1 Corinthians 2:14 vs. 1 Corinthians 4:5 — To Judge or Not to Judge?
1 Corinthians is rich with spiritual truths that have implications for Christians of every generation. Some skeptics, however, raise objections to the reliability of 1 Corinthians on the basis of an apparent contradiction made by Paul. They point out that 1 Corinthians 2:15 reads, “But he who is spiritual appraises [or judges] all things, yet he himself is appraised [or judged] by no one,”1 but that 1 Corinthians 4:5 reads, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God,” and assert that biblical writer commands readers to do two completely opposite things.2 Are Christians to judge or not to judge?
Paul is not contradicting himself. 1 Corinthians 2:15 concerns the source of the believer’s ability to make sound judgments about truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil, whereas 1 Corinthians 4:5 is the condemnation of factious groups that made unsound judgments about others.
1 Corinthians 2 concerns the source of Paul’s wisdom and why it could be used to make evaluative judgments about things. This spiritual wisdom comes via divine revelation and communicates the very thoughts of God (vv. 6-13). The apostle then points out that “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (v. 14). In other words, In other words, those whose minds value and embrace unspiritual things find spiritual things to be foolish. So when Paul writes, “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one, for WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ” (vv. 15-16, cf. Isa. 40:3), what he means is that the person whose mind has been illuminated by God’s Spirit possesses the faculties to discern spiritual truths and cannot be judged by the unspiritual. The unspiritual lack the worldview to know spiritual things, and are unable to know the mind of God, whereas the spiritual person possesses the mind of Christ and they can know the very thoughts of God because they embrace divine revelation from the Spirit. This spiritual wisdom that came via the illumination of God’s Spirit has been codified in the Scriptures. It is the Bible that is the divine revelation that allows us to know the very thoughts of God.
Paul’s discussion on the spiritual man leads into another issue needing to be addressed: the church at Corinth possessed the faculties to exercise spiritual discernment, but they still acted and appraised things as the unspiritual. The problem specifically manifested itself in the strife between the Paul and Apollos factions (cf. 1 Cor. 3).
The solution to the problem is offered in 1 Corinthians 4. Here the Corinthian church was to consider their leaders to be servants of Christ (v. 1). Servants of Christ are to be trustworthy (v. 2); however, Paul makes the qualification “to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court” (v. 3a). The apostle apparently had been subject to public criticisms based upon the unjust scales of judgment of popular opinion, so he simply points out that he was not concerned about what others thought of him, with respect to those criticisms. Yet, Paul recognized he was still subject to a higher law, and notes, “I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me is the Lord” (v. 3b-4). The apostle, acknowledging the fact that his own actions will ultimately be judged by God, tells his unfair Corinthian critics, “Do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God” (v. 5). The Corinthian church, therefore, was to abandon unspiritual standards of judgment, and be forewarned that God is ultimately the one who would judge each person.
Are Christians to Judge or not to Judge? The answer is “both.” They are to discern truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil based upon righteous scales of judgment. The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture is then the final arbitrator of truth. On the other hand, they are to shun judgments based upon unrighteous scales.
1. All Scripture quotes from the New American Standard Bible :1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
2. Cf., for example, The Secular Web, “A List of Bible Contradictions,” http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html
Paul is not contradicting himself. 1 Corinthians 2:15 concerns the source of the believer’s ability to make sound judgments about truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil, whereas 1 Corinthians 4:5 is the condemnation of factious groups that made unsound judgments about others.
1 Corinthians 2 concerns the source of Paul’s wisdom and why it could be used to make evaluative judgments about things. This spiritual wisdom comes via divine revelation and communicates the very thoughts of God (vv. 6-13). The apostle then points out that “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (v. 14). In other words, In other words, those whose minds value and embrace unspiritual things find spiritual things to be foolish. So when Paul writes, “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one, for WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ” (vv. 15-16, cf. Isa. 40:3), what he means is that the person whose mind has been illuminated by God’s Spirit possesses the faculties to discern spiritual truths and cannot be judged by the unspiritual. The unspiritual lack the worldview to know spiritual things, and are unable to know the mind of God, whereas the spiritual person possesses the mind of Christ and they can know the very thoughts of God because they embrace divine revelation from the Spirit. This spiritual wisdom that came via the illumination of God’s Spirit has been codified in the Scriptures. It is the Bible that is the divine revelation that allows us to know the very thoughts of God.
Paul’s discussion on the spiritual man leads into another issue needing to be addressed: the church at Corinth possessed the faculties to exercise spiritual discernment, but they still acted and appraised things as the unspiritual. The problem specifically manifested itself in the strife between the Paul and Apollos factions (cf. 1 Cor. 3).
The solution to the problem is offered in 1 Corinthians 4. Here the Corinthian church was to consider their leaders to be servants of Christ (v. 1). Servants of Christ are to be trustworthy (v. 2); however, Paul makes the qualification “to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court” (v. 3a). The apostle apparently had been subject to public criticisms based upon the unjust scales of judgment of popular opinion, so he simply points out that he was not concerned about what others thought of him, with respect to those criticisms. Yet, Paul recognized he was still subject to a higher law, and notes, “I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me is the Lord” (v. 3b-4). The apostle, acknowledging the fact that his own actions will ultimately be judged by God, tells his unfair Corinthian critics, “Do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God” (v. 5). The Corinthian church, therefore, was to abandon unspiritual standards of judgment, and be forewarned that God is ultimately the one who would judge each person.
Are Christians to Judge or not to Judge? The answer is “both.” They are to discern truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil based upon righteous scales of judgment. The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture is then the final arbitrator of truth. On the other hand, they are to shun judgments based upon unrighteous scales.
1. All Scripture quotes from the New American Standard Bible :1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
2. Cf., for example, The Secular Web, “A List of Bible Contradictions,” http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html
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