prosecutors, but witnesses. Welcome to Study the Word with Pastor Tom Keller. We're glad to have you back with us as we pick up where we left off in our study of Colossians. Doing so, we'll get some insight on the issue of judging. Now, with today's lesson from Colossians chapter 2 verse 16, here's Pastor Tom.

Pastor Thom Keller: David got engaged and was very excited to introduce his bride to be to his mother. Mother, he said, I'm going to bring home three girls, and I want you to guess which one is my fiance. The next weekend, David stopped by and introduces the three girls to his mother one by one. David's mother quickly says, it's that one, pointing to the girl in the middle. Wow, David exclaimed. That's right. How in the world did you know it was her and know so quickly? Her mother shrugged her shoulders and said, I don't know. I just don't like her.

She was kind of quick to judge, wasn't she? In today's lesson, we're going to see how we fare in that critical area of judging others. So, let's dig in. Colossians 2 verse 16. It says, so don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying that they have had visions about these things.

Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. He holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. So, why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as don't handle, don't taste, and don't touch? You know, the first thing that's worth noting here is how tactful and gracious Paul is and how he presents this issue in the first place. Listen again just to verse 16. He says, don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink.

Paul could have said, so don't condemn others for what they eat or drink. But that approach would then cause people to instantly say, who in our fellowship is doing that? Oh my, it's Harry. It's Isabelle. I know they they judge others, and in that we judge them. It actually would lead his listeners into the direction of doing exactly what he's telling them not to do, condemning those who condemn others. Instead, he presents this in a completely different light from the other end of the spectrum. He says, don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink.

And in doing so, he also instructs them away from doing the same to others. Paul is so wise and gracious in how he presents us. He keeps it in the positive light, not the negative. And again in verse 6, he says this. So, don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. New Living Translation says, don't let anyone condemn you. King James says, don't let anyone judge you. Don't let anyone judge you. And folks, as you know, this is a delectable topic of discussion today both among Christians and non-Christians.

Let no man judge you or said in the first person, how many times you've heard this? Only God can judge me. You have no right to judge me. You have no Who gave you the right to judge me? How many here ever heard that before? Oh yeah, sure. You have no right to judge me. Do you know what is probably the most misquoted, misused verse in the whole Bible? Matthew 7 verse 1. Do not judge others and you will not be judged. I looked this up on the internet on one website of the most misused verses.

It had the top six. This was listed as number one. Another website, the top six, it was listed as number four. Another website, the top 17 most misused verses, it was listed number one. So, exactly how is this verse don't judge misquoted and misused? Many times this verse is an an excuse to not listen to others speaking truth into their lives. They say in response to a corrective word, you have no right to judge me. It's becoming an auto response, a mantra of sorts for those who want to live their lives unchallenged by anyone attempting to speak truth into their lives.

But is that what Jesus is really saying in Matthew chapter 7? And what Paul is saying here in verse 16, therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink. Well, let's take a look. As you would imagine, the key word here is the word judge. In Greek, there are seven different words for the word judge, including three verbs. The word that is used here for judge is the word krino. The word that's used here, what not to do what not to do is the krino. It means to determine and so to judge and pronounce judgment.

It means to assume the office of a judge and undergo the process of a trial in your mind and pass sentence in your mind and to condemn in judgment in your mind and to execute judgment. To assume the office of a judge, to undergo the process of a trial, to pass judgment, to condemn in judgment, and to execute judgment. That is the full legal gamut. Prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and executioner. You've taken on the full role. But Paul says, don't let anyone do that to you on matters of liberty. And conversely, conversely, listen folks, don't you do that to anyone on matters of liberty.

And by the way, this is the exact same verb Jesus uses in Matthew 7. Don't krino in our misquoted verse, Matthew 7 verse 1. Judge not lest you be judged. Don't krino. Don't take on that role of judge, jury, and executioner so that you're not taken on by someone else as where they judge you as judge and executioner. But there's a different verb for judge that describes a type of judgment that we are to exercise in viewing the actions of others. And that Greek word is a word anacrino. Anacrino means to examine, to investigate, to question, and to scrutinize.

And it's tragic that in the English language you we have just one word for this word judge because these have such different different meanings. And this is the kind of judging we are admonished to do to anacrino. 1 Corinthians 2:15 says, but he who is spiritual judges all things, discerns the difference between to examine, to investigate the question. We are to do that in all things. Verse 15 in the amplified Bible, it says, but the spiritual man, the spiritually mature Christian judges all things, anacrinos. All things questions, examines, and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals, yet is himself judged by no one.

The unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer's spiritual nature. And then ESV 1 Corinthians 2:14, the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. These things are discerned spiritually. They are anacrino. They're examined. They're investigated. We question. We scrutinize. So, let me give you an example. Let's say that a man emails my wife and tells her that he thinks that she's beautiful, and he says, I sure hope your husband is taking good care of you because you are a very special woman.

Now, how should I as her husband respond to that? I mean after I go and beat him up. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Well, as Jesus said and as Paul says, I am not to judge. I'm not to krino him. In other words, I don't assume the office of judge. I don't hold a trial in my mind. I don't render a verdict and sentence to condemn and then execute that judgment in my mind. Hope that it plays out. No. No, that is God's job and job his job alone. But I am to anacrino, to examine, to investigate, to question his actions.

The first listen, the first seeks to condemn the person. The second seeks to discern the truth about that person, that situation. Remembering many times that a person deserves the benefit of the doubt even in the examination process. F.B. Meyer once said that when we see a brother or sister in sin, there are three things we do not know. First, we do not know the power of the forces that have assailed that man in that moment. Secondly, we do not know how hard he tried not to sin in that moment. And thirdly, and perhaps most significantly, we do not know what we would have done in the same situation.

Isn't that true? There but by the grace of God go I. There was a man that the great Bible preacher John Wesley had little respect for because he considered him to be miserly and covetous. One day when this person contributed only a small gift to a worthy charity, Wesley openly criticized him. After the incident, the man went to Wesley privately and told him that he had been living on nothing but potatoes and water for several weeks. He explained that before his conversion, he had run up many bills. Now, by skimping on everything and buying nothing for himself, he was paying off his creditors one by one.

He said, Christ made me an honest man. And so with all these debts to pay, I can give only a few offerings above my tithe, above my tithe. I'm a settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was at one time dishonest. Wesley then openly apologized to the man and asked for forgiveness. How many times have you How many times have I done this, judge someone, krinoed someone before I knew all the facts and later regretted ever opening my mouth? You know, I told this story, but it just hits me now.

My wife and I were uh in Colorado at a retreat on with Kabota tractor. And there was this beautiful pond, a large pond. I'm guessing a couple acres. And there I've told this story before, but there was a blacktop walkway all around the pond. And as soon as I were walking around it across the lake, I saw a man and a woman walking, and he walked like a duck. And I said, Sue, look that man walks like a duck. And it was very distant. And as we walked and they walked, we came to cross paths.

And I saw that this man had polio or MS something, but he had walkers and crutches and was struggling just to walk. And I felt so convicted. Here you are. You have you have all of your health, and you're mocking a man who is a struggle just to get up and face people in public and walk because of jerks like you. I am telling you folks, that really impacted me. I've told that story before, but that was a one of those moments where God just really got a hold of me, and I saw how dark my heart was in taking those quick positions.

I try not to do that. Colossians 2:16 and 17. So, don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. These rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Again, he says, don't let anyone condemn you, krino you. Don't let anyone be your judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to what you eat and drink or celebrating holy days or celebrating ceremonies and Sabbaths. Now, the words that Paul uses here mirrors Jesus's teaching on the subject as well.

Matthew 15:11 Jesus said, what goes in the someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them. So, Jesus mirrors this about eating. And concerning Sabbaths, Jesus mirrored the same teaching in his life. After Jesus healed the man who was lame for 38 years, which Jesus did on the Sabbath, which was highly illegal, Jesus said this in John chapter 5. So, the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules, Sabbath law. Jesus replied, my father is always working, and so am I. So, we see that Jesus is teaching here concerning both food and Sabbath keeping dovetail with Paul's words.

And then in verse 16, Paul mentions three specific events, Sabbaths, new moon ceremonies, and holy days. Now, the word here used for holy days properly means feast or festival. And it replies to the seven major Jewish festivals or feasts that they celebrate each year. Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, Rosh Hashanah, New Year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits. Those are the feasts. The second thing he mentions are is the new moon. Now, each new moon was and is the beginning of the month on the Hebrew calendar.

On that day, in addition to the two daily sacrificial lambs, every day of the month two lambs were sacrificed in the morning and the evening. But on the new moon, additionally, two bulls were sacrificed. One ram and seven sheep were given in addition to that. And then he speaks of the Sabbaths. You might find this interesting, but the correct Hebrew pronunciation for Sabbath is sabbaton, sabbaton. It's also of interest that the word Sabbath in the Old Testament includes more days than just the 52 Saturdays in each year. The Sabbath or Sabbath rest was also applied to all the days of rest that were observed by the Jews, and in particular those days of rest commanded by Moses at the beginning and close of each of those seven festivals.

