Ministry of Grace Church

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.

Truth to Learn

Let God be the judge of other people’s ministry.

Behind the Words

The words “judge nothing” are from mē … ti krinete. Mē is the relative negative, which could refer either to ti or krinete. Ti means “a thing” and krinete is the command form of krinō, which means “to make a judicial decision.” So, this phrase could mean “do not judge anything” or “judge nothing.”

“Time” is from kairos, which refers to “an occasion.” Given the context, it most likely refers to “until the Lord comes.”

The words “bring to light” are translated from the verb phōtidzō, meaning “to shine light upon” or “to make one see or understand.”

The word translated “hidden” is kruptos, which is based on the verb kruptō, meaning “to keep secret or hidden.” This kruptos refers to that which is secret or hidden.

Skotos is the Greek word translated “darkness.” It can refer either to physical or spiritual darkness.

“Counsels” is from boulē, which refers to “will” or “intention,” indicating deliberation and reflection.

Meaning Explained

Having just said that he is not aware of any act of malpractice or negligence regarding his ministry in Corinth and that God will be the judge of such, Paul now gives us all a command. He says, “Don’t judge anyone’s faithfulness in ministry.” After all, the Lord is the only valid judge. He does not simply look at the surface evidence. God, as it says of His word, “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) When we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, our works done for God will be rightly judged by Him who sees our real motives and intentions.

We all tend to judge the work of others, whether it is holy or selfishly motivated. But, our judgment is flawed because we don’t really know what’s in a person’s heart. A classic example of this is given regarding the Prophet Samuel who was in the process of selecting and anointing the future king of Israel from the sons of Jesse. Upon seeing Jesse’s son Eliab, Samuel thought that surely this must be the one, but God said:

Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

When our day of judgment does come, we will each receive the praise that we deserve. But that praise will not come from those to whom and with whom we minister. It will come from the only one that matters, God Himself.

Application

No matter what your ministry, whether it is “up front” where everyone sees you or “behind the scenes” where no one sees you, do it humbly and for the purpose of giving praise to God. He knows your heart and your motives. Therefore, keep your focus on Him and don’t be concerned about what others think of your service. I suspect that some janitors or nursery workers will get more praise from God than their pastors will.