Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (New International Version)

¹²What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Few thoughts in the Bible strike to my heart as much as the one in the first part of verse 12. I could be misunderstanding this terribly, but it sounds like Paul is saying that Christians have no business judging those outside the church. I find that it is our business to love those outside the church, to serve those outside the church, to reach to those outside the church, and many more things.

Judging them? Not our business.

If a person is outside the church, they are without Jesus. They are lost. We can write a long list of “bad” things they may be doing and judge them harshly for everything on the list (beat their wife, beat their husband, beat their dog, hate their neighbor, cheat on taxes, bully smaller people). What, however, is the use of judging them on these things? They are lost, and there is no punishment we can deliver with our scowling and hateful looks of judgment that can compare with what awaits the lost.

A side thought. Often our judgments are expressions of jealousy. “That guy cheats on his taxes and kicks his dog and gets away with it.” Do people inside the church want to live that way? Do we see that as enjoyable?