Bible, Basically
Bible, Basically is a podcast for everyday people who have honest questions about God, faith, and what the Bible actually says. Join Denis Blanco as we explore Scripture in plain language, without pressure or pretending, just figuring out faith together.
Bible, Basically
“The Most Misquoted Verse in the Bible?”
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“Judge not.” It’s one of the most quoted phrases in culture — and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode of Bible, Basically, we break down Matthew 7:1–5 and uncover what Jesus was actually confronting: not discernment, but pride and hypocrisy. If we read it wrong, we become either self-righteous critics or spiritually spineless — but if we read it right, we learn how to correct with humility, speak truth without venom, and pursue restoration over domination.
Welcome to Bible basically. Figuring out faith together. Judge not. Told you we was going to get into it quick. Those are three words we hear everywhere. On social media, in debates, even at family dinners. Usually it's used to shut down some sort of disagreement, to excuse behavior, or to silence conversation. But did Jesus really mean never evaluate anything? Or was he pointing to something far more specific and far more important? Today we're going to dive into those exact words. They're in Matthew 7, 1 through 5. Now we're not talking about the meme version. We're not talking about the cultural remix. We're talking about the actual text, the red letters. Because if we misunderstand this passage, we risk becoming either self-righteous critics or spiritually spineless. So let's read this together. Once again, Matthew 7, 1 through 5. Judge not that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye when there's the log in your own eye? You hypocrite. First take the log out of your own eye. And then you'll see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. So much to unpack here. Five verses. So much to unpack. First of all, if you guys don't know where that came from, it was the Bible. And it was from a very famous sermon that Jesus gave called the Sermon on the Mount. And he was speaking to thousands and really just kind of giving a guy guideline as to how to live, how to be good people. Okay. Five verses, but so much to talk about within those five verses. Let's break it up into sections. Okay. Let's let's make it a little bit more palatable. Judge not that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Huh.
SPEAKER_00Huh. Okay, what's that mean?
SPEAKER_01If I'm going to let's let's break it down very simply. If I'm gonna talk smack about somebody else, I better make sure that I don't have any skeletons in my closet.
SPEAKER_00I mean, really, that's kind of what it breaks down to.
SPEAKER_01That's what it boils down to. When you start pointing out flaws in other people, the first thing they're gonna look for is those same flaws in you.
SPEAKER_00The measure you use will be measured to you. And if you have your own set of problems, who are you to start pointing out other people's issues?
SPEAKER_01If you're not leading a perfect life, which by the way, spoiler, no one does.
SPEAKER_00Only one person did.
SPEAKER_01Jesus, I I believe Jesus had a sense of humor. And I believe that sarcasm was not lost on him. Because the next part of this is, if you think about it, really crazy, like absurd imagery. How are you gonna point out the speck in somebody else's eye? The speck, the dot, the speck in someone else's eye, your brother's eye, when you have a log in your own. You're pointing out the speck in someone else's eye when you have a log in your own. And he says, clear that log out of your own eye so that that way you can finally see clearly and point out that speck.
SPEAKER_00Clear the log out of your own eye so that you can point that speck out so that you could see it clearly.
SPEAKER_01To expose hypocrisy, because that's really what it's about. If you are judging people based on behaviors that you excuse in yourself, it's you're a hypocrite.
SPEAKER_00Flat out. If you're judging people based on behaviors that you excuse in yourself, you're a hypocrite.
SPEAKER_01Who was he talking to on this Sermon of the Mount? Okay, who was his audience? Okay, the disciples were there. Learned men, all of them. He was their teacher, their rabbi.
SPEAKER_00But then everybody else was just like you and me. He was talking to everybody. He wasn't just talking to the devout. This was Jesus' direct instruction on how to be a good person. And I really want you to think about this.
SPEAKER_01Did he say, Don't point out the speck in someone else's eye? Was that his words? Let's let's read them again, just in case we miss something. How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye when there's a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you'll be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. So he's not saying, don't point out the speck. He's just making sure that your heart is good, that your heart is in the right place, that you have dealt with your own issues to the best of your ability with his help. So that when you do go to call out your brother for something he may not be doing well, you have a heart of righteousness. Because if you're sitting there pointing out the problems with everyone else and you have a whole gaggle of problems of your own, that's performative religion. That's not good. That's just being loud to be loud. There's a big difference between having a heart of righteousness and being religious just for show. The Pharisees back in the day did everything they could so that people would see them being devout. But God compared them to whitened sepulchres. Jesus called them whitened sepulchres. What is a sepulchre? Sepulchre is a mausoleum. Okay. The sepulchre is a place where the dead are stored. And people would spend their time cleaning the outside and bleaching the outside of these mausoleums to make sure that they were beautiful on the outside, but inside they were rotten. Inside there was death. And the reason he said that is because their religiousness was performative. It was all for show. Everything was on the outside, and on the inside, they were rotten.
SPEAKER_00And when we judge others in the negative context, think about it.
