What does it mean to judge nothing before the time (1 Corinthians 4:5)?

Verse 5 of our chapter opens with a word of instruction in view of these things: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come." When tempted to express strong opinions in regard to each other, or to lay down the law with emphasis in regard to things concerning other people's lives and service which are not a matter of revelation but rather of spiritual judgment, let us remember that in doing so we are "before the time." "The time" will be when the Lord comes, for when He comes He "both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart."

How searching are these words! There are hidden things of darkness on the one hand; and if we now undertake to sit on the judgment seat we pronounce our opinion without knowing all the facts of the case and with no power to enforce their production. There are, on the other hand, the counsels of heart — the counsels of the inmost heart of him whom we are inclined to criticise, those secret springs and motives which we cannot see, AND — never let it be forgotten — the secret springs and motives of our own hearts: of him who is the criticiser in the case.

When the time comes, a proper investigation into the life and service of every saint will be conducted. The Lord will conduct it, and in His presence every hidden thing and counsel will come to light. Judgment when it is pronounced will be arrived at in the light of every factor which bears upon the case, "and then," says the closing line of verse 5, "shall every man have praise of God"; or as the New Translation renders it, "and then shall each have [his] praise from God": the thought being, not that every man shall somehow or other be praised in that day; but that each who is awarded praise at all will get his praise from GOD.

As to this, the steward is not answerable to men, but to God. It was of trivial importance to Paul that in this he should be judged by the Corinthians, "or of man's day" (margin). A mere human judgment based on what is observable in man's brief history of independence of God, was to Paul only empty vanity. In fact, as to estimating the value of his own work, Paul did not even judge as to this himself. For though he knew nothing against himself (a more correct translation), yet this itself did not justify him: his own estimation decided nothing: this discerning judgment as to the value of his work was entirely God's prerogative, not his, nor any man's.

In these things, the Corinthians are told to "judge nothing before tile time, until the Lord come." We must of course be careful to consider this in its context, for chapter 5:12 shows that the Corinthians had been negligent in judging when they ought to have judged. In this chapter (4) they were judging when they ought not. But the Lord, at His coming, will bring to light what we do not see in the work of His servants, making manifest the counsels of the hearts. Not merely the outward work done, but the motives discerned only rightly by Him, will be involved in the praise that each servant receives from God. Too frequently we may assume that our own motives are right, when in fact they may be badly mixed with selfishness and pride. How well then for us to be in constant remembrance that God will bring all to light.

So the apostle says here (not speaking of his past life, though even there he had walked conscientiously, however blinded and so sinning with a high hand), "I am conscious to myself of nothing," yet, he adds, "I am not justified by this." A good conscience is a good thing; but it does not clear the person who may in this or that be blinded by self-love or other feelings. The Lord will decide at His coming; it is He who makes the only adequate inquiry. "Wherefore judge nothing prematurely [which the Corinthians were presuming to do], until the Lord shall have come, who will [not judge us but] both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each have his praise from God." At that epoch all that sought the dark to avoid detection will be exposed in the light of God, which will even manifest the counsels which the hearts themselves failed to see through. How fallacious often is the praise of men now where shams and shadows reign for most! Then shall each have the praise that is due and enduring and precious from God. Of this alone the apostle speaks here. He had already spoken of perdition, and of salvation where the work of the careless workman is burnt up.

The apostle had thus established both the dependence of the servant on the Lord, and his independence of human scrutiny. Not, of course, that the church is denied its responsibility to judge conduct. Here it is a question of the counsels of the heart, which no man can scan duly, but the Lord will at His coming. "And then," he adds solemnly, "shall the praise be to each from God." He could thus speak freely and happily himself. It ought to have searched the conscience of many a Corinthian.

The saints are to judge manifested evil, as the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 5 show. The spiritually-minded saint is to judge what he hears put forth as truth, as stated in 1 Corinthians 14:29. But when it is a matter of passing an opinion upon servants of the Lord, as though we could assess the value of their life and work, let us remember what is stated in 1 Corinthians 4:5. Amidst all the weakness and failure which encompasses the best of God's servants here, there are "the hidden things of darkness" and further we do not know the motives that largely govern their thoughts and actions. There are "the counsels of the hearts"-the hidden motives that led to words and actions. Now both these factors, unknown to us, will be brought into the light. Of every one of them we have to say, "the day shall declare it."

Every saint, and every servant of the Lord, is to "judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God" (1 Cor. 4:5). We are to judge actions, but never motives, for God alone can judge perfectly the motive of our every word and action. If we are judged harshly by others, we can safely leave all with God, for the coming of the Lord will put everything right. We are not to seek the praise of men in this day, but to wait for the praise of God in Christ's day.

All this is plain enough. The people of God are told to exercise judgment as to all who profess to be "within;" they are told to "beware of false prophets;" they are commanded to "try the spirits:" and how can they do all this, if they are not to judge at all? What, then, does our Lord mean, when he says, "Judge not?" I believe He means just what St. Paul, by the Holy Ghost, says, when he commands us to "judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart: and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4:5) We have nothing to do with judging motives; but we have to judge conduct and principles; that is to say, the conduct and principles of all who profess to be "within." And, in point of fact, the very persons who say, "We must not judge," do themselves constantly exercise judgment. There is no true Christian in whom the moral instincts of the divine nature do not virtually pronounce judgment as to character, conduct, and doctrine; and these are the very points which are placed within the believer's range of judgment.

All this is plain enough. The people of God are told to exercise judgment as to all who profess to be "within"; they are told to "beware of false prophets"; they are commanded to "try the spirits"; and how can they do all this if they are not to judge at all? What then does our Lord mean when He says: "Judge not"? I believe He means just what Paul, by the Holy Ghost, says when he commands us to "judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4:5.) We have nothing to do with judging motives, but we have to judge conduct and principles; that is to say, the conduct and principles of all who profess to be "within". And, in point of fact, the very persons who say, "We must not judge", do themselves constantly exercise judgment. There is no true Christian in whom the moral instincts of the divine nature do not virtually pronounce judgment as to character, conduct, and doctrine; and these are the very points which are placed within the believer's range of judgment.

1 Corinthians 4:3. Certainly the Lord will make bare the secrets of men's hearts, of all hearts. No one doubts it. Here, however, the apostle is not thinking of the unjust, though it be most surely true of them, but of Christians judging their fellow Christians. God's praise is what they had better be looking for, man's day was little matter. Nothing can be more general than the truth referred to, however solemn.

The last clause of verse 5 is rather, "then shall each have praise from God." That is to say, the point is not that every man is going to be praised, but that each who is praised will have his praise from GOD, and not from some few of his fellow-creatures. The Corinthians had their party leaders. They praised this one extravagantly, and these they condemned; and vice versa. It was all worthless. God give us grace to avoid this kind of thing. The only praise worth having is praise from God.

The apostle applies the principle to his own case in 1 Cor. 4:3. It mattered not to him what man thought of him. He did not even trust his own judgment of himself, for though his own conscience did not condemn him, he that judged him was the Lord. On this he bases his exhortation to the Corinthians to "judge nothing until the Lord come;" that is to recognize that the time when everything will be appraised at its true value will be Christ's day. "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." "Many that are last shall be first, and the first last."