Those were days of rest as well. And no matter what day of the week they fell on, they were still called Sabbath rest. So, about So, about these 52 plus Sabbaths each year and the holy days and the food and drink, Paul says this, verse 16. So, don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. So, a question. Is it okay to eat what the Old Testament law said I'm not to eat? Is it okay not to celebrate the Sabbaths? Is it okay not to celebrate the Sundays?

You say, but I thought Jesus said this in Matthew 5. Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not in iota, not a dot will pass from the law until it is all accomplished. But Jesus said, you can eat of this food. Jesus said, it's okay for him to work on the Sabbath. I thought he said he wasn't going to do away with the law. How do you reconcile this? Well, the Jews and we as Christians classify the Old Testament Mosaic law into three categories. And folks, this is this is really important.

You want to lock this one away because there are going to be times this is going to be the only way you're going to be able to explain to someone a certain situation. Moral law, ceremonial law, and judicial or civil law. Moral law, ceremonial law, judicial or civil. Now, the ceremonial laws were given to regulate the religious practices and ceremonies of the Israelites. These ceremonial laws ended with Jesus. And Jesus clearly taught and modeled that man is no longer bound to ceremonial laws, what to eat, what to drink, or the Sabbath. As far as working on the Sabbath, Jesus said this in John chapter 7.

Jesus replied to the Pharisees, I did one miracle on the Sabbath and you were amazed. But you work on the Sabbath too when you obey Moses's law of circumcision. Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs long before the law of Moses. For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So, why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? So, Jesus made that point that he was Lord even of the Sabbath.

And as far as eating and drinking and the Old Testament dietary law, Jesus did the same. He disbanded it. In Mark chapter 7 verse 17, Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd. And his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he just used. Don't you understand either? Jesus asked. Can't you see that the food you put in your body cannot defile you? Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. By saying this, he declared Listen, by saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God's eyes.

And the same was true in the Book of Acts where saw the sheep come down from heaven filled with unclean animals. And three times heard a voice saying, eat any of them. Eat any of them. Eat any of them. God, I've never eaten any unclean thing in all my life. What God says can be eaten, you can eat. What God says is holy is holy. So, we see clearly that Jesus ended mandatory compliance to the ceremonial law. But what about the judicial or civil law? These laws were given by Moses to prescribe the penalty or punishments for breaking certain laws.

And as proof that Jesus also ended mandatory compliance to the judicial or civil law, to these penalties established by Moses, consider Jesus's response to the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery in John chapter 8. Do you know what the punishment was in the Old Testament for committing adultery? Leviticus 20:10. It says, if a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death. Anything not clear about that? You got that? It's pretty clear. But what did Jesus say about this woman caught in adultery?

In John 8 it says as he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the staring crowd. Where's the man, huh? Where's the man? Teacher, they said to Jesus, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Listen, the law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say? Well, concerning the penalty of stoning, did these Pharisees have their chapter and verse correctly applied to this situation? Yeah, they did. By the law, she was to be stoned to death.

But what did Jesus say about this? Those men were standing with stones in their hands. And what did Jesus say? You who are without sin, cast the first stone. And then in John 8 verse 10, then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you? No, Lord, she said. And Jesus said, the penalty for adultery is stoning. Now, I'm going to stone you. No, that didn't happen, did it? Jesus said, didn't one of them condemn you? No, Lord, she said. And Jesus said, neither do I.

Go and sin no more. And so again we see here that Jesus ended compliance to the civil or judicial law as well. But what about the moral law? Uh ha ha. Whole different story. The moral law is different in that it deals with moral issues, standards which God established for man which are timeless and will never be abolished or suspended. North is always north. Stealing will always be wrong. Rape will always be wrong. Kidnapping will always be wrong. Adultery will always be wrong. And in practice, during Jesus's three years on the earth, he never never disregarded or granted any exemptions concerning moral law.

In fact, just the opposite. Jesus took the moral law up about 10 notches to the extreme way above the Old Testament law.

Guest (Male): We'll get that insight about the law from the teaching of Jesus next time when Pastor Tom Keller returns to Study the Word and our Study of Colossians. You can hear this message again online at ccleb .com or subscribe to our YouTube channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon. If you'd rather have a CD copy, call us at 717 273 5633. Have you been helped by the ministry? Let us know that. It would be so encouraging to Pastor Tom and the team. Give us a call at 717 273 5633 or write to Study the Word 740 Willow Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17046.

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