SPEAKER_01Half of the time you're judging somebody else. It's because you might have the same guilt inside about doing the same thing. Jesus is not condemning moral evaluation. He's condemning hypocritical self-righteous judgment. I'm going to say it again for those in the back. Jesus is not condemning moral evaluation. He's condemning hypocritical self-righteous judgment. In the same chapter, Jesus says you're going to know people by their fruit. So he is telling you, look, okay, if you want to evaluate somebody, it's pretty simple.
SPEAKER_00It's pretty simple. My pastor this week said, good people aren't saved. But saved people do good things.
SPEAKER_01In Matthew 15 through seventeen, he says, Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
SPEAKER_00Think about that.
SPEAKER_01Once again, you're evaluating someone's behavior, but you're evaluating it righteously. Go later on in the scripture in First Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 5, 12, and 13, he says, For what have I to do with judging outsiders? It's not those inside, is it, excuse me, it is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.
SPEAKER_00Purge the evil person from among you.
SPEAKER_01There are so many instances where the Bible supports this and it talks about iron sharpening iron and you know making sure that your brother is living a Christ-like life. So it's not that Jesus, once again, is condemning moral evaluation. He just doesn't want you to be hypocrite. He doesn't want you to be self-righteous in your judgment. He wants your heart to be in the right place.
SPEAKER_00Judgment is final condemnation. Judgment is final condemnation.
SPEAKER_01Discernment, which is what Jesus calls for. Discernment is a moral evaluation aligned with scripture. Remember, the measure that you use on somebody else is the measure that will be used on you. If you are using scripture to measure someone else, then make sure that that scripture can be measured against you as well.
SPEAKER_00And make sure your heart is in the right place.
SPEAKER_01So if no one can judge, how does society function? If no one can judge, how does society function?
SPEAKER_00Courts judge. Teachers evaluate. Parents correct. This happens all the time. The problem isn't judgment. The problem is authority. It's authority.
SPEAKER_01If you are judging somebody wrongly, if you are being hypocritical in your judgment, your problem isn't that you are judging. Your problem is pride. Jesus is confronting pride, not truth. And all he's asking you to do is examinate, examinate, examine yourself, because examinate is a word now from now on. Examine yourself before correction.
SPEAKER_00Before you start pointing out stuff with other people, make sure you're good. Make sure you're good. So if I try to put a bow on some of this, okay, first thing we need to do is examine ourselves.
SPEAKER_01And he says it once again. We're going right back to scripture. First, take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. So he's not saying don't judge, he's saying make sure you're cool before you start pointing out the problems with others. Measure yourself before you measure others. And if you're going to correct, correct with humility and love, not superiority. Correct someone with love. Speak love. First Corinthians 16, 13 and 14 says, be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, and let all that you do be done in love.
SPEAKER_00Third thing, speak truth without venom.
SPEAKER_01There's that old saying, truth hurts, right? Doesn't always have to. It may sting a little bit, but it doesn't need to bite. Doesn't need to kill. In Ephesians, he says, I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00Speak truth without venom.
SPEAKER_01Speak truth in love. And finally, and this might be the hardest one for a lot of us, myself included, dear gosh.
SPEAKER_00Accept correction without defensiveness. Proverbs nineteen twenty.
SPEAKER_01It's very simple. Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the future.
SPEAKER_00I'ma say it again.
SPEAKER_01Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the future.
SPEAKER_00Guys, the goal is restoration. It's not domination.
SPEAKER_01And when you're looking at someone else and you see that speck in someone else's eye, you have to think of it this way. The log in your own eye must come out, but that speck still matters. You saw it for a reason. Just make sure that log is out of your own eye first.
SPEAKER_00The log must come out, but the speck still matters. The issue isn't should Christians judge. The real question is, are we judging from pride or from obedience to God's standard? Are you judging from pride or from obedience to God's standard?
SPEAKER_01This week, I want you guys to go back and read the Sermon on the Mount if you can.
SPEAKER_00Once again, those are Jesus' words on how just to be a good person.
SPEAKER_01And if you have someone in your life who happens to say, judge not, lest ye be judged this week, you know what? Toss them this podcast. Have them listen to it. And even if no one says that, share the podcast. I want this to go out. And I said it in the first episode, and I'll say it again, and probably every episode after. I want your lives to be changed and transformed the way mine was.
SPEAKER_00If you have any questions, don't hesitate to comment.
SPEAKER_01I post on Instagram, Bible underscore basically. You can comment in Spotify, you can post comments in Apple Podcasts. I read everything. If you have a suggestion for another week, I've already received a few, and we're gonna go over them. If you have a suggestion for another week, please don't hesitate to ask. Throw it out there. Remember, scripture is meant to be read, understood, and lived out, not just quoted. We're all on this journey learning, asking questions, and trying to figure out what it really means. To follow God in the world. And with that, I leave you. Thank you guys so much for listening. Keep reading. Keep thinking, and keep talking about it. And remember, we're figuring out faith together.
